Natalie Paris sails the islands where ancient reptiles rule.
Indonesia's vast archipelago has lured adventurers with tales of stormy straits, desert islands and man-eating dragons. European trading ships sailed here in the 16th century in search of treasures. These days the Spice Islands, now known as Maluku, have fallen off the charts of the average seafarer but, further south, legends of dragons live on. Here lie remote islands perfect for modern voyages of discovery.


A latter-day explorer, Dirk Bergsma, got his first taste of the country in the 1970s when he caught a lift on a wooden schooner used by locals. The journey inspired him to start a tour company, Sea Trek, which organizes intrepid but relaxed cruises along the old spice routes.

Nearly two decades after Bergsma bought his first schooner, I am joining 14 other passengers on an adventure of our own. We have gin and tonics, sun lounges and a wonderful crew who rinse our walking boots for us but we still feel like adventurers.

The double-masted Katharina sails all over the eastern archipelago, including to Maluku, but our voyage is the most accessible that she offers - a 10-day trip east from Bali to the island of Flores and back. This popular itinerary allows us to make various stops within the Komodo National Park, a divers' haven with sharks and manta rays below the surface and, above, the island homes of the Komodo dragon.

While not exactly fire-breathing, these large monitor lizards have an acute sense of smell, large claws and a toxic bite. Although they eat mainly carrion, they prey on deer and water buffalo and killed a man as recently as last year.
An encounter with the lizards is certainly the most obvious reason to explore this scattering of volcanic islands but there are plenty of others.

In the days before we search for dragons, the boat stops at Flores (''Flowers''), an island named by the Portuguese that has smoking cones, fertile flanks and forested ridges studded with the tin roofs of villages glinting in the sun.
We have come inland to see the dramatic crater lakes at the top of Mount Kelimutu, which change colour depending on mineral levels.

At sunrise, two lakes that are brilliant turquoise are the first to be bathed in light. These are the two that welcome the spirits of the good and the young and the sun gives them a pink halo. A chill remains at the third, on the other face of the mountain, supposedly the resting place of evil spirits. This lake is as black as an inkwell and, while it is shrouded in shadows, an air of foreboding is almost tangible.
That feeling returns a few days later on the boat, as we check our zoom lenses and prepare to set foot on Rinca Island, dragon territory. Rinca and neighbouring Komodo, where the dragons also live, have a more arid landscape than Flores. Shoes or flip-flops, I wonder?

Apparently the dragons can launch themselves into a sprint as quickly as a small dog. Shoes it is, then. I have just started to weigh up whether it will be safer to stride out with the ranger or stay close to the others when the first group of dragons appears.

Six or seven lie under a ranger's hut, the occasional yellow forked tongue sliding from square jaws. They are just as big as I had imagined. Shutters whirr and we edge nearer. ''Careful,'' one of the rangers says. ''Not too close.''

For a minute the dragons seem docile. But then something disturbs them. In a flash they rise up on haunches encased in folds of scales and dart forward at speed, their thick bodies switching from side to side. Deep inside, an impulse screams ''run''. I flinch and the ranger laughs. ''Don't worry,'' he says, waving a stick as if idly flapping at a mosquito. ''Their noses are really sensitive; they will run away.'' We have no choice but to believe him and follow him into the woods.

These stocky predators are the largest lizards on Earth and are a protected species. There are only about 4000 living in the wild, all on this cluster of islands.

It is a pleasure to return to the blissfully relaxing routine on board Katharina. Soon I am sitting with my legs over her bow, sea salt in my hair and the waves slapping at my bare soles.
On board are seven airconditioned, amply appointed cabins. We have communal dinners with wine at a large, deck-top dining table and there are sun lounges for optional massages against the backdrop of sublime sunsets. The small lounge and bar downstairs is the perfect nook for nightcaps.
Each day starts with some sailing, typically past pods of dolphins and lackadaisical turtles. Then, as we travel slowly back to Bali, we drop anchor to visit island communities on Flores, Sumbawa and Lombok. Some demonstrate how to weave ikat cloth, others how to master the steps of traditional dances.
Sumptuous lunches are served on board before afternoons spent exploring pristine beaches such as the pink sand at Gili Banta, turquoise bays around Riung and snorkelling at Gili Lawa.
As we approach the glittering lights of Bali's coastline, I feel every bit the returning explorer, with a successful voyage and an encounter with fearsome reptiles under my belt.

Garuda has a low-season fare to Bali for about $850 from Melbourne and Sydney, including taxes. Sea Trek has 10-day schooner itineraries from $US2700 ($3080); see anasia-cruise.com. Explore has a 14-day Volcanoes and Dragons Schooner Adventure that costs $3249 a person, including four nights' accommodation in Bali and nine nights on board; see www.explore.co.uk.
- Telegraph, London