Tom Hickman boards Haruku by Pulau Dive for a day aboard the beast.
THERE’S no shortage of incredible activities on this, one of the world’s most wonderful islands. But a day with Pulau Luxury Charters brings almost all of these activities together to be savored on your own miniature private paradise. What’s more, the day is bespoke – you can choose the destination, the food, entertainment … in fact pretty much anything you want.The Yak decided to check it out.
Haruku is a high-powered catamaran built for speed and designed for comfort. Arriving at the port area on Serangan – a central but sleepy spit of land just 15 minutes west of Kuta at around 9:45am – we grabbed a quick coffee and were soon greeted by the team, escorted on to a nifty speedboat and ferried to the Haruku – our 75-foot home for the day.
We were welcomed with smiles, garlands, and ice-cold glasses of Veuve Clicquot (the first of many for some of us), oh yeah . . . and delicious snacks.
There’s an ample deck on the top for sun worshippers, a comfortable area at the helm, two bathrooms, a TV lounge with sofas (in case it rains) and more comfortable seating on the aft deck at the back.
We decided to head to Nusa Lembongan – a stunning island about 60 minutes from Bali. Our plan was simple: swim, snorkel, paddle-board in one of the stunning coves; enjoy a delicious lunch on board, and then cruise back to the mainland for a Friday night after-party back at the marina.
The captain was on a mission to impress. He fired up the engine and in no time we were powering across to Lembongan . . . time for another glass of champagne and the perfect opportunity to admire Bali’s mountainous landscape – the active volcano, Mount Agung and, on a clear day, Lombok visible on the horizon.
The crew anchored the boat about 50 metres off-shore, made sure everyone was happy, topped up our drinks, and got busy serving up a five-star lunch.
We’d chosen a menu that included an impeccable feast of marinated chicken, cold rare beef, and a range of salads, backed up with chocolate mousse. The service was fantastic and an inexhaustible supply of ice-cold beers, wine, soft drinks and water comes as standard.
Take your pick of where to eat; enjoy the sound system and pat yourself on the back for all those hard days you’ve spent in the office.
With sunset a couple of hours away the captain started the journey back. Our after-party kicked off with a saxophonist playing on the jetty and was set up so we could enjoy a tour of another one of Pulau’s yachts.
Time flew as we celebrated another stunning day. A day that combined just about everything Bali is famous for – stunning views, great music, delicious food, and a tropical sunset.
Haruku – one of seven in the fleet – comfortably accommodates groups of up to 25 and comes fully equipped with snorkeling equipment and stand-up paddle boards for those who’ve gone easy on the Champagne.
A floating platform is available for anyone wanting to relax closer to the water.
The fleet ranges from a twin-mast schooner to a genuine 100-foot super yacht and smaller vessels to cater for divers, deep sea fishing tips, and surfers seeking an unpopulated break.
Chartering one of the Pulau fleet starts at just US$75 a day per person and rises to US$11,500 for a day on the Azimut super yacht . . . that’s just over US$450 a head for a generous slice of the high life. Worth every cent.