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Tariq Al-Mutawa
🇰🇼Kuwait City, KW
أسبوع في جنة كومودو
احتفلنا بذكرى زواجنا العاشر على Ciela Liveaboard، وكان اختياراً مثالياً. وصلنا إلى Wae Rebo عند شروق الشمس، والمناظر الجبلية كانت كأنها من عالم آخر. الكابينة كانت مفروشة بأزهار محلية مع رسالة مكتوبة بخط اليد. المساء في Long Beach تضمن عشاء خاص مع شموع على الرمل. الموظفون تجنّبوا التدخل، لكنهم كانوا حاضرين عند الحاجة. الـdrone shot الذي سجّل لحظة غروب الشمس كان أفضل تذكار. حصلنا على جلسة تدليك على سطح القارب، مع صوت الأمواج. كنا نتمنى أن يتضمن الـitinerary توقفاً في Padar، لكن ما حصلنا عليه كان مثالياً من حيث التوازن. Ciela يفهم رفاهية البساطة.
A Gentle Voyage Into Wildness
Ciela Liveaboard is not about spectacle—it’s about subtlety. I joined as a solo traveler seeking stillness, and found it in the quiet moments: reading on the bow while anchored at Long Beach, watching monitor lizards patrol the shore of Komodo Island, or sipping clove tea as dawn broke over the Java Sea. The crew’s knowledge of local ecology added depth—our guide identified a rare blue-ringed octopus during a night snorkel at Kanawa. Meals were served family-style, fostering connection among guests. The Master Suite’s private deck was ideal for early coffee. My only suggestion: a dedicated charging station in cabins would help manage device use without clutter. A small point in an otherwise exquisite vessel.
Corporate Retreat जो वाकई रिफ्रेश कर गया
मैंने Ciela Liveaboard को हमारी स्टार्टअप टीम के लिए एक 4-दिन के corporate retreat के लिए चुना, और यह एक brilliant decision साबित हुआ। बोट के सिर्फ 4 केबिन्स होने के कारण, हमारी टीम के 8 लोगों के लिए private और focused environment बना रहा। हमने Long Beach पर team-building session किया — जहाँ soft sand और शांत waves ने एक relaxed एटमॉस्फियर बनाया। उस दिन शाम को Komodo Island के तट पर ड्रोन से एक cinematic shot लिया गया, जिसे बाद में हमने ऑफिस में display करने का प्लान बनाया। Standard Cabin भी बहुत comfortable थी — aircon साइलेंट था, और bed की quality वाकई 5-star जैसी। डिनर्स private deck पर served हुए, और chef ने हर रात कुछ नया try करवाया — मुझे वह prawn ceviche याद रहेगा। एक बात जो मैं improve चाहूँगा — meeting setup के लिए एक portable whiteboard या projector होता तो बेहतर होता, लेकिन overall, यह एक seamless और deeply re-energizing experience था।
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Dashiell Kirkbride
🇸🇬Singapore, SG
Elegance on the Eastern Edge
Ciela Liveaboard struck the perfect balance between authenticity and comfort. As someone who’s sailed several Indonesian liveaboards, I appreciated the restraint in design—no over-polished veneer, just honest craftsmanship. We anchored at Taka Makassar, where the sandbar emerged like a dream at low tide, and spent hours swimming in the shallows. The crew arranged a private picnic, which felt spontaneous but was clearly well-planned. Dinners were a quiet affair—seared tuna with lemongrass, paired with a crisp Sancerre from their modest but well-chosen cellar. My only wish? One additional night. Four days felt like a fleeting introduction to a landscape that demands slow immersion.
