Dr. Lawrence Blair*, expert and resident of Indonesia, and author and co-producer of the book and PBS documentary films RING OF FIRE, and more recently the series: MYTHS, MAGIC AND MONSTERS,  has two remaining cabins available for an adventure cruise with 30 people aboard a luxury vessel to the Raja Empat Islands off West Papua from October 11th. to 24th of this year.  Its both an exploratory diving and cultural cruise, with a visit to the Asmat tribe, famous for their tribal art. First come first served. A special invitation from Lawrence Blair and Amir Rabik to join us on another private expeditionary cruise - a reprise of the Beyond the Ring of Fire Cruise of 12 years ago. This time to the extraordinary and little visited Raja Empat islands around the Bird’s Head of Indonesian New Guinea.

The vessel is the futuristic, top-of-the-line Indies Trader IV (www.indiestrader.com ). She is smaller and faster than the Spice Islander, and luxuriously equipped with all the toys, including a helicopter, if we want it. Many of the original party are coming along, plus a handful of cultural, wildlife and underwater experts (including Leksmono and Valerie Taylor).

The dates are October 11th to 24th. 2008.

We fly from Bali to Timika to board the vessel, and disembark 13 days later in Sorong, N.E. Indonesian West Papua, to fly back to Bali. We will revisit a few of the places we saw last time and go on to explore entirely new and fascinating territory.

The Indies Trader IV has four cabin classes, all of them posh. And real food, this time. For the entire cruise, each cabin, for two people, costs:

A Cabins (2) with double beds, @ U$ 35,100 1 left
B Cabins (2) with double beds @ U$ 32,500 1 left
C Cabins (4) with double beds @ U$ 26,000, sold
D cabins (3) with 2 single beds @ U$ 22,100. sold

ITINERARY

13 days. October 11th to 24th. 2008, Timika to Sorong

11th Oct. Fly from Bali to Timika, West Papua, (formerly called Irian Jaya) arriving about midday. Met by Leksmono Santoso, (who is happily again our companion and shore event organizer). Drive about 1.5 hours to the harbour where we board the Indies Trader IV, and sail for Agats. Early evening talk by Linda Santoso (Lek’s American wife, and an authority on the Asmat) to update us on developments since we were last there in ‘95, and to prepare us for the tribal art awaiting us.

12th. A.M. A short Zodiac ride to the village of Sjuru Besar, and a startling Canoe Welcoming ceremony, before disembarking and walking the some 15 minutes to the Museum of Agats. Because the annual Asmat Art Auction, sponsored by the New York Museum of Art, will have occurred a few days earlier, there will still be an abundance of art for sale, both local and brought in from remote outlying regions. P.M. we’ll sail the Indies Trader IV upriver into the jungle, well beyond Jufrie (visited last time), for an interactive longhouse ceremony in the remote Asmat village of Komor. That evening, by Zodiac, we hope to witness displays of the Synchronous Gregarious Firefly, a rare species which ignites the trees in unison, like the pulsating lights of a Christmas Tree. Depart downriver en route for the Aru Islands.

13th. Cruising West through the Arafura Sea. We reach Aru, and enter the waterway which cuts through the island from East to West. Anchored at night in the heart of the jungle the intrepid amongst us, with flashlights, board canoes to be silently paddled by locals to spot Salty Crocodiles snoozing on the mudbanks.

14th. A.M. Continue Westwards through the forested Aru channel, stopping at inland villages to see their captive crocodiles, cuscuses, cassowary birds, and hopefully the Aru Python, highly valued by herpetologists, neon green with gold spots, just a yard long and very pettable. P.M. Depart Aru for the Kei Islands.

15th. Kei Islands. A.M. South Eastern tip of Kei Besar Island to visit hidden village of Kilwat where Lawrence, anchored after dusk in 2001, was boarded by 25 angry men armed with parangs and drawn bows and arrows. Lawrence would like to get his sunglasses back. Then a dive in the clear waters. P.M. Up to Tual, on Kei Kecil Island for spectacular greeting by these distinctively Malay sea folk in their traditional paddled, Kora-Kora longboats, following by a walk through the village looking for the antique relics from the Spice Trading days. Afternoon dive off the clear water reefs.

16th. Triton Bay. North to mainland West Papua again, to further explore this fifty-mile long inland sea, recently recognized by scientists as a barely-known ‘womb of species generation’ from which fish species, in ever decreasing diversity, radiate out to populate both the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Splendid Zodiac exploration and snorkeling.

17th. We revisit the still-unnamed waterfall on the Bomberai Peninsula which we found in ‘95. This time we’ll climb beyond the waterfall up through the tiered river pools leading into the jungle, and where Peter found his mysterious carved offering in the water. Zodiac trips, shore-walks, diving and snorkeling. Depart to cruise north eastwards past the eponymous Fuk Fuk Peninsula to:

18th. Pisang Island. (Sabuda Island, on older charts) An uninhabited paradise, with superb diving and snorkeling to spot numerous strange marine species found nowhere else.

19th. Misol (Batanme on some charts) This is the first of the renowned Raja Empat Islands, which we will be exploring for the rest of the cruise. Fanfare Passage, between the two rocky islets on the South East, provides an exhilarating drift snorkel or drift dive. P.M. more diving and snorkeling in the same wild area, amongst rare and unique fish species.

20th. Misol. Skull Cave. Further north on the heavily jungled coastline is a secret passage up a stream, accessible by Zodiacs and sea kayaks, to a hidden cave lined with ceremonial skulls, which few outsiders have ever seen.

21nd. Waigeo Island, and Alyue Bay on the west. A.M. A visit to the remote Atlas Pearl Farm, to buy astonishing pearls of a great variety of sizes and colours. P.M. Excellent snorkeling, diving and Zodiac cruises to view the profusion of strange birdlife. We are now on the rim of the South Pacific Ocean, with its distinctive ecology and wildlife, both above and beneath the amazingly undisturbed waters.

22nd. Wayag Island…Even deeper into the Pacific, which Mark Heighes (who’s no novice) describes as the most beautiful island he’s ever seen. As spectacular on the surface as beneath it, we spend all day diving, snorkeling, Zodiacing, and walking inland, up a hill, to survey the entire paradise.

23rd. Gam Island. (Below Waigeo) to the heavily forested island’s South Easter tip. Very early morning ashore to walk into the forest with local guides for a fair chance of spotting Birds of Paradise performing their inimitable mating dance. P.M. Lunch time cruise up to North Batanta Island. Snorkeling amongst Manta rays over virgin reefs. Superb jungle walk to another dramatic un-named waterfall.

24th. Sorong, back on mainland West Papua, to disembark and fly back to Bali.

For more information contact: Lawrence Blair LawrenceBlair@banjartamu.org

* Dr. Blair has been exploring Indonesia for more than 35 years where, both alone and together with his late brother, Lorne, he has filmed some of the remotest tribes and strangest creatures to appear on international television. He is widely sought after as both a lecturer for corporate conferences, and as a guide on private charter cruises to the wildest regions of S.E. Asia. He is best known for his and his brother’s classic tv series, and matching book: RING OF FIRE, and more recently for his five-part tv adventure series for SKY TV UK called MYTHS, MAGIC and MONSTERS, which walks the line between myth and science in its exploration of Indonesian exotica.