Overview
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Practical Information
What can you expect
A 3-4 day Komodo boat tour is a very unique experience and includes a lot of fun activities along the way. We found it a nice way to explore this part of Indonesia and, at the same time, tick off some unique experiences from our bucket list, such as snorkeling with reef sharks and meeting the iconic Komodo dragons. You can do a 3 or 4 day Komodo boat trip in both directions between Lombok and Flores. The various stops and sailing routes may vary slightly per company. The boats depart twice a week, usually on Wednesday and Saturday or Sunday.
During this Komodo boat trip, you explore multiple islands and beaches, go snorkeling, spend some time sunbathing on the deck, watch the most beautiful sunsets, and have a lovely chat with the other travelers aboard.
The most unique stops along the way, that most companies include, are:
- Meeting the Komodo Dragons in Komodo National Park
- Pink Beach
- Padar Island
- Snorkeling with turtles and reef sharks (not guaranteed)
What is included
Most tour operators include the following in their trip:
Pick Up from accommodation
Only in specific areas in Lombok. Check this in advance!
Tour Guide
English Speaking
Place to sleep
A mattress on the deck, with a pillow and blanket for 3 nights.
You can often book a private room with fan or AC for a little extra.
Food
All meals, typically Indonesian-style food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Drinks
Unlimited fresh drinking water, coffee and tea. You get a free reusable drink bottle to minimize waste, yay!
Snorkeling equipment
Snorkels and masks (no fins!)
Activities & fees
All National Park fees and a hiking guide to spot the Komodo dargons, which can be a big cost if you go there on a single trip!
What to bring yourself
Since this boat trip takes you from point A to point B, you normally take all your luggage on board. However, there are a few specific things that you should certainly not forget!
Swim Wear
Towel
Sun screen
a book, if you like reading
card games
snacks
Sweater for colder nights
Extra drinks (beers, soft drinks...)
Usually, you cannot buy drinks on board, but you can purchase a few beers in advance from the organization and they will then put them in a cool box for you. Sometimes, it is only allowed to put drinks in the cool box that have been purchased in advance from the tour organizer.
What does it cost?
Prices vary depending on tour operators and packages, but most price ranges* for the standard boats are as follows:
Shared Deck class (mattress on deck)
3.000.000 IDR to 3.700.000 IDR
Private Cabin (with fan and/or AC)**
3.800.000 IDR to 4.300.000 IDR
These are the prices for the most basic boats, with little to no luxury. If you prefer a little more comfort, you will of course also pay a little more, but you can expect a Phisini boat or even more luxurious types like yachts.
When you book online, prices are often fixed and there is little room for negotiation, but you can always try. We have heard that, if you book your tour on site, there is often more room for negotiation. Although it is still recommended to book in advance, especially during high season.
*Updated December
**We had a private cabin on a standard boat. We did like our AC, but we have to mention that often these cabins are located close to the engine, so expect quite a lot of noise. If your cabin does not have an AC, it can get very hot inside.
Alternative options to visit Komodo National Park
Besides the 4 days/3 nights tour we did, there are other alternatives such as 3 days/2 nights and even one-day tours from Flores to Komodo and Padar Island. So, there are plenty of options to make this adventure fit within your travel schedule! For the one-day trips, you can book a flight straight to Labuan Bajo on Flores, as they only depart from here.
Why should you opt for a multiple day tour
The 3 or 4-day Komodo Boat trip is the perfect opportunity to visit multiple places and to do some unique activities in one trip. It is at the same time your transportation between Lombok and Flores. On top of that, there are some other reasons why you should opt for this trip:
- Shorter Komodo Island boat tours are relatively more expensive.
- You save money on flights.
- You’ll get to experience some unique activities on the way.
- You visit multiple islands and beautiful places during just one trip.
- All National Park fees are included in the price, which in itself can be a major expense.
Our experience of our 4 day/3night tour
Below is the full itinerary we did, including our personal experiences, to give you an idea of what you can expect from this trip.
We did this trip from Lombok to Flores, but you can as well go on this adventure in the other direction. Note that some itineraries might be different, depending on the company you book with and the direction you are going on this trip.
Day 1: Lombok - Kenawa Island
In the morning, we were picked up by a driver, who brought us to the meeting point in Senggigi. Whether you will be picked up and at what time depends on the company you booked with and where you are staying.
At the meeting point, we got breakfast and a quick briefing about the trip. This was also the time when we could buy extra drinks for onboard. After the briefing, we got on the bus and started the 2,5-hour drive to the port in the east of Lombok.
Once we arrived at the harbor in Lombok, it was time to board our boat: the Bintang Laut.
Tip: Don’t fall for the ice cream scam. As soon as you get on board, a man comes around with a box of ice creams. It seems like he belongs to the boat and it’s part of the trip, but the moment you start eating your ice cream, he asks you to pay. Unfortunately, we fell for it ourselves
After our first lunch on board, the engine was started and we left the harbor. Our first stop was Kenawa Island. We were taken to the beach by a small speedboat, from where we could walk up the hill. We could choose to stay for sunset, but because it was quite cloudy, everyone was back on board before sunset. Afterward, we could enjoy a beautiful sunset from the boat.
