Indonesian Explorer Cruise Reviews

4.3 Rating 3 Reviews

Oct 6 - 23, 2026 | Discover paradise on an authentic expedition through Indonesia's remote and little known tropical islands. Swim with the Whale Sharks in Kwatisore Bay, visit Komodo National Park, home to the famed Komodo Dragon, discover Jacques Cousteau’s “underwater nirvana” Wakatobi National Park and explore the turquoise waters and rainbow corals of Raja Ampat as we traverse powdery white sand beaches and untamed jungles.

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“Heritage did an excellent job taking us to some pretty remote and inaccessible places (you couldn't even go to the Spice Islands 10-15 years ago because of sectarian violence!). Whatever they did to prepare the villages for our arrival worked extremely well - all the Indonesian and Papuan people we met were friendly and happy to see us. Not sure you would get the same reception if you just popped in to these places. Three nature highlights - komodo dragon, whale sharks, birds of paradise. The staff were very positive and professional and were doing whatever they could to keep 130 or so guests with diverse interests happy. Passengers were on the whole very friendly and welcoming to me (travelling solo) - the whole trip experience was very comfortable. Now for the birding - my other expedition cruise taught me that these are not birding trips in the model of most Eagle Eye land trips. The boat often doesn't dock until 8 or 9 am, so the first zodiacs don't reach shore until 9 or 10 am. From there it can be 30 to 60 minutes to organize into vehicles and get to the birding sites. So you are birding at 10 am to 2 pm most days, not ideal. Local guides are highly variable in their birding ability. There are 130 on the ship, probably 30 to 40 there primarily for birding, another 20 or so casual birders. For the bird of paradise, there were at least 100 people going. There were 2 birding guides on board with maybe one or two others with some knowledge. One of the birding guides also doubled as a zodiac driver. So, do the math, big groups of noisy people out at 11 am in 30 degree weather to see rare endemics. A lot of what you saw was luck - standing next to the guide at the right time. I almost missed the Wilson's Bird of Paradise entirely due to some vehicle breakdowns, but in the end got probably the best experience with them (luck). Despite all of these issues, I had 99 lifers (of course I've never been to this area before) - on a smaller group trip probably would have had 2 to 3 times more. I would say that the staff and guides tried very hard to make everyone happy but it's a structural design problem intrinsic to general expedition cruises of this size.”

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Posted 2 months ago

Thank you so much, Arthur, for sharing such a detailed and thoughtful review of your Indonesia Explorer experience. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the destinations, the welcoming local communities, and the efforts of the staff and guides throughout the voyage. We also appreciate your honest feedback about the birding experience — expedition cruises do differ from our small group, land-based birding tours, and your insights help us communicate that more clearly for future guests. We’re delighted you still had some memorable wildlife encounters — 99 lifers is an impressive total! Thank you again for travelling with us and we hope to take you on another adventure soon!

Posted 2 months ago

“Remarkable for the absence of birds. The cruise was not set up for serious birders. Nature hikes with a bird specialist were provided at most of the ports but with groups so large it scared off most of the birds. On the 18 day cruise, I got 75 species total. On the 2 special Bird of Paradise excursions I saw 1 Red and 1 Magnificent BoP. The 80+ people on the excursions were divided into groups and taken by 4 wheel drive to the locations. Only a couple of groups got to see the 5-7 species targeted (the groups with the ship's birding guides). Trails were > 1 mile in extremely steep, muddy, gutted, rooted conditions with little to no guard-rails. Local guides were to guide hikes not spot birds. I was in tears from disappointment with the effort to get there, the cost of the trip and the lack of birds that came from it. The snorkling was good. If birding isn't a priority, it is a good cruise for seeing non-touristy Indonesian islands and the people who live there.”

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Posted 2 months ago

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Julie. We’re sorry this voyage didn’t meet your birding expectations and have reached out privately to connect and hear more about your experience.

Posted 2 months ago

“Overall I thought tghe trip was great!”

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Posted 1 year ago

We’re so glad you had an enjoyable trip! Thank you for your feedback, and we’re excited to create even more unforgettable experiences for you in the future.

Posted 1 year ago