Richseen Private Journeys · Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia Yacht Expedition

Indonesia · Komodo National Park · Raja Ampat · Bali
8–10 Days · Indonesia
From USD 22,000+ per person
"Raja Ampat — where the highest marine biodiversity on Earth is contained in an archipelago of 1,500 islands whose underwater visibility makes the snorkelling most immediate and whose surface is accessible only by expedition yacht."
The Journey

Indonesia,
Beyond the Last Island

The Indonesian archipelago is the most biologically diverse marine environment on Earth — the Coral Triangle, whose 6 million square kilometres encompass Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, and Malaysia, contains 76% of the world's known coral species, 37% of the world's coral reef fish species, and the highest marine biodiversity concentration recorded anywhere in the ocean. Within this triangle, two destinations stand at the apex: Komodo National Park in the Lesser Sunda Islands, where the world's largest lizard (the Komodo dragon, Varanus komodoensis) shares its island range with the most intact coral reefs in the Nusa Tenggara chain; and Raja Ampat in West Papua, whose 1,500 islands, 540 coral species, and 1,508 recorded fish species constitute the single most biodiverse marine environment on Earth by every measurable parameter.

The Southeast Asia Yacht Expedition is structured around the expedition yacht as the only vehicle that makes either destination fully accessible — the ability to anchor in the bay whose reef is most intact, to reach the dive site before the day-boat operators arrive from Labuan Bajo or Sorong, and to move between islands at the pace that the wind, the current, and the expedition programme permit. The Komodo dragon observation on Rinca or Komodo Island; the manta ray cleaning station at Manta Point below the Gili Motang sea wall; and the Raja Ampat underwater landscape at Wayag, Pianemo, and the Cape Kri dive site — where the world record for fish species counted in a single dive was set in 2007 — all require the expedition yacht's flexibility and the early morning timing that the land-based operator circuit cannot provide.

This 8-to-10-day itinerary integrates the expedition yacht with three of Southeast Asia's most considered luxury addresses — Capella Ubud in the Keliki Valley above Ubud (the Bali cultural heartland for the pre-expedition arrival); Bawah Reserve in the Anambas Islands north of Singapore (the private island conservation resort whose seaplane access makes it the most remote single luxury address in Indonesia); and Amanpulo on Palawan in the Philippines (Aman's private island resort whose position at the northern tip of the Sulu Sea makes it the most considered single day-trip extension from the Raja Ampat circuit). Three addresses whose combination with the expedition programme produces the most complete single Southeast Asian luxury experience available.

Signature Moments

Six Encounters
with Southeast Asia

The Komodo dragon on Rinca at dawn, the manta ray at Manta Point, and Raja Ampat's Wayag karst islands where the world's most biodiverse reef begins at the surface.

