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Martin Holloway
🇺🇸Portland, US
Cheng Ho: Where History Meets the Horizon
Booked Cheng Ho for a friends getaway, and from the moment we stepped aboard in Labuan Bajo, the rhythm of the voyage settled in. We hiked Komodo Island mid-morning, watched the dragons feed, then cooled off with a drift dive at Batu Bolong. The cabins are traditional in layout — mine had a small porthole with perfect sea-level views. The only friction: the generator cut out briefly during afternoon tea, delaying the espresso. But such moments felt human, not flawed. The crew lit lanterns each evening, casting warm patterns across the saloon. One night, anchored between Taka Makassar and Loh Liang, we shared stories over spiced rum as flying fish skittered past the rails. Cheng Ho doesn’t pretend to be modern; it embraces its 1996 bones with dignity. The sails, though rarely used, were raised briefly off Castle Rock — more ceremonial, but deeply moving. A vessel with memory.
แสงแรกที่ Kalong Island
ผมมา Cheng Ho กับเพื่อนอีก 4 คนเพื่อทำ photography expedition โดยเฉพาะ จุดหมายหลักคือการจับแสงแรกที่ Kalong Island และการบินของฝูงค้างคาวยามเย็น เราตื่นตั้งแต่ตี 4 แล้วใช้ tender ไปเกาะก่อนพระอาทิตย์ขึ้น ช่วงที่แสงสีส้มแตะป่าชายเลน ภาพออกมาดีเกินคาด แม้จะต้องแบก gear หนัก แต่ crew ช่วยยกและจัด position ให้ตลอด ที่ Castle Rock ก็ไม่ทำให้ผิดหวัง น้ำใสจนเห็น shadow ของ manta ray ตอนเราบิน drone shot จากเรือ มุมสูงทำให้เห็นโครงสร้างหินชัดมาก สิ่งเดียวที่ติดคือ wind ในช่วงกลางวันแรงไปหน่อย ทำให้ tender กลับเรือลำบากบ้าง แต่ก็ไม่ถึงกับขัด experience
Phinisi-luxus med autentisk sjæl
Som del af et multi-generation familietrip – min datter (12), min far (78) og min søster – havde vi behov for både rum og fleksibilitet. Cheng Ho imponerede med sin layout: min far fik en standard cabin på hoveddæk med let adgang til salonen, mens vi andre havde mere privatliv nede. Vi startede på Pink Beach, hvor far næsten nægtede at gå i land – han sad og tegnede klipperne i sin notesbog. Senere samme dag kørte vi til Manta Point. Jeg scubadived, mens datteren snorklede – hun fik sin første drone shot taget af crewet, og den video har hun set 50 gange. Måltiderne var en blanding af indonesisk og international; særligt mindes jeg en aften med grillet jackfish og ristede grøntsager serveret under stjernerne. Der var en lille udfordring med aircondition i min cabin – den summede lidt, men ingen katastrofe. Det var en rejse, hvor både børn og voksne følte sig set. Ikke alt var perfekt, men det føltes ægte – og det er sjældent i luxury segmentet.
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Jasmine Norris
🇩🇪Berlin, DE
Cheng Ho: Уединение с классом
Cheng Ho — редкий пример аутентичного phinisi с настоящим sense of luxury. Мы с женой отметили 15-летие брака вдали от суеты — маршрут включал Taka Makassar и тихую бухту у Gili Lawa. Утренние кофе под плеск волн, завтраки с view на кораллы — всё выдержано в спокойном ритме. Master suite — просторная, с деревянными панелями teak и естественной вентиляцией. Экипаж предложил private dinner на палубе, с местным ужином под звёздами. Единственное — wifi был слабым, но, честно, мы почти не скучали по связи. Плавание к Wae Rebo было глубже культурно: местный гид провёл небольшой storytelling о традициях Mbaru Niang. Не просто cruise, а curated journey. Хотели бы добавить ещё два дня — особенно в районе Long Beach, где кристальная вода и почти нет людей.
