Described by Forbes as “probably the best charter yacht experience in the world,” and winner of a place on the coveted Condé Nast Traveller Gold List, Prana by Atzaró, East Indonesia’s most luxurious Phinisi yacht, introduces Spice Island Charters: an extraordinary voyage through the Banda Islands, a remote and historically significant archipelago which was once at the centre of the global spice trade.
The Spice Island Charter offers a slow, immersive journey through one of Indonesia’s most historically significant and least visited regions. Starting in Ambon, guests board and immediately leave the modern world behind, sailing east into a scatter of volcanic islands that seem suspended in time.
Mornings are shaped by nature rather than schedules: yoga on deck as the sun rises over jungle-covered islands, breakfasts taken while anchoring off remote shores, and days spent exploring pristine reefs where coral grows thick and unbroken, a result of minimal human impact. Snorkelling and diving here are exceptional with dramatic coral walls, lava flows reclaimed by marine life, vast schools of fish and the chance to encounter Pelagic fish rarely seen elsewhere.
The journey moves between islands with layered stories. On Run Island, once so valuable for its nutmeg that it was traded by the Dutch for Manhattan, guests walk through a traditional village and swim off beaches unchanged for centuries. In the central Banda Islands, the yacht anchors beneath the volcano Gunung Api while guests explore Banda Neira and Banda Besar, visiting imposing forts, colonial churches and governors’ houses that speak to the region’s turbulent past. A visit to the local market offers a tangible connection to the spice trade, with the aromas of harvested nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves drying in the sun.
Adventure builds as the voyage continues. Guests can hike Gunung Api, climbing through lush jungle to the summit for a panoramic view across the entire archipelago, sulphur clouds drifting from the crater below. Elsewhere, time ashore includes walking through working nutmeg plantations, learning how this once-coveted spice is grown and harvested, and understanding why these small islands once held global power.
At sea, the experience oscillates between exploration and indulgence. Beach barbecues on deserted shores, sunset cocktails beside a bonfire, late-night films under the stars and spa treatments back onboard Prana by Atzaró create a sense of effortless luxury. On the final days, the yacht sails to remote outcrops such as Bird Island, where frigate birds circle overhead, and nutrient-rich waters offer some of the region’s most exhilarating snorkelling and diving, with hammerhead sharks a seasonal highlight.
Throughout the journey, Prana by Atzaró provides a rare combination of comfort and access: a beautifully crafted Phinisi yacht offering refined design, exceptional cuisine and intuitive service, while reaching places that remain inaccessible to all but the most committed explorers.
The result is a voyage that feels genuinely pioneering, deeply atmospheric and impossible to replicate elsewhere.
