Elrora Liveaboard

Elrora Liveaboard is a 23-metre wooden phinisi built in 2024, one of the newest boats sailing from Labuan Bajo into Komodo National Park on 3 day 2 night sharing trips. It takes up to sixteen guests in six air-conditioned cabins, each with a private bathroom with hot and cold water.

With a beam of 6.2 metres, Elrora Liveaboard is wide for its length, which leaves room for indoor and outdoor dining areas, a chill-out lounge and a sun deck. Sharing trips leave twice a week, on Fridays and Mondays.

• Length 23 m, beam 6.2 m
• Built in 2024
• Up to 16 guests in 6 cabins with private bathrooms
• Hot and cold showers
• Sharing trips on Fridays and Mondays, 3 days 2 nights

Elrora Liveaboard combines a new boat with cabins for every kind of traveller. Couples can choose the Master Room with its private jacuzzi or a Deluxe Room with a private bathtub, both with a private balcony, while the Family Room on the lower deck sleeps four.

The boat is also well equipped for navigation, with radar, AIS and a full set of radios, and its two weekly departures make it easy to fit the trip into a holiday in Labuan Bajo.

All six cabins on Elrora Liveaboard have air conditioning and a private bathroom with a hot and cold shower. The Master Room is on the main deck, the two Deluxe Rooms on the upper deck, and the two Superior Rooms and the Family Room on the lower deck.

Master Room. The best cabin on board has a king-size bed, a private balcony and a private jacuzzi, with an extra bed for a third guest.

Deluxe Rooms. The two Deluxe Rooms on the upper deck each have a queen-size bed, a private balcony and a private bathtub, with an extra bed for a third guest.

Superior Rooms. The two Superior Rooms on the lower deck each have a queen-size bed for two guests.

Family Room. The Family Room on the lower deck has a double bed and two single beds for up to four guests, and the lowest price per person on Elrora Liveaboard.

Prices on Elrora Liveaboard are per person and depend on the cabin. The cabin cards on this page show the current price of every cabin, and the booking form shows which cabins are still free on each departure.

Day 1. The transfer collects you at the airport or your hotel in Labuan Bajo between 8:00 and 9:30, and Elrora Liveaboard sets sail with lunch on board. The first stop is Kelor, where a short, steep path climbs to a view over the bay. Manjarite follows for the first snorkel, and in the evening the boat anchors off Kalong Island, where thousands of flying foxes leave the mangroves at sunset.

Day 2. The day begins with the trek up Padar Island and its view over three bays. Elrora Liveaboard then sails to the Pink Beach for snorkelling and sunbathing and on to Komodo Island, where park rangers lead the walk to see the Komodo dragons. After lunch there is time at Taka Makassar, a sandbar that appears at low tide, and a snorkel at Manta Point, where manta rays often feed in the current.

Day 3. After breakfast the last snorkel is at Siaba or Sebayur, two islands with shallow reefs; Siaba is known for its green turtles. Elrora Liveaboard is back in Labuan Bajo at about 12:00, and the transfer drops you at the airport or your hotel at about 13:00.

The order of the stops can change with the tides, the weather and the rules of the park. Snorkelling and treks are always optional, and guests who prefer to rest can stay on board.

Kelor Island. The first stop is also the first climb: a short but steep path to the top of the hill, with a view over the turquoise water and the islands around Labuan Bajo.

Kalong Island. Kalong is the Indonesian word for flying fox, and at dusk thousands of them leave the mangroves of this small island to feed on the larger islands. The boat anchors close by, so the deck is the best seat.

Padar Island. The view from the top of Padar, over three bays with beaches of white, pink and black sand, is one of the best-known in Indonesia.

Taka Makassar. This sandbar of white sand appears in the middle of the sea at low tide, surrounded by clear, shallow water that is ideal for a swim.

On Elrora Liveaboard the day starts with the sunrise. On the second morning the group climbs Padar before the heat, and the Pink Beach and Komodo Island fill the rest of the morning. Lunch is served in the indoor dining room while the boat moves on to the afternoon stops.

After Taka Makassar and Manta Point, with a snack and juices in between, the evening begins on the sun deck of Elrora Liveaboard. Dinner is served on board, inside or in the outdoor dining area, and the night is free for music on the Bluetooth speaker, the chill-out lounge or the stars over the park.

Elrora Liveaboard stops at five snorkelling spots on the 3 day 2 night trip: Manjarite on the first afternoon, the Pink Beach, Taka Makassar and Manta Point on the second day, and Siaba or Sebayur on the last morning. Fins, masks, snorkels and life jackets are on board, and the guide is with the group at every stop.

