A honeymoon where the only other voices are the crew's

On an open trip, a honeymoon shares the boat with strangers. A private charter changes that. From the pier to the pier again, the deck, the dining room and the sundeck are yours alone, and the crew works to your hours.

The route is the three-day pattern. You board at the pier in Labuan Bajo, sail for Kelor and Manjarite, and spend the evening at Kalong while the bats leave the mangroves. The next morning begins on Padar. The trip ends at the pier on the third day.

Keep the days light; nothing on the route is compulsory, and no honeymoon has to climb every hill. Set one alarm, for Padar at sunrise. Everything after that waits until you are ready.

Sunset at Kalong falls at 18:01 in November and 17:57 in July, and the bats leave soon after. It is the first evening, and the one moment of the route made for two people on a deck with nothing else to do.

On the second evening the view depends on the anchorage, which the captain picks according to the weather, so we name no particular spot. What is certain is the deck, the hour and the fact that it is yours.

Two nights suit most couples. A fourth day, on a private charter, gives a slower morning and the reefs of Sebayur and Kanawa on the last day. Ask for it when you write, and we quote the extra night separately.

The Master cabin sits on the main deck and offers a king bed, a bathroom inside, air conditioning and a balcony of its own. For two, it is the natural choice. On a private charter nobody sleeps above you or beside you; every other cabin stays empty.

Some couples prefer the Deluxe cabin on the upper deck, where the queen bed and the sundeck are close. On the whole boat the cabins are yours to assign, within the plan we confirm in writing before the deposit.

Advisor's note. All cabins have a bathroom inside and air conditioning, so Master against Deluxe comes down to deck and balcony, not comfort. Tell us which of those matters more and we recommend one.