Charting the Indonesian Archipelago: Singapore to Bali - 2023

Today you’ll board an overnight flight to Singapore. Or, depart earlier for your pre-trip extension to Siem Reap.

You’ll cross the International Date Line today, so you’ll arrive in Singapore around midday on Day 3.

Selamat datang! Welcome to Singapore! If you purchased your airfare from Vantage, a representative will meet you at the airport and assist with the transfer to your hotel. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure to acclimate before a welcome briefing later today. Tonight, enjoy a Welcome Reception at the legendary Raffles hotel — birthplace of the Singapore Sling cocktail — and sip a few before joining your fellow expeditioners for a Welcome Dinner.

Inaugural Feature:

• Welcome Reception and Welcome Dinner at Raffles hotel, with Singapore Sling cocktails

Singapore is known by many names, the “Garden City” and the “Lion City” among them, and you’ll get insight into these monikers as you explore the city’s beauty and dynamism today. During your full-day guided city tour, you’ll see the Cricket Club (cricket is a major sport here!), historic Parliament House, Supreme Court, City Hall, the UNESCO-listed Botanical Gardens, and Merlion Park — featuring impressive views of Marina Bay and the city’s futuristic architecture. Then, delve a little deeper into Singapore’s diverse culture during visits to the Thian Hock Keng Temple, Little India, and the Yong Gallery, which displays handcrafted woodcarvings and artworks by Chinese artists.

This afternoon, explore the alleys around popular Bugis Street in “local” style during a trishaw ride. Then, sample Singapore’s flavorful Chinese influence during a dim sum lunch at a local restaurant, where servers bring carts of small-plate dishes to tempt you. Dim sum literally means “touch the heart,” and perhaps yours will be filled by some fluffy, pork-filled bao buns . . . mouthwatering shumai dumplings . . . translucent shrimp cheung fun rolls . . . beef balls seasoned with coriander . . . and more.

Included Feature:

• Full-day Singapore city tour

Cultural Discovery:

• Trishaw ride around Bugis Street

After breakfast, you’ll depart for a half-day city tour, featuring sweeping views of Singapore from the Sands SkyPark Observation Deck, and a visit to the awe-inspiring Gardens by the Bay nature park. Lunch will be included at a local restaurant during the tour.

Then, it’s time to embark the Ocean Odyssey! After settling in, take some time to explore the ship and its amenities. Take a walk around the pool, meet your Concierge to arrange a spa appointment, then convene in the dining room for your first dinner on board — one of many memorable meals on this expedition! This evening, the Ocean Odyssey sets sail toward Indonesia.

Included Feature:

• Half-day tour of Sands SkyPark and Gardens by the Bay

Scenic Sailing:

• Get your camera ready for a picture of Singapore’s skyline lighting up at sunset!

Enjoy a day at sea as you cruise toward the Belitung Islands. This is an ideal opportunity to make good use of the Ocean Odyssey’s plentiful amenities. Grab a book and head to the infinity pool. Make an appointment at the spa. Head to the observation deck for bountiful views of passing islands — Indonesia has more than 17,000 of them, and 6,000 are uninhabited. This afternoon kicks off our curated lecture series, which will offer more insights into your journey into Indonesia.

Cultural Discovery:

• Onboard lecture about Indonesia (1 of 3)

Scenic Sailing:

• Cruise through the Indonesia archipelago, with views of neighboring islands

Arrive in Pulau Lengkuas today, just one of the gorgeous destinations that await you on this journey. You’re on Belitung Island, which is known for its pepper and its tin, in addition to the pearly sand beaches and turquoise waters. After breakfast, get ready to Zodiac to shore for a sightseeing tour of the island. During a home-hosted visit, you’ll be invited to try the local cuisine and watch a traditional performance. Your afternoon is at leisure, and you’ll want to try some snorkeling! With shallow shorelines and little current, this is an ideal opportunity to explore the vibrant fish and coral reef of Belitung’s undersea realm.

Included Features:

• Tour of Pulau Lengkuas

Cultural Discovery:

• Home-hosted lunch with traditional performance

Enjoy a day at sea as the Ocean Odyssey makes its way to Borneo. Visit the lounge in the swimming pool, relax on the sun deck catching up with a great book, and enjoy the fabulous cuisine our chefs are offering. You’ll also deepen your understanding of this region with another onboard lecture, the second in our series.

Cultural Discovery:

• Onboard lecture about Indonesia (2 of 3)

Enjoy breakfast this morning as the Ocean Odyssey arrives to Kumai, part of the Kalimantan province of Borneo island, which actually belongs to three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. We’ll anchor along the Sekonyer River and board Zodiacs into the UNESCO-listed Tanjung Puting National Park, famous for its robust orangutan conversation program. You’ll explore the park in your Zodiac boat, which offers panoramic views of its various tributaries and rainforests. You’ll enjoy some light trekking into the rainforest to visit the orangutan feeding area. Lunch is at a local restaurant before we return to ship for an afternoon at leisure with an enthralling traditional dance performance before dinner!

Included Feature:

• Zodiac tour of Tanjung Puting National Park

Inaugural Feature:

• Traditional Indonesian dance performance on board

Today’s morning tour takes us along the Arut River, where you’ll get a tranquil glimpse of local life. Marvel at the traditional klotok houseboats floating on the river. Witness residents going about their daily lives on the rivers, including the local fisherman. You may even spot some wildlife, as orangutans reside here, too! Then, visit the Istana Kuning, or “yellow palace,” which is not very yellow at all, but was once traditionally draped in yellow fabric. Once the sultan’s main residence, the palace is now a replica after it was burned down in 1990. We’ll have lunch at a local restaurant before returning to the ship, which will depart for Java this afternoon.

