Approaching from the southwest pass through the straits formed by the islands of Roti, Semau and West Timor until you reach the commercial port clearly visible.
It is possible to anchor here but it is 20 minutes to the main town by taxi. Continuing northeast around the headland the township of Kupang comes into view and a small waterfront facility with yacht anchorages is situated in the first bay.
Anchor in 16 metres on a shelf off the fringing reef. Agents can be engaged to manage your entrance and clearance formalities and this is recommended as the fees are reasonable and it takes the pain out of doing it independently.
The best anchorage is in front of the main town Telok Hewaoe on the north side of the island. Generally depths of 10-15 metres can be found between the shallow fringing reef and the steep drop offs anywhere around the island.
Savu, Roti to the east and Ruajua to the west are very picturesque and culturally significant as the home of the magnificent Ekat weaving tradition.
Ende is a spectacular anchorage because of Lya, the live volcano on the south headland. Anchor in 12-15 metres off the small port and jetty.
Ende is a large city and has flight connections to the main Indonesian hubs. You can visit the famous coloured lakes on the Flores Plateau, although it is a long and arduous mountain drive from here. Better access can be found from Maumere on the north coast.
If travelling north of Flores, the only significant port is Maumere, about half way along this 300 mile east-west running island.
This was a thriving tourist dive destination prior to a massive tsunami on December 12, 1992. Since then the development has been sporadic but more and more divers are returning.
The town is situated facing northeast in Maumere Bay and has all the usual amenities of a tourist destination. Anchor in 15 metres to the west of the commercial jetty. This is a wideopen port with no real protection in either season.
This is the home to the legendary Komodo Dragons. It would be a shame to cruise the world and not take the opportunity to view these prehistoric reptiles.
The island of Komodo is in the middle of the channel between Flores and Sumbawa. Its south coast is deeply indented with spectacular steep-sided bays. The National Park Head Quarters is tucked away in a calm shelter mid island on the south east coast.
The channel is wide and deep but approach from the south must be done during the flood tide. We strongly recommend you do not attempt to fight the tide but rather use one of the several small bays at the entrance of the channel to anchor and wait. Anchor in 15 metres on a sandy bottom in front of the Komodo National Park facility.
Onshore, report to the ranger station and they will give you all the necessary information for both staying in the area and viewing the famous Komodo dragons.
There are many alternative anchorages in the area where the fishing, snorkelling and diving is superb.
Anchor in 10-15 metres just off the commercial concrete jetty. There are strong currents running through the channel between town and the offshore islands.
Labuan Baju is the closest town to Komodo with air connections to other Indonesian destinations. Many tour operators use it as a pickup point for Komodo Island excursions.
The town of Sumbawa Besar is situated on the north coast of the island and is accessed from the shelter of Badas Harbour. Anchor in 12-15 metres on a muddy bottom in this wonderful cul-de-sac bay. Continue past the commercial jetty and Pertamina fuel storage facility towards the Amanwana floating jetty.
The island of Sumbawa is dominated by Mount Tambora, a significant historical volcano that last erupted in 1812. In the shadow of Tambora and sitting like a cork in the bottleneck of Selah Bay is Moyo Island, home of the famous tented resort of Amanwana. Anchorage can be found in 15 metres just off the fringing reef to the south of the resort in front of Brang Sedo village.
Dinghy to the floating jetty to meet the resort manager and enjoy the five star hospitality in the restaurant. World class diving and snorkelling can be found close-by.
For more information visit: www.amanresorts.com and look up Amanwana or www.etindmar.com
Facing the popular Gili group of islands is a small cove called Teluk Nara. This wonderful close-to-shore anchorage is on the northwestern coast of Lombok island.
Anchor in 20 metres on clay and mud. T Nara is about 35 minutes drive from Sengiggi, a useful village defined as the main tourist area on Lombok. For any marine supplies or local information there is a quaint little store JJ Indo Mandiri in Amperan a suburb just out of Senggigi with friendly staff to help the passing yachts person.
Approaching from the east, find the safe water mark then follow the leads and channel markers or another vessel to avoid the reef edges on either side of this dog-leg entrance.
Once inside the main harbour, motor past the commercial jetty north to the Bali Yacht Club Marina. It’s possible to anchor anywhere in the harbour in manageable depth. At the Bali Marina there are 50 berths and all services are provided ashore. Contact: www.balimarina.com
Ashore are customs and immigration offices, a fully functional marina and a yacht club with cheap beer. A dinghy ride over to Tanjung Benoa gives access to Nusa Dua and a full range of motorised watersports activities.
Benoa Harbour is the main port for Denpasar, Bali’s capital. Centrally located just north of Nusa Dua in the teardrop on the south side of Bail, it is close to the airport, Kuta, Legian and Sanur.
Bali is a very spiritual place, where the Hindu religion is practised uniquely in what is a predominantly Muslim nation.
It is mandatory that all yachts visiting Indonesia obtain a cruising permit and all on board have visitor visas in advance. To enter Indonesia all crew passports must be valid for more than 6 months after date of entry.
Please check with the nearest Indonesian consulate for your requirement.
Yachts without a cruising permit may stop in Indonesia for 48 hours only, in serious emergency, and at only 1 port of entry of listed ports. (Even in these cases the Indonesian authorities scantly recognize these conditions and almost always demand some form of payments & process fees for harbour references).
For assistance with applying for relevant permits, go to the three websites listed on this page.
While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is accurate, the charts of anchorages are based on personal experience and satellite imagery and are intended as a guide only. They should not be used for navigation. Please refer to Official Hydrographic Charts of the respective countries.
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