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  • Naora Opens Its Doors: A Membership-Based Global Sailing Journey Across 183+ Destinations

    Naora Opens Its Doors: A Membership-Based Global Sailing Journey Across 183+ Destinations

    From the outer reefs of the Maldives to the hidden anchorages of Raja Ampat, from the wild coast of Patagonia to the Society Islands of the South Pacific — NAORA offers its members a world that goes far beyond what any itinerary can contain.

    Anchored in a remote bay in the Azores, the only light coming from a sky full of stars. Diving the outer reefs of the Maldives, where the coral runs so deep you cannot see the bottom. Watching the sun rise over the Society Islands from a deck that is still warm from the night before. These are not highlights from a travel itinerary. They are Tuesday for a NAORA member.

    Today, NAORA announces its launch: a private, invitation-only sailing expedition membership that gives a curated circle of modern explorers flexible, recurring access to a continuously moving global journey spanning 183+ destinations and 45,000+ nautical miles over five years. It is the most ambitious membership-based sailing concept ever brought to market — and it is built, from the hull up, for people who are not satisfied with what a hotel can offer.

    45,000+ Nautical Miles. Five Years. One Continuous World.

    The NAORA route is not a circuit of popular anchorages. It is not designed around tourism seasons or marina availability. It is designed around one thing: putting its members in the most extraordinary places on earth at the moment those places are most extraordinary.

    The route follows trade winds and seasonal weather patterns, refined over 25+ years of accumulated offshore sailing knowledge. It begins in the Mediterranean — the Balearics, Sardinia, the Adriatic, the Aegean — before crossing the Atlantic via the Canary Islands and Cape Verde. From the Caribbean, it passes through the Panama Canal into the Pacific. Southeast Asia. The Maldives. The Indian Ocean. The Red Sea. The South Pacific. Patagonia. And back again — a five-year loop that never quite repeats, because the world does not.

    Each leg is timed with the prevailing wind systems and anchored in each region during its peak season. Members who join the Mediterranean leg experience the sea at its most vivid. Those who join for the Indian Ocean leg arrive during the perfect sailing window. Those who make the South Pacific passage with NAORA experience one of the most transcendent crossings available to any sailor, private or otherwise.

    And at every stage, NAORA members are not experiencing these places as tourists. They are experiencing them as people who belong there — because the crew does, the captain does, and the community does.

    The Vessel: Home on the Open Ocean

    Every NAORA journey takes place aboard the Fountaine Pajot Thira 80 — one of the largest production catamarans in the world, built for exactly the kind of long, deep, ocean-crossing lifestyle that NAORA is designed around. At nearly 24 metres in length, with a displacement of 66 tonnes and a sail area of 340 square metres, the Thira 80 is not a day-tripper. It is an offshore passage-maker of the highest order, wrapped in the interiors of a luxury private villa.

    Six to seven private en-suite double cabins. Wide teak decks for morning yoga and midnight conversations. A salon designed for the kind of dinner party that only happens when the nearest land is two hundred miles away. A professional galley from which a private chef produces three-course meals with ingredients sourced at every port. The Thira 80 is, quite simply, one of the finest environments in which a human being can spend time — and it is moving, always, toward somewhere remarkable.

    The catamaran design is not a compromise. It is the correct answer for this model. Two to three times the living space of a monohull of equivalent length. Minimal heel, smooth passages, dramatically reduced motion sickness. Wide decks and a shallow draft that allows NAORA to anchor in remote bays that deeper-keeled vessels cannot access. The Thira 80 delivers comfort without sacrificing reach — which means NAORA members can go further, stay longer, and arrive more refreshed than any comparable vessel would allow.

    “We don’t discover places. We return to them. That is the difference NAORA members will feel from day one. — The NAORA Founders”

    The Destinations Others Cannot Reach

    There is a version of global travel that is available to anyone with a credit card and a premium booking platform. Beautiful hotels in beautiful places, populated by other people with beautiful credit cards. NAORA is not that. NAORA is the version of global travel that requires local knowledge, earned trust, and years of relationship-building to access.

