As part of ANW's want to enhance understanding and appreciation of naturism we are sharing a selection of articles and interviews with ANW members exploring naturism around the world. ANW believes in safeguarding naturism with a genuine, healthy and respectful approach to social nudity and in doing so has an ever growing membership of friendly and appropriate users.

We also believe that naturism unites us and connects us. Beyond national boundaries, age, gender, religion sexual orientation and culture. These articles aim to show our connect through our mutual respect and understanding of social nudity. Inspiring people to get involved with naturism and the various naturist opportunities the world has to offer. 

We welcome Parker and Jacob from Everything To Sea, Bali, Indonesia:

1. Tell us about the origins of Everything To Sea, when and how it came about. 

The two founders, Dave Power and Maximillian Strauss, met at a port in Bali in 2018. They were both waiting for a passenger boat in a small fishing village. Within minutes they’d realized a shared passion for unusual travel. Their common interests were many, including the idea of how cool it would be to create experiences for men centering around freedom, camaraderie, friendship and honesty. Out of this chance encounter came not only a strong friendship, but also Everything to Sea, established in January 2019.

Lion Fish

2. Some background information about the owners/creators of Everything to Sea - and where their skills lie.

Max grew up in East Germany – home to the FKK (Freikörperkultur). Translated as “Free Body Culture”, the movement is based on naturism, so he hadn’t experienced any taboos within it. A devoted traveler, Max spent three years sailing through the Southeast Asian archipelago. His background is in marine engineering, and he oversees technical aspects of the undertaking. With a positive attitude and heartfelt friendliness, Max’s spirit is infectious and thirsty for new experiences.

Formerly a cultural anthropologist with a focus on Western New Guinea, Dave was first exposed to nudity by tribesmen – and only later embraced it as a lifestyle for himself.  Well-travelled, he discovered his joy for naked sailing on small ships over the last ten years. With his love for people, curiosity for adventure and sense of humor that’s anything but typical, Dave is the man you want to travel with.


Max and Dave

3. How did they go about finding a boat and training to be able to sail it? How about legal aspects of running a boat and sails waters - was there a lot of red tape and do you have to stick to certain routes?

We have carefully crafted relationships with several boats that we charter. Each boat comes with an experienced, skilled crew. They’re all comfortable and fully embracing of our nudity aspect. All our boats are fully registered and have up to date papers. Our routes can be flexible and we always sail within legal waterways.

4. What is it about South East Asia and Bali that has driven Everything to Sea to be established there -( as opposed to any other seas/oceans around the globe).

Our team is based in Bali, but we actually depart from the island of Flores and sail through Komodo National Park. It’s about 45-minutes away from Bali by plane.

Indonesia is gorgeous yet it’s still an emerging travel destination… so it presents a chance to be in astounding nature without the crowds – a naturist’s delight! 

We sail through a pristine national park, with calm waters and few boats. Our guests can relax nude anywhere on the boat and about 99% of the time. We only ask guys to cover up with our provided sarongs on the rare occasion another boat passes by closely. 

In addition to having optimal time to relax naked aboard the ship, guys can try various activities like snorkeling or swimming naked, naked Twister games, and dining in the buff. Far away from society, immersed in an accepting all-male atmosphere, without the constraint of clothing, guys can completely let go and connect with other like-minded men.

We also believe we’ve found some of the country’s top natural highlights. For one, we sail in The Coral Triangle. It’s literally the most biodiverse marine environment on Earth, a paradise for guys who love the underwater world. And guys on our sailing trips can snorkel naked there, in crystal clear waters, alongside mesmerizing creatures such as gentle manta rays and sea turtles, and swirling schools of tropical, colorful fish.

Also, guys get the chance to see the legendary Komodo dragons in their natural habitats. They’re completely wild, uncaged. We are led into their habitat by local rangers who guide us safely to see them. We also do a light trek up a dormant volcano/hill. The view from the top includes 3 different colored beaches – with white, black, and pink sands. By the way, there are only a few pink sand beaches in the world. 

We only sail during the dry season with temperatures consistently in the 80s (28°C) and very little rainfall. With turquoise-blue water that never feels cold, guys are in a perfect climate to shed their clothes.


