Not surprisingly, as the co-founder of the adventure-travel company Pelorus, Jimmy Carroll gets fidgety sitting on a beach all day. His wife Thea shares his love of diving, literally and figuratively, into new destinations and experiences. Therefore, when the newlyweds were planning their recent honeymoon, they headed off the beaten track. Here, reprinted with permission, Carroll shares why he enjoyed creating his yachting honeymoon in Indonesia aboard Dunia Baru, plus why it was the perfect part of a multi-nation and multi-adventure celebration.
KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR A YACHTING HONEYMOON
Traditionally, a honeymoon immediately follows the wedding, and something we strive not to do at Pelorus is further exhaust our clients. A safari, for example, invariably involves embarking on the usual daily 5 a.m. starts before first light. We believe it is better to do the rest and relaxation first, followed by activities second. We, however, married on July 7 and honeymooned several months later in February. Therefore, we were keen to throw ourselves straight into adventure. With that in consideration, we looked into adventure-rich destinations we hadn’t yet explored. We certainly had to have a combination of Africa and being on the water; watersports but with other adventures like climbing in the jungle, for example, so that we were not purely on a yacht.
WHY DUNIA BARU
A chance to spend time on the beautiful sailing yacht Dunia Baru (above and top) was an opportunity too good to be missed. This was the biggest draw to Raja Ampat alongside everything that comes with a yacht expedition. The idea of waking up each morning in an altogether new destination, onboard a time-honored vessel authentic to these Indonesian waters appealed greatly. A culturally fascinating area, surrounded by the Spice Islands and home to 75 percent of the world’s coral and fish species, Raja Ampat is one of those special corners of the world, unknown to many. Interestingly, the history of this yacht is inextricably linked to the surroundings. Carpenters who built the boat then went to the islands to build tribal chief houses and other elements.
Our mornings started with a hike before breakfast exploring the island of which we were anchored off, followed by a swim over the equator line. We made the most of this tropical diving hotspot, discovering the region’s vast array of aquatic life and diving with blacktip sharks, mantra rays, and turtles. A more relaxing excursion involved paddleboarding through caves brimming with fruit bats, before floating into a peaceful lagoon. Our days entailed plenty of pampering from our onboard masseuse and a personal chef who would indulge every craving with deliciously whipped-up local delicacies. We would find ourselves enjoying drinks whilst the sun dipped below the horizon, before delighting in a beautifully prepared dinner, set up on a secluded beach.
PLANNING THE PERFECT YACHTING HONEYMOON
I planned moments both with and without Thea, so there were elements of surprise. Something which we at Pelorus believe to make a honeymoon truly memorable and personal.
More and more couples are finding they both have elements they would like to involve into their honeymoon. We push for our clients to also have separate discussions with us. From learning enough about them, we can curate special moments and add an element of surprise to both parties. What sets Pelorus apart is the attention to detail; listening to the clients and most importantly, personalization.
For example, a previous client, who I had the pleasure of meeting at a Pelorus event and went on to organize his honeymoon, briefly mentioned his love for oysters. We were able to perfectly tie this into a special evening in a beautiful location during their honeymoon. It is these special details that we pick up on, and it is these magical moments which we believe make for a lasting memory.
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