Le Costa

Le Costa is a wooden phinisi of 27.8 metres with a beam of 8.45 metres, built in the traditional style of the Bugis boats and fitted out for comfortable trips in Komodo National Park. Six cabins sleep up to eighteen guests, and a crew of twelve and a cruise director look after them from the moment Le Costa leaves Labuan Bajo.

A Yanmar engine of 500 horsepower gives a cruising speed of about seven knots. Two Mitsubishi generators of 50 kVA and a portable generator supply the power on board, and the tanks hold 12,000 litres of fuel and 15,000 litres of fresh water, enough for the whole four-day route.

• Length 27.8 m, beam 8.45 m, draft 2.8 m
• Up to 18 guests in 6 cabins, each with a private bathroom
• Crew of 12 and a cruise director
• Home port: Labuan Bajo, Flores

With only six cabins for up to eighteen guests, Le Costa feels personal, and there is always a quiet corner on one of its decks. The cabins are named rather than numbered, the master cabin has a jacuzzi bath, and the family cabin sleeps up to six, which is rare on boats of this size.

The four-day route is another reason. A three-day trip has to choose between the north and the south of the park; Le Costa has time for both, from the ridge of Gili Lawa Darat and the reefs of Siaba to Padar, the Long Pink Beach and the Komodo dragons. A cruise director travels on every trip and looks after the programme of each day.

All six cabins on Le Costa have air conditioning and a private bathroom with a hot shower. They carry the names of Mediterranean resorts and are spread over three decks, so every guest can choose between more space, a higher view or a lower price.

Santorini is the master cabin, on the main deck. It has a super king bed, room for a third guest on an extra bed and a bathroom with a jacuzzi bath, a good choice for couples on a special trip. It is booked by at least two guests.

Capri and Marbella are twin cabins on the main deck. Each has a queen bed and a window on the sea, and each sleeps two guests.

Ibiza and Monaco are on the upper deck. Each has a queen bed, a view of the sea and space for an extra bed, so a third guest can share the cabin.

Portofino is the family cabin on the lower deck. It has two queen beds for four guests and two extra beds for up to six, which makes it the natural choice for a family or a group of friends. It is booked by at least four guests.

Prices on Le Costa are per person and depend on the cabin, and a guest on an extra bed pays the extra bed price. 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. Le Costa picks you up in Labuan Bajo at about 10:00. The first stops are Sebayur and Siaba, two small islands with shallow reefs for an easy first snorkel; Siaba is also known for the green turtles that feed on its sea grass. The day ends at Gili Lawa Darat, where a short but steep path climbs to a ridge with wide views over the north of the park.

Day 2. The morning starts at Taka Makassar, a sandbar in the middle of the sea that shows at low tide, and continues to Manta Point, where manta rays often feed in the current. After lunch Le Costa stops at the Long Pink Beach, known for its pink-tinted sand, and then at Loh Liang on Komodo Island, where park rangers lead a walk to see the Komodo dragons in the wild.

Day 3. The third day begins with the climb up Padar Island, whose viewpoint looks over three bays with sand of different colours. Pengah is the snorkelling stop of the day, with a coral wall and plenty of reef fish. In the evening the boat waits off Kalong Island, where thousands of flying foxes leave the mangroves at sunset.

Day 4. The last morning snorkels at Manjarite and walks on Kelor, a small island with a short climb and a view back towards Labuan Bajo. Le Costa is back in the harbour at about 13:00.

The order of the stops can change with the tides, the weather and the rules of the park, and the crew chooses the best moment for each visit. Snorkelling and treks are always optional, so guests who prefer to rest can stay on board and enjoy the sun deck.

Meals are served on board every day, with afternoon tea, free-flow mineral water and soft drinks included. Guests share a bright lounge and a dining room with a bar, and there are sofa beds on every deck for a rest in the shade or in the sun.

The sun deck on the roof is the place to watch the sunset, and the bow has cushioned sunbeds that face the islands. Le Costa has Wi-Fi, a TV and a karaoke set for the evenings, and every cabin has towels and toiletries.