01
Komodo Dragon — The World's Largest Lizard on Its Own Island
The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) on Rinca or Komodo Island — the world's largest living lizard, reaching 3 metres in length and 70 kilograms, whose venomous bite and ambush hunting strategy make it the apex predator of an island ecosystem that has been isolated from mainland Asia long enough to produce this specific evolutionary outcome. The ranger-led dawn walk from the landing jetty — the hour when the Komodo dragons are most active in the cool morning temperature before the equatorial heat reduces their metabolism. The experience whose quality depends entirely on the expedition yacht's arrival before the day-boat operators from Labuan Bajo bring the first guided group of the day.
02
Manta Ray at Manta Point — The Cleaning Station Below Gili Motang
The manta ray cleaning station at Manta Point below the Gili Motang sea wall — the underwater topography whose current-swept reef head concentrates the manta rays (oceanic manta, Manta birostris, with wingspans up to 7 metres) at the cleaning station where the wrasse and the cleaner shrimp remove the parasites from the manta's gill plates and skin surface. The free-dive approach that allows the mantas to be observed without the bubble disturbance of SCUBA; the specific current conditions that the expedition team reads to position the snorkellers for the encounter whose duration depends on the manta's own decision to remain at the cleaning station.
03
Raja Ampat — 1,508 Fish Species, the World Record, Cape Kri
Raja Ampat in West Papua — the archipelago of 1,500 islands where the world record for fish species counted in a single dive was set at Cape Kri in 2007 (374 species in a single dive, a record that has not been broken). The 540 coral species recorded in the Raja Ampat waters represent the highest coral diversity anywhere on Earth; the fish species count of 1,508 exceeds the Caribbean's total count. The Wayag lagoon — the karst limestone islands rising from the turquoise water in the geological formation that defines the Raja Ampat visual identity — accessible only from the expedition yacht anchored in the outer lagoon, with the Zodiac navigating the channel between the limestone karsts.
04
Pink Beach — The Komodo Rarest Shoreline
The Pink Beach on Komodo Island's northeastern shore — one of seven pink sand beaches in the world, whose specific colour derives from the red coral fragments (Foraminifera) mixed into the white sand by the wave action over the reef below. The snorkelling conditions immediately off the pink sand: the reef whose intact status below the Komodo National Park's marine protection zone produces the fish density and coral cover that most directly illustrates the park's conservation effectiveness. The dawn landing from the expedition yacht before the day-boat operators arrive from Labuan Bajo — the beach in the conditions that its specific visual quality most deserves.
05
Capella Ubud — The Tent Camp Above the Keliki Valley
Capella Ubud in the Keliki Valley above Ubud — the Tented Camp whose 22 river-view tents are suspended above the Tjapung River gorge on suspended bridges and platforms, providing the most architecturally adventurous luxury accommodation in Bali. The design by Bill Bensley (who has spent 30 years applying the specific vocabulary of the Balinese aesthetic tradition to the most technically ambitious luxury camp structures in Southeast Asia); the Jungle Club for the arrival dinner; and the rice terrace walk at dawn before the Ubud market opens and the cultural programme that makes Ubud the most considered single cultural destination in Bali accessible in the pre-expedition day.
06
Indonesian Cuisine — Spice Islands at Source
The Indonesian food programme aboard the expedition yacht — the fresh catch prepared by the yacht's chef using the morning's market produce from each island port: the grilled barracuda with sambal matah (the raw Balinese shallot and lemongrass condiment) in Labuan Bajo; the sate lilit (minced fish on lemongrass skewers) from the Flores fish market; and the nasi campur whose rice-with-accompaniments format makes the region's specific spice combinations most immediately legible as the culinary tradition whose 16th-century value drove the European Age of Exploration. The spice trade that the nutmeg, cloves, and pepper of the Maluku Islands built — tasted at the source whose geography the expedition yacht makes most directly accessible.
Key Highlights

What Makes This Journey

01 🚢
Expedition Yacht — The Only Access to Komodo and Raja Ampat
A private expedition yacht into the Coral Triangle — the only vehicle that reaches the Pink Beach before the day boats from Labuan Bajo; the only way to anchor above the Cape Kri reef at dawn; and the only accommodation whose flexibility allows the manta ray encounter at Manta Point to be extended until the mantas depart rather than until the programme schedule requires departure. The yacht whose independence from the land-based operator infrastructure makes the marine encounters most rewarding and whose onboard quality makes the expedition most sustainable across 8 to 10 days.
02 🐟
World's Best Marine Biodiversity — Komodo, Raja Ampat, Coral Triangle
The marine programme across two of the world's three most biodiverse dive destinations — Komodo National Park (UNESCO World Heritage, 1,000 fish species, manta ray and whale shark encounters) and Raja Ampat (Cape Kri world record, 540 coral species, 1,508 fish species). The Coral Triangle whose 6 million square kilometres contain 76% of the world's known coral species, in conditions whose underwater visibility — 20 to 40 metres in the dry season — makes snorkelling as revealing as diving at the most productive single sites on the circuit.
03 🏝️
Three Southeast Asian Addresses — Capella Ubud, Bawah Reserve, Amanpulo
Capella Ubud in the Keliki Valley (Bill Bensley's tented camp suspended above the Tjapung River gorge); Bawah Reserve in the Anambas Islands (private island conservation resort, seaplane access, 13 islands in a single marine sanctuary); and Amanpulo on Palawan (Aman's private island at the Sulu Sea, the Pamalican Island coconut grove, the house reef). Three addresses whose combination with the expedition yacht programme produces the most complete single Southeast Asian luxury experience available.
Expedition Framework

