Their natural defences made Run and Ai difficult to conquer: a ring of coral reef. Today, that coral is a scuba diver’s dream. Schools of brilliantly coloured fish swirl around columns of coral at the Bati Kapal dive site, carpeted with vivid anemones. Moray eels peek out of their burrows, sea turtles glide past, a reef shark darts out of view. At the foot of Gunung Api, a charredunderwater landscape, new reefs are shooting to life.

These underwater kingdoms are home to 397 species of coral and 683 species of fish. Unesco has dubbed it the ‘Amazon of the Sea’ and placed the Banda Islands on the tentative inclusion list as a World Heritage site. Another reason for its inclusion are the area’s unique cultural traits – like the long, narrow kora kora boats.

On our final morning, we see them for ourselves as we’re honoured with a traditional farewell – derived from a more warlike practice of chasing early invaders out. Around 50 men climb into a red and yellow kora kora (each village has its own colours) to escort us out of the harbour. It’s serene and ceremonious to start – until a war cry calls out, then the race is on. Even when we power to 10 knots they’re keeping pace, shrill battle cries carrying over the breeze. As the harbour gives way to the open ocean, they retreat and bid us goodbye. We have another 18 hours ahead on the return journey, but this time I wish it were longer.

The inaccessibility of the Banda Islands is a blessing in disguise. Getting there feels like a real adventure and it’s virtually untouched by mass tourism, which can’t be said for Indonesian hotspots like the Komodo and Raja Ampat islands. (The government has announced that Komodo National Park – the natural habitat of the endangered komodo dragon – will close for a year in 2020 for exactly this reason.) But on the Banda Islands, such 21st century problems cease to exist. In fact, the 21st century (Tripadvisor notwithstanding) seems to slip away altogether, leaving you to savour the timeless pleasures of peace, quiet – and spice-rich local delights.

Smooth sailing

Rascal Voyages offers charter experiences around the thousands of islands in the Indonesian archipelago, from first-hand encounters with Komodo dragons to explorations of the stunning national parks of the Flores Sea and Raja Ampat.

The 30-metre ironwood and teak phinisi is more like a floating boutique hotel than a typical liveaboard, with five luxurious cabins, full catering facilities and a service ratio of at least one staff member per guest, including Padi-certified scuba diving instructors.

Rascal Voyages has also partnered with Conservation International to arrange off-grid expeditions that seek to facilitate scientific breakthroughs and further the understanding of marine biodiversity – recent itineraries have included a survey of the far-flung Mapia Atoll to study marine life including sea turtles and manta rays.

To illustrate this feature, we partnered with the Savannah College of Art and Design Hong Kong. Students were asked to use their talents to bring the story to life as part of their coursework, and the following designers’ illustrations were chosen: Kaylee Chan, Gabriella Teresa, Jonathan Li, Helen Wong, DD Yung, Julia Marinelli, Jo Hannah Amancio, Dilara Polat, Jakob Potter, Jericho Bernado, Reana Bachilla, Olivia Shin and Minkyung Kim.