Exploring Komodo by boat was absolutely the highlight of our Indonesia trip. We spent our time aboard Sukha Sail 1, travelling between islands, visiting some incredible beaches, snorkelling in clear waters and looking out for the wildlife that makes this part of Indonesia so special. Chasing dragons, floating with mantas and relaxing on rosy beaches, this is why we loved travelling through Komodo National Park with Phinisi Trip Indonesia.
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Disclaimer
A Look Around The Boat – Sukha Sail 1
Labuan Bajo is not short of a phinisi boat or two. the large wooden boats that serve the Komodo islands. However, they are not all created equal. From the cheap and cheerful variety stuffed to the gills with backpackers, to the rather luxury, all-suite vessels, with hot tub and private chefs, there is a boat to suit every traveller. We used Phinisi Trip Indonesia to scan through our ideal dates, and check out the options. So where does the Sukha Sail 1 sit?
Taking its facilities, catering and price into consideration, I’m going to say that it is distinctly midrange, with a higher end slant if you opt for for one of the premium rooms. The boat has …. Rooms and can fit up to …. passengers but we only had eight. We were actually due to have none but one unfortunate guest misunderstood and was in Lombok, our final destination. Let this be a reminder to double check which direction the itinerary you have booked is travelling.
Top Decks
Starting from the top; there is a rooftop for relaxing, stargazing, tanning or getting some sea air. It is carpeted with astroturf (which can be very hot underfoot).
First rule of the boat: shoes off.
Up here you’ll find a few sun beds, apicnic table where we enjoyed a few rounds of cards, and lots of clotheslines. At first glance these might make you think it looks a bit messy but after you’ve hopped in and out of the water a few times, you’ll be stringing up your swimming gear too.
The deck below is mostly made up of the two fancy rooms. These have balconies that look out of the aft of the boat, with a lovely view of the wake.
In front of these is the wheelhouse/bridge, where you’ll find some comfy beanbag chairs. Our group popped a couple of these up on that top deck so we had some more social lounging space.
Main Deck
On the main deck there were a couple of lovely lounging spots with tables. I made the mistake of hopping on one of these lovely cream cushions after our walk on Komodo island, smudging the island’s sandy soil on one end. Sorry! it was rather nice to having drinks out here on one evening. The crew even brought us a battery powered candle to make it extra cozy.
Inside is a dining room where each meal is served. There are two big tables and as a group, we fit perfectly around the larger of the two. It was rather pleasant that we could all share all our meals together.
There were two ways off the boat on this level as well. The first was at the back, were our littl3 tender would pick us up and drop us off. The second, by the sofa on the port side, was a jumping ledge for those that like a bit of daredeviltry, and stairs for wimps like me.
Lower Deck
The lower deck just housed the two budget bedrooms, with portholes for windows, and they both occupied, so I didn’t venture down there.
It is worth noting that the boat is not accessible, and the stairs to the upper decks are steep so those with mobility issues would definitely struggle.
Our Room – Kanawa
I struggle to sleep in dorm rooms, well in general to be honest, but adding in extra people only worstens the situation so we had to make sure we had a private room. We couldn’t stretch to one of those fancy balcony rooms but a nice middle ground was the Kanawa room. Sleeping between two and four passengers, it room would be perfect for a family or close friends. There is a low double bed and then two high bunks. The nicest thing about the layout is that there is an area under one of the bunks that is great to getting luggage out of the way. This is especially good when you are running through soggy from the beach.
The room has an air conditioning unit, which is fantastic, but it takes up one of the only two plugs, which isn’t Luckily, we had an extension cord with us so we could charge everything we needed.
Dining
The Itinerary
What to Pack
Final Thoughts
Rosie xx
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