Key Moments & Movements

The Southeast Asian expedition season peaks April to October (dry season in Indonesia); the best visibility and calmest seas at Komodo are April to June and September to October. The yacht departs from Labuan Bajo (Komodo route) or Sorong (Raja Ampat route). Flights to Labuan Bajo operate from Bali (45 minutes); flights to Sorong operate from Jakarta (3 hours) or Bali (3 hours via Makassar). Routing is weather-adjusted daily by the expedition captain.

Every Richseen Southeast Asia expedition is individually arranged. The itinerary routes Komodo and Raja Ampat as separate expeditions or combined for guests with 14+ days; the 8-to-10-day framework below covers one primary destination. Hotel availability at Capella Ubud and Bawah Reserve requires advance booking; Bawah seaplane access is confirmed alongside the reservation.

Day 1
Bali Arrival — Capella Ubud · Keliki Valley · Ubud Market
Arrive at Ngurah Rai International Airport with private transfer to Capella Ubud in the Keliki Valley (1.5 hours north of the airport through the Bali highlands). Check in to the Bill Bensley–designed tented camp whose 22 river-view tents are suspended above the Tjapung River gorge on bridges and platforms — the arrival across the rope bridge at the forest canopy level being the most immediately distinctive hotel check-in experience in Bali. The Warung Jegeg beach club for the afternoon; the Ubud Monkey Forest at dusk; and the Ubud Palace for the Kecak dance performance whose fire and the 50-performer chorus make the pre-expedition cultural introduction most immediate.
Capella Ubud, Keliki Valley, Bali
Day 2
Ubud Cultural Day · Flight to Labuan Bajo · Expedition Embarkation
Morning: the Ubud market at 6am (the most productive single hour in the market before the tourist programme begins) and the rice terrace walk at Tegallalang — the UNESCO Cultural Landscape whose subak irrigation system has been managing the Bali highland rice cultivation since the 9th century. Flight from Nguyen Rai to Labuan Bajo (45 minutes) on the western tip of Flores. The expedition yacht boarding at the Labuan Bajo marina; the expedition team briefing; and the first sail into the Komodo National Park waters as the sun sets over the Rinca island silhouette — the approach that makes the following morning's Komodo dragon encounter most anticipated.
Aboard Expedition Yacht · Labuan Bajo
Day 3
Rinca Island — Komodo Dragon Dawn Walk · Snorkel · Pink Beach
Dawn anchor off Rinca — the ranger station landing at 6:30am before the day-boat operators arrive from Labuan Bajo. The ranger-led walk through the savanna and the dry forest whose Komodo dragons are concentrated near the ranger station kitchen (attracted by the food preparation) and along the dry river beds where the dragon's ambush hunting strategy is most directly observable. The Komodo dragon in its habitat: the slow reptilian metabolism; the forked tongue detecting chemical signals; and the ambush whose sudden speed makes the 3-metre predator most immediately comprehensible as the apex of its island ecosystem. Afternoon: the Pink Beach and the snorkelling conditions below the reef wall.
Aboard Yacht · Rinca / Komodo
Day 4
Manta Point · Batu Bolong · Gili Lawa Darat Hilltop
