adventure travel – Downtown Magazine

This holiday season, give a truly unique gift: an exotic sailing adventure on the Dunia Baru. A hand-crafted Indonesian sailing vessel carries guests in total luxury around remote and beautiful archipelagos. Constructed in Borneo and echoing the traditional design of Asian vessels, this luxury sailing ship sails the waters around Indonesia and the Andaman Sea. The ship carries 14 passengers, and your trip is tailored to your every whim. Current offerings include a 5– and 6–day cruises in the Komodo Archipelago or Raja Ampat.

Exotic sailing adventure on the Dunia Baru CREDIT: Tom van Oossanen — Exotic sailing adventure on the Dunia Baru
Photo by Tom van Oossanen

The five-day exotic sailing adventure in the Komodo archipelago includes observing Komodo dragons, swimming with Manta Rays, and relaxing on pristine beaches. This adventure gives you and 13 of your closest friends the opportunity to escape the modern world. Swim in warm turquoise waters, dive and snorkel among some of the most beautiful reefs on the planet, and seek out the fabled Komodo dragons. You’ll spend your days kayaking along deserted shorelines and climbing island mountains. You will sail the waters of Komodo National Park, observing exotic wildlife both above and below the water. On the island of Rinca, Komodo’s smaller neighbor, you will have the chance to walk through the dragon’s territory with a nature guide. Watersports like jet skiing, kayaking, snorkeling and diving are available.

The six-day cruise around Raja Ampat is a very special holiday which includes snorkeling among almost 1,000 species of reef fish. One third of the number of hard coral species are found in these waters.

The master suite on the Dunia Baru. Photo by Dennis Anderson

Your exotic sailing adventure has every luxury. The master suite is surrounded by large windows, and has a large bath and a private deck with a daybed and sofa. Six guest cabins are fitted with double beds and are bathed in natural light and relaxed luxury. Chefs prepare gourmet meals and guests can gather in the eat-in galley kitchen or the spacious dining area on deck.

Sailing on the Dunia Baru is truly the exotic sailing adventure of your dreams and makes the perfect holiday gift.

Ready to be Bill Bryson and rough it for months at a time? For experienced adventure travelers, getting their pack together can be easy, quick, and automatic. But for first-timers, it can be difficult to choose which few items you’ll need. Here are some basic tips on what to take for a long-term trip that involves a lot of different locations.

–Try to keep it to one big backpack and one day-bag: The day-bag should be about the size of a high-schooler’s backpack. When going on tours for multiple days, you’ll be happy to take the smaller bag only. You can leave your extra things in the larger bag back at the hostel and you’re back will thank you.

–Pack enough clothes for only a week and a half: If you’re travelling for a long period of time, there’s no way that you’ll be able to go without re-wearing your clothes. Along the way, stop and get laundry done in larger cities if you can. If not, aim to hand-wash your clothes. After gathering all your clothes together, think again about what you would be able to go without. This will be on your back for months, and it’s better to have less, not more. But make sure that you pack a variety so you’ll be ready for different kinds of weather.

–Wool socks: If you’re planning on hiking or being in wet areas, wool socks can be a lifesaver. Wool is a better material for wet conditions because they retain warmth and dry faster.

–Ziploc or plastic bags: Ideally, it’d be great to have all your gear be waterproof, but not everyone has the right gear. Don’t forget to pack some Ziploc or plastic bags with you. To adjust your space better, try dividing your things into categories and use the bags to pack them. If everything is divided, it’ll be easier to grab what you need when you need it and you’ll always know that the bags are easily accessible