Komodo liveaboard 4 days 3 nights

This is the charter route of several Komodo liveaboard boats from Labuan Bajo; sharing trips of the same length can differ, and each boat page shows its own plan.

Day 1. Pick-up at the airport or your hotel in Labuan Bajo between about 8:00 and 10:00, lunch while the boat sails, a short climb on Kelor, a first snorkel at Manjarite and the flying foxes of Kalong Island at dusk.

Day 2. An early climb up Padar, then the Pink Beach, the walk with the park rangers on Komodo Island, the sandbar of Taka Makassar and Manta Point in the afternoon.

Day 3. The extra day goes north. The morning starts with the climb up Gili Lawa Darat and a snorkel at Gili Lawa Laut, followed after lunch by the turtles of Siaba. The day ends at Kanawa, with a last snorkel and the sunset.

Day 4. A morning snorkel at Sebayur, lunch on board, and the return to Labuan Bajo around midday, with the drop-off at about 13:00.

Compared with three days, a fourth day on a Komodo liveaboard takes the pressure off. The second day no longer has to fit every highlight, and the third day reaches the north of the park, where the climb up Gili Lawa Darat ends at a wide viewpoint and the reefs are often quieter than at the famous stops.

You also get a third night at anchor, more time in the water and a later start on some mornings. For many guests that is the difference between seeing Komodo and enjoying it. It also leaves a little room in the plan: if the weather moves one stop, the crew can often fit it in later in the trip.

Four days and three nights is also the length of the Komodo liveaboard trips between Lombok and Labuan Bajo, on boats such as Alfathran 3, Lady Grace and Sukha Sail 1. They follow the north coast of Sumbawa and end in Komodo, so you see more than the park itself.

On Alfathran 3, for example, the shuttle collects you in Kuta, Senggigi or Bangsal on the first morning and drives across Lombok to Kayangan Harbour, and the boat sails in the afternoon to Kenawa Island. The second morning is spent in Saleh Bay, known for its whale sharks, followed by Savana Beach. The third day is a full day in Komodo National Park with Manta Point, Komodo Island, the Pink Beach and Padar, and on the fourth morning the boat stops at Manjarite and Kelor before reaching Labuan Bajo around midday.

In Saleh Bay whale sharks often feed around the bagan, the fishing platforms of the local fishermen, early in the morning. Guests can watch from the boat or swim with them with a mask and snorkel, keeping a few metres away and never touching them. Sightings are common but never guaranteed, because the sharks are wild animals.

Kenawa is a small island with a white beach and a grassy hill for the sunset, and Savana Beach is a quiet stop on the Sumbawa coast. These stops make the crossing a trip of its own rather than a transfer.

There are fewer sharing departures of four days than of three, and many of them are on the Lombok routes, where you book a cabin and share the boat with other travellers. From Labuan Bajo, four days is more often a private charter, with the whole boat and crew for your group and a start date of your choice.

Because Komodo liveaboards differ in size, compare the number of cabins and guests on each boat page. A group that fills most of a boat may find a private charter better value than separate cabins, and it gives you the route and the pace you want.

The starting prices at the top of this page come from the live rates of each boat. Sharing trips are priced per person by cabin, and private charters per boat. On some boats a charter is priced per night, so a fourth day adds the same amount as each night before it, and guests above the group size pay a set price per extra guest.

The Komodo National Park entrance fee is added to your invoice per person per trip. It is IDR 650.000 for foreign guests and IDR 400.000 for Indonesian citizens on most boats from Labuan Bajo, and higher on the Lombok routes, for example IDR 800.000 and IDR 400.000 on Alfathran 3, IDR 1.000.000 and IDR 500.000 on Sukha Sail 1 and IDR 1.200.000 and IDR 700.000 on Lady Grace. See the park fees.

For a trip between Lombok and Labuan Bajo you fly into one island and out of the other. Lombok International Airport (LOP) and Komodo Airport (LBJ) both have direct flights from Bali and Jakarta, so many guests start or end their holiday in Bali.

