Missy Johnston, Northrop and Johnson Worldwide Yacht Charters

I love the 167-foot traditional Indonesian Phinisi sailing yacht Silolona, which offers charters in Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Andaman Islands. With 17 crew who are all native Indonesians, the service onboard is top-notch and adds greatly to the cultural experience when cruising in these lovely waters. Imagine setting sail with crew climbing the rigging dressed in the native sarongs of their villages, trekking ashore to see the infamous Komodo Dragons, watching local village women weaving and dying Ikat textiles on small hand looms, visiting the Moken Sea Gypsies in Myanmar, or scuba diving in the islands in the Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar with the yacht’s onboard dive instructor. This is not so much a charter as a spectacular adventure with five-star service.

Another great option is the 86-foot powercatamaran Bel’Mare in Fiji. Great snorkeling and scuba diving are everywhere this “soft coral capital of the world,” with crystal clear waters, lovely beaches, and island traditions that have been passed down for centuries. Bel’Mare is a truly Fijian charter yacht, not only permanently based in Fiji, but with predominantly Fijian crew who offer outstanding service and a glimpse into local village life. Until the late 1880s, these islands were home to cannibals. Missionaries converted all of the villagers from cannibalism, and while the people are now gentle and peaceful, many village traditions remain. Visiting an island requires a ceremony, after which important visitors—like you!—are treated to a dancing celebration. The head steward on Bel’Mare is the son of a village chief, and all of the crew are well-versed in the traditions and ceremonies. They also speak Fijian, so not only is a charter on Bel’Mare a cruise through an outstanding charter location, but it is also a chance to experience firsthand the local traditions, including gathering around the Kava bowl like a native. 

Sandy Carney, Nicholson Yachts

I recently worked with a client aboard a large motoryacht to arrange an itinerary from Malta to. While these islands are of course located in the Western Mediterranean, which is very popular for charter, they are far off the beaten course from where charter yachts typically travel in this region. My clients absolutely loved it.

They arrived in Malta and toured the oldest temples in the world, attended a Mass service at Siracusa, toured the stunning mosaics at the Piazza Armerina in Catania, climbed to the crater of an inactive volcano in the Aeolian Islands, cruised to Stromboli for a helicopter flight to watch it erupt, and much, much more. The experiences are about as far from the traditional West Med charter itinerary as a person can get, and the reviews from my clients were simply outstanding.

Liz Howard, Fraser Yachts Worldwide

A few of my favorites are the 158-foot motoryacht Hanse Explorer and the 147-foot expedition motoryacht Big Fish. I have organized several extremely successful charters in Antarctica aboard Hanse Explorer, and Big Fish—which is a brand-new launch—is going to be in the same location from December 2010 through February 2011. All of my clients who chartered in Antarctica have come back saying it was the most memorable experience they have ever had. We even once went so far as to organize a camping trip on an iceberg, so they actually traveled a couple of miles as they slept. Very cool!

Being that many of my clients are from the West Coast of the United States, I often organize charters in the South Pacific, which is another great off-the-beaten-course region for yacht charter.  It is actually easier and quicker for charter clients from the U.S. West Coast to get to the South Pacific than to the Caribbean or Mediterranean, with Tahiti a little more than an eight-hour flight and Fiji an 11-hour flight from Los Angeles.

In the South Pacific, one of my first choices among charter yachts is the 112-foot Alloy motoryacht VvS1. Captain Andy Grocott is absolutely fantastic, and the entire crew is just awesome. The yacht runs an exceptional luxury charter program in a gorgeous, remote part of the world.