Indonesia has roughly 17,000 islands, yet most visitors still barely scratch beyond Bali. A new wave of ultra-luxury tour operators is trying to change that, with multi-week itineraries that string together private villas, crewed sailing boats and remote island resorts most travellers have never heard of.
One of the people leading the charge is Christopher Wilmot-Sitwell of London agency Cazenove & Loyd, who first travelled to Indonesia in the late 1980s when the scene was mostly backpackers. His trips now run up to three weeks and mix cultural access, like traditional water blessings and private tours of UNESCO World Heritage sites, with a simple philosophy: go where the crowds don't.
Newer to the game is Ultraluxe, launched this year by Kensington Tours under Edita Sgovio. The premise is frictionless logistics in a country where things simply don't run as smoothly as in the Greek Islands. Flagship example: the nine-day Indonesia Odyssey, priced around $70,000 per person before international flights. Guests start at Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Bali, to recover from what can be a 30-hour journey from the US. Then it's four days sailing the Lesser Sunda Islands aboard Lamima, a traditional phinisi sailing yacht with a famously cheerful crew. Shore excursions might include hunting out Komodo dragons; return to the boat and you're sung back aboard. The trip finishes at Nihi Sumba, the surf-and-spa resort on Sumba island where you can ride a wave at dawn and have a massage above the Indian Ocean by afternoon.
The key selling point is that everything is vetted in advance, so the island-hopping by boat, helicopter and private plane supposedly runs without a hitch, and you spend most of the trip away from Bali's tour buses.
That said, Bali itself is evolving. The south coast already has serious luxury hotels, including the Bulgari resort at Uluwatu, with more openings expected soon, and the government is building a new international airport on the island's quieter north side. Beyond beaches, Bali has a deep craft culture, jewellery brand John Hardy's workshops among them. Creative chairman Reed Krakoff points out the island's real draw: beaches, forest and volcanic scenery packed close together in a way few places manage.
Why should a regular traveller care? You don't need a $70,000 budget to borrow the logic. Indonesia rewards going further afield: Komodo, Sumba, the Lesser Sundas and Flores are all reachable with a bit of planning, and a crewed phinisi charter split among friends can cost a fraction of a branded ultra-luxe itinerary. The lesson from the experts is simple: spend a night or two in Bali, then get out and let someone who knows the routes handle the transfers.
Story via Robb Report Travel.