Manta Point below the Gili Motang sea wall — the current-swept reef head whose cleaning station concentrates the oceanic manta rays in conditions that make free-dive snorkelling (rather than SCUBA) the most productive encounter method: no bubble disturbance, and the manta's natural inclination to investigate the surface-breathing snorkeller in the conditions where the SCUBA diver's exhaust causes avoidance. Batu Bolong in the afternoon — the submerged pinnacle in the channel between Komodo and Rinca where the current compression over the volcanic rock produces the most productive single dive site in the National Park: the fish density at Batu Bolong's peak current is the highest visible from the water surface anywhere in Komodo. Gili Lawa Darat for the sunset hilltop view.
Aboard Yacht · Komodo National Park
Day 5–6
Flores Coast · Satonda Island · Moyo Island · Open Water Passage
Navigation east along the Flores coast — the island whose Portuguese colonial name (Flores = flowers, for the coral reefs visible from the ship) documents the European arrival in the 16th century spice trade. Satonda Island: the volcanic crater lake separated from the sea by a narrow barrier whose brackish water and the fig tree forest around it produce the most botanically distinctive single island on the Lesser Sunda circuit. Moyo Island (the Amanwana site): the national park whose forest interior is accessible by river from the yacht anchorage and whose waterfall trails make it the most rewarding single walking destination on the eastern Lombok to Komodo circuit. Open water passage to the Banda Sea for guests extending east toward the Maluku spice islands.
Aboard Yacht · Flores / Sumbawa
Day 7–8
Raja Ampat — Wayag Lagoon · Cape Kri · Pianemo
For itineraries routed via Raja Ampat (separate from Komodo or combined in a 14-day programme): the Wayag lagoon — the karst limestone islands rising from the turquoise water in the geological formation that defines the Raja Ampat visual identity, accessible by Zodiac through the channel between the karst towers. Cape Kri: the world record dive site whose 374 species recorded in a single dive in 2007 has not been surpassed, and whose snorkelling conditions from the surface make the reef's fish density most immediately comprehensible without SCUBA. Pianemo for the elevated viewpoint above the lagoon — the karst panorama that the Raja Ampat promotional image reproduces and whose actual scale, visible from the wooden platform above the highest karst, is most immediately confronting in the morning light before the clouds build over the forest canopy.
Aboard Yacht · Raja Ampat
Day 9–10
Disembarkation · Bawah Reserve or Amanpulo Extension
Disembarkation at Labuan Bajo or Sorong; transfer to Bawah Reserve in the Anambas Islands by seaplane from Batam (the private island conservation resort in a 13-island marine sanctuary 150 kilometres north of Singapore, accessible only by seaplane and the most remote single luxury address in Indonesia). Alternatively: the flight to Puerto Princesa for the transfer to Amanpulo on Pamalican Island — Aman's private island at the northern tip of the Sulu Sea, whose house reef, the coconut grove, and the Palawan Passage views provide the most considered single post-expedition island day available in the Philippine archipelago.
Bawah Reserve or Amanpulo
Luxury Stays

