The Komodo National Park ranks among the world’s best diving spots. Consequently, its topography and marine diversity make it a scuba diver’s paradise. If you’re eager to explore it on a liveaboard trip, this post is tailored for you!
This post will give you all the information on scuba diving in Komodo and what you can expect on a 3D/2N cruise on a liveaboard.
(Updated Feb 2024)
Komodo Budget Diving Guide & Everything You Need to Know
Internet & Wifi in Komodo
Purchase a local SIM card upon arrival at the airport to stay connected during your stay in Komodo and Indonesia. Multiple providers offer affordable data plans, allowing you to access the internet and navigate the island conveniently.
Alternatively, I’d suggest purchasing an eSIM to never have to be without internet. This is especially handy if you ever arrive late at night at a new destination!
Best Time To Go Diving in Komodo
You can dive all year round in the Komodo National Park. The dry season ranges from April to December and the rainy season from January To March.
Where To Start Your Komodo Liveaboard Trip
The main city in Flores and the closest to the Komodo National Park is Labuan Bajo. There are direct flights from Bali which take about 1 hour. There are a range of airlines that you can choose and the price for a return ticket is roughly 1.000.000 IDR (50 USD).
Choosing The Right Liveaboard
Charter or Group Tour
Deciding on a boat tour boils down to budget and availability. Accordingly, you can opt for a regular tour or charter your boat.
Choosing to charter a boat with a group of friends can be the best option. It gives you ultimate freedom over the itinerary, starting and end date and a more private experience.
Budget or High-End Diving in Komodo Liveaboard
The options for liveaboards range from simple budget boats to high-end, luxurious sailing ships.
For a budget liveaboard, with shared sleeping arrangements, you can expect prices to start at US$2100 for the whole boat for 3D/2N. Divide this by the maximum amount of people and you might end up at 110 – 140 US$ per person, per day.
For a luxurious cruise with private cabins that lasts up to 10 days, expect to pay 500 US$ per day.
A good starting point to look for liveaboards and compare options is www.liveaboard.com. There is also www.divingsquad.com which reviews various price categories – super helpful!
If you are active in the scuba diving community you can also contact diving shops directly and see if they offer liveaboard trips. This might save you some bucks $$$ as it’s easier to negotiate on rates and get a better deal.
I recommend Wunderpus Liveaboard – a wonderful company that caters to travelers who want to go offbeat, away from the tourists. This couldn’t have been more us!
They’re offering two types of boats, one for budget-conscious travelers and a luxurious one for up to 8 people. We opted for the budget-friendly Mimic Liveaboard. It can host up to 6 people, got lots of chill-out areas and was perfect for us.
What’s Included on a Liveaboard Trip:
- All of the diving and snorkeling equipment
- Full-board including snacks, water, coffee & tea (wine and beer could be purchased)
- Bedding, towels, shampoo
What’s Not Included in a Liveaboard Trip:
- Local tourism Tax (100.000 IDR per diver, per day)
- Komodo National Park Fee (175.000 IDR per person, per day)
- Komodo National Park Trekking Fee for either Rinca, Komodo or Padar
- Fee of 1,000.000 Million IDR or 70 USD per day if you want to use a drone
My Komodo Diving Itinerary 3D/2N
This itinerary will give you an idea of what is possible to experience in 3 days and 2 nights when you dive in Komodo on a liveaboard.
Check the flights available. Oftentimes you must arrive one day beforehand, as most trips start early morning. Check if the diving company offers to pick you up from the airport!
Wunderpus kindly offered to discuss the itinerary that day to make sure we were happy with it. At this point, we would also try on our gear and make sure we are set for the upcoming days.
A great option to stay in Labuan Bajo is the Green Hill Boutique Hotel. The place has a restaurant on-site, offering fantastic views of the bay and they got their roastery in-house. A double room costs 45 USD.
Book Your All Top Hotels in Komodo, Labuan Bajo
Day 1: Leaving Labuan Bajo to North Komodo
Pick up at 7.30 am from the harbor in Labuan Bajo. We included North Komodo’s dive sites into the itinerary as we heard it’s the best. And, not to spoil anything but it is!
In total you will dive 3 times on day 1 in Komodo.
The Komodo dive sites we visited were:
Sebayur Kecil I Tatawa Besar I Mawan
Those were designed to ease you into the dives, less challenging current and yet a great taste of what Komodo has to offer.
