Planning a charter to Indonesia comes with plenty of questions and we’re happy to help. If anything ever comes to mind, please just let us know and we will always respond swiftly with a tailored response. We have put together some questions and answers below for reference.
For more information or any additional questions, please contact us at: info@indoyachts.com or +62 811 88 22 82 by phone or Whatsapp. We look forward to hearing from you.
When executed correctly, a yacht charter is the best way to enjoy spending time on a yacht without the commitments of ownership. From the moment you step on board, each day is yours to spend as you wish. The freedom of chartering makes for a wonderful way to spend holidays with the most treasured people in our lives.
To enjoy the sense of space, privacy and service only available on private yachts there are two simple options. Either buy a yacht, hire a crew and assume the other myriad responsibilities of ownership, or charter one. When you charter a yacht, you only commit the days you spend on board, and are free from any burdens such as maintenance, crew management or permits. On a charter, your only care should be how to spend each day creating memories and enjoying yourself.
On a private charter, each day is yours to spend as you wish. Awake at your leisure or catch first light for a glorious sunrise. Enjoy breakfast catered to your preferences, then begin each day with an activity such as snorkeling, or lounging on deck with a favorite book. The crews can set up beach chairs just for you on beautiful stretches of white sand off of crystal clear waters. Go for a hike to reap a rewarding view, scuba dive with exciting wildlife, and then enjoy a gourmet dinner on deck as the sun sets. In Indonesia, we have the ingredients for some of the most exciting charters on earth.
The best yacht is the one that holds a special spot in your heart. Some are large with many cabins, some are smaller with just one cabin. They are all unique, just like each charter guest. There is a saying that the sky and the sea are always the same, no matter what yacht you are on. What is important, is to choose the yacht that is right for you.
Some yachts at the top of the market have world-class engineering systems, and crews that provide service befitting the world’s finest resorts. We put these in the superyacht category.
Some yachts are beautifully finished, with the best amenities, service and friendly crews, but a step down from the very upper echelon, also in price. We put these in the luxury yacht category.
The majority of yachts for charter in Indonesia are geared toward offering scuba diving trips. We have very carefully selected what we believe to be the very best in terms of their knowledgeable crews, commitment to safety procedures and amenities on board, and put these in the liveaboard yacht category.
Within each category, we have only selected the very best of the available yachts for charter in Indonesia. For a specific purpose and client, each one can be the best yacht, and each one is capable of creating happy memories at sea to last a lifetime.
Yacht charters in Indonesia generally include private use of the yacht, crew, fuel, all meals and activities. This makes for clear pricing and minimal unexpected add-ons.
On some yachts alcoholic beverages and national park fees count as extra expenses, but a few yachts even include those, to make for an all-inclusive rate. Crew tips and dive courses are generally the only items not included in the charter rate. For specifics pertaining to each yacht, please enquire and we’ll gladly go over the inclusions and exclusions on a case-by-case basis.
If you have chartered a yacht elsewhere you may be familiar with the advanced provisioning allowance (APA) system. We do not use the APA system in Indonesia.
Private charters take place according to your schedule. Let us know the dates that are most convenient for you and we will ensure the yacht is where you choose and ready to go. In some instances, it may be possible to book last minute (within 1-2 weeks) but in general, we advise booking at least six months in advance to ensure you secure your preferred yacht, destination, and dates. Keep in mind, some of the most desirable charter yachts are often booked one-year in advance during the more popular times of year.
Indonesia is located on the equator so we have great weather year round. The seasons follow the calmest sea conditions and where we can expect the most sunshine. Generally, April to September is ideal for between Bali and Komodo. In October, the yachts transition east through the Spice Islands in to Raja Ampat. Yachts will be based in Raja Ampat from November to March, and then return west through the Spice Islands to be based in Komodo in April.
Outside these more typical seasons and positioning, it is possible to venture into Cenderawasih Bay, East Nusa Tenggara, and even Wakatobi. Repositioning fees may be required to cover expenses related to moving the yacht, but there are plenty of destinations to explore outside the typical cruising areas.
On a private charter, you are in control of how you spend each day. There will be an itinerary that is flexible according to your preferences. Once on board, you may decide you favor one type of activity or destination over another and the cruise director will adapt to your wishes. Likewise, weather patterns can sometimes give reason to run an itinerary in reverse or alter sections to avoid rains or winds.
We would love to! In fact, it is what got us into this line of work. All we need is to hear is what you would love to do and we will come up with plenty of suggestions and then refine based on your input. We’ll listen to your expectations and preferences, draft a custom itinerary, pair it with a selection of yachts, and continue working on it until every piece fits together perfectly. We feel privileged to be a part of such trips and it gives us great satisfaction to be part of creating the special memories that take place on charters in Indonesia.
Some yachts have a minimum charter length of 4 nights, but we have put on single night charters and even a single day charter paired with a private jet flight to see the dragons. We generally recommend a minimum of 3 to 6 for the most fulfilling charter experiences in Komodo and no shorter than 5 nights in Raja Ampat. The average overall charter length on Indo Yachts trips is about 8 nights. Two week trips are not uncommon and the longest ones have been five weeks.
