Indonesia was the heart of our 2026 Southeast Asia trip. We started on the island of Flores, based in Labuan Bajo, then boarded a traditional wooden liveaboard for a multi-day voyage through Komodo National Park — Padar sunrises, Komodo dragons, pink beaches, manta rays and whale sharks — all the way across to Lombok. From there we set our sights upward, on the three-day trek up Mount Rinjani, before flying on to the jungles and volcanoes of Sumatra. All our stories from the Indonesia leg are collected below.
Komodo & Flores
Based in Labuan Bajo on Flores, then a multi-day liveaboard through Komodo National Park — caves, Padar sunrises, dragons and manta rays.
Komodo National Park by boat — a 4:30am sunrise, four dragons and manta rays
Boarding the Alfathran III liveaboard: a 4:30am climb to the Padar Island sunrise, the not-very-pink Pink Beach, four Komodo dragons (a baby included) and manta rays gliding under us at Manta Point.
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Labuan Bajo — a shark bite, flying foxes and Vitus finally catches a fish
A sunset island cruise with a genuine (if tiny) shark bite, thousands of flying foxes at dusk, and a chaotic-then-brilliant fishing trip where Vitus caught six fish — grilled for us at NY Crab.
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Arriving in Flores — Labuan Bajo, caves and the best fish ever
Landing in Labuan Bajo after the airport chaos in KL — a quicksand beach, a forgettable hotel dinner, crawling through caves, a swim in a hidden water cave, and the best grilled fish of our lives at the night market.
Read more →Lombok & Rinjani
Arriving in Lombok by sea at the end of the liveaboard, then setting our sights on the volcano.
Crossing to Lombok — whale sharks on Noah’s birthday, dolphins and a Bounty island
The second half of the liveaboard from Komodo to Lombok: a rough night crossing, jumping off the boat, two huge whale sharks on Noah’s birthday, a pod of wild dolphins — and finally stepping ashore in Lombok.
Read more →More from this part of Indonesia still to come — the three-day Mount Rinjani trek.
Sumatra
Jungle treks and orangutans in Bukit Lawang, volcanoes around Berastagi, and Lake Toba.
Coming soon — stories and photos from the Sumatra leg will be added here.