Day 2: North Komodo + Drive to Padar Island
Starting the day early, we had our first dive at 7.30 am. We visited the fantastic site of Castle Rock – an absolute must for diving!
Back on board, a delicious pancake breakfast awaited us. All in all there is always time to relax in between dives.
The second dive started at around 9 am at The Cauldron. It’s a challenging site that you specifically need to visit when the current isn’t too strong. A large part of the dive is a drift dive. We saw Napoleon Brasse, blacktip reef sharks, turtles and other big pelagic fish.
One back on the boat, you can expect a substantial lunch – SO needed after 2 dives.
In the afternoon we arrived at our third dive spot called Crystal Rock. An amazing dive site that is more of a Pinnacle dive, featuring fantastic topography and a variety of fish.
From there, we drove towards Padar Island for our last dive of the day – a night dive. Wohoo!
If you are planning to do a night dive, you need to either have the Advanced Open Water Certification or complete an Adventure Dive Certification prior. Our company offered to include the test and book review into the itinerary at the amazing price of 25 USD.
Once we all successfully passed the test, we were good to go; consequently, we could jump into the water just after sunset.
We finished the day with more food, completed our log books and headed to bed early.
In total, we did 4 dives on Day 2.
The Komodo dive sites we visited were:
Castle Rock I The Cauldron I Crystal Rock I Shipwreck near Padar
Day 3: Morning Hike to Padar Island + Return To Labuan Bajo
Although slightly early, the 4 am wake-up call and the boat engine’s roar marked the start of one of my personal highlights last week.
Visiting Padar Island as part of your Komodo Diving Trip
Padar Island is an iconic destination located within the Komodo National Park in Indonesia. It’s renowned for its breathtaking panoramic views, diverse landscapes, and pristine beaches. The island is characterized by its rugged terrain, with rolling hills, rocky cliffs, and lush greenery.
How to Visit Padar Island
Officially the Padar Island office opens at 6 am – too late to catch the sunrise! Our boat captain accompanied us to the island and after a few phone calls and waiting, a ranger appeared.
There are some 800 stairs leading up to two visitor platforms. The path is made out clearly and can be done without any specific shoewear.
After the last visitor platform, you can continue up the hill via a dirt path nonetheless. This I think proved to be the nicest spot for photos and to see the islands at their fullest.
PS: If you arrive as early as we did – prepare yourself to run up those stairs. We tried to get to the top as fast as we could, making it in 15 minutes.
Absolutely out of breath, we still caught the sunrise, the pink color reflected in the bays. This was effectively one of the most magical moments
If you want to have more time on the island and combine it with a visit to Komodo Island to see the Komodo Dragon, I recommend booking this Full Day Komodo Sailing Tour.
*Padar Trekking Fee: 15.000 IDR pp + 150.000 IDR per group of 5 people for a ranger
After breakfast, we were heading towards Central Komodo again. We spent a couple of hours at this beautiful patch of the park, crystal clear water, sharks appeared out of nowhere, and turtles passed by.
The last two dive sites after all were Batu Bolong and Manta Point. Both are famous for Manta sightings and sea turtles.
Around 3 pm we headed back towards Labuan Bajo, our hearts full of memories.
In total, we did 2 dives on Day 3
The Komodo dive sites we visited were:
Batu Bolong I Manta Point
What To Bring To Go Diving in Komodo
- Reef-save sunscreen such as the one from Raw Elements
- Earplugs & sleeping mask – mine is from Typo
- Camera! Mine is the Canon 6D
- An underwater camera such as GoPro
A liveaboard trip in my opinion is the best way to explore Komodo National Park. Although we haven’t seen the Komodo Dragons, the underwater world was just as unique. As a scuba diver, it’s a highlight and something I can only recommend!
I hope this shows you that a trip to explore the Komodo National Park is possible on any budget!
Finally a reminder, please make sure to wait 24 hours after your last dive before you hop on a plane. I hope you’ll have the best time diving in Komodo and hopefully explore some of the land sights as well!
Have You Read My Other Bali Posts? Dive Into Them Here:
Explore Munduk with my 2-Day Munduk Guide & The Best Things to See
Head to North Bali and discover 16 AMAZING Places You Have to Experience!
The top things to photograph in Amed: Amed Bali – 3 Day Photography Trip
My Top Experience To Do in Bali: Mount Batur Sunrise Hike
Lastly, when in Bali, you should also visit Sumba: Sumba, The 20 Most Amazing Places to See
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