    The founding team has spent 11 years across Southeast Asia — not as tourists, but as residents. They have friendships in fishing villages that do not appear on any map, and access to anchorages that are not listed in any cruising guide. They know the chef at the restaurant that has no sign. They know the fisherman who knows the reef that the dive boats have not found yet. They have sat at tables in communities that most travellers will never find, not because of money, but because of time.

    That accumulated knowledge and those relationships are what NAORA members are buying access to when they join. Not a boat. Not a route. A world that the founding team has spent decades learning to navigate — and that deepens, for every member, with every return.

    On Board Life: Designed, Not Improvised

    The NAORA onboard experience is curated with the same level of intention as the route itself. Water sports equipment is maintained to professional standard — diving gear, kites, paddleboards, and exploration tenders are available whenever conditions allow. Shore excursions are arranged in advance, drawing on local networks to provide cultural access and private experiences that are unavailable to independent travellers.

    The community aboard NAORA is deliberately international. Members speak French, German, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Dutch, and many other languages — but English is the official language of all navigation, safety briefings, and crew communication. The diversity of the community is a feature, not a coincidence. When extraordinary people from extraordinary backgrounds share an extraordinary environment, what results is a quality of conversation and connection that no land-based club or conference can replicate.

    Between voyages, the community continues. Regional gatherings in key cities. Private dinners. Cultural events at port. NAORA is not a place its members visit. It is a world they belong to.

    Membership: The Door Is Open

    NAORA membership is structured in three tiers. Coastal members receive approximately one week of access per year — an introduction to the vessel, the community, and the rhythm of offshore life. Offshore members receive approximately 40 days per year, building lasting relationships and experiencing the full depth of the expedition. Navigator members receive approximately 90 days per year, with priority on route selection and scheduling, and a level of integration into the NAORA world that is closer to a second home than a holiday.

    A one-time entry fee of €3,000–5,000 opens the door. Annual fees range from €9,000 for Coastal membership to €59,000 for Navigator access. Extended and bespoke arrangements are available for members who want a more permanent presence within the system.

    Every membership begins with a private conversation. Not a sales call. A conversation. NAORA wants to understand who you are and what you are looking for. You want to understand where the boat is going and who is aboard. Only from that mutual understanding does the question of membership arise.

    To begin that conversation, visit www.naora.world

    About NAORA — NAORA is a membership-based private sailing expedition founded by four Belgian adventurers with 25+ years of offshore sailing expertise. Its five-year global journey spans 183+ destinations and 45,000+ nautical miles, covering the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, and South Pacific. Membership tiers — Coastal, Offshore, and Navigator — offer flexible, recurring access to life at sea aboard the Fountaine Pajot Thira 80, one of the largest luxury production catamarans in the world. NAORA is not a travel company. It is a new category of living.

  • Not a Cruise. Not a Charter. NAORA Introduces a New Category of Luxury Living on the Ocean

    Not a Cruise. Not a Charter. NAORA Introduces a New Category of Luxury Living on the Ocean

    The access economy has transformed aviation, hospitality, and private clubs. Now it is coming for the sea — and the result is unlike anything luxury travel has produced before.

    There are cruises. There are charters. There is yacht ownership. And now, there is NAORA — a private sailing membership that sits entirely outside all three, offering something the luxury travel market has never produced at sea: a world that keeps moving, even when you don’t.

    NAORA today announces its official launch as a membership-based global expedition — an ongoing, curated journey aboard an 80-foot luxury catamaran that members can access on their own schedule, year after year, season after season. It is a living system built around the principle that the most discerning travellers do not want more destinations. They want a world that knows them.

