The Textiles Of The Lesser Sundas (Maumere - Komodo)

- Upon arrival from Bali, you will be met at Maumere airport by your SeaTrek tour leader and transferred to the Ombak Putih, which will be waiting at anchor. - After lunch we will visit a busy local fishing village of Bugis and Bajau people, famous for their stilt houses built above the water. - This evening before dinner we will relax over cocktails as David and Sue give an introductory talk about the culture and textiles of the local Sikka People.

- Today we will drive up into the highlands to visit a small village where we will be welcomed with music and dancing. - After gaining our first insights into the local techniques of spinning, binding, dyeing and weaving, we will have the opportunity to purchase some of the finished textiles, while the adventurous among us will be able to try betel nut, tobacco and locally distilled liquor. - We will return to the OP for lunch as we sail towards a small island for beachcombing, swimming and snorkelling.

- Early this morning we will pass in front of a towering volcano to anchor in a sheltered picturesque bay. After breakfast we will go ashore and be welcomed by local Lamaholot villagers who will show us in detail how they produce their fantastic earthy-brown ikats decorated with small white seashells. - We will then be guided around this colourful well-kept village before returning to the Ombak Putih for lunch. After lunch, we will sail to some small islands close to the northeast coast of Adonara Island for swimming, snorkelling and beachcombing. We will moor nearby overnight.

- Today we visit two weaving communities on the island of Adonara – another first for SeaTrek. One village is on the flank of an active volcano and the other is on the coast. The people of Adonara are also Lamaholot, but their weavings are quite different from those we have seen so far. - After another busy morning we will enjoy lunch on board before a refreshing dip.

- We will arrive in Lembata next to the gently smoking volcano of Ile Api, where we will go ashore to see some of the superb ikat textiles produced in this region, meeting weavers from at least three neighbouring villages. - After a formal welcome and demonstration of local weaving techniques there will be a selling exhibition of textiles, giving you the chance to add a fabulous bridewealth cloth to your collection. - Guests will also be invited to see an ancient anthropomorphic rock painting in a nearby village. Later, during lunch, the boat will cruise around the headland to a great snorkelling spot.

- We will visit the tiny village of Uma Pura on Ternate Island, where we will discover how they make around 100 different natural dyes, some using ingredients such as sea sponges, sea anemones and the ink of sea hares, and will have the chance to see and buy many of their fabrics. - Back on board we will have lunch while sailing to the large island of Alor, where we will take a short drive to a village inhabited by the Abui tribe. We will be invited to join in the hypnotic lego-lego dance before shopping for textiles, baskets and jewellery at a small pop-up market. - We will return via the Kalabahi Museum, where we will see their fine display of textiles and moko drums from across the island.

- As we wake we will be approaching the fascinating whaling village of Lamalera, on the southern side of Lembata, watching some of the boats heading out to sea. We land on the beach in front of a row of 30 whaleboat sheds and are escorted into the village clearing by local schoolchildren. - After a welcome by the kepala desa, we will be entertained by dance performances and shown demonstrations of local dyeing and weaving. Many textiles and other artefacts will be available to buy. We then go to the upper village to visit the school and the massive Catholic church, getting excellent views of the boatsheds as we descend. -After we return to the OP, the local whalers will put on a demonstration of how they harpoon whales from their tiny sailboats. Lunch will be served as we sail along the coast to a small sandy beach for a refreshing swim.

- Early next morning we will arrive at a weaving village on the island of Solor, where we will be the first group they have hosted. We know they are very enthusiastic about sharing their culture and hospitality with us. They also make super baskets! - Lunch will be served as we begin our long overnight sail to the beautiful non-volcanic island of Savu far to the south. This is a time for relaxing and enjoying simply being on the boat.

- After breakfast we go ashore at Napae Bay, following in the footsteps of Captain Cook who landed HMS Endeavour on the same beach in 1770. We will drive to a tiny hamlet in the hills, where local weavers will warmly welcome us and show us how they still make their beautifully traditional naturally dyed cloths. The men will demonstrate how they climb the tall lontar palms to tap their delicious juice, which of course we will be able to sample. - After lunch on board, we return ashore to witness a cleansing ceremony, before being welcomed by ikat-clad horsemen showing us their riding skills. - A short drive takes us to Namata, the most important ritual centre on the island, where we will visit the sacred enclosure of priests of the ‘Jingi Tiu’ religion, containing the largest grouping of megaliths on the island.

- This morning we land on a sandy beach on the east coast of the island of Sumba and head off to visit two amazing but quite different royal villages, each with megalithic graves surrounded by tall traditional thatched houses. - We will meet members of two local royal families and see how they make some of the finest textiles to be found on the island, using the techniques of supplementary warp and warp ikat - sometimes even combining both techniques in one textile. - We return to the Ombak Putih for lunch while we sail north, stopping at a local beach for a late afternoon swim and snorkel.

- Today we will drive to a rarely visited weaving village and be greeted by ikat-clad warriors on horseback. Sitting in the shade on the veranda of a traditional house we are welcomed by the entire village and entertained with traditional dances that are still used to welcome important visitors and were used in the past to welcome the warriors back from their headhunting expeditions. - Textiles will be hanging everywhere and we will be offered a huge array of jewellery, statues, boxes, baskets and other crafts. - Tonight, as we cruise north, you are invited to dress lavishly in your finest ikat cloths for our farewell dinner party with the captain and crew, who will entertain us on deck with traditional Indonesian song and dance.

-Today we make a brief visit to the Komodo National Park and go ashore for a short trek with park rangers, hoping to spot these ancient lizards in their natural habitat. -Back on board, we will have an early lunch as we sail towards Labuan Bajo, before saying goodbye to our crew and being escorted to the airport for our onward journey.

Itineraries are subject to change.