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Noura Al-Ansari
🇦🇪Dubai, AE
رحلة شهر العسل المثالية
اخترت Cheng Ho لشهر عسلي بعد بحث دقيق، وكنت محقة. كزوجين شابين نبحث عن خصوصية وفخامة، لم نُخيّب. المقصورة التي حجزناها كانت من نوع standard cabin، لكنها فاقَت التوقعات — ديكور خشبي دافئ، حمام فاخر، وسرير مريح جداً. توقفنا في Kanawa Island حيث سبحنا جنباً إلى جنب مع السلاحف، ثم في Pink Beach حيث التقطنا صوراً لا تُنسى. الليلة الثانية، نظّم الطاقم لنا عشاء خاصاً على سطح الـ yacht مع شموع ونبيذ. لم يكن هناك تسلية اصطناعية، فقط صوت الأمواج والنجوم. وحدها مدة الرحلة (4 أيام) كانت قصيرة بعض الشيء — أتمنى لو بقينا 6 أيام. الـ drone shot الذي شاركونه معنا بعد الرحلة كان professional جداً. Cheng Ho يجعلك تشعر أنك بعيد عن العالم، لكنك مدلل بكل وسائل الراحة.
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Nurul Fatin
🇲🇾Kuala Lipis, MY
30th Birthday di Atas Air
Saya celebrate my 30th birthday dengan group of nine close friends di atas Cheng Ho — dan honestly, tiada hadiah yang lebih meaningful. Kami start dari Labuan Bajo, singgah di Castle Rock untuk diving session yang intense, visibility lebih dari 20 meter. Nusa Kode pula jadi surprise highlight; sepi, hanya kami dan ratusan komodo di pantai. Cabin saya, Standard Cabin, selesa dengan AC yang consistent dan lighting yang soft — perfect untuk malam2 yang chill. Crew buat surprise birthday setup di deck dengan candles dan local music, plus personalized cake. Sangat touched. Satu-satunya thing: shower pressure agak rendah di cabin 3, but it’s minor. Yang paling saya hargai ialah privacy dan flow perjalanan — tidak terlalu packed. Mereka adjust itinerary sedikit sebab cuaca, tapi tetap maintain the magic. Cheng Ho bawa vibe yang tenang, luxury tanpa pretense. For a milestone birthday, nothing beats waking up to sunrise di Wae Rebo bay, coffee di tangan, dan kawan-kawan yang ketawa di sebelah.
Cheng Ho: Floating Wellness Sanctuary
I joined a yoga & wellness retreat di Cheng Ho, dan honestly, it was transformative. Setiap pagi, yoga session di front deck saat sunrise di Gili Lawa — energy-nya indescribable. Breathwork dengan suara ombak sebagai background? Pure therapy. Makanan plant-based tapi flavorful, banyak pilihan lokal seperti tempeh dan moringa. They even had a wellness host yang guide meditation session malam hari. Kabin saya, Standard Cabin, simple tapi serene. Wooden texture dan linen-nya bikin rileks instan. We stopped at Manjarite for a forest walk — such a quiet, green contrast to the blue. One note: AC di kabin agak noisy di night, tapi crew quickly adjusted it. The real luxury here is the pace — no rush, no noise, just breath and beauty.
Cheng Ho, denizcinin kalbini hâlâ atıyor
1996 yapımına rağmen Cheng Ho, vintage charme’sini kaybetmemiş. Ahşap güvertesi, el işlemesi direkleri, hâlâ bir denizcinin ruhunu taşıyor. Padar Adası’na sabahın erken saatlerinde vardık. Orada bir saat boyunca sadece manzarayı seyrettim. Cheng Ho’nun itineray’ı, çok fazla kalabalıkla karşılaşmadan doğal güzelliklere odaklanmayı sağladı. Taka Makassar’da dalış sonrası, gemide sıcak çorba sunuldu — tropikal iklimde bu gibi detaylar nadir. Sadece klima, bazı kabinlerde gece yarısı hafifçe gürültü yapıyordu. Ama bu, denizin sesiyle neredeyse kayboluyordu. Gemi ekibi, her sabah kahvaltıdan önce havanın durumunu tek tek anlatıyordu. Bu kadar bilgili ve sakin bir crew, trust veriyor.
Pemandangan yang Tak Terduga
Saya booking Cheng Ho untuk solo retreat, butuh jeda dari hustle di Semarang. 4-day trip ke Padar Island dan Bidadari Beach ternyata exactly what I needed. Sunrise di Padar? Beyond words. I stood there, no one else around, just the sound of wind and my breath. Cabin-nya cozy, with soft linen and good reading lamp — small things that matter. Crew tahu batas: present when needed, invisible when not. Makanan mostly local — ikan bakar, sayur urap, sambal matah — semua tasted authentic. Only downside: no charging point near the bed, jadi harus get up to check phone. Tapi mungkin itu blessing in disguise — less screen time. Waktu ke Sebayur, saya snorkel alone for an hour. Rasanya seperti floating in a dream. Cheng Ho doesn’t sell adventure; it sells presence.
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