Padar Island

5. Tell us about your role in Everything To Sea. 

I’m Parker, Captain of Sales. My main role is to get the word out there about our trips, and coordinate our marketing efforts for all of our trip offerings. I work with individual guys joining group departures, men who want to take Your Private Journey with Dave and Max, and Group Organizers who create their own small groups for our experiences.

6. Share a brief overview on the average cruise experience and what people may expect from the average day. Do you cater for different diets?

Each day of our itinerary includes different activities and excursions, based on where we are on our sailing route. As an example, here is a description of the fifth day of the trip:  

“Green mountains surrounded by three turquoise bays? Sure, it sounds lovely. But Padar Island has a surreal quality, due to the different colored sand in each one of its bays – one’s white, one’s black, and one’s pink. To see ‘em, we’ll go early, while the sun’s still low. A thirty minute hike up, and you’re in one of the most picturesque places on the planet. Yep – guaranteed. 

After a lax morning and snorkel in the crystal clear waters at Long Beach, we’ll set sail for Komodo Island. Guided by national park rangers, we will hike through the dragons’ natural habitat! These other-worldly beings are truly amazing. And they’re endemic to the islands of Komodo, which were declared a World Heritage Site about thirty years ago. Easily the largest lizard on earth, Komodo dragons can grow up to 10 feet.  No one knows exactly why, yet almost everyone agrees: there’s nothing on the planet quite like them. 

In the evening we’ll enjoy a personal favorite of the Everything To Sea founders – a clothing-optional BBQ under a star-filled sky.

On The Ultimate Bali Villa trip, men are often selecting their own food from a wide array of choices. We don’t need to cater to their needs as many meals are off site in restaurants. On our boat trips, we serve a variety of dishes family style. There’s usually a good amount for anyone’s dietary needs, but we’re happy to hear about special requests and try to cater to them as necessary, too.

Jump

7. For those that may be fearful of being out at sea - what would they expect weather and seas to be like - do you ever have to deal with storms or bad conditions? Can people expect to be sea sick - any advice?

We sail in the dry season – the chance of rain is very low and the waters are calm and smooth because we sail in the Flores Sea. It’s well-protected from the surrounding waves of the Indian Ocean. Also, the Flores Sea is full of tiny, uninhabited islands. It doesn’t feel like being out at sea in the middle of the ocean, because there’s always land in sight. 

8. Tell us a little about the boats - size, cabins, crew etc. 

We run trips on two boats: The StandardPlus Boat and The Deluxe Boat. They are both traditional Indonesian wooden vessels called Pinisi ships. 

The StandardPlus Boat is a spacious, majestic vessel. It’s our most-booked: affordable for everyone, with travel dates throughout the calendar year. Three decks, an indoor lounge, and five cabins – one above deck and four below.  All cabins have en-suite bathrooms and air conditioning, and can be reserved as private rooms, if desired. 

The Deluxe Boat is a ship that commands attention. Both handsome and compelling, you’ll feel the “wow” factor right off the bat.  And from the moment you step on one of the decks with your bare feet, you’ll literally feel the fine craftsmanship – starting with the wooden groove details in each plank. Four decks, an indoor lounge, and six cabins – two above deck and four below.  All cabins have en-suite bathrooms and air conditioning, and can be reserved as private rooms, if desired.  

We have a fantastic local crew that takes care of all the nautical aspects of the trip. Sometimes our guests express interest in helping to sail the boat, and our crew is always happy to integrate them in the ways of anchoring, tying a knot, hoisting the sails, or anything else related to sailing. That being said, the majority of our travelers relish in the fact they don’t have to do anything at all except kick back and relax, and leave the sailing to the experts.

Boat

9. Can people book the boats as a single party? And if so would it just be based on a single booking fee shared by all depending on those that booked or is it still a fee per person and if so how many would need to be in the party?

We offer 4 ways to travel. 

::: Regularly Scheduled Group Departures - Seven days of sailing through the Komodo Islands of Indonesia, alongside up to 12 other men.

::: Your Private Journey - Three guys, one ship, no clothes… and Everything To “See”. It's a custom-tailored, private sail for one man, along with co-founders Max and Dave.

