Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1543791
C O U R T E S Y D U N I A B A R U Dunia Baru can drop anchor o almost any island, so you can choose whatever adventure appeals. with fish so close to the surface it's hard to resist reaching out. Perhaps you'd rather scuba among the rays, picking up a permit first from the ranger station off the island of Piaynemo. Don't worry about the weather, either. When it rains, the lush greenery of these mostly uninhabited islands sharpens. Clamber up shiny, slightly slippery wooden steps in the drizzle and you'll be rewarded with a view of Piaynemo's bay, studded with green, furry islets that look newly born. On another rainy afternoon, opt to stay on board for an ad-hoc sambal-making class, with dish after dish of peppers and tomatoes ready to sauté into that spicy condiment—so moreish it's delicious on anything. Sundowners on the deserted beach of aptly named Bat Island come with russet and golden reflections on the water, as cauldrons of bats begin to soar above the treetops. A nighttime dinner on another beach, this time on Pulau Yefnabi, features an entire feast set up from scratch, food cooked fresh over fire and capped off with a fireworks display that pierces an inky sky. The voyage isn't completely without human presence, though. Some islands are inhabited, like Pulau Mansuar, where the kids from one village, Sauwandarek, gather to kick new soccer balls tossed into the air for them to play. A sign in the village square is a stark reminder that it isn't easy to protect this precious island cluster in the modern world: a plastic bottle, a can, a bag and in big white letters next to each, a warning of how many years it will take to degrade. Nothing quite compares, though, to the swimming hole that local villagers escort us to on the island of Waigeo. We pick our way along a pebbly stream, ankle-deep in chilly water, before ducking into the jungle and following a narrow path. We arrive at a corner of river carved out for swimming, with a rickety, moss-covered staircase leading down. It's an extraordinary experience to be so immersed in nature and yet so cosseted FROM TOP The master bedroom of the primary suite on the upper deck; Padar Beach, in the heart of Komodo National Park. BALHAR B O U RSH O P S .CO M