Raffles Cruise

Raffles Cruise is a 33-metre wooden phinisi built in 2023, sailing from Labuan Bajo into Komodo National Park on 3 day 2 night sharing trips. It has six air-conditioned cabins with ocean views and private bathrooms with hot showers, for twelve guests and more with the extra beds, and Wi-Fi is included.

Raffles Cruise has room to spread out: an indoor lounge and bar, indoor and outdoor dining areas, and an outdoor relaxation area with bean bags and even a mini golf. A crew of eight looks after the guests, and a fibreglass speedboat takes them to the beaches and the reefs.

• Length 33 m, beam 6.5 m
• Built in 2023
• 6 cabins with ocean views and private bathrooms
• Crew of 8
• Fibreglass speedboat with a 40 hp Yamaha engine

Raffles Cruise is a new boat with two master cabins that few sharing trips can match: Malacca I with a private jacuzzi and Malacca II with a private bathtub, both with a private balcony. Families and groups of friends have cabins for three or four guests, and couples have the Borneo rooms on the upper deck.

Sharing trips leave on Mondays and Fridays, and on some Thursdays, so there are more dates to choose from than on most boats. The departure list on this page shows every one of them.

All six cabins on Raffles Cruise have air conditioning and a private bathroom with a hot shower. Malacca I and the two Borneo rooms are on the upper deck, Malacca II and the two Java rooms on the main deck.

Malacca I. The best cabin on board has a queen bed, two single beds, a private balcony and a private jacuzzi, for up to four guests.

Malacca II. The second master cabin has a queen bed and a single bed, a private balcony and a private bathtub, for up to three guests.

Borneo Rooms. The two deluxe rooms on the upper deck each have a double bed for two guests.

Java Rooms. The two deluxe rooms on the main deck each take two guests and a third on an extra bed, with the lowest price on Raffles Cruise.

Prices on Raffles Cruise 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. Raffles Cruise picks you up at the airport or your hotel in Labuan Bajo between 8:00 and 9:30, 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 full day in the park begins with the trek up Padar Island before breakfast, for the view over three bays with sand of different colours. Raffles Cruise 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. Raffles Cruise 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.

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.

Padar Island. A stepped path climbs to the viewpoint in about half an hour, with a view over three bays and beaches of white, pink and black sand.

Komodo Island. Rangers lead the group through the forest to see the Komodo dragons, which can grow to three metres, and explain how the park protects them.

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.

With six cabins and a crew of eight, life on Raffles Cruise is relaxed and well looked after. On the second morning the group goes ashore early to climb Padar, 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 Raffles Cruise lies at anchor, and the evening moves to the bar, the karaoke or the bean bags under the stars.

Raffles Cruise 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.

The reefs are mostly shallow and easy for beginners, with reef fish at every stop, turtles around Siaba and manta rays at Manta Point when the current is right. The speedboat of Raffles Cruise takes the group to the reefs and the beaches, and between the stops the canoe and the paddle board are free to use.

Three meals a day are served on board, with mineral water, coffee and tea and an afternoon snack with juices. Raffles Cruise has an indoor dining area and an outdoor one, so every meal can be eaten in the cool or in the sea breeze. Many guests start the day with a coffee on deck to watch the sunrise over the islands.

The indoor lounge has air conditioning, sofas, a bar, a TV and karaoke, and the outdoor relaxation area has bean bags and a mini golf for the hours between the stops. Wi-Fi is included, there are charging points for phones and cameras, and the crew records the highlights with a camera, a drone and a GoPro.

Raffles Cruise is powered by a Mitsubishi 8DC16 engine, with a Mitsubishi generator for the power on board. Its tanks hold 4,000 litres of fuel and 9,000 litres of fresh water, and the fibreglass speedboat has a 40 horsepower Yamaha engine.

For safety, Raffles Cruise carries a life raft for 50 people, life buoys, fire extinguishers and a flare gun, and an EPIRB distress beacon. The crew navigates with a compass, GPS and AIS and keeps in touch with VHF and handheld radios.

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

On a private charter the whole of Raffles Cruise 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 two master cabins and the large lounge make Raffles Cruise a good boat for a family celebration or a group of friends.

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 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 Raffles Cruise 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.

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

Labuan Bajo, a harbour town on the west coast of Flores, is the starting point for every trip into Komodo National Park. Komodo Airport (LBJ) has direct flights from Bali and Jakarta, and the flight from Bali takes a little over an hour.

Raffles Cruise picks you up between 8:00 and 9:30 on the first day, so it is easiest to fly in the day before and spend the night in Labuan Bajo. On the last day the transfer reaches the airport at about 13:00, in time for an afternoon flight, and the transfers to and from the boat are included.

You can book Raffles Cruise 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 Raffles Cruise 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
• 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 Raffles Cruise take? Twelve guests in six cabins, and more when the Malacca and Java rooms use their extra beds.

Which cabin has a jacuzzi? Malacca I on the upper deck, which also has a private balcony and room for four.

Which cabin has a bathtub? Malacca II on the main deck, with a private balcony and room for three.

Can a family of four share one cabin? Yes. Malacca I has a queen bed and two single beds for up to four guests.

How do I get from the airport to the boat? The transfer is included: Raffles Cruise picks you up at Komodo Airport or at your hotel in Labuan Bajo between 8:00 and 9:30 on the first day.

When does Raffles Cruise leave? Sharing trips leave Labuan Bajo on Mondays and Fridays, and on some Thursdays, and return on the third day.

Is there Wi-Fi on Raffles Cruise? Yes. The connection depends on the mobile 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 Raffles Cruise 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 Raffles Cruise? Mineral water, coffee and tea are included all day, with juices in the afternoon. Alcoholic drinks are not included.

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