From Darwin to Benoa (Bali) · Asia · 14 nights
Sleek and stylish, Le Boréal, Le Soléal, L’Austral and Le Lyrial are wonderful small ships that blend luxury and intimacy with a discreet elegance and tasteful décor.
These chic sisters are amongst the most stylish ships at sea,
with muted natural tones, minimalist interiors and playful splashes
of colour. The accommodation is flexible, with the option to
combine staterooms and create expansive suites, while the
restaurants deliver the sort of outstanding gastronomic experience
that you would expect from a French flag cruise line.
More of a large town than a city, Darwin is less about what's contained within the city limits and more about the huge expanse of wild landscape that's outside it. Closer to Jakarta than Sydney, the city really does feel remote in its tropical perch. There are a number of waterfront restaurants and pretty parks, making it a pleasant place to relax after a long flight. For those with the energy we highly recommend a visit to Litchfield and Kakadu National Parks.
Dili is the capital of Timor-Leste (East Timor), one of the world’s youngest nations. The city’s old quarter includes a number of impressive buildings from the Portuguese colonial era, while the Resistance Museum documents the country’s 25-year struggle to win independence from Indonesia.
Banda Neira is part of the Banda Archipelago, often known by the more evocative name of the Spice Islands thanks to the Myristica trees that produce nutmeg and mace. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive here, later supplanted by the Dutch, and the streets are still home to an eclectic mix of colonial architecture.
The protected marine reserve of Triton Bay rivals Raja Ampat as one of Indonesia’s premier locations for snorkelling and scuba diving. The biodiversity here is remarkable, with species ranging from pygmy seahorses to mighty whale sharks, and it’s also a nesting site for green turtles.
The Kai Archipelago, part of the Maluku islands, is known for its idyllic beaches. The ancestors of the Kai people are believed to have come here from Bali, but there is no written history, with an oral tradition of stories known as Tom-Tad that are passed down from generation to generation.
The Alor Archipelago is a fantastic destination for snorkelling and diving, much less well known than Raja Ampat and Komodo. On the main island, also called Alor, you can learn about the traditions of the Takpala indigenous people and visit the Museum of a Thousand Mokos in Kalabahi, with its collection of bronze kettle drums known as mokos.
The island of Flores is home to some of the most staggeringly beautiful scenery in the Indonesian archipelago, a lush landscape of smouldering volcanoes, spectacular lakes and verdant paddy fields. Flores is also culturally distinct from the other islands, with a population that is 95% Catholic.
Sumbawa is just to the east of Bali and Lombok, though the island is drier, less developed and more conservative than its neighbours. It’s a popular spot for surfers, and home to sleepy villages where locals weave indigo cloth and build traditional wooden boats by hand.
The beaches, spectacular volcanic scenery and lush green rice terraces lend Bali a natural beauty that seems to dovetail perfectly with the island’s distinct Hindu culture, which adorns the landscape with stunning temples.
