OUR CRUISE

Total Solar Eclipse of 2016: From Bali

to Borneo  - March 1-15, 2016 

Our cruise and the eclipse path Caledonia Sky moored in Taka Bonerate National Park

THE CORAL TRIANGLE

We cruised in the seas known as the Coral triangle which is a 6 million km2 area spanning Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands. It has the highest diversity of coral reef fishes in the world. While only covering 1.6% of the planet’s oceanic area, the region has 76% of all known coral species in the world and over 3,000 reef fish species. The Coral Triangle also has the greatest extent of mangrove forests in the world. 120 million people live within the Coral Triangle, of which approximately 2.25 million are fishers who depend on healthy seas to make a living. The coral appeared to be in better condition than much of the coral we had seen in the Great Barrier Reef.

WELCOME TO OUR INDONESIA TRAVELS

Our trip started with eight days in Bali followed by a 14-day cruise from Bali to Borneo, during which we experienced a total solar eclipse.

BALI

Our primary stays in Bali were at The Menjangan, in the north west tip, and Ubud in the east central highlands. During our car travel in Bali we visited many temples and scenic places of interest. The strong spiritual culture was very evident in the people’s conversation and manner, and the ceremonial decorations. Rituals and ceremonies are seen almost every day. Most Balinese people are an artist of some kind and spend their leisure time working on hobbies and artwork that have been passed down through generations.

CRUISE

Our cruise took us from Bali to Sandakan in Borneo stopping off at several small islands, some of which the islanders had only seen a tourist ship once before (our ship en route to Bali). The Islanders were extremely friendly and hospitable with welcome ceremonies of music, dancing and local foods, guided tours around their village and displays of their crafts, such as boatbuilding, weaving and coconut oil production. The regional police and officials were present and joined in the joviality, we’re not sure if it was out of interest, ceremonial procedure of for security.

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