    The timing is not accidental. The access economy — the model that gave us fractional jet ownership, private members clubs, and curated travel networks — has been quietly reshaping premium consumption for more than a decade. Soho House showed that community could be built around recurring access to a physical space. NetJets showed that the right to use an asset, without owning it, could be more desirable than ownership itself. Pelorus and Inspirato showed that the highest-end travellers were moving away from transactions and toward relationships. NAORA takes all three of these lessons and applies them to the one frontier the access economy had not yet touched: the open ocean.

    The Quiet Failure of High-End Travel

    To understand what NAORA is offering, it helps to understand what it is replacing. For all the investments that luxury travel brands have made in service, design, and exclusivity over the past two decades, the fundamental model has remained unchanged. A guest arrives. They are looked after with extraordinary care. They leave. The hotel or vessel resets for the next arrival. The relationship ends.

    This model works beautifully at the mid-to-high end of the market. But at the very top — among the founders, investors, and globally mobile professionals who have been everywhere and done everything — it has a structural limitation that no amount of service excellence can overcome. Every experience begins from zero. There is no continuity. There is no community. There is no sense that the place you are returning to has been waiting for you.

    NAORA changes this. Fundamentally, structurally, and permanently.

    What It Actually Feels Like to Be a NAORA Member

    Imagine boarding in Barcelona on a Tuesday morning. The Fountaine Pajot Thira 80 is moored in the marina, gleaming in the early sun. The captain meets you at the gangway. The chef has already sourced the ingredients for your preferred breakfast. Your cabin is prepared to your specifications — the same specifications that were on file from your last visit, six months ago in the Caribbean.

    Over the next two weeks, you sail the Balearics. You anchor off the coast of Sardinia in a bay that does not appear on any tourist map. You dive a reef system that your captain has been returning to for fifteen years. You eat better than you would in any restaurant, cooked by a chef who knows your preferences by heart. You have conversations on deck at midnight that you will remember for the rest of your life — with fellow members who were drawn here by the same restless curiosity that brought you.

    Then life calls. A board meeting. A school event. A deal that cannot wait. You disembark in Palma, take a car to the airport, and return to your world. Your NAORA membership continues. The vessel continues. The community continues. Three months later, you rejoin in Martinique. The crew knows your name. Your preferences are on file. The journey picks up exactly where it left off.

    This is not a holiday. It is a recurring relationship with a world that moves.

    “NAORA is a lifestyle position. Members don’t buy access to a boat. They join a world that reflects who they are.”

    The Vessel: Where the Experience Lives

    The Fountaine Pajot Thira 80 is the physical heart of everything NAORA offers. At nearly 24 metres in length with a beam exceeding 11 metres, it is one of the most spacious private sailing vessels available — offering two to three times the living area of a monohull of equivalent length, with the exceptional stability that only a catamaran at this scale can deliver.

    The interiors are designed around the idea that comfort is not a feature — it is the product. Six to seven private en-suite double cabins. Expansive salon spaces filled with natural light. Open-air deck areas that blur the line between interior and ocean. A kitchen from which a private chef produces meals to restaurant standard, provisioned fresh at every port of call. The effect is closer to a private villa that happens to move than to any vessel most people have experienced.

    A dedicated crew of four — captain, 1st mate, chef, and stewardess — is aboard at all times. Diving, kitesurfing, paddleboarding, and exploration by tender are available on request. What happens on board, and who is aboard, is held in complete confidence. NAORA has no social media presence featuring its members. No photos are shared. No names are mentioned. The community is built on trust, not visibility.

    Soho House. NetJets. Now NAORA.

    In positioning, NAORA draws comparison not to maritime competitors — there are none at this level — but to the models it most closely resembles. Private members clubs like Soho House and The Arts Club built identity-driven communities around recurring access to physical spaces with curated programming. Luxury travel networks like Inspirato and Pelorus offered experiential access without ownership. Fractional ownership programmes like NetJets applied time-based access to high-value assets.

