Cordelia

Cordelia is a 30-metre phinisi sailing from Labuan Bajo into Komodo National Park on 3 day 2 night sharing trips for up to fourteen guests. Its five air-conditioned cabins are named after gemstones, and every cabin has a private bathroom with a hot shower.

Cordelia has a cabin for every kind of traveller: an ocean-view room for a family of four, a room with twin beds for two friends and a shared room where solo travellers book a single place. Canoes and paddle boards are on board for the time between the islands.

• Length 30 m
• Up to 14 guests in 5 cabins with private bathrooms
• Hot showers in every cabin
• Sharing trips on Fridays and Mondays
• Home port: Labuan Bajo, Flores

The cabins of Cordelia are named Diamond, Sapphire, Pearl, Ruby and Crystal. The two ocean-view rooms, Diamond and Sapphire, are the jewels of the boat, while Pearl, Ruby and Crystal on the lower deck offer the same air conditioning and hot showers at a lower price.

The mix suits groups of every shape. A family can take the Diamond room, two friends the Ruby room with its twin beds, and solo travellers a place in the Crystal room, all on the same departure of Cordelia.

All five cabins on Cordelia have air conditioning and a private bathroom with a hot shower. The Diamond room is on the main deck, the Sapphire room on the upper deck, and the Pearl, Ruby and Crystal rooms on the lower deck.

Diamond Room. The best cabin on board has a queen bed and a view of the ocean, with two extra beds for up to four guests.

Sapphire Room. An ocean-view cabin on the upper deck with a queen bed and an extra bed for a third guest.

Pearl Room. A cabin on the lower deck with a queen bed for two guests.

Ruby Room. A cabin on the lower deck with twin beds, a good choice for two friends.

Crystal Room. A shared room on the lower deck with two queen beds for four guests, booked per person, with the lowest price on Cordelia.

Prices on Cordelia 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 and places are still free on each departure.

Day 1. Cordelia picks you up at the airport or your hotel in Labuan Bajo between 7:30 and 8:00, and lunch is served once the boat sets sail. The first stop is Kelor, a small island with a short, steep trek and a wide view of the bay. Manjarite follows for the first snorkel, and the day ends at Kalong Island, where thousands of flying foxes leave the mangroves at sunset.

Day 2. The longest day starts before breakfast with the trek up Padar Island, whose viewpoint looks over three bays with beaches of different colours. Cordelia 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 the boat stops at Taka Makassar, a sandbar that appears at low tide, and 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. Cordelia 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, so guests who prefer to rest can stay on board.

Padar Island. A stepped path leads to the viewpoint in about half an hour, and the view over the three bays of Padar is one of the best-known in Indonesia. The early start means cooler air and soft morning light.

Komodo Island. Park rangers lead a walk through the dry forest to see the Komodo dragons, which can grow to three metres. The group walks together and keeps its distance, and the ranger explains the life of the dragons and the rules of the park.

Pink Beach. The sand owes its colour to microscopic red organisms called foraminifera, mixed with the white sand, and the reef starts a few metres from the shore.

Kalong Island. Kalong is the Indonesian word for flying fox. At dusk thousands of them rise from the mangroves and fly off to feed, a sight best watched from the deck.

Manta Point. Also known as Makassar Reef, Manta Point is a feeding and cleaning area for reef manta rays. They are seen in most months of the year, though never on every visit.

A day on Cordelia follows the light. On the second morning the group leaves the boat early to climb Padar before the heat, and breakfast is served on board after the walk down. The Pink Beach and the dragon walk on Komodo Island fill the rest of the morning, and lunch is served as the boat sails on.

The afternoon belongs to the water, with Taka Makassar and Manta Point and a snack with juices in between. Dinner is served on board while Cordelia lies at anchor in a quiet bay, and the evening is free for the stars and an early night before the sunrise.

Cordelia 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 stays with the group at every stop.

Most of the reefs are shallow and easy for beginners, with reef fish at every stop, turtles that are often seen at Siaba and manta rays that come to Manta Point when the current is right. Between the stops, the canoes and paddle boards of Cordelia 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. Many guests take their first coffee of the day on deck to watch the sunrise over the islands, and every meal is cooked on board and served around the stops of the day.

After a day of snorkelling, the hot showers in every cabin are a welcome comfort. A tour guide joins every trip to explain the stops and the rules of the park, and the crew records the highlights with a camera, a drone and a GoPro, so the photos and videos of your trip come home with you.

On a sharing trip you book a cabin, or a place in the Crystal room, on a scheduled departure and share Cordelia 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 Cordelia is yours, with its crew. Charters run from two days and one night up to seven days and six nights, and the price depends on the length of the trip. 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 twelve 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 Cordelia 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.

The departure list on this page shows every sharing date of Cordelia that is still open. For other dates, a private charter of the whole boat is often possible: ask us with your dates.

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.

Cordelia picks you up early, between 7:30 and 8:00 on the first day, so it is best 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 Cordelia online with live availability: choose a departure, pick your cabins or places 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 Cordelia 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
• Canoes, paddle boards 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 Cordelia take? Up to fourteen guests in five cabins.

Can I book a single place? Yes. The Crystal room is booked per person, so a solo traveller pays for one place.

Can two friends have separate beds? Yes. The Ruby room on the lower deck has twin beds.

Which cabin suits a family? The Diamond room on the main deck, with a view of the ocean and beds for up to four guests.

Which cabins have an ocean view? The Diamond room on the main deck and the Sapphire room on the upper deck.

Is there hot water on Cordelia? Yes. Every cabin has a private bathroom with a hot shower.

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

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 Cordelia 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.

Are drinks included on Cordelia? Mineral water, coffee and tea are included all day, with juices in the afternoon. Alcoholic drinks are not included.

How do I get from the airport to the boat? The transfer is included: Cordelia picks you up at Komodo Airport or at your hotel in Labuan Bajo between 7:30 and 8:00 on the first day.

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