For the water there are stand-up paddle boards and snorkelling gear, and a dinghy takes guests from Le Costa to the beaches and the reefs. The crew takes care of the meals, the cabins and the boat, while the cruise director looks after the programme of each day.

Le Costa carries two life rafts for 25 people each, 50 life jackets, four lifebuoys and flares and smoke signals, together with an EPIRB and a SART that send the position of the boat to rescuers in an emergency. Every cabin has a fire extinguisher, and there is a fire blanket on board.

For navigation the crew uses GPS, AIS, radar and NAVTEX, with VHF and SSB radios and a satellite phone to stay in contact where there is no mobile signal.

On a sharing trip you book one or more cabins on a scheduled departure and share Le Costa with other guests. Most sharing trips run from Thursday to Sunday, and in the middle of the year there are extra departures from Monday to Thursday.

The price is per person, most cabins are booked by at least two guests and Portofino by at least four, and the Komodo National Park fee is added to the invoice. A family or a group of friends can book several cabins on the same departure.

On a private charter the whole boat and its crew are yours, and you choose the dates and the pace of the trip. Charter prices for Le Costa are quoted on request: send us your dates and the size of your group and we will check them with the operator.

Komodo National Park was created in 1980 and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. It protects the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard on earth, which lives only on Komodo, Rinca, the west of Flores and a few smaller islands, as well as some of the richest coral reefs in Indonesia.

The park covers dry, hilly islands and the sea between them, where strong currents bring food to manta rays, turtles, reef sharks and large schools of fish. Walks among the dragons on Komodo and Rinca are always led by park rangers, and every guest pays the park entrance fee, which is added to the invoice of every Le Costa trip.

Komodo is at its best in the dry season, roughly from April to November, when the sea is usually calm, the sky clear and the hills of the islands turn golden. Le Costa runs most of its sharing trips in these months.

December and the first months of the year bring the rains, with greener islands and fewer boats in the park. Le Costa keeps a few sharing departures in December, while the first months of the year are open for private charters.

The sea stays warm all year, and the best snorkelling usually comes with calm weather and slack tides. 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.

Le Costa picks guests up at about 10:00 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 boat is back at about 13:00, and a flight in the late afternoon leaves enough time for the transfer to the airport.

The transfer between the harbour in Labuan Bajo and the boat is included in the price. Flights and hotels are not.

You can book Le Costa 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 Le Costa sharing trip includes:

• Meals on board, afternoon tea, free-flow mineral water and soft drinks
• Snorkelling gear and stand-up paddle boards
• Towels and toiletries, Wi-Fi, TV and karaoke
• The transfer between the harbour and the boat
• Photos and videos of the trip, and a cruise director

The Komodo National Park entrance fee is paid per person per trip: IDR 1.200.000 for foreign guests and IDR 650.000 for Indonesian citizens, and it is added to the invoice. Flights, travel insurance, alcoholic drinks and tips for the crew are not included.

How many guests does Le Costa take? Up to eighteen guests in six cabins, with a crew of twelve and a cruise director.

Can a family share one cabin? Yes. Portofino sleeps four on two queen beds and up to six with the extra beds, and Santorini, Ibiza and Monaco each take a third guest on an extra bed.

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

Is there Wi-Fi on Le Costa? Yes, there is Wi-Fi on board, but the connection depends on the mobile network in each part of the park and can be slow at times.

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 see the Komodo dragons? Yes. On the second day Le Costa stops at Loh Liang on Komodo Island, where park rangers take guests on a walk to see the dragons.

Where does the trip start and end? In Labuan Bajo. Le Costa picks you up at about 10:00 on the first day and is back at about 13:00 on the last day.

Can I book Le Costa for a private group? Yes. The whole boat can be chartered for your dates; ask us for a quote with the number of guests.

How long is the trip on Le Costa? Four days and three nights. The boat leaves Labuan Bajo at about 10:00 on the first day and is back at about 13:00 on the fourth.

Is Le Costa a good choice for a honeymoon? Santorini, the master cabin with a super king bed and a jacuzzi bath, is the most private choice for a couple, and the sun deck at sunset does the rest.

What happens if the weather changes? The crew adapts the route: stops can change order or give way to a sheltered bay, always within the rules of the park and the instructions of the harbour master.