    NAORA takes the best element of each: the identity and community of a members club, the experiential depth of a curated travel network, and the flexibility of fractional access — and delivers all three simultaneously, aboard a single extraordinary vessel moving continuously through the most beautiful waters in the world.

    The difference, at its core, is the ocean. A Soho House does not move. A NetJets flight lasts four hours. A NAORA membership lasts a lifetime — and the world it gives access to becomes more beautiful, more familiar, and more meaningful with every return.

    Who Joins. Why They Stay.

    NAORA attracts a specific kind of person — not defined by net worth alone, but by a particular relationship to experience and belonging. Founders who have built the freedom to move and are searching for a community that matches their depth. Family office principals who want a lifestyle vehicle that is as sophisticated as their professional world. Location-independent professionals who have outgrown the five-star hotel and the luxury charter, and who are ready for something that cannot simply be booked.

    What keeps them is not the vessel, beautiful as it is. It is the compounding. The relationships that form when the same people share extraordinary experiences across multiple voyages, multiple years, multiple oceans. The inside references. The shared history. The knowledge that somewhere in the world, a boat is moving through remarkable waters — and that your place on it is waiting.

    Membership is by invitation only. Entry fees start from €3,000, with annual access fees from €9,000 to €59,000. The route spans 183+ destinations across five years, following the seasons across the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, and South Pacific.

    Every membership begins with a conversation. Begin yours at www.naora.world.

  • Naora Revolutionizes Maritime Expeditions: Discover the World with a Private Sailing Membership

    Naora Revolutionizes Maritime Expeditions: Discover the World with a Private Sailing Membership

    Naora, an innovative private expedition venture established by seasoned maritime professionals from Belgium, is transforming the way individuals experience extended sea voyages. Instead of operating as a charter company, Naora serves as a membership-based platform, providing access to a continuous, multi-year sailing expedition across some of the world’s most secluded and culturally diverse areas.

    Contrary to the conventional travel approaches, Naora does not trade in travel packages. Instead, members have the privilege of joining a living expedition, a five-year journey impacted by the seasons, trade winds, and the amassed experience at sea. Participants can join and depart at various points during the journey, aligning their time on the vessel with their individual schedules and preferences.

    A Venture Driven by Experience, Not Fixed Plans

    Naora’s foundation is built on over twenty years of practical maritime experience, which includes professional sailing, global yacht deliveries, and previous expeditions on vessels like Discovery and Sueño, exploring areas like the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and northern waters.

    This strategy represents a transition from fixed itineraries to a more dynamic, experience-driven model. Routes are not predetermined but are modified based on conditions, timing, and local knowledge, allowing for a more profound interaction with each destination.

    Rather than designing a route on a map, Naora uses its years of maritime experience to return to significant places, ensuring the timing of these visits is perfect for maximum exploration and enjoyment.

    Appreciating Access Over Ownership

    Naora operates on a membership structure where members have access to the journey for a specific duration rather than to particular destinations. Members can choose segments of the trip based on availability and personal preferences, ranging from brief coastal passages to extended ocean crossings.

    The experience is intentionally designed to achieve a balance between structure and freedom. While a professional crew takes care of all operational aspects, participants are encouraged to engage with the environment at their leisure, whether this involves sailing, diving, surfing, or exploration ashore.

    From secluded anchorages to lesser-visited coastal regions, the focus is on immersion rather than consumption. This approach allows access to places that are often unreachable, including pristine environments and respectfully approached indigenous cultures.

    A Thriving Community, Onboard and Beyond

    Beyond the journey itself, Naora emphasizes the importance of community and continuity. The expedition is not only an offshore experience but extends into a broader ecosystem developed to keep members connected. This system includes curated gatherings both at sea and on land, along with a digital platform that allows members to stay engaged, no matter where they are on the route.

    In support of the community emphasis, Naora has introduced a dedicated role within the structure – a Commodore. This person is responsible for maintaining the connection between members and ensuring the community experience is consistent across all touchpoints, from onboard interactions to onshore gatherings and digital communication.

