A luxury phinisi is Indonesia’s most iconic vessel — a traditional two-masted sailing ship hand-built in ironwood and teak by master shipbuilders of South Sulawesi, rebuilt for modern luxury with private en-suite cabins, gourmet dining, and full crew including private chef.
The phinisi is the proudest survival of Indonesia’s wooden-shipbuilding heritage — a vessel form perfected by the Bugis and Makassar masters of South Sulawesi over centuries. The shipyards of Tana Beru and Bira still launch new phinisi the old way: keels laid in ironwood, hulls planked in teak by hand, no formal blueprints, only generations of carpenter’s memory.
Modern luxury phinisi keep all of that, then add what travellers expect today — air-conditioned cabins, private en-suite bathrooms, stabilised hulls, gourmet kitchens, panoramic saloons, sun decks, and dive platforms.
Couples and honeymooners who want the romance of sailing aboard a hand-built wooden ship; families who appreciate the spacious deck layouts; small groups of friends celebrating milestones; photographers who want golden-hour shots from the rigging; and slow travellers who don’t mind that the phinisi cruises at 8 knots rather than 18 — because the journey is half the point.
The phinisi is slower (8–10 knots vs 15–20 for a motor yacht), the deck layout is more open, and the aesthetic is "tropical wooden ship" rather than "ocean-going hotel." For travellers prioritising speed, stabilisation, and modern luxury, a motor yacht is the better fit. For travellers who want soul, story, and the romance of traditional sail, the phinisi is unmatched.
65m flagship phinisi, 7 suites, 14 guests, private chef and full spa team. The most-photographed luxury phinisi in Indonesia.
55m phinisi by Spain’s Atzaró group, 9 suites, 18 guests, world-class chef-led dining.
51m owner-operated phinisi, 7 cabins, 14 guests, exquisite ironwood and teak finishes.
The Aman Resorts phinisi — 52m, 5 suites, 10 guests, gold-standard service.
38m new-generation phinisi, 6 cabins, 12 guests, modern open-plan layout.
30m boutique phinisi, 5 cabins, 10 guests — ideal first phinisi charter at an accessible price.
Per-boat pricing — boutique phinisi from USD 2,875/night, mid-tier USD 4,500–9,000/night, flagship vessels USD 20,000–27,000/night. Per-person cost falls quickly with larger groups.
Yes — most carry full rigs and raise sail on transit legs when wind allows. They also carry powerful auxiliary engines (Komodo’s schedule rarely permits pure sailing).
Typical luxury phinisi crew ratio is 1:1 (one crew per guest), rising to 1.5:1 on flagship vessels — captain, first mate, chef, sous-chef, deckhands, stewards, dive guide.
Yes, on every luxury phinisi we operate. Many also have private balconies, en-suite bathrooms with rain showers, and king-size beds.
