Komodo Sharing Trip Liveaboard

What is a Komodo sharing trip?

A Komodo sharing trip is a boat trip through Komodo National Park on a fixed date, where you book a cabin instead of the whole boat. Other travellers book the remaining cabins, so the crew, the guide and the deck are shared and the price is per person. In Labuan Bajo you will also hear it called an open trip or a shared trip; all three names mean the same thing.

Most boats on these trips are phinisi, the traditional wooden sailing ships of South Sulawesi, built with modern cabins, bathrooms and air conditioning. You sleep on board while the boat moves between the islands, and each day starts at a new stop. The park itself has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991.

How a sharing trip works

• Fixed departures. Each boat publishes its own dates. Most trips start in Labuan Bajo with a pick-up at your hotel or the airport between about 8:00 and 10:00, and end back in town around midday on the last day.
• You book cabins, not the boat. Choose one or more cabins and say how many guests sleep in each. Couples and friends usually take a double or twin cabin, and solo travellers can book a cabin marked “Solo OK” or a bed in a shared cabin.
• You share the boat. The group size depends on the boat, from small phinisi with a handful of cabins to larger ones for twenty guests or more. Every boat page lists its cabins and how many guests it takes.
• The route is set. The crew follows the boat’s itinerary, and the captain can change the order of the stops for the tides, the weather or the rules of the park.

A 3D2N sharing trip, day by day

Most sharing trips last 3 days and 2 nights (3D2N), the length with the most departures. A typical route looks like this:

• Day 1: sail from Labuan Bajo to Kelor for a short climb, snorkel at Manjarite and watch the flying foxes leave Kalong Island at dusk.
• Day 2: climb Padar at sunrise, swim at the Pink Beach, walk with the park rangers to see the Komodo dragons, then stop at the Taka Makassar sandbar and Manta Point.
• Day 3: a last snorkel at Siaba or Sebayur, then back in Labuan Bajo around midday.

The full itinerary with times is on the 3 days 2 nights page. For a slower trip, see the 4 days 3 nights page, and the boats that sail between Lombok and Labuan Bajo have their own Lombok page.

What the price includes

The price is per person and depends on the boat, the cabin and the date: a bed in a shared cabin or a small double costs much less than a large cabin with a balcony. The lowest current price is shown at the top of this page, and every boat page shows the price of each cabin for each departure before you book.

On most boats the price includes your cabin, all meals, drinking water, coffee and tea, the snorkelling equipment, the guide, the stops and the transfers in Labuan Bajo. The Komodo National Park entrance fee is added to your invoice per person, IDR 650.000 for foreign guests and IDR 400.000 for Indonesian citizens on most boats. Flights, hotels, travel insurance and tips are not included. Each boat page lists what is and is not included, and the park fees guide explains the entrance fee.

Sharing trip or private charter?

• Price: a sharing trip is paid per person, a private charter per boat.
• Dates: a sharing trip sails on the boat’s fixed dates, a private charter on the date you choose.
• Company: on a sharing trip you travel with other guests, on a charter the boat and crew are only for your group.
• Route: a sharing trip follows the set itinerary, on a charter the route and pace can be agreed with the operator.
• Best for: solo travellers, couples and small groups usually choose a sharing trip. Families and groups that would fill most of the cabins should compare the price of a private charter.

Choosing your departure

Start with the date, then the cabin. The quick filters at the top of this page show the trips leaving in the next 30 days, the departures with two or more free cabins and the cheapest trips first. On each boat page the price calendar shows which cabins are still free, and the cabin list shows the bed types, the bathroom and how many guests each cabin takes.

On a short trip most of the day is spent on deck, on the beaches and in the water, so a good value cabin is often enough. The dry season from April to November brings calm seas, and July and August are the busiest months, so choose those dates early.

Booking and payment

Choose a boat and a departure, select your cabins and enter your details. Your cabins are held while you book, and the invoice arrives by email within 24 hours. You pay a 50% deposit within 72 hours and the balance 60 days before the trip, or the full amount if you book less than 60 days ahead. The trip is confirmed when the deposit arrives, and a sharing trip can be rescheduled up to 65 days before departure. Read how to book and the cancellation policy for every step.