    The mission of Naora is not only about reaching new places but is also centered on the people who share the experience and the connection that continues long after the expedition ends. Besides, Naora is committed to preserving and continuing maritime traditions, not just as a concept, but as a lived practice. Knowledge, seamanship, and respect for the ocean are shared among participants, contributing to the overall experience.

    At the heart of Naora’s positioning is a strong emphasis on privacy and alignment. Participation is application-based, ensuring that all members share the same mindset. The onboard environment is deliberately small-scale, promoting trust, discretion, and a sense of belonging that’s vastly different from commercial travel experiences.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the concept behind Naora?
    Naora is a private sailing expedition membership that offers access to a continuous global journey across various oceans, seasons, and cultures. The emphasis is on experience rather than destination, and members can join and leave at different points along the route.

    What makes Naora unique?
    Naora differs from traditional travel models in that it does not sell trips but provides a living expedition that members can join. The routes are dynamic, and the focus is on immersion and engagement with each destination. It also operates on a membership structure rather than a charter model.

    What is Naora’s approach to community?
    Beyond the journey itself, Naora places a strong emphasis on community and continuity. They organize gatherings both at sea and on land, and have a digital platform to keep members connected. A dedicated role, the Commodore, is responsible for maintaining the connection between members and ensuring a consistent community experience.

  • Helly Hansen sold off to a Canadian Tire Corporation

    Helly Hansen sold off to a Canadian Tire Corporation

    Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC) is set to buy Norwegian sportswear brand Helly Hansen for US$771 million.

    Helly Hansen, founded in 1877, has been progressively expanding its footprint to cover 40 countries, specialising in clothing for sailing, skiing, mountain sports, wet weather gear and workwear. The business was previously owned by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.

    Despite its name, CTC is Canada’s largest retail operator with interests in apparel, food, car tyres, sports and homewares. Its brands include Mark’s, SuperCycle and FGL (formerly Forzani). Mark’s is one of Helly Hansen’s largest retail customers.

    “For more than 10 years, Helly Hansen has been an exceptional fit with CTC and this acquisition will strengthen our assortment across all of our banners,” said Stephen Wetmore, president and CEO of CTC.

    “With our capabilities and Helly Hansen’s trusted global brand and management team, we see tremendous opportunity for CTC and Helly Hansen, in Canada and internationally.”

    Helly Hansen’s CEO Paul Stoneham and his management team based in Oslo, will continue to lead the business.

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  • 2017 Samui Regatta continues successful trend, with Centara Grand Beach Resort as Sponsor

    2017 Samui Regatta continues successful trend, with Centara Grand Beach Resort as Sponsor

    Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui once again showed itself capable of handling international water sports events, being the host sponsor for the Samui Regatta 20-27 May. The Regatta, in its 16th year, has grown to attract the best yachts in Asia and a large spectator following. They come to Samui for great sailing, fantastic beach parties, and the island’s acclaimed hospitality.

    Samui Island itself is acknowledged for its white-sand beaches, sparkling blue sea, breezy coconut trees and picture-postcard tropical appeal. Lately it has proven itself a leading sports tourism destination, especially in yachting. With full support from the Thai government and its policy to promote sports tourism, Samui has attracted more international events and sports enthusiasts to the country during the last decade. The now-famous Samui Regatta is one of the blue-ribbon international events exemplifying this trend.

    “This is another opportunity for people to recognize our resort, not only as a luxurious tropical tourist destination but also a superb water sport venue,” said Denis Thouvard, the resort’s General Manager. “We are located in a prime area where nature and civilization mesh perfectly. Our private beachfront offers Chaweng’s soft white sand, crystal clear water, and peaceful space for personal relaxation or fun activities such as swimming, sailing, jet-skiing and yachting. The resort is also an ideal base for exploring Samui and its island neighbors Koh Nang Yuan and Ang Thong National Marine Park. It is next to Samui’s main town and 20 minutes from the airport. Our guests enjoy wonderful vacations in this tropical paradise.”

