For many centuries the links between the eighteen thousand islands of Indonesia were maintained by traditional wooden ships that are usually referred to as phinisi. These schooners originate from South Sulawesi, home of the Buginese who are well known for their shipbuilding and seafaring skills. Nowadays only a few real sailing phinisi are left. One of them, the Ombak Putih, or White Wave, revives the days that the waters in and around Indonesia were ruled by the Buginese. Welcome aboard, to discover Indonesia s hidden treasures!

When you ask the inhabitants of the many islands in the eastern Indonesian archipelago for the name of a sailing ship that regularly comes calling at their shores, the first name they invariably remember is Ombak Putih. In the Indonesian language ?Ombak Putih? means ?White Wave? and her gracious beauty makes her instantly recognizable. More than any other traditional ?Bugi Schooners,? she is a familiar sight from Bali to Papua and from Sulawesi to Savu. Having logged close to a hundred thousand miles over the past ten years, her captain and crew know more about the remote islands of Indonesia than any other people alive and there are very few bays in this part of the world where she has not anchored yet?The formula of Ombak Putih is as simple as it is attractive. Your home-away-from-home is a spacious sailing vessel and you have a comfortable cabin with your own en-suite bathroom. Whenever possible more than six hundred square meters of sails are raised, but there are long periods of very light winds so we also do rely on our engine to safeguard our schedule. An attentive but discrete crew takes care of everything. Most of the sailing is done at night and while you sleep, the captain is on the bridge to take you to yet another splendid anchorage or another lovely harbour. Every new day you will wake up to another surprise. We dare to say that our galley is one of the very best cuisines in Indonesia east of Bali, a reputation we have had since many years and that we are determined to keep. Our chefs were trained by a well known Bali restaurateur and all meals are prepared with the freshest and best ingredients available: vegetables, fruits and poultry from the highlands of Flores, fish freshly caught by local fishermen and bread specially baked by a master French baker in Bali. Our cruises are of course on full board basis. Bottled water, coffee and tea are free of charge and available on self service basis 24 hours per day. There is a well-stocked bar on board from which you may order a selection of alcohol and wines at reasonable rates. At the end of the cruise you only need to pay for beer, wines and spirits consumed during the cruise.On every leisure expedition there is an experienced European cruise director on board. These are seasoned professionals who live most of their time in Indonesia, speak the local language and are very knowledgeable about the areas we visit. Their task is to organize the shore excursions and they are on board to assist you and to answer any questions.Daily radio/satellite telephone contact with the head office in Bali guarantees that both the guests and the crew are kept up to date with current events and everyone can be reached in case of emergencies. Our office can also arrange all domestic air tickets and can assist you in organizing your pre- and post cruise arrangements like accommodation, excursions or packages.

A valid credit card is necessary for booking. Upon receipt of your reservation request we will send you an authorization form that you must fax back to us. On this form you provide us with your credit card details and the necessary contact information. Upon receipt of the form we will debit the provided credit card for the full amount of the cruise and email you within 24 hours to let you know if the transaction has been successful. Should the credit card transaction fail, the alternative would be a bank transfer to one of our accounts, but the costs of the transfer must be borne by the booking party. We will hold your reservation request during 48 hours and beyond that moment the reservation will only be held if we have received a faxed or scanned bank transfer statement. Final confirmation will only be given once we have received the payment. At that point we will also be sending you the necessary documents to board the cruise. Prices are inclusive of accommodation in air-conditioned cabins with private shower and toilet, full board, tea and coffee, mineral water, excursions, use of towels, use of snorkeling equipment, use of sea canoes and the assistance of the European tour guide. Exclusive are airfares, alcoholic beverages, crew gratuities and the transfers to and or from the boat. Please note that children aged 12 or above are charged as adults. By making a reservation the passengers certify that they do not have a physical condition that would create a hazard to themselves or other passengers.It is essential that passengers arrange a comprehensive personal and baggage travel insurance to cover any eventuality, including charges arising from any flight cancellations. PT. Ombak Putih does not accept any liability for matters such as baggage loss or damage, expenses or inconvenience caused by delayed or cancelled transportation services, change of schedule, strikes or other conditions beyond PT. Ombak Putih's control. A copy as proof of our Protection and Indemnity insurance is available on request.If passengers have to cancel their cruise, PT. Ombak Putih will make a refund minus the following cancellation fees:1) outside 60 days prior to sailing 20% of the total amount. 2) from 60 days up to 30 days prior to sailing 40% of the total amount. 3) from 30 days up to 7 days prior to sailing 60% of the total amount. 4) from 7 days up to and including one day prior to sailing 80% of total amount5) cancellation on or after the day of departure 100%.In principle departures are guaranteed once two passengers have reserved a cabin, but in case PT Ombak Putih is forced to cancel any departure, for whatever reason, our liability is strictly limited to a refund of the fare already paid. Every effort will be made to carry out the program as planned, but sailing itineraries and daily programs are subject to change due to weather and sea conditions, availability of safe anchorage, government regulations and other factors. In addition program changes may take place during the cruise to take advantage of local cultural events, to adapt to sailing conditions, or in response to other factors. Should any cruise have to be aborted during its course, for whatever reason, PT Ombak Putih will take responsibility to transfer the passengers back to the point of departure or to the destination of the cruise but will only refund the amount pro rata for the days of the cruise that were not delivered. PT. Ombak Putih reserves itself the right to apply surcharges in the event of extraordinary circumstances due to economical instability and governmental approved sudden Rupiah price increases or currency devaluation in the country. Any surcharges encountered, shall be announced by PT Ombak Putih and applied on all existing and future bookings within a time frame determined by the government?s policies application or within a two weeks time frame of any currency fluctuation.