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
April to November. Our pick: May to October
Fly into
Labuan Bajo (LBJ), 1 hour from Bali; 6 hours Sydney 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.
Yachts
Yachts available in Indonesia right now
Live from our charter list, in a different order every visit. Phinisi and expedition yachts that work the Komodo to Raja Ampat circuit; every rate is the real weekly figure from the listing.
DUNIA BARU
Konjo Boat Builders · 51m · 2014, refit 2020
14 guests | 7 cabins | 18 crew
$157k – 168k
JAKARE
Custom · 33m · 2017
12 guests | 5 cabins | 10 crew
$34k – 39k
MUTIARA LAUT
C.V. Mutiara Murni · 46m · 2009, refit 2023
47 guests | 7 cabins | 18 crew
$98k
KAYRA
Phinisi · 38m · 2025
8 guests | 4 cabins | 10 crew
$49k – 60k
SANCTUARY
Phinisi · 48m · 2023
18 guests | 9 cabins | 18 crew
$105k – 115k
ALIIKAI VOYAGE
Konjo Boat · 40m · 2007, refit 2021
14 guests | 7 cabins | 14 crew
$74k
SEQUOIA
Dive Explorers Nusantara · 31m · 2017, refit 2025
6 guests | 3 cabins | 12 crew
$78k
THE MAJ OCEANIC
Custom · 47m · 2020
12 guests | 7 cabins | 18 crew
$91k – 119k
AQUA BLU
Brooke Marine · 60m · 1968, refit 2019
30 guests | 15 cabins | 30 crew
$388k – 427k
VELA
Pak Haji Abdullah · 50m · 2022
12 guests | 6 cabins | 18 crew
$119k – 137k
BHAVANA
Haji Abdullah · 50m · 2026
15 guests | 7 cabins | 18 crew
$105k – 116k
THE ORACLE
Pak Haji Saka · 35m · 2019
6 guests | 3 cabins | 10 crew
$44k – 48k
CELESTIA
Bulukumba · 45m · 2023
14 guests | 7 cabins | 17 crew
$95k
ANNE BONNY
Custom · 30m · 2015, refit 2022
9 guests | 3 cabins | 10 crew
$31k – 33k
KAYRA PHINISI
Custom · 37m · 2024
8 guests | 4 cabins | 10 crew
$49k
15 yachts in rotation. The order changes with every visit so no boat is always last.
Questions we get asked
Chartering in Komodo, answered
Common questions
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.