Top 5 Best of 2018

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Last Updated on October 1, 2022 by Amy

This was our fourth calendar year (wow!) living full time aboard Starry Horizons and sailing around the world. We are so lucky to have such amazing adventures. While 2018 was fun, it was a more challenging year than we’ve ever had before.

Read the best of 2017.

Despite its challenges, the social aspect of our cruising this year was amazing. We met so many people in Australia who follow our adventures and made us feel welcome in their country. Then we joined the Wonderful Sail 2 Indonesia Rally, and while we have reservations about the rally itself, we made some amazing friendships that have continued throughout the rest of the year.

Australia

January 1st – July 21st
2,000 nm

Sailing Australia to Indonesia

July 21st – July 25th
705 NM

Indonesia

July 25th – Nov 7th
2,314 NM

Singapore

Nov 7th – Nov 13th

Malaysia

Nov 13th – Dec 7th
533 NM

Thailand

Dec 7th – Dec 31st
205 NM

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Red Centre

While on our 6-week adventure driving and flying around Australia we stopped at the Red Centre and spent 5 nights there. We rented a car and drove from Uluru to Alice Springs, and had dinner under the stars, watched the sun rise onto Uluru, and hiked Kings Canyon.

Whitsundays

We had a rare spell of flat calm conditions to spend in the Whitsunday island group. Our favorite stop was Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island for the beach and the hike, but we also enjoyed diving in Butterfly Bay and watching the sunset on Hamilton Island.

Komodo National Park, Indonesia

Sure, we didn’t love Indonesia, especially as a cruising ground, but Komodo National Park has been one of our favorite places ever. The water is super clear, although trash is a big problem. Manta rays are abundant and who can resist visiting the endemic Komodo dragon? Plus, we got to share it with our friend Sarah while also catching up and diving with our friends on Field Trip.

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BEST SNORKEL EVER!! While checking out the Komodo National Park area of Indonesia we saw an amazing amount of coral and very clear water, but our highlight by far was on Gili Banta Island. For forty minutes this big manta ray swam with us in very shallow water, gliding around and circling near to say hello. Mantas are by far my favorite marine animal. We’ve had a few amazing experiences in our past four years of sailing, but never this up close and personal. #wonderfulindonesia #indonesia #mantaray #snorkeling #gilibanta #cruisinglife #sailingaroundtheworld

A post shared by David & Amy (@outchasingstars) on Sep 16, 2018 at 5:29pm PDT

Orangutans at Tanjung Pinang National Park, Indonesia

We don’t sleep overnight away from Starry Horizons often. But we booked a two-night river cruise in Kalimantan, Indonesia – the Indonesian side of Borneo. This is the best place to see orangutans in the wild and is where Dr. Galdikas studied orangutans in their wild habitat. Not only did we see so many orangutans, but we also saw gibbons, proboscis monkeys, and a very rare cat!

A male orangutan at one of the feeding stations.

Singapore

I had been to Singapore before, but David had never been. We docked at One15 Marina for six nights and spent three awesome days in Singapore. I knew this would be a favorite city for us, and Singapore has only improved since my visit as a teenager. It’s beautiful, clean, and has a great culture, with, of course, fantastic food.

Two of the highlights of Singapore: the Gardens by the Bay and the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

2019 Plans

For 2019 we will be crossing the Indian Ocean, stopping at exotic places such as the Maldives, Chagos, and Seychelles. We can’t wait to share it with you!

Thanks for making 2018 a fun year!