Book a one-way flight home from the place where the boat ends, and leave the afternoon of the last day free for the transfer. On the Labuan Bajo routes the boat is usually back around midday on the fourth day.

A Komodo liveaboard of four days suits travellers who want the famous stops and a quieter day on top: couples on a longer holiday, groups of friends who want time to swim and relax, and families who prefer a gentler pace than three busy days.

It is also the natural choice if you want to travel between Lombok and Flores without flying back, because the Komodo liveaboard becomes your transport as well as your hotel. If you only have a long weekend, a three day trip covers the essentials.

Over three nights the cabin matters more than on a short trip. On each Komodo liveaboard page, look at the bed types, how many guests each cabin takes, the bathroom, the air conditioning and, on most boats, the deck plan, which shows where each cabin is. Shaded sun decks and a lounge make the hours between the stops more comfortable.

Check the route and the end point too: some four day trips return to Labuan Bajo and others end in Lombok. The list above shows every boat with trips of this length, and the price calendar on each boat page shows which dates still have free cabins.

Four days give more time in the water. Besides Manjarite, the Pink Beach, Taka Makassar and Manta Point, a four day Komodo liveaboard often snorkels at Gili Lawa Laut, at Siaba, where green turtles are common, and at Kanawa before the sunset. Masks, snorkels, fins and life jackets are on board, and the guide joins the group in the water.

The treks are short but steep: Kelor on the first day, Padar at sunrise on the second and Gili Lawa Darat on the third. Wear closed shoes, bring water and go early, when the air is cooler.

Three nights on a Komodo liveaboard settle into a rhythm: early starts for the treks, snorkelling and beaches in the middle of the day, and evenings at anchor with dinner on deck. The crew cooks three meals a day, and drinking water, coffee and tea are always at hand.

Take a book or download a few films, because the signal comes and goes between the islands, although some boats have Starlink Wi-Fi. Pack as for a short trip, with one or two extra sets of swimwear so there is always a dry one.

The dry season from April to November brings calm seas and clear skies, with July and August the busiest months and the most departures. From December to March there is more rain, the sea can be rougher on the open crossings and some boats pause. Whale sharks in Saleh Bay are seen in many months, but no season guarantees them. See the best time for a Komodo liveaboard.

For a sharing trip you choose a boat and a departure, select your cabins and receive the invoice within 24 hours; a 50% deposit is due within 72 hours and the balance 60 days before the trip. For a private charter you send a request with your dates, and nothing is paid until the operator confirms within 24 hours. Read how to book a Komodo liveaboard.

Plan to arrive the day before your Komodo liveaboard starts, in Labuan Bajo or in Lombok depending on the route, so a delayed flight does not cost you the first day. The transfer to the boat is included on most boats, and the crew collects you at the airport or your hotel.

Check the boat page for what is included and what is not, and remember that the park fee is added to your invoice. Travel insurance is not included, so arrange it before you go, and tell us about food allergies, diets or a special occasion when you book, so the operator knows before a four day Komodo liveaboard sets sail.

Is four days better than three? If you have the time, yes for most people: the same highlights at a calmer pace, plus Gili Lawa, Siaba and Kanawa on many boats.

Can I start in Lombok? Yes. Boats such as Alfathran 3, Lady Grace and Sukha Sail 1 sail between Lombok and Labuan Bajo; see the Lombok to Komodo trips.

Will I see whale sharks? On the Lombok routes they are often seen in Saleh Bay, but never guaranteed.

Do I need a visa for Lombok and Flores? Both are part of Indonesia, so the same entry rules apply as for Bali.

What time does the trip end? Around midday on the fourth day on most routes from Labuan Bajo and on the Lombok to Labuan Bajo trips.

Can a group book the whole boat? Yes. Send a private charter request on the boat page with your dates and group size.

How many guests are on board? It depends on the boat; each Komodo liveaboard page shows its cabins and the largest number of guests it takes.

Is there Wi-Fi? Some boats have Starlink Wi-Fi, and the boat page says which. Between the islands the phone signal comes and goes.