Review: Celestia Yacht in the Komodo Islands

Dragons may usually be creatures of fantasy, but after docking at Indonesia’s Rinca Island and setting foot beyond its boardwalk, my friends and I found ourselves in the presence of not one, but two.

And as if this wasn’t already a fortunate chance encounter, what happened next was even more astounding: After the two dragons intimately followed each other’s motions — let’s call it foreplay — the male mounted the female to enter a mating ritual, right before our eyes. 

Komodo dragons — lizards so relatively large that the moniker “dragons” suits them — are indigenous to the eponymous Komodo Islands, a sub-archipelago of Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands.

How to Get to Komodo National Park

After clients fly into Labuan Bajo, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Komodo National Park is only accessible by boat, and one luxurious and highly recommended way to get there is onboard Celestia, a new yacht that seamlessly combines classic Indonesian tradition with modern amenities.

RELATED: Sailing Into Indonesia's Gili Islands, Komodo and More 

What Is the Celestia Yacht?

Celestia, which made its maiden voyage in June, is the result of a pandemic-times family project by siblings Jason Tabalujan and Jasmine Chong, who wanted a boat on which to relax with family and friends whenever they desired a cruise around their native Indonesia. Whenever the family’s not sailing themselves, Celestia is available to book for private charters. And sure, there are many other yachts to charter in the region, but this is one of the few that is not owned by foreigners and is proudly Indonesian, down to its core.

Working with traditional boatbuilders, the siblings commissioned a custom-designed pinisi, a classic Indonesian schooner with unique handmade construction that’s on UNESCO’s List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 

Two years in the making, the 148-foot, seven-stateroom Celestia combines old and new technologies and features an elegant, clean interior design and aesthetic tastefully executed by Chong, who works as a fashion designer in New York City. 

The Onboard Experience

Crewed by an incredibly welcoming staff of 17, Celestia is easily able to create a bespoke experience for groups, some of whom have chartered the vessel as a relaxing cruise from Labuan Bajo to Bali. Some use the yacht to tour the Maluku Islands (formerly nicknamed the “Spice Islands”), while some charter it for a luxury, multiday liveaboard scuba adventure (the yacht is equipped with certified dive instructors and all gear).

The Celestia experience is whatever clients want to make of it, whether they’re feeling adventurous or in carefree “vacation mode.” For me and my friends, it was a combination of both unwinding and diving as we toured around the Komodo Islands, seeking to experience other parts of the national park on land: lounging on the rose-hued sands of Pink Beach, hiking to the summit of one of Padar Island’s peaks for an awe-inspiring sunset and even docking on a private island for an intimate birthday dinner party for a friend — all organized and perfectly executed by Celestia’s crew.

Under the sea, I marveled at the multitude of colorful fish, curious moray eels, shape- and color-shifting cuttlefish, the creatures of a night dive and, above all, two majestic, giant manta rays, gracefully soaring across a bay.

Yacht Charter Details

Celestia’s $11K per night price tag may sound steep, but if you book 14 people, the per-person breakdown can be as low as $786 per night, which includes stylish accommodations, return transfers, four hours of massage therapy per day (for the group), an expedition leader, national park fees, all scuba equipment (except a dive computer) and an onboard divemaster, local beer and house wine, non-alcoholic drinks (dragonfruit smoothies are a crowd-pleaser) and all meals and snacks, which are under the direction of talented Indonesian chef Wayan Kresna Yasa.

From Western dishes to classic Indonesian fare, the kitchen can cater to guests’ palates and dietary restrictions. My local favorites included tempeh lodeh (a coconut milk-based vegetable stew), beef rendang (a coconut beef stew) and gado gado (Indonesian salad with vegetables and peanut sauce).

For clients yearning to experience all that Indonesia’s Komodo Islands have to offer, both underwater and on land — from soaring manta rays to Komodo dragons intimately pursuing the continuation of their endangered species — suggest Celestia. No matter if travelers are well-seasoned or just getting their feet wet in Indonesia beyond the throngs of Bali, the yacht is a luxe, pampering way to explore the unknown.