Walk, swim and sail with the giants of the animal kingdom in Indonesia

Words by Jeannine Williamson

The guide, armed only with a slim forked wooden stick – which looked more suited to the practice of dowsing to find underground water – is the only thing standing between me and the advancing Komodo dragon with an ominously flicking yellow forked tongue.

Casting my mind back, I recall that Hiccup, the central character in How to Train Your Dragon, tickled his fire-breathing chum under the chin to befriend it. But as the world’s largest lizard – more than 3m long and weighing in at around 140kg – continues to lumber towards me on legs the size of small tree trunks, this taming method, along with a flimsy branch, doesn’t seem altogether ideal to keep the Komodo Dragon at bay. Especially as a second one emerges from the undergrowth.

During our briefing the night before, aboard SeaTrek Sailing Adventures’ pleasingly swashbuckling wooden ship Ombak Putih, we learned these fearsome creatures kill victims slowly with the combination of a bite and venomous saliva. The good news is they only eat once or twice a month.

With no idea of their last mealtime, and as we’re the first ship to land on Komodo Island that morning in order to maximize viewing opportunities, I politely loiter behind and let my 20 or so fellow passengers go first.

Initial jitters soon disappear. I reason these guides are in Komodo National Park each day and know exactly how to respect the personal space of the dragons which come out to warm up in the morning sun. Komodo, and four other islands in the UNESCO-listed park, are the only places on earth to see these dragons in the wild and our trek through their habitat is just one of many wow-factor moments on an extraordinary voyage brimming with outsize wildlife encounters.

– READ MORE: 6 unmissable destinations in Asia –

Have you ever wondered (as I once did) is Indonesia any good for sailing? If so, the answer is a resounding yes.

Small ship Asia specialist SeaTrek Sailing Adventures offers some of the best cruises in Indonesia for anyone looking for an off-the-beaten-track voyage that’s big – in both the literal and metaphorical sense – on sights and experiences.

After the Komodo dragons comes the opportunity to snorkel with whale sharks – at around 12m, they take the record as the world’s biggest sharks. I have to come up to the surface for air after nearly opening my mouth underwater as I glimpse the surprisingly slow and graceful aquatic giants.

They’re gentle, too. (That’s provided you’re not among the 40k of fish they eat per day, gulping in thousands of gallons of seawater to filter-feed via their tiny, not-very-sharp teeth.) In fact, as we ogle them, they pay us no attention whatsoever.

Completing the hat-trick of wildlife superlatives, SeaTrek has teamed up with another eco-travel specialist, WOW Borneo, to offer a sea adventure and Borneo orangutan cruise. The two combine to tick off several bucket list entries in one epic holiday which entails flying into Jakarta, an internal flight to Borneo, and a bit of R&R with an overnight in the blissful beach paradise of Bali before another airline-hop into the Indonesian archipelago to Flores for the week-long sailing on Ombak Putih.

The WOW Borneo element is a three-night river sailing meandering through remote waterways in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo.

Once again, I’m fleetingly lost for words as within 10 minutes of boarding a small canoe to putter around the densely forested inland island of Pulau Kaja we see our first orangutan. He sits on the edge of the bank and gazes at us from below a thatch of thick orange hair. He’s all the more impressive as, you’ve guessed it, Bornean orangutans are the largest of the three species of these great apes.

The island is managed by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, or BOS, and you’re more or less guaranteed to spot the primates in various stages of rehabilitation here. Many of them, variously victims of illegal poaching or cruelly caged as ‘pets’, often spend years simply learning how to be orangutans. Once they can fend, nest and hunt for themselves, they are released into the wild. On this trip, if you’re super lucky, you might even spot the great apes doing just this.

– READ MORE: Sri Lanka for animal lovers –

Once we’ve caught our breath, there’s never a lack of things to talk about back on the Rahai’i Pangun river boat, especially when the number of orangutans seen in one day – 19! – outnumbers the eight passengers on the traditional-style riverboat converted to carry passengers.

Accommodation on both Rahai’i Pangun and the 24-passenger Ombak Putih – renovated from an equally authentic ironwood cargo vessel – adds to the whole feeling of adventure and being a world away from the region’s tourist resorts. Don’t expect a luxury cruise ship with Champagne and all-singing, all-dancing entertainment on tap. Do expect to fall asleep almost instantly, to the sound of gently creaking timbers, following music and singing from the multi-talented crew members and generous self-serve gin and tonics with the tipple you’re encouraged to bring onboard. (Mixers and snacks are all provided, along with tasty buffet meals.)

Lizards, sharks and orangutans aside, each day brings a surprise. These include the nocturnal spectacle of thousands of fruit bats flying between two islands, a motorbike ride along bumpy tracks (thankfully as pillion passengers) to plunge into a waterfall, hands-on help with a coral restoration project and a giddying climb (for those who dare) up a rickety ladder to peer into a boat the size of Ombak Putih being constructed on a beach. All of them stories for another day.

– READ MORE: Where in the world to cruise when –

Do cruise ship passengers need visas for Indonesia?

Yes. You need to fill out an immigration form prior to departure and pay for a visa on arrival at Jakarta Airport. It’s an easy process and can be paid for by card or currencies including US dollars. For stopovers in Bali you need to pay an online tourist tax before arrival.

Do cruise ships stop at Bali?

While Bali is a stopover point for internal flights between Borneo and Komodo National Park for SeaTrek’s expedition sailings, mainstream cruise lines that stop at Bali, or sail to and from Bali, include Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Silversea Cruises.

Any top tips for a Borneo river cruise and cruises to Indonesia?

Pack light and leave multiple pairs of shoes at home. SeaTrek’s Indonesia cruise is laid-back and casual. You don’t need to dress for dinner and guests are encouraged to go barefoot on the boat. All watersports gear is provided, there’s a free laundry service and guests are given sarongs and water bottles (both to keep).