Komodo Liveaboard from Labuan Bajo
The single best argument for a liveaboard is 5:30 in the morning on Padar Island. Day boats are still two hours away. You walked up from the beach below in twenty minutes, and the three-bay view belongs to your group and the wind. That is what sleeping on the boat buys you.
How the 3D2N trip works
You board mid-morning in Labuan Bajo harbour and spend three days looping through the park: Taka Makassar and Manta Point on day one, Kalong Island's flying foxes at dusk, the sunrise Padar hike and Pink Beach and the dragon trek on day two, quieter snorkel sites like Pengah and Kelor on day three, back at the harbour around midday. Cabins are private, a cook feeds you properly, and the sundeck does the evenings. The full day-by-day is on the liveaboard tour page.
Open trip or private charter
The open trip shares the boat with other travellers and starts at IDR 6,500,000 per person. The private charter takes the same boat and route and hands the whole thing to your group for IDR 120,000,000. Six or more people and the charter starts making plain financial sense; it is also what honeymooners book when they want the deck to themselves.
Who should not book a liveaboard
Honesty saves refunds. Skip the liveaboard if you have only one spare day (take the day trip), if you need air-conditioned hotel comfort every night, or if you are travelling with children under eight, who do better with the day trip format and a hotel bed. Everyone else tends to call it the best part of their Indonesia trip.
When to sail
May to early October is the calm-sea window; June, July, and September are the sweet spot, and September is our pick. Late January to early March is the one stretch we honestly advise against; some boats stay in port. The best time guide has the month-by-month detail, and the Komodo tour overview compares all three formats side by side.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Komodo liveaboard?
A boat you sleep on. Instead of returning to Labuan Bajo each evening, you spend two nights anchored inside Komodo National Park on a phinisi, a traditional Indonesian wooden sailing boat fitted with cabins, a kitchen, and a sundeck.
How much does a Komodo liveaboard cost?
Our 3 day 2 night open trip starts at IDR 6,500,000 per person with cabin, meals, snorkel gear, and crew included. A private charter of the whole boat is IDR 120,000,000. National park fees are separate and government-set.
Is a liveaboard better than a Komodo day trip?
Different, not better. The day trip covers the headline stops in one long day. The liveaboard reaches the same places at quieter hours, adds sites day boats skip, and turns the travel time into the holiday itself. If you have the two extra days, take the boat.
Do you get seasick on a Komodo liveaboard?
The boats anchor in sheltered bays overnight, and in the dry season the crossings are short and calm. If you are sensitive, come between May and early October, take a tablet on day one, and pick a mid-deck cabin.
What should you pack for a liveaboard?
Soft bag rather than a hard suitcase, reef-safe sunscreen, a headlamp for the sunrise Padar hike, quick-dry clothes, a light jacket for evenings on deck, and cash for crew tips and park fees. Towels and snorkel gear are on board.
Choisissez la formule qui vous va
Padar, Pink Beach, dragons et Manta Point en speedboat, retour avant le dîner.
Komodo Day Trip: Speedboat to 6 Top Destinations
Trois jours sur un phinisi, lever de soleil Ă Padar avant la foule.
Komodo 3D2N Open Trip: Phinisi Liveaboard
Le bateau entier pour vous. Votre itinéraire, votre rythme, votre musique.
Komodo 3D2N Private Charter: Whole-Boat Phinisi