Komodo Liveaboard

You reserve your spot for free and pay nothing to join, and reservations close 7 days before the start date. Once enough travellers have joined, usually around 10, we confirm the departure and email you a confirmation with an invoice for the full trip price. You pay it by card or bank transfer within 7 days, in US dollars, pounds, euros, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars, New Zealand dollars or Indian rupees, and the price shown for your date is what you pay.

Yes. Komodo National Park entrance fees for every day we're inside the park are in the price, along with the naturalist guide fees for both dragon walks. Since 1 April 2026 the park admits at most 1,000 visitors a day, and entry is booked in advance through a licensed operator, so we handle that for you. Park tickets can't be refunded once bought, so this cost is fixed once you book.

No, snorkelling is. The trip is priced and paced around snorkelling, with gear on the boat. Park rules require you to be certified to dive, and some sites have currents of up to 4 knots, so diving doesn't fit a group snorkel trip. If you want to add dives, ask your Trip Host before you book. Don't fly for at least 18 hours after your last dive, which matters for your flight on Day 6.

Solo travellers aged 18 to 40. Most people come on their own, and some come with a friend. Each departure takes up to 16 people. The Trip Host travels with the group for all six days, sorts out every transfer, boat booking, ticket and check-in, and is the person you go to if anything goes wrong. Local operators and the park's own naturalist guides run the boat and park services.

It starts at our guesthouse in Labuan Bajo on the afternoon of Day 1, and we send the address when you book. It ends back at the harbour after breakfast on Day 6. Fly into Komodo Airport (LBJ), just outside town. Several flights a day leave Bali (DPS) and take a little over an hour, and there are connections from other Indonesian cities. Book your own flights to arrive before the afternoon of Day 1.

Roughly April to November, the dry season, when the seas are calmest and the boats run most reliably. July to October is the busiest stretch. The wet season, from December to March, brings rougher seas and a higher chance of the park closing to boats, so we don't run departures then. Short closures happen in the dry season too: in 2026 tourist boats were stopped for a few days in May, and Komodo and Padar were closed for a few days in August and September.

Boat trips here carry real risks. Local media counted seven tourist boat accidents around Labuan Bajo in 2025, and a boat sank in the Padar Strait on 26 December 2025. Since then the harbourmaster has banned sailing between islands after dark, and on our itinerary the boat anchors in a sheltered bay each night. Sea conditions change quickly, and the harbourmaster can close the park to boats at short notice. If that happens we change the plan, and Rinca often stays open when Komodo and Padar are closed.

Most visitors, including those from the UK, US, EU, Australia and India, need a visa on arrival, which you can buy online in advance as an e-VOA. You also fill in the free All Indonesia arrival card within 72 hours before you land. Rules change, so check our Bali visa guide and the official Indonesian immigration site before you book flights.

Expect simple twin or bunk cabins aboard a wooden phinisi, with shared bathrooms. Details vary by boat. You share with travellers of the same gender, and a private cabin may be available on request at extra cost. Space is tight, the boat rocks gently at anchor, and power for lights and charging can be limited in the evening. It's a fair trade for waking up anchored in the national park instead of driving back to a hotel each night.

A soft bag or backpack rather than a hard suitcase, since it goes on and off the boat. Bring a swimsuit, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, a light long-sleeved layer for the sun on deck, a torch, a power bank, a refillable water bottle and a dry bag for your phone and passport. Snorkelling gear is on the boat, though you can bring your own if you like gear you know fits. Labuan Bajo has ATMs, but there are none on the boat or inside the park, so take out cash for tips and extras before Day 2.

Insurance is a condition of joining. It must cover medical treatment and evacuation, including from a boat, and check that it covers snorkelling. Health authorities list this part of Indonesia, including Flores and the Komodo islands, as an area with some malaria risk, unlike Bali. Talk to a travel clinic about antimalarials a few weeks before you go, and use repellent for dengue too.

Reasonably fit. Both dragon walks follow marked trails that are flat to gently rolling and take an hour or so at an easy pace, and the Padar climb is about 800 steps over 30 to 45 minutes. Between the walks, the climb and three days of getting on and off a boat, this trip is more physical than a short day trip, so build up some walking fitness first. The dragons are wild predators with a dangerous bite, which is why a park naturalist guide leads every walk. Stay behind your guide, keep the distance you're asked to, and never step off the trail for a photo.