All the yachts we work with are Indonesian flagged, but some do have experience sailing within other parts of SE Asia. Some of the yachts have gone as far as Mergui in Myanmar via Singapore, Langkawi and Phuket. If you’d like help with a charter anywhere else in the world, please let us know and we can help with either a locally available yacht or possibly repositioning one of the Indonesian yachts.
Diving for certified divers is included in the charter rates. In some instances, additional dive guides may be required to accommodate larger group sizes, and this may incur an additional charge if the requirement for dive masters or instructors is beyond the yacht’s standard offering.
For anyone who wishes to try diving for the first time or is not yet certified, some yachts will offer Discovery Scuba Dives (DSDs) under the supervision of a PADI certified Instructor. Please let us know well in advance if you would like to try this as you will be required to fill out a medical questionnaire and possibly visit a physician prior to diving.
The Komodo dragons thrive within Komodo National park in Flores. The closest airport and harbor is Labuan Bajo. Rinca and Komodo islands are the biggest and most frequented. On your private charter, you will also experience some of the more seldom visited islands within the park.
There are multiple areas around Indonesia where you may be lucky enough to see the elusive whale sharks. Our recommendation and your best bet would be to visit either Triton Bay or Cenderawasih Bay both in West Papua. This can be done on charters out of Biak, Nabire, Manokwari, Kaimana or even Ambon or Sorong, depending on your appetite for adventure and cruising.
If you are traveling with children, we are happy to recommend the best yachts with specifications built with the youngest of travelers in mind. Some yachts have been designed with children in mind and have high-railings, enclosed indoor areas, and even toys on board.
We have had young sailors on board as young as several weeks old. There is truly no age limit for kids and parents to enjoy a charter.
If you’d like some one-on-one time with your significant other, we can even have a nanny join your charter. Qualified nannies are available at an additional cost. We can recommend trustworthy professionals at your request.
In general, a comprehensive travel insurance policy with emergency medical evacuation coverage should be purchased.
If you plan to scuba dive, specialty dive insurance is recommended. Travel insurance typically does not cover diving related incidences.
Indonesia is a vast archipelago of some 17,000 islands stretched across approximately 5,000km (3,100 miles) along the equator. Active volcanoes exist on some of the islands and there are occasional eruptions. In recent years, eruptions have accounted for a total of less than two full days of regional airport closures. The chances of a volcano disrupting your holiday or flights are in fact quite slim.
Seismic activity along The Ring of Fire is common. Shifting tectonic plates below the surface cause releases of built up pressure resulting in earthquakes. At sea, there are no known risks associated with earthquakes.
You may find it surprising that being at sea during a tsunami is a safe place.
Indo Yachts is the leading yacht charter company in Indonesia. We were the first Indonesia-based member company to join IYBA (International Yacht Brokers Association) and have been twice nominated as best Charter Company in Asia (once at Singapore Yacht Show in 2018 and once at Thailand Yacht Show in 2019).
We are here to help negotiate terms and advise on itineraries to make sure you get the most out of your experience. We work closely with the top yachts, but ultimately we are here to serve you — our clients, to ensure you get the very best representation at every stage of your charter.
We have extensive first-hand experience chartering the top yachts in Indonesia and therefore understand how your expectations are best matched by each one. We have cruised extensively in Indonesia ourselves, and experienced the many different types of voyages we plan for our clients. In sum, we are a one-stop shop for chartering in Indonesia with the most complete information available anywhere. You could call us the experts, but in an area as vast as Indonesia, we are still excited about discovering new destinations and hope we never run out of new areas to explore.
Our experience with the yachts and in the regions allows us to provide the best-informed service, but perhaps the reason you will enjoy booking with us is that you’ll also receive the most personal service. Our mission is to treat each client as if they are our only one. We will never make you wait, pass you around to different departments, lose or make you repeat critical information, or give any other sign that we have anything more important than making sure you receive the absolute best service and personal attention. Our entire purpose is to ensure you have an enjoyable experience at each step of your charter.
Over time, we have also become a trusted source for some of the world’s leading luxury travel companies and yacht charter brokers in Europe, the US and Middle East for Indonesia-specific expertise. Branching out to assist other travel industry professionals with itineraries and information on seasons, yachts, wildlife, and cultural activities is enjoyable, but working directly with clients to plan their dream vacations is still the most fun part of our jobs. We love what we do and it shows in the end product, which is special one-of-a-kind yacht charters in some of the most beautiful areas on earth.
Indo Yachts is comprehensively insured against professional negligence, errors and omissions with a reputable international insurance company. This coverage is also a requisite for membership in professional yacht broker organizations, as well as for qualifying as an approved supplier to many high-end travel companies. We carry this insurance to ensure that you have peace of mind, and that when relying on our services, you are in safe hands.