From now on, it was 10 hours of sailing until our next stop, where we had to be early in the morning. So we sailed all night long.
Day 2: Saleh Bay - jumping from boat and swimming
Early in the morning of the 2nd day of the route we had booked, snorkeling with whale sharks in Saleh Bay was on the agenda. However, we have to tell you in all honesty why we don’t recommend booking a trip that offers this. The description of our trip stated that we were going to ‘look for whale sharks’ to snorkel with and that ‘if we are lucky, we may encounter many of them swimming close to the fisherman boats’.
Unfortunately, this turned out not to be the case and they were simply fed. From what we have heard, feeding whale sharks can be harmful to them. It can change their migration patterns, natural behavior, and eating habits. Besides the feeding, the animals were not ‘chased’ and people were asked to keep their distance and not to touch the animals, which is positive! However, we still do not recommend booking a trip that offers snorkeling with whale sharks. It is the only thing that we didn’t like about the trip. We think it is important to mention this because overall we thought the 4-day sailing trip is a great experience and there are plenty of companies that offer a fun alternative activity on the 2nd day, such as visiting Moyo and Bola island.
Note: For this reason we do not want to post any images of this activity in this blogpost.
Back to the wonderful experiences of this trip! As soon as we got out of the water, delicious banana pancakes were waiting for us. While we sailed on to the next place, we were accompanied by a group of enthusiastic dolphins. They swam along with the boat and showed their best tricks. A truly fantastic experience!
In the afternoon, the boat stopped for a while and we could jump off the boat in a safe place and cool off in the refreshing water with the whole group.
Back on the boat, it was a long stretch of 18 hours straight to Komodo Island and so we sailed all night again.
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Day 3: Komodo National Park - Pink Beach - Padar Island
The most exciting day of our trip, full of highlights and the main reason why we took this trip: Komodo National Park.
We finally made it to Komodo Island, where we were going to meet the Komodo monitor lizard, also known as Komodo Dragon. We were lucky because, while we were having breakfast on the boat, we could already see a little one walking on the beach.
We were taken ashore by speedboat again. As soon as our group was complete and the ranger arrived, we could start our journey in search of even more Komodo monitor lizards, including interesting information from the ranger. For your own safety, the park is only accessible with an authorized ranger. We first walked along the beach, where we already saw 2 gigantic Komodo dragons. Then, we went a bit into the jungle, where we saw one more. We also saw a cockatoo, black-naped orioles and some timor rusa deer.
Interesting facts about the Komodo dragons:
- They can run up to 20 km/h.
- They can swim up to 700 m, but they don’t like it.
- There live approximately 1,500 living dragons on Komodo Island, together with other animals such as the timor rusa deer and approximately 1100 bird species.
- They can survive on only 12 meals a year.
- Komodo monitors are the largest lizards alive. They can weigh up to 100kg and being up to 3m long.
- They live on only a few islands of Komodo National Park and are classified as an endangered species.
- They eat almost every kind of meat: from small reptiles, to large animals, such as water buffalos. They are cannibals and have also killed human victims in the past.
Pink Beach
After the tour, it was time to leave the island and move on to Pink Beach. From the boat, the beach didn’t seem so pink at all, but once on the beach, it was clear why it was named pink beach. Don’t expect a very bright pink like you see in some over-edited photos, but we were still pleasantly surprised about the color. We spent some time on the beach here and enjoyed the beautiful underwater world while snorkeling.
Padar island
We left Pink Beach and continued our trip towards Padar Island. The original plan was to wait until sunset to start the climb to the top of the hill. However, the weather threw a spanner in the works. It looked like it was going to rain, so we decided to start the climb earlier.
After a short but steep climb of 20 minutes, we reached the top and were rewarded with this beautiful and iconic panoramic view! Starting earlier was a good decision because after enjoying the view from the top for about 10 minutes, it started to rain and it was time to return to the boat. We sailed a little further, enjoyed the sunset from the deck with the whole group, and then dropped anchor at Manjarite Island for the night.
Day 4: Kelor island - Flores
The last day of this unique trip. We woke up on the boat for the last time and were able to dive straight into the water to go snorkeling with turtles. Some of the group were lucky and saw several turtles in the water. Then, it was time to sail on to our last stop: Kelor Island. Here, we were taken to the beach by speedboat again and we could go snorkeling one last time. There was a good chance of seeing black-tip baby sharks at this spot and we were lucky. We saw 2 of them! What a nice end to the trip.
Once again on board, it was time to set sail for the port of Labuan Bajo. We said goodbye to the group and were taken ashore with our luggage by speedboat. The end of a fantastic adventure and the beginning of the next: exploring Flores.
This 4-day Komodo boat trip is one of the most unique experiences we have had in Indonesia. It was not only a fun trip, but also practical because we were able to visit a lot of the best things to do in Komodo National Park, tick off many things on our bucket list, and because it was also our transport between the different islands. We highly recommend this experience to anyone. Be sure to compare prices and routes from different organizations, so that you find the route that best suits your wishes and budget!
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Win-Win for everyone
Did you know that, if you buy or book something through our links, we receive a small commission?
However, you still pay the same and therefore have no extra costs! So a win-win for everyone. This way, we can continue to add even more travel inspiration and tips to this blog for your next adventure. Thanks a lot!
