Traditional Indonesian yacht charter vessel

Indonesia, as you probably have already read on our pages is enormous and has so many islands that you really wouldn’t be able to explore all of them in two years. Since water has always been the main traffic route in Indonesia, this means that all movement and cargo transport have always been done by sea.

This still means that there are many traditional vessels that are mainly used for fishing, inter-insular transportation, and goods, but that kind of vessels are increasingly being used for tourist purposes also, which represents a great connection of tradition with modern style and luxury for the high-end tourism market.

1. Why choose the Indonesia yacht charter?

This is a country that has the most islands in the world if we exclude all the Scandinavian and northern countries where due to glacial history there are thousands and thousands of miniature ones.

Maritime and nautical tourism was in 2018 estimated at around 10% of all foreign tourists visited Indonesia, since then, the percentage has been rising and has more than doubled in the last 15 years. 

Indonesia had about 16 million tourists in 2018, which is a relatively small number in terms of the size of the entire country, and the government is also working to relieve the islands that are a little more crowded and popular (such as Bali) and disperse tourists throughout the other islands. Yachting tourism is perfect for that, allowing tourists to see the greatness, diversity, and authenticity of the entire archipelago.

All this can change in a few years since in the whole country there is a considerable lack of vessels for the needs of this type of tourism, which can be seen in the neighboring countries.

So if you want to explore the most authentic Indonesia as possible, do this in the next 5 years. What will be the situation later we will see, but tradition and building of amazing Phinisi will for sure stay.

This can be compared to Turkey as a destination where we can see that traditional gulets are still heavily dominated and are being built despite luxury fiberglass yachts coming. And these are also one of the few rare destinations in the world where you can cruise comfortably on a big wooden yacht in the traditional way and style.

2. Traditional Indonesian yacht

Learn more about the origins of the beautiful traditional vessels.

All of this information and amazing local knowledge have made Phinisi officially a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

Unfortunately a selection of crewed luxury charter yachts available there is not as huge, which does not mean that luxury yachts do not exist here. As I mentioned above, it also brings some positive things, and if you really want unspoiled nature and to see little tourists as possible, this is a paradise for you.

All out our carefully selected unique offers extraordinary accommodation and service, combining tradition, elegant design, and modern comfort.

Explore our Indonesian charter fleet to find a yacht where size, design, and layout perfectly match your quality standards and group’s wishes.

Traditional vessels

The sea has always played a large role in Indonesia and all migrations, communications, and commerce were done on water, and Indonesians are one of the most sophisticated maritime people in the world.

The traditional two-masted vessel is called Phinisi and expresses the spirit of Indonesian culture and belongs to UNESCO’s List of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanities. In the past, they were mostly used for transportation of goods, but now (retaining unique design since the 1600s) is also used for private cruises and unique yacht charter holidays. Even the most modern yachts have a great mixture of ancient, charming traditions, combined with modern design and technology, but are more than just sailing vessels.

All this and also the more affordable building has been attracting wealthy lifestyle investors from Europe, Asia, and America for a few years now, who first build and equip luxury Phinisi boats for themselves and their families and then release them to the luxury private yacht rental market for the most of the season. Also, lots of yacht operators are building these traditional vessels and converting them into luxury yachts.

The aforementioned investors/owners equip wooden masterpieces with top-shelf marine systems, fittings, sensors, rock-star features, water toys, jet-skis, high-end diving accessories, advanced electronic lighting, lights to attract night-feeding whale sharks and manta rays, and other amenities and comforts commonly found in modern yachts. The result is a mixture of ancient, charming traditions, combined with modern-day design and technology.

In Indonesia, there are around 280 traditional Phinisi vessels registered for commercial activities. Shipyards in South Sulawesi produce about 5 times more vessels a year than a decade ago, so this means around 10 new vessels a year, where demand is still higher than supply. 

Prices are therefore a bit higher than in some other destinations but the choice is wide, different and each individual or group can find something for themselves and have amazing cruising vacations to destinations around Raja Ampat Islands, Bali, Labuan Bajo, Komodo National Park and much more – tailored according to your needs and wishes.

3. Comparison of Phinisi ships with vessels typical of the rest of the world

Phinisi called schooners are huge and compared to traditional and similar wooden vessels – gulets in Turkey and Croatia on average 5 to 15 meters longer. They have much more space on deck and also cabins and bathrooms are larger. The prices are a bit higher, but when we compare how many more meters and space we get, there is no such difference and very comparable. 

For people that are not used to yachts and are not domestic with the specifications of the yachts, it is hard to see the difference between each other. With gorgeous Phinisis, everything is totally diverse and each one is different and offers unique advantages over the other.

Unlike most of the yachts, they have a soul and special energy that cannot be compared. You can feel the tradition, the work of local people, local wood, which is perfectly complemented by modern accessories. After all, they are about one time cheaper than yachts for similar lengths.

However, even if you have been used to the classical yachting vacation in different destinations, it is truly the best experience to cruise through the untouched nature of the Indonesian archipelago, surrounded by tradition compared to a luxury glitter yachts, that somehow don’t fit into that kind of unique environment.

4. Comparison of two different categories of Phinisi sailing yachts

She is the only Phinisi in Indonesia that holds an International certificate and classification RINA that ensures the highest standards of safety and quality of the build.

She has the biggest rigging you can find on modern Phinisi, 48 meters high masts, and 1,277 m2 of sails. Her crew of 20 members was voted as the best crew in South East Asia by Camper and Nicholsons. All-inclusive offers are very common in Indonesia compared to the other destinations around the world, but she truly offers a full all-inclusive package rate. Her price, which includes practically everything and extra things you can’t even expect, is € 133.000 per week, per group.

However, with an air-conditioned lounge, four en suite cabins that can accommodate up to 10 adults in comfort, a fully equipped kitchen, dinghies, 7 crew members, kayaks and indoor and outdoor dining areas, still unique and amazing “floating boutique hotel” where you will have different views several times a day. She costs around € 20.000 per week, per group.