Indonesia · Komodo National Park
Dragons before breakfast, mantas after lunch
Komodo National Park is Indonesia's dry-season yacht charter: board a phinisi or expedition yacht at Labuan Bajo on Flores, an hour's flight from Bali, and spend a week between Komodo and Rinca's dragons, Padar's three-bay viewpoint, the pink beach and the manta rays of Makassar Reef. The season runs April to November; May to October is best, with the driest skies and the clearest water. From October the same fleet moves east to Raja Ampat, so the two make one year-round circuit.
Season
May to September. April and October still work
How long
3 to 10 nights. Three works from Bali; six is the week we would choose
Fly into
Labuan Bajo (LBJ), 1 hour from Bali; 6 hours Sydney to Bali. From North America via Singapore, Dubai or Doha to Bali
Board at
Labuan Bajo, Flores. The park is a two-hour run from the harbour
Cruising
Short hops inside the park; strong currents in the channels, which is why the diving is so good
Water
26 to 28°C. Visibility best from July
Fleet
Traditional phinisi with modern interiors, and a handful of expedition yachts
Komodo is the Indonesia we would choose for a first trip: a national park the size of a small country, two hours from a real airport, with a fleet of phinisi built for exactly this water. The dragons are the headline and they deliver, but the reason the crews love it is underwater: currents pour through the channels between the islands and everything that eats comes to feed in them.
The rhythm of a week is set by the tide table. The rangers walk you to the dragons on Rinca and Komodo in the cool of the morning, the mantas at Makassar Reef show best on a running tide, Padar's viewpoint is climbed for sunrise or sunset and never at noon, and the pink beach is a lunch stop between. A good captain here is a tide reader first.
Where we actually go
Do
Rinca's dragons at 7am
Loh Buaya on Rinca has more dragons per walk than Komodo island itself, and the ranger-led loop takes an hour before the heat. Go early, from the yacht, before the day boats from Labuan Bajo arrive.
Do
Padar Island viewpoint
The three-bay panorama on every Komodo photo. Forty minutes up, done at sunrise from an anchorage below with coffee waiting on deck when you come down.
Swim and anchor
Makassar Reef, Manta Point
A shallow rubble slope where reef mantas queue at cleaning stations. Drift it on a running tide with the tender following. The best snorkel in Indonesia for people who do not dive.
Swim and anchor
Pink Beach
Red coral fragments give the sand its colour. Lunch stop and snorkel; the reef off the beach is as good as the beach.
Dive
Batu Bolong
A pinnacle in the channel with a wall on every side and current that demands a good divemaster. The single best dive in the park.
Overnight
Gili Lawa Darat
A sheltered bay at the park's northern end with a hill to climb for sunset over the whole archipelago. The anchorage we would sleep in twice.
Good to know before you book
Diving is included, mostly
Every boat carries a divemaster and the equipment. Bring your own dive computer and torch, or rent them on board. Nitrox is free on some boats and a small daily charge on others.
Learn to dive on the trip
The crews can teach and certify guests to PADI Open Water and beyond during the charter, as long as the theory is done beforehand and we book the instructor in advance. Intro dives for the curious are usually free.
Bring the wine
The bar on board is house and local, and the good bottles run out. Tell us what you drink and we arrange the order or the import six to eight weeks ahead, so it is chilled when you board.
There is a spa therapist
Most of the fleet carry a massage therapist and include two or three hours a day. Ask when you book and the table is set up on deck between dives.
Itineraries
Komodo itineraries
Three routes written by the boats' own teams, with the boat each one runs on. Three, four and five-night cuts of the first exist; ask and we send them.
Komodo National Park in a week
Labuan Bajo8 stopsLabuan Bajo
Dragons on Rinca with a ranger, mantas at Makassar Reef, Padar at sunset and a volcano that bubbles: the route most of the fleet runs, here on ALIIKAI VOYAGE.
Open
Komodo slowly, down to South Rinca
Labuan Bajo8 stopsLabuan Bajo
THE ORACLE's seven nights: the famous sites at a better hour, then a whole day in the park's wild south where the day boats never go.
Open
Bali to Komodo along Sumbawa
Bali9 stopsLabuan Bajo
Whale sharks in Saleh Bay, waterfalls on Moyo, a volcano at Sangeang, then three days in the park. CELESTIA's one-way week that beats the flight.
