Total Solar Eclipse Expedition - March 2016, Indonesia
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Total Solar Eclipse Expedition
March 2016, Indonesia
A total eclipse of the sun
is one of the natural world’s greatest The path of the eclipse shadow on this
spectacles. It is an event which defies occasion crosses the vast area of
description and even the best Indonesia, offering an interesting mix of
photography can only offer a hint of unusual and exotic destinations together
with promising weather prospects and an
the eclipse experience.
eclipse of good duration.
You need to be there! All of the land crossed by the eclipse is in
Indonesia, although with over 13,000 islands and
Selecting an observing site for an eclipse many hundreds of different cultural and ethnic
requires weighing up a balance of groups, this country offers unsurpassed diversity.
probabilities. Weather is crucial - there are
We have selected three sites for this project, the
never any guarantees but it is possible to island of Ternate in the remote Moluccas region,
load the odds in your favour, with the small town of Palu in mystical Sulawesi and
consideration of both the regional norm the island of Belitung, a place with some of the
and also the local micro-climates. Logistics world’s most beautiful beaches.
is next, can you get to your chosen place
safely and in good time and is there During your visit to Indonesia you can include
many other unique locations—the dramatic
reasonable accommodation? Add to that
volcanic landscape of Mount Bromo, the rich
the prospect of visiting other interesting
cultural heritage of Bali and Borobdur, the
places along the way and the programme
dragons of Komodo, the unspoilt beaches of
develops. Belitung or the dream resort islands off Manado.
The Eclipse Track This is the path the shadow of the moon will follow as it crosses the Earth’s surface. The shadow first touches the Earth in the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra, runs across Indonesia and the Pacific Ocean and finally leaves north of the Hawaiian Islands. The blue line on the map is the centreline of the track and the track width varies from about 95km to 155km. The maximum duration of the total phase of the eclipse will be just over four minutes in mid-Pacific and about one and a half minutes at either end of the track. As you move away from the centreline the duration will also reduce, but this is an exponential decay so short distances from the centreline are less significant. The Track over Indonesia Belitung—maximum duration of totality app 2 min 12 secs. Palu—maximum duration of totality app 2 min 50 secs. Ternate—maximum duration of totality app. 2 min 44 secs. Tidore—maximum duration of totality app. 3 min 05 secs.
Sulawesi and Manado
The Maluku Islands The Mulucas
East of Borneo and north of Java, these Palu
remote islands were known in earlier
times as the Celebes and the Mullucas
Islands. The Mullucas were the original
Spice Islands where rare spices such as
nutmeg, mace and cloves could be found.
The classic Phinisi Schooners which date
from those early days still ply their trade
Makassar
from the ancient port of Makassar in the
south of Sulawesi and the “longboat”
houses of the dominant Burgis people are
a reminder of their dynamic seafaring
tradition. On these islands you will find a
complex mix of differing cultures and
traditions. The stone graves in the cliffs,
for instance, are a unique practice of the
Tana Toraja people and the many villages
all have their own colourful rituals and
traditions.
Apart from Manado, tourists are still a
rarity on the islands and it is easy to step
away from the present visualise the
places as they were over half a century
ago. 16th Century
map of the
Spice Islands
Manado
The city of Manado, capital of North Sulawesi Province will be the start point for both the Sulawesi and Mulucas
projects. The facilities at our Manado base hotel will allow an extensive presentation and briefing on the upcoming
eclipse and other interesting features in the
southern night sky.
Manado’s main attraction for visitors is the fabulous
bay, surrounding the volcanic island of Manado
Tua. The warm, clear waters of the bay are a
paradise for snorkelling and scuba diving with some
of the worlds best coral reefs and myriads of exotic
coloured fish and marine life.
Manado has now developed beyond a dive resort
and can offer a range of idyllic small hotels with
very high standards of service and facilities. You
will be able to extend you stay either before or after
the eclipse trip and take in some serious relaxation
in the area.
The Eclipse from Palu
Our site on Sulawesi will be in a valley south of the small town of Palu.
The hills on the eastern side of the valley form a barrier to the prevailing
wind and reducing any cloudiness it may bring. A local micro-climate like
this is always a good feature!
