The owners have rebuilt this traditional phinisi with beautifully crafted wooden decks and well-designed, comfortable bunks below. Max and Nana are delightful hosts, anticipating their guests’ every need and adding thoughtful little touches at every turn. Max took the time to discuss our itinerary in some detail with us, asking what we most wanted to see and offering us alternatives before finally deciding the route. He joined us on our treks to find Komodo dragons – apparently just as thrilled as we were that we saw so many; he took us snorkelling on a reef teeming with florescent fish and he found the best place for us to swim with manta rays. On our last evening, he transported us, together with bean bags and a bottle of chilled wine, to a deserted island beach to watch the spectacular sunset in style. Nana, meanwhile, has taught herself to cook an amazing variety of delicious meals in her galley kitchen, providing food of such quality and in such quantity that even our rugby playing teenager was momentarily defeated.
Cruising the South Pacific and Indian oceans on the Ananda was a truly memorable and fitting end to our Indonesian adventure. Highly recommended!