::: Travel With Clarity: Cruises for anyone, whether that’s mixed gender groups, all women, couples, families, etc. Some groups want a naturist experience, while others want clothed. The boat can even be chartered privately for naturist families and friends.

::: Your Group/Our Ship - For pre-formed groups of men, offering benefits such as reduced per-person prices… or a free trip for the organizer… or even the ability to earn money for the group. 

10. Tell us about shore/beach visits? And if nudity is allowed within site of certain areas/harbours etc.

On our Komodo Islands trips, our boats depart from the main harbor in Labuan Bajo. Once we’ve sailed out of the harbor, men can be nude. We pass through Komodo National Park, which is a protected region with few people and boats. We take a specific sailing route that avoids the crowds, for optimal nude time. We often stop off at uninhabited islands on our route and relax nude on the beaches there. 

11. For those men who may be concerned about fellow passengers do you have any information, thoughts and advice along those lines. How about age brackets? Do you have people from all parts of the world - any language barrier concerns that can be reassured? 

Our marketing efforts are specific, and they’re targeted to a niche segment of the traveling population. Because of this, we tend to attract men who share similar values, and generally speaking, people are pretty chill. 

Different interests may abound. Many guys are seeking a connected experience. Others are aiming for a transformative time of personal growth. Some just want to have a peaceful, tranquil time sailing through remote islands. There are those who appreciate the adventurous components through the trip. And still other men are keen on the natural world – or even just naturism itself. Regardless of their specific interests, our travelers are often relaxed, genuine men. And the men get along very well, with some even expressing that they feel they’ve found a new family by the end of the sail. 

Sexual orientation is only one small facet of the men who come on our trips. We don’t focus on it much, and never ask men to “show us your gay card or straight card.” If it comes up in conversation naturally, then that’s that. But it’s not a central focus of our interactions on the cruise at all. 

Welcoming men of all ages is what we’re extremely passionate about. We don’t even ask for the ages of our passengers. Sometimes it comes up in conversation though, and we can tell you that we actually have many guys traveling with us who are well into their 70s and 80s. In fact, we once had a trip with a guy who was 82 years old, and we loved getting to know him. From his side, he had a very transformative and happy experience. Our youngest guys traveling have been in their early 20s… its quite a mix! Many men on our trips are between 35 and 65 years old.

Our trips are run in English, and the vast majority of our travelers have at least a conversational level. It’s really important so that everyone can properly integrate into the group. 

12. How does the arrival and departure work? Do people fly to a specific airport and then how do they get to you? 

The boat departs from a small harbour town called Labuan Bajo, located on the Indonesian island of Flores. Indonesia is a sprawling nation comprised of over 17,000 islands. You’ve probably heard of some – like Bali, Sumatra, and Java. We recommend that our travelers fly into the island of Bali first (airport code: DPS). Then, they’d take a short 45 minute flight over to the island of Flores. There are several flights between the two islands each day.

One day before the ship sails, guys are expected to fly into the airport of Labuan Bajo (LBJ). We’ll meet them in the airport and bring them to their hotel. The next day, we pick up the guys from their hotels and bring them to the boat at the harbor. 

13. What do people need to bring, do they need any specific skills and what about pre journey things like travel permits or vaccinations?

We ask that guys bring comfortable shoes for walking or trekking, if they’d like to explore any of the islands on foot. Reef-safe sunscreen. A hat, and sunglasses. And a swimsuit for when we’re near others – although we’ll have baskets on the ship with sarongs to grab, for a quick cover-up, should another boat pass by.

Overall, we suggest for guys to pack lightly – no need to have many changes of clothes! Either soft or hard luggage is fine.

14. Have you been having people returning for further cruises?

Yes! We have had people return for repeat voyages. We also have guys doing a mixture of our travel experiences.

For example, a guy might do a Your Private Journey with just Dave and Max, and then love it so much, he comes back and does a group departure. Or we’ve had guys do multiple group departures. One guy has done five trips on The StandardPlus Boat. We also have men who take our Land and Sea trips back to back, for example, The Ultimate Bali Villa - a week on the island of Bali, back to back with The StandardPlus Boat - a week of relaxed sailing amongst the Komodo Islands. There are two or three free days, between the two trips.