    “Samui Island is one of the top tourism and yachting destinations in Asia,” added Ms. Kae Wattana, Managing Director of Regattas Asia. “We have organised Samui Regatta for 15 years and each year we see the number of yachts that come to the island is growing. I believe this growth will continue as more and more people experience the beauty of Samui and the unmatched sailing it has to offer. This year we will again have a spectator boat at Samui Regatta which members of the public and tourists can join to experience the event and learn more about yachting. Our aim is bring the event and yachting closer to people, to increase people’s understanding of yachting, and to attract more visitors to Samui Island. Having Centara, a leading Thai hospitality brand, joined just as main host for this event is helping us to ensure that all participants will be treated professionally and bring back not only a trophy or medal from a competition but also a fantastic memory in Samui as well”.

    The Samui Regatta consists of five days of racing and six nights of parties, including daily prize-awarding on the beach and a lavish Gala Dinner hosted by Centara Grand Beach Resort on the final night. This event showcases Samui’s reputation as a leading yachting destination and contributes significant revenues to the local economy. Surveys show most of the approximately 500 participants come from overseas and have high incomes.

    “As part of the Samui community, we are proud to support the people and economy of this island,” General Manager Thouvard concluded. “In the future we look forward to seeing more tourists, both returning guests and new visitors who want to witness Samui’s natural beauty with their own eyes.”

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  • Compass Yacht Delivery will be appearing at the celebrated Singapore Yacht Show

    Compass Yacht Delivery will be appearing at the celebrated Singapore Yacht Show

    Leading yacht and boat company Compass Yacht Delivery will be appearing at the celebrated Singapore Yacht Show early next year, and offering nautical enthusiasts the chance to win a day’s instruction with one of the most experienced skippers around.

    The Singapore Yacht Show, held in April, is one of the highlights of the Asian seafaring calendar, hosting a plethora or top brands, celebrated speakers and the latest innovations in boating technology 2018 will see Compass Yacht Delivery take a stand for the first time after almost a decade of successful operation, and they are celebrating their appearance with an exclusive competition.

    Attendees to the show are invited to enter Compass Yacht Delivery competition, in which one lucky winner will be able to take advantage of eminent skipper Sven’ wealth of knowledge with a full day of yacht instruction.

    Sven has racked up an impressive 200,000 nautical miles including 18 trans-Atlantic crossings, and his extensive experience makes a one-of-a kind opportunity for boat lovers to take instruction from a real yacht master of the sea.

    Sven said, “We are thrilled to be exhibiting at the Singapore Yacht Show for the first time. We’ll be on hand to offer advice on yacht delivery, maintenance, consultation and of course where the best places are for your next yacht holiday.”

    Experts in all things yacht and boat, Compass Yacht Delivery have expanded from international yacht delivery to a service providing world-class skipper and crew hire to a soft landing packages that takes the stress out of buying and setting out on a boat. Ever-focused on exceedingly high standards of customer service and professionalism, the Singapore Yacht Show is the perfect opportunity to see how the exacting and experienced Compass Yacht Delivery team can take yachting to the next level.

    Compass Yacht Delivery will be appearing at the Singapore Yacht Show from 12-15 April at the Sentosa Cove.

    To find out more visit www.compassyachtdelivery.com

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  • President Jokowi opens Sail Karimata 2016 main event

    President Jokowi opens Sail Karimata 2016 main event

    President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Saturday opened the main event of Sail Karimata 2016 which took place at Pulau Datuk beach in Sukadana, North Kayong District, West Kalimantan.

    “I want to remind that 71 percent of Indonesian territory is made up of sea water which serves not only for our feature but also to hold more than 17 thousand islands in our country. In addition, the sea does not separate us but unites us together,” President Jokowi remarked in his opening address.