The reefs are mostly shallow and easy for beginners, with reef fish at every stop, turtles that are often seen at Siaba and manta rays at Manta Point when the current is right. Between the snorkels, the canoe and the paddle board of Elrora Liveaboard are free to use around the boat.

Three meals a day are served on board, with mineral water, coffee and tea and an afternoon snack with juices. Elrora Liveaboard has an indoor dining room and an outdoor dining area, so every meal can be eaten in the cool or in the breeze.

The sun deck is the place for the sunsets, and the chill-out lounge is the place to rest between the stops. A Bluetooth speaker plays your own music, and the bathrooms have hot and cold water. A tour guide joins every trip, and the crew records the highlights with a camera, a drone and a GoPro.

Elrora Liveaboard cruises at seven to ten knots and carries eight tonnes of fresh water. For navigation the crew uses a Furuno radar, GPS, a Garmin echo sounder, a class A AIS, a compass and binoculars.

On the radio side there is an ICOM VHF radio, an ICOM SSB radio and ten handheld radios, so the boat, the dinghy and the guide stay in touch during every excursion.

On a sharing trip you book one or more cabins on a scheduled departure and share Elrora Liveaboard with other guests. Sharing trips leave on Fridays and Mondays for three days and two nights, and the price is per person.

On a private charter the whole of Elrora Liveaboard is yours, with its crew. Charters run from two days and one night up to five days and four nights, and the price depends on the length of the trip and the size of the group. A longer charter leaves time for quieter bays and more snorkel stops.

The charter tab on this page shows the charter rates for each trip length, for groups of up to sixteen guests. Send us your dates and we will check them with the operator.

Komodo National Park lies between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores. It was created in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard on earth, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. The dragons live only on Komodo, Rinca, the west of Flores and a few smaller islands.

The currents between the islands feed some of the richest reefs in Indonesia, where snorkellers meet turtles, reef fish and manta rays. Walks among the dragons are always led by park rangers, and every visitor pays the park entrance fee, which is added to the invoice of every Elrora Liveaboard trip.

The dry season, roughly from April to November, brings calm seas, clear water and golden hills, and it is the busiest time in Komodo. December and the first months of the year are wetter, with greener islands and fewer boats in the park.

Elrora Liveaboard has sharing departures twice a week from March to December. The sea stays warm all year, and the departure list on this page shows every date that is still open.

Labuan Bajo, on the west coast of Flores, is the gateway to Komodo National Park. Komodo Airport (LBJ) has direct flights from Bali and Jakarta, and the flight from Bali takes a little over an hour.

Elrora Liveaboard picks you up between 8:00 and 9:30 on the first day, so it is easiest to arrive the day before and spend a night in Labuan Bajo. On the last day the transfer drops you at the airport at about 13:00, in time for an afternoon flight. The transfers between the airport or your hotel and the boat are included in the price.

You can book Elrora Liveaboard online with live availability: choose a departure, pick your cabins and send the booking. A 50% deposit is due within 72 hours and the balance 60 days before the trip; bookings made less than 60 days ahead are paid in full. The payment policy and the cancellation policy give the details.

Every Elrora Liveaboard sharing trip includes:

• Transfers between the airport or your hotel and the boat
• Three meals a day, mineral water, coffee, tea, an afternoon snack and juices
• Shore excursions with a tour guide
• A canoe, a paddle board and snorkelling gear
• Photos and videos by camera, drone and GoPro

The Komodo National Park entrance fee is paid per person per trip, at one rate for foreign guests and a lower rate for Indonesian citizens, and it is added to the invoice. Flights, hotels, travel insurance, alcoholic drinks and tips for the crew are not included.

How many guests does Elrora Liveaboard take? Up to sixteen guests in six cabins.

Which cabin has a jacuzzi? The Master Room on the main deck, which also has a private balcony and a king-size bed.

Which cabin suits a family? The Family Room on the lower deck, with a double bed and two single beds for up to four guests.

When does Elrora Liveaboard leave? Sharing trips leave Labuan Bajo on Fridays and Mondays and return on the third day.

Is there hot water on Elrora Liveaboard? Yes. Every cabin has a private bathroom with a hot and cold shower.

Do I need to be a good swimmer? No. Snorkelling is optional, fins, masks and life jackets are on board, and many stops are beaches, viewpoints and the dragon walk.

Can I see the Komodo dragons? Yes. On the second day Elrora Liveaboard stops at Komodo Island, where park rangers take guests on a walk to see the dragons.

What should I bring? Light clothes, a hat, sunglasses, reef-safe sunscreen, sandals and closed shoes for the treks, a light jacket for the evenings and any personal medicine.

Can I charter Elrora Liveaboard for my own group? Yes. The whole boat can be chartered for two to five days for up to sixteen guests; ask us for a quote with your dates.