This programme will start in Manado, the main hub of North Sulawesi
and the base for our eclipse seminars before setting off for the
observation sites.
Core Itinerary
5th March 2016
Day 1 Depart from London (or your home city).
Day 2 Arrive Manado, transfer to your hotel.
Day 3 Morning at leisure, afternoon and evening eclipse seminar and briefing.
Day 4 A short flight to Palu, transfer for two nights hotel accommodation in the
town.
Day 5 Eclipse Day—an early start to travel south to a point close to the eclipse
centreline.
Day 6 Explore the Palu area.
Day 7 Fly to Makassar in South Sulawesi.
Day 8 A short flight to Torajaland this morning, continue with a tour of this
remarkable region.
Day 9 Full day tour returning to Makassar overland.
Day 10 Join your return flight.
Day 11 Home landing.
Tour Cost £2,174
Price is per person in twin room, single room supplement £395 Tour Extensions
Price includes return flights from London, airport transfers, all hotel accommodation, You can extend your holiday to Indone-
breakfast and dinner throughout, all local tours as indicated.
sia, by adding an extension shown on the
Excursion
Tour Extensions page.
On Day 3 there is an option of a half day excursion to the beach on Bunakan
Reef for diving or snorkelling (additional cost).
The Eclipse from Ternate
and Tidore
Around 180 miles east of Manado, the remote islands of
Ternate and Tidore offer very good weather prospects and
Tidore has the longest duration of any reasonably practical land
observation base.
Ternate is the capital of North Muluku Province so it is the
gateway to the region. We fly in from Manado and base
ourselves at a hotel in Ternate. The eclipse can be observed
from Ternate, but for the more adventurous a 30 minute
speedboat trip south to the island of Tidore will offer a
potential increase in the eclipse duration to over three minutes.
Core Itinerary
Departs 5th March 2016
Day 1 Depart from London (or your home city).
Day 2 Arrive Manado, transfer to your hotel.
Day 3 Morning at leisure, afternoon and evening eclipse seminar and
briefing.
Day 4 A flight to Palu, transfer for two nights hotel accommodation
on the island.
Day 5 Eclipse Day—an early start to travel to the port and join your
speedboat for the trip across to Tidore. On Tidore we use
chartered local buses to take us to the observation site on the
south of the island.
Day 6 Return flight to Manado for overnight hotel accommodation.
Day 7 Join your return flight (or add an extension to your
programme).
Day 8 Arrive back in London (or your home city).
Tour Cost £1,769
Price is per person in twin room, single room supplement £295
Price includes return flights from London, airport transfers, all hotel
accommodation, breakfast and dinner throughout, all local tours as indicated.
Excursion
On Day 3 there is an option of a half day excursion to a beach on
Bunakan Reef for diving or snorkelling (extra cost).
Tour Extensions
You can extend your holiday to Indonesia, by adding an extension
shown on the Tour Extensions page.
Grand Indonesia
This option combines various parts of our eclipse programme into a complete
itinerary to offer a unique inclusive tour of the highlights of this extraordinary
country.
Day 1 Depart from London (or your home city).
Day 2 Arrive Manado, transfer to your small beachside resort hotel.
Day 3 At leisure to enjoy the snorkelling or diving or just soak up the sun.
Day 4 A full day visit to Tangkoko Rain Forest Reserve and transfer to our conference hotel in
Manado for the next two nights.
Day 5 Morning at leisure, afternoon and evening eclipse seminar and briefing.
Day 6 A flight to Ternate, transfer for two nights hotel accommodation on the island.
Day 7 Eclipse Day—an early start to travel to the port and join your speedboat for the trip across to
Tidore. On Tidore we have chartered local buses to take us to the observation site on the
south of the island.
Day 8 Return flight to Manado for overnight hotel accommodation.
Day 9 Fly from Manado to Makassar, the old port town in South Sulawesi.
Day 10 A short flight to Torajaland this morning, continue with a tour of this remarkable region.
Day 11 Full day tour returning to Makassar overland.
Day 12 Fly to Yogyakarta in Central Java.