OpenThe boats
The phinisi that work Komodo
Traditional wooden sailing ships rebuilt with modern cabins, dive decks and crews of ten to fourteen. Photos and rates are live from each listing; the card opens it.
CELESTIA
45 m · 7 cabins · 14 guests
Two dive professionals, Nitrox free of charge, three hours of massage a day and a Breville in the saloon. The one we send serious divers who still want to be looked after.
Komodo May to October, Raja Ampat October to April, the Banda Sea in September and October
Her listing
$95k
ALIIKAI VOYAGE
40 m · 7 cabins · 14 guests
Two owner's cabins with private balconies, a family suite that takes a cot, and a crew of 14 including a cruise director who speaks nine Indonesian dialects. Our pick for three generations.
Komodo May to October, Raja Ampat October to April, the Spice Islands on the crossings between
Her listing
$74k
KAYRA PHINISI
38 m · 4 cabins · 8 guests
A sauna, a gym, a masseuse on the crew list and two hours of massage a day included. Four big cabins for eight, which is why couples ask for her.
Komodo and Sumbawa, March to December
Her listing
$49k – 60k
THE ORACLE
35 m · 3 cabins · 6 guests
Six guests, ten crew. Yoga on the foredeck, a spa therapist, Starlink, and the routes below written by her own team. The most looked-after six people in Indonesia.
Komodo May to October, Raja Ampat November to April
Her listing
$44k – 48k
JAKARÉ
33 m · 5 cabins · 12 guests
A French and English speaking cruise director, dive guides included, and a route list that runs to Halmahera and the Togeans. The diver's phinisi at a sensible price.
Komodo May to October, Raja Ampat October to April, the Banda Sea and Alor in between
Her listing
$34k – 39k
SEQUOIA
31 m · 3 cabins · 8 guests
A 31-metre wooden dive yacht run by Dive Explorers Nusantara on the Komodo to Raja Ampat circuit. Built for people who want to be in the water three times a day.
Komodo May to September, Raja Ampat October to April
Her listing
$77k – 98k
ANNE BONNY
30 m · 3 cabins · 9 guests
Three cabins, a bonfire on the beach and Starlink when it works. The boat for one family or six friends who would rather have the whole thing to themselves than a bigger one shared.
Komodo June to September, Raja Ampat October to April, the Spice Islands in October
Her listing
$31k – 33k
Questions we get asked
Chartering in Komodo, answered
Common questions
Can we learn to dive on a Komodo yacht charter?
Yes. The boats carry divemasters and full equipment, and can run PADI courses and certify guests during the charter if the theory is completed beforehand and the instructor is booked in advance. Bring your own dive computer and torch or rent them on board. Intro dives are usually free.
Is alcohol available on board in Indonesia?
House and local drinks are on board, but choice is limited and good wine and spirits are hard to source locally. Tell us what you would like and we arrange a pre-order or import six to eight weeks before you board.
When is the best time for a Komodo yacht charter?
May to October, the dry season, with clear skies, the best visibility from July and the mantas reliable at Makassar Reef. April and November are good quieter months. From December to March the rains arrive and the fleet moves to Raja Ampat.
How do you get to Komodo for a yacht charter?
Fly to Labuan Bajo on Flores, an hour from Bali, and board in the harbour. Bali is about six hours from Sydney and has direct flights from most Asian hubs. The national park begins about two hours' cruising from Labuan Bajo.
What kind of yacht do you charter in Komodo?
Mostly phinisi: traditional Indonesian wooden sailing ships rebuilt with modern cabins, crew and dive facilities, from a few cabins to full superyacht standard. A small number of expedition motor yachts also work the park. Ahoy Club lists both with published weekly rates.
Can you see Komodo dragons from a yacht charter?
Yes. The yacht anchors off Rinca or Komodo island and a ranger leads a walk from the landing in the early morning. Rinca's Loh Buaya usually has more dragons per walk; Komodo island has the longer trails. Both are inside the national park, which charges entry fees your crew arranges.
How do Komodo and Raja Ampat fit together?
They are the two halves of Indonesia's charter year. Komodo's dry season is May to October; Raja Ampat's is October to April, so the same phinisi and expedition yachts move between them. Choose by your dates: Komodo for the northern summer, Raja Ampat for the northern winter.
Want this shaped around you?
Tell us the dates and who is coming. We come back with the yacht, the route through the park and the permits sorted.