    In the company of among others Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Panjaitan as the chairman of Sail Karimata national committee, Tourism Minister Arif Yahya, and West Kalimantan Governor Cornelis, the head of state opened the Sail Karimata main event by pressing a siren.

    On the occation, Jokowi conveyed a sense of joy and gratitude to friendly countries, participating in such an international maritime event which is organized every year.

    “This international maritime event should not be stopped or restricted with a mere ceremony, but I want it to continue to be organized to properly keep our marine resources and to return our maritime culture,” Jokowi said.

    He mentioned that the ocean must be protected from illegal fishing and pollution because it is the driver of national economy.

    “We are currently developing our marine tourism such as that of Bunaken Marine Park, Tomini Bay, Karimata Strait, Raja Ampat, and many more. We are building marine tourism supporting infrastructure and facilities with intensive promotion to introduce beautiful places in Indonesia worldwide,” the president noted.

    In the meantime, Maritime Affairs Minister Panjaitan explained that eight provinces in Indonesia took part in the Sail Karimata international maritime event 2016.

    “It aims to encourage and accelerate the development of disadvantaged areas. We will evaluate and try to make it a sustainable program,” Panjaitan said.

    The maritime affairs minister added that to encourage the tourism sector, numerous supporting infrastructure and facilities such as public toilets have been built.

    “In addition, some 200 units of houses have been built for fishermen, and we will continue to follow it up,” the minister said, adding that Sail Karimata 2016 is also participated in by 36 participants from foreign countries and most of them are from the United States.

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  • 24 boats partcipating in Sail Indonesia arrive in Alor

    24 boats partcipating in Sail Indonesia arrive in Alor

    Twenty four boats of Sail Indonesia participants arrived in Alor, East Nusa Tenggara on Thursday afternoon, and will travel to a number of destinations in Alor District.

    “The Board of Alor District government and the community welcomed the Sail Indonesia participants today,” Secretary of the Department of Tourism and Creative Economy of Alor District, Adifa Yunus, told Antara before the opening of the 10th Alor Expo in Kalabahi on Tuesday.

    He said tens of participants from various countries will attend the 10th Alor Expo and undertake some cultural tourism Alor District for several days.

    “Sail Indonesia participants, who will be in Alor till August 13, will visit various tourist destinations which have natural beauty and a rich culture. They will also see some marine tourism in Pantar Strait,” he added.

    Rosemarie from Berlin, Germany, one of the participants who has been following Sail Indonesia from Darwin, Australia, observed that it was her first visit and she was deeply fascinated with the nature and culture of Alor.

    “I came for the first time with my husband on a Salmon boat from Kupang. Now I have arrived in Alor to follow the Alor Expo,” she told Antara before the opening of the 10th Alor Expo.

    During her stay in Alor, Rosemarie with her husband and other colleagues participating in the sailing event, will visit various tourist destinations in Alor and will especially try snorkeling in the Pantar Strait.

    “I have been hearing a lot from the people and the media about the underwater natural beauty of Alor and wanted to undertake snorkeling before heading off to any other place,” she informed.

    Rosemarie gushed that she was amazed with the local culture, and termed it a unique and exotic wealth.

    “This is a valuable opportunity I have got in life. Ever since I first came to Alor, I have witnessed firsthand the cultural and natural wealth that a traveler can find here,” she remarked.

    After a visit to various tourist destinations in Alor, she proceeded to Labuan Bajo, as did her other colleagues in the Sail Indonesia, to see the unique species of Komodo, called one of the wonders of the world.

    Sail Indonesia participants aboard 42 boats are currently visiting various tourist destinations in East Nusa Tenggara after they moved out of the city of Kupang. While 24 participant sail boats came to Alor, other participants are visiting various tourist destinations such as Labuan Bajo Flores, Wini in Pulau Timor and Sumba.

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