SI DATU BUA

SI DATU BUA covers Komodo, Raja Ampat, the Banda Sea, and the Spice Islands under sail, with a PADI dive centre and instruction onboard. She's a 40-metre phinisi built by Konjo boatbuilders in South Sulawesi to German Lloyd's classification standards, and her name translates as "Beloved Princess." She sails as the smaller sister to SILOLONA, running the same waters with the same crew philosophy but for just six guests.

Three suites below deck, each with a king-size bed, en-suite bathroom, and air conditioning. The interiors mix woven Sulawesi textiles and Indonesian artefacts with warm timber throughout, finished to a standard that sits well above the typical liveaboard. All three cabins are genuinely equivalent, so there's no hierarchy argument on embarkation day.

On deck, the teak expanse runs bow to stern with shaded dining amidships, sun loungers forward, and a barbecue for evening cookouts at anchor. A crew of up to 14 runs the boat, including a PADI dive centre with instructors and equipment onboard.

Water toys: kayaks (single and tandem), stand-up paddleboards, wakeboard, water skis, snorkelling gear, and fishing equipment. But the real draw is what's under the surface. SI DATU BUA's itineraries cover Komodo, Raja Ampat, the Banda Sea, and the Spice Islands, all of them world-class dive territory.

She splits her year between Labuan Bajo and Ambon, following the seasons east and west across the archipelago. For six guests who want Indonesia's remote islands with proper crew and genuine sailing heritage, SI DATU BUA is one of very few boats that delivers both.