Sleep and motion on board Gammara

Gammara has six cabins on two decks. Two are on the upper deck, Jasmine and Lily, and four are on the lower deck, Ivy, Azalea, Hazel and Iris. Each takes two guests.

Many guests find mid-ship and lower decks steadier; we do not publish a measurement. A boat moves least near its middle and low in the hull, and that points to the Deluxe cabins. It is general sense, not a rating.

The trade is plain. Jasmine and Lily have king beds, with a panoramic ocean view in Jasmine and an ocean view in Lily. The Deluxe cabins have double beds and no stated sea view. The brochure prints no deck plan, so we cannot say which cabin sits closest to mid-ship. If motion worries you more than the view, tell us when you write and we will pass it on in writing.

Dinner is over. The day has gone quiet. The boat has stopped for the night at an anchorage the captain chose that day. You go up to the upper deck, and the door of Jasmine or Lily closes behind you.

The bed is a king. The shower in your own bathroom runs hot and cold. The air conditioning is fitted in every cabin, though the brochure prints no operating hours, so ask us before you plan around it. The cabin is a separate room, and the ocean view is yours.

You sleep. On a Padar morning the boat leaves about 65 minutes before sunrise, and in August the sun clears the ridge at 06:12. Someone knocks well before that, and the cabin is still dark. Then comes the tender, the climb, the light. Nobody speaks much.

Sky note. Blue hour begins before sunrise, so a cabin with a window lightens before the alarm. The brochure does not say which way each window faces.

This is general advice, not medical advice. Sit near the middle of the boat, look at a fixed point on the horizon, and take fresh air on deck. Do not read or stare at a screen while the boat moves. Do not start the day on a heavy or spicy meal, or on alcohol.

Ginger helps some people. Tablets, patches and acupressure bands are sold at pharmacies, and a pharmacist can tell you which suits you. Bring them from home, because the shelves in town are short and the islands have no shop at all.

Our limit is honest. The plainest advice is also the best: sit near the middle, keep your eyes on a fixed point on the horizon, and stay in the open air for as long as the sea feels unsettled. No cabin prevents seasickness, and we promise no calm water. In the wet season from December to March the sea is roughest, and the captain can change the stops and the anchorage. Take the tablet before the water moves. Not after.

Air conditioning is fitted in every one of the six cabins. The brochure prints no operating hours, so we do not promise it runs all night. Ask us before you rely on it.

Each cabin has its own bathroom with a hot and cold shower, and towels are on board. For the two of you that means no queue and no shared door at 05:00. The lower-deck Deluxe cabins have the same bathroom as the upper cabins, so a steadier bed costs you the view and nothing else.

By day the dining lounge, ringed with large windows, is the cool room on the boat. By night the cabin is the quiet one. The strip below shows the spaces you will move between, from the cabin door to the open deck, and it is worth a look before you decide which bed to ask for.

Pack for sleep as much as for the walks. An eye shade and earplugs cost little and help in any bed. A light layer is useful when the air conditioning is on. A reusable water bottle sits by the bed, and a small red torch saves your eyes at night.

Bring your own tablets or patches. Keep a few dry biscuits or ginger sweets in the cabin, because an empty stomach makes the swell worse.

Food: tell us about vegetarian, halal or allergy needs before departure, and we confirm them with the boat in writing. We promise no particular dish. Alcoholic drinks are excluded from the fare, and the brochure does not list any for sale, so ask us what can be arranged. A quiet stomach also sleeps better, so the first night is best kept light.