REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron will participate in Wonderful Sail 2 Indonesia Rally and Sail Karimata 2016.
"The nature is beautiful, the people are friendly and, more important, Indonesia is free from typhoons," Commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Andy Anderson was quoted as saying by the Indonesian tourism ministry, here on Friday.
The tourism ministry held a promotion on June 21 in Auckland, New Zealand, for the Wonderful Sail 2 Indonesia Rally. It is scheduled to be held from July 21 to October 24, 2016, and the peak event of Sail Karimata in West Kalimantan is set for October 6 to 9.
Established in 1859, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron is the largest yacht community in that country, with some 25,000 members.
Andy Anderson has recommended that all members in several countries sail to Indonesia.
Nathan Mitchell, one of its members, said he would sail to Indonesia because he wanted to visit the forests to see wildlife.
Additionally, Raymond Lesmana of the tourism ministry said some 15,000 tourists, including five thousand foreigners, are expected to join Sail Karimata, which will be held to explore four provinces, namely Jambi, Bangka Belitung, Riau Islands, and West Kalimantan.
During the upcoming three-month Wonderful Sail 2 Indonesia Rally, participating yachts will sail to exotic destinations from the country's eastern-most far western regions.
On July 21-25, yachts will depart from Tual to Banda Naira, and on August 2-5 from Namrole, Buru Isle. They will proceed to sail to Wanci in Wakatobi (Southeast Sulawesi), to Lowoleba in Lembata, Adonara Isle, and to Maumere, Maurole, and Ruing, as well as Labuan Bajo on Flores Island, concluding on September 3.
The sailing then continues to Medana Bay in Lombok and Lovina Beach in Bali, finishing this leg on September 21.
The yachts are expected to reach Karimun Jawa on September 23-26, to Kumai (Central Kalimantan) and Ketapang (West Kalimantan) on October 2-5, 2016, and to Sukadana (West Kalimantan) to be present for the peak event of Sail Karimata from October 6-9.
They will later proceed to Sumatra and make stopovers in Belitung on October 11-14, Penuba and Benan in Lingga District from October 16-22, and finally end in Tanjung Pinang (Riau Islands) from October 24-28.
The Indonesian government will issue foreign participants with social culture visas for 60 days, which can be extended four times for 30 day periods.