Marea

Marea is a 36-metre wooden phinisi with a beam of seven metres, sailing from Labuan Bajo into Komodo National Park on 3 day 2 night sharing trips for up to eighteen guests. Its eight air-conditioned cabins on three decks all have a private bathroom with hot and cold water, and Wi-Fi is included on board.

Marea is a spacious boat with indoor and outdoor dining, cosy lounges, a karaoke lounge and a large sun deck with loungers. The cabins range from the Royal Cabin with a 270° sea view to sharing cabins that are sold by the bed.

• Length 36 m, beam 7 m
• Up to 18 guests in 8 cabins with private bathrooms
• Hot and cold showers
• Wi-Fi on board
• Sharing trips on Fridays and Mondays

Marea means tide in Spanish and Italian, and the tides shape every trip in Komodo. They decide when the sandbar of Taka Makassar rises from the sea, when the manta rays come to feed at Manta Point and how the boat moves between the islands.

That is why the order of the stops on Marea can change from one trip to the next: the crew plans each day around the tides and the weather, so the group reaches each place at a good moment.

All eight cabins on Marea have air conditioning and a private bathroom. The Royal Cabin and the two Deluxe Cabins are on the upper deck, the two Signature Cabins on the main deck, and the Superior Cabin and the two sharing cabins on the lower deck.

Royal Cabin. The best cabin on board has a 270° view of the sea, a private balcony, a bathtub and a separate shower and toilet, with an extra bed for a third guest.

Signature Cabins. Two cabins on the main deck with a 180° sea view, a private balcony and a bathtub, each for two guests.

Deluxe Cabins. Two cabins on the upper deck with a 90° sea view, each for two guests.

Superior Cabin. A cabin on the lower deck with a double bed for two guests.

Sharing Cabins. Two cabins on the lower deck with two or three single beds, sold by the bed, with the lowest prices on Marea.

Prices on Marea 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 beds are still free on each departure.

The two sharing cabins make Marea a good choice for solo travellers. Each single bed is booked on its own, so you pay for one bed instead of a whole cabin, and both sharing cabins have their own bathroom.

Meals, snorkel stops and treks are shared by the whole group, and the lounges and the sun deck are easy places to meet the other guests on board.

Day 1. Marea picks you up at the airport or your hotel in Labuan Bajo between 8:00 and 10:00 and sets sail, with lunch on board. The first stop is Kelor, a small island with a short, steep hike to a wide view of the bay. Next comes Manjarite for the first snorkel, and the day closes at Kalong Island, where thousands of flying foxes rise from the mangroves at sunset.

Day 2. An early start takes the group up Padar Island for the view over three bays, and breakfast follows on board. Marea then sails to the Pink Beach for snorkelling and sunbathing and on to Komodo Island, where park rangers guide the walk to see the Komodo dragons. In the afternoon 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 trip ends with a snorkel at Siaba or Sebayur, two islands with shallow reefs; Siaba is known for its green turtles. Marea 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. Every snorkel and trek is optional, so guests who prefer to rest can stay on board.

Kelor Island. The first trek of the trip is short but steep, and the top of the hill looks over turquoise water and the islands around Labuan Bajo.

Komodo Island. The dragon walk is the heart of the trip. Rangers lead the group along a forest trail to see the Komodo dragons, which can grow to three metres, and explain how they live and hunt.

Taka Makassar. A sandbar of white sand appears in the middle of the sea at low tide, with clear, shallow water all around it.

Manta Point. On this reef, also called Makassar Reef, reef manta rays come to feed and to be cleaned by small fish. They are seen in most months, although never on every visit.

The rhythm on Marea is set by the sun and the tides. On the second morning the group goes ashore early to climb Padar, then returns to breakfast on board before the Pink Beach and the dragon walk on Komodo Island. Lunch is served as the boat sails on.

The afternoon is for the water, with Taka Makassar and Manta Point and a snack with juices in between. Dinner is served indoors or outdoors while Marea lies at anchor, and the evening belongs to the karaoke lounge and the loungers on the sun deck.

Marea 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 accompanies the group.

Most of the reefs are shallow and suit beginners, with reef fish at every stop, turtles around Siaba and manta rays at Manta Point when the current is right. Between the stops, the canoes and paddle boards of Marea 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. Marea has an indoor dining room and an outdoor dining area, so every meal can be eaten in the cool or in the sea breeze.

The cosy lounges and the large sun deck give every guest a place to rest between the stops, and the karaoke lounge comes alive in the evening. Wi-Fi is included, and the crew records the highlights with a camera, a drone and a GoPro.

Marea is powered by an 8DC11 main engine of 340 horsepower, with two 40 kVA generators for the power on board. For navigation the crew uses Garmin charts and keeps in touch with VHF and MF radios.

On a sharing trip you book a cabin, or a bed in a sharing cabin, on a scheduled departure and share Marea 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 Marea is yours, with its crew. Charters run for two days and one night, three days and two nights or four days and three nights, and the price depends on the length of the trip.

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

Komodo National Park was established in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard in the world, and it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. Its dry hills, savannah and mangroves are home to the dragons, which live only on Komodo, Rinca, the west of Flores and a few smaller islands.

The park is just as famous under water: currents between the islands feed coral reefs full of fish, turtles and manta rays. Rangers lead every walk among the dragons, and the park entrance fee is added to the invoice of every Marea trip.

The dry season, roughly April to November, is the high season in Komodo, with calm seas, clear water and golden hills. December and the first months of the year are wetter, and the islands turn green.

The departure list on this page shows every sharing date of Marea 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.

Marea picks you up between 8:00 and 10:00 on the first day, so an early flight or a night in Labuan Bajo before the trip both work. 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 Marea online with live availability: choose a departure, pick your cabins or beds 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 Marea 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
• Wi-Fi

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 Marea take? Up to eighteen guests in eight cabins.

Can I book a single bed? Yes. The beds in the two sharing cabins are sold one by one, so a solo traveller pays for one bed.

Which cabin is best for a couple? The Royal Cabin on the upper deck, with a 270° sea view, a private balcony and a bathtub, or a Signature Cabin on the main deck.

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

Is there Wi-Fi on Marea? Yes. The connection depends on the network in each part of the park and can be slow at times.

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 Marea 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 Marea for my own group? Yes. The whole boat can be chartered for two to four days for up to ten guests; ask us for a quote with your dates.