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Nina van der Kolk
🇩🇪Berlin, DE
Familiehereniging op hoog niveau
Met drie generaties – oma, mijn ouders, mijn broer met kinderen – hadden we behoefte aan een reis waar iedereen zich comfortabel voelt. De Ciela Liveaboard bleek een uitstekende keuze. De Standard Cabin is ruimer dan verwacht, en de gemeenschappelijke ruimte op het achterdek gaf iedereen genoeg privacy én gezelligheid. Tijdens de lunch voor anker bij Kanawa Island aten we rijsttafels op het dek, terwijl de kinderen vanaf de zijkant zwemmen. De excursie naar Kalong Island in de late namiddag was magisch – de zon ging onder terwijl honderden vleermuizen opstegen boven de mangroves. Onze gids, Pak Dedi, wist precies wanneer en waar we moesten staan voor de beste foto. De avondmaaltijden aan boord hadden een subtiel westers-Indonesische twist – denk aan tataki van tonijn met ketjap glaze. Alles was geregeld, maar nooit stijf. Misschien iets minder formele diners op een van de avonden, maar dat is een kleine opmerking. Het geheel voelde als een soort stil, luxe ritueel. We zouden graag terugkeren voor een langere itinerary.
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Vania Chetwynd
🇩🇪Berlin, DE
Keluarga Kecil, Petualangan Besar
Bawa anak usia 6 tahun ke Komodo via Ciela Liveaboard ternyata smooth banget. Crew siapkan kids kit—mask, snorkel kecil, bahkan coloring book. We anchored di dekat Bidadari Beach, dan anak saya langsung happy main pasir. Snorkeling session diadain dekat boat, jadi gak perlu perahu kecil. Di Manta Point, kita semua turun, dan meskipun dia takut awalnya, pas lihat manta dia teriak 'Ikan terbang!'—so cute. Kabin kami Standard Cabin, cukup luas untuk satu anak tambahan. Makanan bisa request kid-friendly, dan chef bikin pasta setiap hari. Hanya, noise dari mesin agak terdengar di malam hari. Tapi overall, the attention to detail bikin kami feel cared for. Even the life vest for kids had animal prints. Will definitely consider Ciela lagi kalau mau ke Labuan Bajo area.
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Faustine Mercer
🇸🇬Singapore, SG
A Honeymoon of Quiet Intimacy
We chose Ciela Liveaboard for our honeymoon seeking intimacy, not spectacle. The 28-meter phinisi delivered—especially during our two nights anchored between Wainilu and Gili Lawa. One evening, the crew set up a private dinner on deck: grilled mahi-mahi, jackfruit salad, and a bottle of Burgundy we’d brought. No music, just the sound of water against the hull. The Master Suite had a sliding door to the side deck—perfect for midnight stargazing. What I didn’t expect was how the simplicity of life aboard—cold showers, shared meals, no internet—brought us closer. The crew was present but never intrusive; they anticipated needs without fuss. Only note: the mattress in our cabin was slightly too firm. But that’s a personal preference. By the time we reached Long Beach, we felt like we’d reclaimed time, one unhurried hour at a time.
A Corporate Reset, Done Right
Our leadership team needed a reset, and Ciela Liveaboard provided the perfect setting—remote enough to disconnect, comfortable enough to collaborate. The open salon became our informal boardroom by day, then transformed into a dining space with curated Indonesian cuisine by night. We explored Batu Bolong and Taka Makassar, the latter offering a surreal sandbar crossing at low tide. The crew facilitated without dominating—exactly the balance we needed. The Standard Cabins were functional, though sound transmission between rooms could be improved. Still, the overall experience—thoughtful, unobtrusive, deeply restorative—was exactly what we needed to realign. Ciela doesn’t sell luxury; it lives it quietly.
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Crispin Jagger
🇺🇸Los Angeles, US
Dive Deep, Rest Well on Ciela
As part of a dive group of eight, we needed reliability and comfort. Ciela Liveaboard offered both. The dive operations at Castle Rock and Long Beach were seamless—tenders timed perfectly, tanks always ready. The crew knew our names by the second day, and which regulator brand each of us preferred. I stayed in a mid-cabin; while smaller than the suite, it had excellent airflow and a quiet fan. The only minor issue: the rinse tanks could’ve been larger for bulkier gear. Still, everything was cleaned and stored daily. Evenings were spent on deck watching the sky shift over Pink Beach. The chef accommodated a pescatarian and two gluten-free guests without compromise. One night, we anchored near Gili Lawa and swam under bioluminescence—no music, no announcements, just the crew pointing us toward the magic. Ciela understands that some moments need no narration.
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