Day 13 Full day tour, including the 9th century Hindu sites of Borobudur and Prambanan
Day 14 Overland tour through East Java to Mount Bromo
Day 15 Sunrise visit to the spectacular volcanic valley overlooking Mount Bromo, afternoon continue
to Surabaya.
Day 16 Short flight from Surabaya to Bali, overnight on Bali.
Day 17 Fly from Bali to Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores
Day 18 Full day visit to Komodo by Phinisi boat.
Day 19 Return flight to Bali for two nights at a beachside hotel.
Day 20 At leisure on Bali.
Day 21 Join your return flight.
Day 22 Return to London (or you home airport).
Tour Cost £4,095
Price is per person in twin room, single room supplement £895
Price includes return flights from London, airport transfers, all hotel accommodation, breakfast and dinner
throughout, all local tours as indicated.
Manado
Ternate
Torajaland
Makassar
Yogyakarta
Bali Komodo
Mount Bromo
Belitung
Belitung is one of the increasingly rare places which
have an unbelievable wealth of features that have
drawn tourists to other parts of the world, but this
island has somehow been overlooked. The beaches are
world class, with white sand, blue water and
undamaged coral directly off the beach. There are
uninhabited small islands which can easily be reached
on the colourful fishing craft. Inland you can take a trip
to a waterfall and bathing pool or just explore the mix of
cultures in the small villages. There are no large resorts
(yet) but tourist services are willing if rather low key.
We reach the island from Jakarta or there are direct
through connections from Singapore if you want to
sample a megacity on your way.
The Eclipse from Belitung
Belitung — Core Itinerary
Departs 5th March 2016
Day 1 Depart from London (or your home city).
Day 2 Arrive Jakarta, transfer to your hotel.
Day 3 Fly to Belitung and transfer to your hotel for three
nights accommodation.
Day 4 At leisure on Belitung, eclipse briefing in your hotel
this evening.
Day 5 Eclipse Day. You can relax and enjoy the eclipse
directly from your, or we will have a charter coach available
in case the weather makes it necessary to move to ensure a
clear view.
Day 6 Return flight to Jakarta for overnight hotel
accommodation.
Day 7 Join your return flight (or add an extension to your
programme).
Day 8 Arrive back in London (or your home city).
Tour Cost £1,310
Price is per person in twin room, single room supplement £195
Price includes return flights from London, airport transfers, all hotel
accommodation, breakfast and dinner throughout, all local tours as
Tour Extensions
indicated.
You can extend your holiday to Indonesia, by adding
an extension shown on the Tour Extensions page.
Tour Extensions
Manado
You can extend your holiday in Manado by travelling out before the main programme. We offer a choice of 3 or 5 day
extensions at 3 alternative hotels. These extensions all include airport transfers, a tour of the Tangkoko Rain Forrest and full
board accommodation. Diving and snorkelling programmes are available at all these locations. You will transfer to our
conference hotel and join the main party at the start of the Core programme.
Gangga Island Resort Siladen Resort Thalassa Dive Resort
Tana Toraja Borobudur Bali
and Mount Bromo
The original
“island of the
gods”, Bali is
now many
things to many
people but our
preference is to
A 4 day extension to add on after your A 5 day extension after your main avoid the tourist
main itinerary, visiting south and central core itinerary, flying to Yogyakarta in hotspots and
Sulawesi including the ancient port of Central Java and including a full day enjoy a more
Makassar and Torajaland. tour of the 9th century Hindu sites original
of Borobudur and Prambanan. experience. We
Continue overland tour through East have a pre-
Java for a sunrise visit to the arranged 5 day
spectacular volcanic valley package, flying
overlooking Mount Bromo and on to on to Bali after your main itinerary or we
Surabaya. can fix any duration you wish.
Bali and Komodo
A 5 day extension which includes a
flight to Bali and an onward to the
island of Flores, with a voyage on a
Phinisi boat to visit the dragons of
Komodo. Return to Bali for a couple of Grand Indonesia
nights before your homeward flight. The programme on Page 6 has an itinerary which includes all the extensions
shown here, with an overview of how they can connect together.
www.astro-trails.com +44 (0) 1276 21709
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