Segara

Segara is a 25-metre wooden phinisi sailing from Labuan Bajo into Komodo National Park on 3 day 2 night sharing trips for up to fourteen guests. Every cabin has air conditioning and a queen bed, there is Wi-Fi on board, and the cabins range from a Master Cabin with a private balcony to a shared cabin booked per person.

Segara is a simple, friendly boat with a dining room and a social area to relax between the islands, and an affordable way to see the dragons, Padar and the reefs of Komodo.

• Length 25 m
• Up to 14 guests
• Air-conditioned cabins with queen beds
• Wi-Fi on board
• Home port: Labuan Bajo, Flores

Segara is the word for sea in Javanese and Balinese, from the old Sanskrit word for the ocean. It is a fitting name for a boat that spends its days between the reefs, the beaches and the islands of Komodo.

The choice of cabins on Segara is wide for a boat of its size: a Master Cabin with a balcony, a Deluxe and a Superior cabin with a private bathroom, a Standard cabin and a shared cabin for travellers on their own.

All cabins on Segara have air conditioning and a queen bed. The Master Cabin Balcony and the Deluxe Cabin are on the upper deck, and the Superior, Standard and Sharing cabins on the main deck.

Master Cabin Balcony. The best cabin on board has a queen bed, a private balcony and a private bathroom.

Deluxe Cabin. A cabin on the upper deck with a queen bed and a private bathroom.

Superior Cabin. A cabin on the main deck with a queen bed and a private bathroom.

Standard Cabin. A cabin on the main deck with a queen bed and a shared bathroom.

Sharing Cabin. A shared cabin with two queen bunk beds for up to four guests and a private bathroom, booked per person, with the lowest price on Segara.

Prices on Segara 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.

The Sharing Cabin makes Segara a good choice for solo travellers. Each place is booked on its own, so you pay for one place instead of a whole cabin, and friends travelling together can book two, three or all four places on one departure.

Meals, snorkel stops and treks are shared by the whole group, so a solo traveller on Segara is never on their own for long. The Sharing Cabin also has its own bathroom, used only by the guests in that cabin.

Day 1. Segara picks you up at the airport or your hotel in Labuan Bajo in the morning, and lunch is served as the boat heads into the park. The first stop is Kelor, a small island with a short, steep trek and a fine view of the bay. Manjarite follows for the first snorkel of the trip, and at sunset the boat waits off Kalong Island as thousands of flying foxes leave the mangroves.

Day 2. Before breakfast the group climbs Padar Island, whose viewpoint looks over three bays with sand of different colours. Segara 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 there are two more stops: Taka Makassar, a sandbar that appears at low tide, and Manta Point, where manta rays often feed in the current.

Day 3. After breakfast the final snorkel is at Kanawa Island, with its white beach and clear, shallow reef. Segara 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.

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.

Padar Island. The climb on a stepped path takes about half an hour, and the reward is one of the best-known views in Indonesia: three curving bays with beaches of different colours.

Komodo Island. With a ranger in front, the group walks through the forest to see the Komodo dragons in the wild. The adults can grow to three metres, and the rangers keep everyone at a safe distance.

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

Kanawa Island. A small island with a white beach and a reef that starts right off the sand, a gentle last snorkel before the return to Labuan Bajo.

Days on Segara start early and end slowly. On the second morning the group goes ashore 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 in the dining room as the boat sails on.

The afternoon is for Taka Makassar and Manta Point, with a snack and juices in between. In the evening Segara anchors in a quiet bay for dinner, and the night belongs to the social area and the stars over the park.

Segara 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 Kanawa on the last morning. Fins, masks, snorkels and life jackets are included, and the guide accompanies the group.

Most reefs on the route are shallow and suit beginners, with reef fish at every stop and manta rays at Manta Point when the current is right. Between the stops, the canoe and the paddle board of Segara are free to use around the boat.

Three meals a day are served in the dining room, with mineral water, coffee and tea and an afternoon snack with juices. The social area is the place to rest between the stops and watch the islands go by, and many guests take their first coffee of the day on deck to watch the sunrise. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are cooked on board and served around the stops of the day.

Wi-Fi keeps you in touch where the connection allows. 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.

On a sharing trip you book a cabin, or a place in the Sharing Cabin, on a scheduled departure and share Segara with other guests. Most sharing trips leave on Fridays, the price is per person, and each trip lasts three days and two nights.

On a private charter the whole of Segara 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 and the size of the group.

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

Komodo National Park, between Sumbawa and Flores, was created in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard on earth. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, and its islands are a mix of dry hills, savannah, mangroves and white and pink beaches.

The sea between the islands is one of the richest in Indonesia, with coral reefs, turtles, reef fish and manta rays. Park rangers lead every walk among the dragons, and the park entrance fee is added to the invoice of every Segara trip.

The dry season, roughly from April to November, brings calm seas, clear water and golden hills, and it is the busiest time in the park. December and the first months of the year are wetter, with greener islands and fewer boats.

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

Segara picks you up in the morning of the first day, so it is easiest 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 Segara 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 Segara 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 Segara take? Up to fourteen guests.

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

Which cabin is best for a couple? The Master Cabin Balcony on the upper deck, with a private balcony and a private bathroom.

Do all cabins have a private bathroom? All except the Standard Cabin, which uses a shared bathroom.

Can four friends share a cabin? Yes. The Sharing Cabin takes up to four guests, and friends can book all four places together.

Is Segara good for families? Yes. A family can book several cabins on the same departure, or charter the whole boat for up to fourteen guests.

Is there Wi-Fi on Segara? 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 Segara 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 Segara? 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: Segara picks you up at Komodo Airport or at your hotel in Labuan Bajo on the morning of the first day.

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