Komodo slowly: Gili Lawa to South Rinca

Labuan Bajo is the gateway to the park, with daily direct flights from Bali. Arrive the day before if you can. Check-in is between six and eleven, the crew brief you over lunch, and the boat heads into the park.

• Check-in 06:00 to 11:00
• Crew brief over lunch
• Into the park by afternoon

Snorkel or dive reefs busy with turtles, reef sharks and schooling fish. Kayak, paddleboard or lie on the beach, then a short hike to the viewpoint over the turquoise bays and the rugged coast before a slow cruise into the sunset.

• Turtles and reef sharks
• Kayaks and paddleboards
• Sunset from the ridge

Into the heart of the park: Batu Bolong, Taka Makassar, Mawan and Siaba Besar. Strong currents pull in trevally, tuna and barracuda, and mantas feed at Taka Makassar. In the afternoon the sunset trek on Padar for the three-bay view, then a massage and dinner back on board.

• Batu Bolong pinnacle
• Mantas at Taka Makassar
• Padar sunset trek
• Massage on deck

Out early with the crew and local rangers to find Komodo dragons, with buffalo, monkeys and deer on the way. Breakfast back on board, then kayaks and paddleboards in Komodo Bay, Pink Beach, and on to Nusa Kode for the night.

• Ranger-led dragon walk at dawn
• Kayaks in Komodo Bay
• Pink Beach
• Overnight at Nusa Kode

Dramatic cliffs and forest, quiet bays, and wildlife everywhere: monkeys, deer, wild boar, sea eagles and now and then a dragon on the beach. The water is cooler and richer, with soft corals, nudibranchs and turtles, and dolphins, whales or mobula rays pass through. A remote, slow afternoon and a quiet anchorage.

• South Rinca's cliffs and bays
• Cooler, nutrient-rich diving
• Dolphins, whales and mobulas when lucky
• A silent anchorage

Snorkel or dive with mantas in calm, clear water over Makassar Reef. The afternoon is at leisure: swim in a turquoise bay, sunbathe, or watch the islands go by from the deck as the boat cruises north.

• Mantas at Makassar Reef
• An afternoon at anchor
• The cruise through the islands

Just outside the park, the Sebayur islands are made for water sports and for doing very little. Visit a small village that welcomes visitors, have a massage on board, read on a secluded beach, and dive or snorkel depending on tomorrow's flight. Dinner on the beach or under the stars on the top deck.

• Village visit
• Spa therapist on board
• Last dives
• Dinner on the beach

A last breakfast on deck, then the crew take you to the airport or your hotel.

• Breakfast on deck
• Transfer to the airport or hotel