Ultimate Indonesia: phinisi & private villas

Special access on land and at sea

With our special access to unique, off-market properties and the best phinisi yachts, we’re able to showcase Indonesia’s diverse treasures with the ultimate in exclusivity.

We’ve sourced private homes for clients to enjoy multi-month wellness retreats in Bali – taking helis over volcanos and enjoying insiders’ access to art galleries – and organised some truly epic charters at sea.

Think private-chef barbecues on uninhabited white-sand islets and experiencing warring Komodo dragons on a secret beach, away from any other vessels.

Wherever your interests lie, we’ll tailor your experience to you, whether you’re after a combination of land and open water, or even a private charter of a luxury train through the jungle.

All media taken on Cookson Adventures trips

Henry Cookson is an adventurer. Setting up Cookson Adventures in 2009 after record-breaking polar expeditions with royalty in tow, he aims to lead trips that will introduce people to the breath-taking beauty of rarely visited parts of the globe without endangering it, or the climate. Working with scientists and local conservation efforts, guests are often part of cutting-edge research and leave ecological benefits behind them to benefit the communities they visit

Spear’s Top Recommended Travel Services, July 2022

Wildlife & conservation

With our special contacts, you can engage with vital conservation efforts to make a genuine difference. Get close with orangutans on a visit to an off-grid rehabilitation centre in Borneo, tag manta rays in Raja Ampat and visit Komodo Island to bear witness to its ancient dragon lizards.

Phinisis

Beautifully hand-crafted, these historic Indonesian tall ships are perfectly evocative, while mixing in the likes of state-of-the-art spas, private-chef dining deckside and a full menu of toys and tenders. Not only do they allow access to Indonesia’s beautiful remotes, but they do so in sheer exclusivity. We know the best ones for you to choose from.

Private accommodation

Whether modernist villas with infinity-pool views, thatched-roof beach chic or even unique tented island camps, we know the best in off-market options across the Indonesian archipelago.

Java’s wonders of human history

Join a private fossil dig at a closed-off palaeontology site. Enjoy a VIP tour of a royal palace. Or, explore Borobudur in the company of a top archaeologist – it’s the world’s largest Buddhist temple and dates back to the 9th century.

Bali: full access

From privatising top restaurants and opening up artist workshops to designing your own yoga retreat and enjoying exclusive access to Balinese kecak fire dances, we’ve created unique experiences on this island, entirely suited to individual guests.

Komodo

We know the best way to experience this remote island, taking you away from the crowds to witness its great dragon lizards. That’s alongside meeting leading conservationists and swimming with eagle rays, dolphins and huge napoleon wrasse.

Raja Ampat

This remote archipelago is a natural wonder, where green-carpeted karst formations intersperse turquoise waters. In the region, we can see you swim with whale sharks, visit tribal villages in West Papua or simply indulge with private-chef picnics on exclusive beaches. You’ll be miles from anyone.

Luxury train charters

For something a little different, sip afternoon tea as you plunge through the jungle on a private train in the company of your very own anthropologist to bring the journey to life. There’s even the option to charter a historic steam train.

Spread over some 18,000 islands, Indonesia’s diversity knows no bounds, combining idyllic relaxation and world-wonder heritage icons with wildlife and adventure opportunities.

And, sailing among it all, it’s often best explored by phinisi – part Indonesian wooden tall ship, part superyacht. Not only is it the chance to engage with centuries-old native shipbuilding heritage, but to indulge in luxury, with the flexibility to explore at will and discover remote islands all to yourself.

Then, after a few days at sea, return to hand-picked private accommodation. That could be an off-market designer villa with a yoga programme designed around you or an epic island getaway, where you can swim with horses and learn from competition-winning surfers.

Throughout, we’ll organise plenty of the unique. Join scientists in satellite tagging mantas and swimming with whale sharks in Raja Ampat. Gain behind-the-scenes access to first-human palaeontology digs. Or, climb Mt. Ijen – an active volcano that comes alive with its eerie blue flames.