Coconut Drink

15. Tell us about the villa in Bali - how and when did that come about? What is it like, how many does it cater for etc?

We’ve been running our sailing trips over the past several years, and it’s not uncommon that our travelers want to spend extra time on Bali before or afterward their trip. We were hearing the same question over and over, “What are my options for naked accommodation in Bali where I can connect with like-minded guys?” And we kept having to tell them the truth: the options are few and far between.

We saw an opportunity and we decided to try a brand new naked travel experience on land, The Ultimate Bali Villa. It’s one week of nudity, camaraderie, and exploration while staying in a luxurious naked villa on the “Island of the Gods” – offered twice per year. The villa can comfortably sleep up to 28 guys. 

We’ve had several guys sign up for our 2023 trip dates, and some are even combining The Ultimate Bali Villa with an Everything To Sea sail around the Komodo Islands – trip dates are specifically set so both can be experienced back to back!


Sunset at The Villa

16. What is the area like and once again how do people get to you etc. 

The villa is located in the South of Bali, about 30 minutes from the airport. We pick up our guests from the airport and bring them to the villa.

17. Tell us about trips and other aspects of staying at the villa. Catering, services etc. 

The Ultimate Bali Villa is an all-inclusive experience. All transport is included from the moment they land in Bali. All activities and excursions on the itinerary are included. At the villa, our guests get 3 meals per day, plus snacks – provided by our naked chef. Not to mention, a 24-hour open bar serviced by our naked butler. Basically, our guests don’t have to spend another pound or penny unless they want a souvenir – everything else is included. 

Men can be nude anywhere on the expansive villa property. That includes 3 swimming pools, outdoor lounges, jacuzzis, zen gardens, and plush gazebos. 

Each day, men are given the choice between 2 itinerary activities: a “Famous-in-Bali” activity or an “Off-the-Beaten-Path” activity. Or, they always have the option to stay back and relax in the villa – or even do something on their own. 

Breakfasts are in the villa. Lunches are out if they choose an activity on the itinerary, or they can always be in the villa and have a simple lunch there. Dinners vary: some will be prepared by our chef, or brought in (like pizzas on the night of our Villa Pool Party); others will be out in select restaurants to give you a wide range of food choices and dining environments.

Evenings will vary, too. Some nights will be out – a jaunt to Bali’s gayborhood one night, a visit to the upscale Kempinski Hotel another. We’ve purposefully left two nights during the week open for you to do your own thing. And there’ll always be guys around the villa each evening, taking it easy.

 
Massage in the Villa


18. What are the laws in Bali like about naturism? Can you for example go to a local beach as a naturist or is it that nudity is only allowed at the villa. 

Like many Western cultures, Indonesia does not allow public nudity and the island of Bali is no exception. On Bali, nudity is only allowed on villa property. On our boat trips, we can be naked all over the ship as long as we are not near other ships or towns (which is about 99% of the time).

Bali Barong Dance


19. What is the future for Everything To Sea? Do you see expansions and changes - more boats and villas for example or are you happy keeping it at the current offering/opportunities?

We’re definitely set on expanding to new locations and bringing our nude sailing experiences to other parts of the world.


Sunset

20. Are there times of the year when the villa is closed and cruises do not run due to seasonal changes - if so what does the team do during that time - or is it a 365 enterprise?

During the rainy season, we do not operate sailing trips or villa experiences. That being said, our team is still hard at work. In fact, we shift to creative mode. During the last rainy season, we conceptualized The Ultimate Bali Villa and took all the steps necessary made it into a reality. We also use the time to do a marketing push. That’s when most people book their trips, after all. 


21. When are Everything To Sea upcoming trips?

ANW thank Parker and Jacob for this wonderful interview and sharing their thoughts with ANW. 

ANW welcomes all who are respectful and interested in naturism and invite all genuine naturist organisations, clubs, events, venues and other opportunities to be part of the ANW community and work with us to encourage the growth and acceptance of naturism around the world. If you have any questions email Anna and Steve at [email protected]


© 2023  Parker and Jacob from Everything To Sea and www.anaturistworld.com All Rights Reserved