Where You Rest Matters

Keliki Valley, Ubud, Bali
Bali — 1–2 Nights (Pre-Expedition)
Capella Ubud
Desa Keliki, Keliki, Tegallalang, Gianyar, Bali 80562
Capella Ubud — the Bill Bensley–designed tented camp in the Keliki Valley above Ubud, whose 22 river-view tents are suspended above the Tjapung River gorge on bridges and platforms, providing the most architecturally adventurous luxury accommodation in Bali. The pre-expedition cultural context: the Ubud cultural landscape (Kecak dance, rice terraces, Pura Besakih, the artist colony tradition that Walter Spies established in the 1930s) and the Indonesian cultural introduction that makes the subsequent marine expedition most legible as a continuation of the archipelago's specific character rather than a purely natural encounter.
Anambas Islands, Riau Archipelago, Indonesia
Anambas Islands — 2–3 Nights (Post-Expedition)
Bawah Reserve
Bawah Island, Anambas Islands, Riau Archipelago, Indonesia
Bawah Reserve — the private island conservation resort in a 13-island marine sanctuary in the Anambas archipelago, 150 kilometres north of Singapore, accessible only by seaplane from Batam. The most remote single luxury address in Indonesia; the resort whose conservation commitments (the Bawah Foundation's coral restoration, the plastic-free operations, and the no-take marine sanctuary around the island cluster) make it the most specifically conservation-aligned post-expedition address available in Southeast Asia. Three connected lagoons; the overwater bungalows above the coral reef; and the seaplane landing on the lagoon that makes the arrival most immediately different from any land-based hotel approach.
Pamalican Island, Palawan, Philippines
Palawan — 2–3 Nights (Alternative Post-Expedition)
Amanpulo
Pamalican Island, Palawan, Philippines
Amanpulo — Aman's private island on Pamalican in the Cuyo Islands of Palawan, accessible only by private air from Manila (1 hour). The resort whose 40 casitas in the coconut palm forest above the house reef provide the most completely private single island experience in the Philippine archipelago. The house reef's snorkelling conditions directly off the beach; the glass-bottom boat for the reef exploration at the non-dive level; the water sports centre; and the Pamalican Island's position at the Sulu Sea whose remoteness makes the post-expedition transition from the expedition yacht most complete — the same quality of marine isolation, at a different pace and with a different level of comfort infrastructure.
Exclusive Experiences

Moments Designed for You

🚢
Expedition Yacht
Komodo and Raja Ampat — Before the Day Boats Arrive
A private expedition yacht in the Coral Triangle — the Pink Beach before the Labuan Bajo day boats arrive; the Cape Kri reef anchored at dawn before the dive operators begin; the Wayag karst lagoon navigated by Zodiac in the morning light. The expedition yacht's independence from the land-based operator schedule makes each marine encounter accessible in the conditions that the site's specific natural quality most deserves: the fish density at the cleaning station, the manta at the reef head, and the Komodo dragon on the dawn walk are all at their most rewarding in the hour before the competitive access begins.
🐠
Marine Biodiversity
Coral Triangle — 76% of the World's Coral Species
The Coral Triangle's marine biodiversity programme — snorkelling and diving at the sites whose species counts define the global standard: Batu Bolong's current-swept pinnacle in Komodo (the highest fish density visible from the surface in the National Park); Manta Point's cleaning station (the oceanic manta at free-dive depth); and Cape Kri in Raja Ampat (374 species in a single dive, the world record). The expedition's marine biologist provides the species identification and ecological context that makes each encounter comprehensible as part of the Coral Triangle's specific biological logic.
🦎
Komodo Dragon
Dawn Walk — The World's Largest Lizard Before the Groups Arrive
The Komodo dragon ranger-led walk on Rinca or Komodo Island — the 6:30am departure from the expedition yacht whose timing precedes the day-boat operators from Labuan Bajo by 90 minutes, providing the encounter in conditions of minimal visitor presence that the dragon's natural behaviour most rewards. The ranger's knowledge of the specific locations where the dragons congregate in the morning temperature before the equatorial heat reduces their activity; the free-ranging observation (rather than the penned specimen) that the early timing makes most likely; and the specific quality of observing the world's largest lizard in the island ecosystem whose isolation produced it.
🌴
Bali Cultural
Capella Ubud — Keliki Valley, Kecak Dance, Rice Terrace
The Bali cultural programme before expedition embarkation — the Capella Ubud tent camp in the Keliki Valley; the Ubud market at 6am; the Tegallalang rice terraces whose subak irrigation system has been managing the highland rice cultivation since the 9th century; and the Ubud Palace Kecak dance performance whose 50-performer fire chorus provides the most concentrated single expression of the Balinese performing arts tradition available on an evening programme. The cultural context that makes the Indonesian marine expedition most legible as part of a single archipelago's character rather than an isolated natural encounter.
Visual Journey

Through the Lens

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Every detail — from your first morning above the Keliki Valley to your final dive above the world's most biodiverse reef — is composed entirely around you. Speak with your dedicated Richseen journey consultant today.

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