Included Feature:

• Arut River tour, with visit to the Yellow Palace

Cultural Discovery:

• Witness local life along the Arut River

Hear the third lecture in our curated lecture series on Indonesia this morning as the Ocean Odyssey cruises into Java. After lunch on board, we’ll board a boat bound for nearby Kura Kura island, where we’ll be greeted upon arrival with cocktails and traditional snacks. Fringed with white sand beaches, Kura Kura is actually a private Javanese island home to a luxury eco-resort that offers a true model for sustainability and is the only real business on the island. Don’t expect to find any Wi-Fi here, either — this is a rare chance to disconnect and live in the moment. Explore the island and enjoy some leisure time at the resort to snorkel, lounge on the beach, swim, or even take in some scuba dives — see the Concierge for details on planning activities.

Included Feature:

• Discover Kura Kura island with leisure time to snorkel, swim, and more

Cultural Discovery:

• Onboard lecture about Indonesia (3 of 3)

This morning you’ll wake up in Semarang, Java — the jumping off point for our explorations today. We’ll disembark and transfer by motorcoach to UNESCO-listed Borobudur, a 9th century Buddhist temple in central Java and one of the world’s most spectacular Buddhist monuments. As we make our way to Borobudur, you’ll get a good look at Java’s interior countryside, as well as glimpses of its smoldering volcanoes, rainforests, and verdant green paddy fields. Once in mesmerizing Borobudur, we’ll stroll through the complex, noting the detailed stone carvings and 504 Buddha statues peppered throughout.

We’ll enjoy lunch here before visiting nearby Candirejo, a lush, leafy, and traditional village that you’ll tour by horse cart. Navigating through town, you’ll catch glimpses of local life, including families making cassava crackers, playing the gamelan, and harvesting and drying vanilla and chilies.

Included Feature:

• Explore UNESCO-listed Borobudur temple complex

Cultural Discovery:

• Witness local life on a horse cart ride through Candirejo Village

Enjoy a morning at leisure as the Ocean Odyssey arrives in Madura Island just after lunchtime. Madura is known as one of Indonesia’s most traditional isles — don’t be surprised to see locals in traditional sarongs and peci. We’ll make landfall by traditional boat for a half-day tour that includes the capital, Sumenep. Unlike most capital cities, you’ll find that Sumenep is a relaxed little town with a gilded 18th century mosque, which we’ll view on our way to visit the Sumenep Palace and Museum.

Included Feature:

• Half-day Sumenep tour

Discover Probolinggo, on Java’s eastern side, on a city tour today. This fishing town is the gateway to Java’s Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park and the Gunung Bromo volcano, which will captivate us later this afternoon. But first, we’ll explore the city, stopping by the Tri Dharma Pagoda and embarking becaks (cycle rickshaws) for a ride to a market to see what fruits, vegetables, and goods that the locals are buying and selling. After lunch at a local restaurant, we’ll board motorcoaches for an inland ride to Mount Bromo and the volcano, which we’ll visit from a safe distance and be able to photograph. The volcano is an important site for the local Tengger people — one of the few remaining Hindu communities on Java — who believe that the volcano is the site of a fertility sacrifice from a legendary king and queen. You’ll hear more about the legend today!

Included Features:

• Probolinggo city tour
• Mount Bromo visit

Cultural Discovery:

• Ride a becak to a local market

True bliss awaits today as we reach Bali. This island is the epitome of paradise, a place where everyone seems to have embraced a tropical state of mind and its lovely people are just the icing on the cake. It’s an all-around Shangri-La. At Lovina Beach, discover the island’s black sand beaches and embark on a tour of Singaraja, which includes visits to the lush Pura Beji Sangsit temple, dedicated to the rice goddess Dewi Sri. After, we’ll make our way to a local market and stop by a museum for more local history. Lunch at local restaurant, after which you’ll have an afternoon at leisure to return to Lovina Beach, perhaps to deepen your tan, or wander as you please.

Included Feature:

• Singaraja tour, with visits to Lovina Beach and the Pura Beji Sangsit temple

After breakfast on board, you’ll disembark the Ocean Odyssey to wind down your journey in Bali. After passing through immigration, we’ll embark on a tour of the Uluwatu Temple, a gorgeous clifftop spectacular that your cameras will love! The temple is inhabited by cheeky Macaque monkeys who are notorious for snatching sunglasses, cameras, and other goods off tourists — so, be mindful! After this enchanting visit, lunch is at a local restaurant. We’ll then transfer to our hotel, the utterly mind-blowing Four Seasons Bali Resort at Jimbaran Bay, for an afternoon of leisure at the resort. Tonight’s dinner is at the hotel, complete with traditional Balinese cuisine and dancing.

Included Feature:

• Uluwatu Temple visit

Inaugural Feature:

• Balinese dinner and dance show

Just outside of our resort is the historical village of Mengwi, once the capital of the ancient Balinese kingdom. We’ll have a morning of discovery here, first learning more about local Balinese life in the village itself and at a local school, where we’ll be greeted by the sweet smiles of schoolchildren. If that wasn’t enough, the Pura Taman Ayun temple calls next. This picturesque complex is surrounded by dazzling lotus and fishponds and the temple structures often appear adrift on these neighboring waters. Immersing yourself in this serene environment is a lovely way to end your blissful cruise through Indonesia. The rest of the day is at leisure back at the resort. Tonight’s Farewell Dinner is sure to be bittersweet.

Included Feature:

• Visit a local school and the Pura Taman Ayun temple in Mengwi

Cultural Discovery:

• See local village life in Mengwi

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your return flight home — or, head to Ubud for your optional post-trip extension!