Komodo National Park, East Nusa Tenggara
Komodo National Park packs strong currents, manta cleaning stations, warm northern reefs and cold, plankton-rich southern bays into an area a liveaboard can cross in a single night.
A Komodo liveaboard is the most efficient way to dive Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991 that covers the islands of Komodo, Rinca and Padar and the straits between them. Day boats from Labuan Bajo reach the central sites, but the far north and the southern bays need a boat that sleeps on location. Three Neptune boats operate here: King Neptune, Neptune One and the small-group Komodo Sea Dragon.
The park sits where the Flores Sea meets the Indian Ocean, and the tide pushes water through narrow channels between the two several times a day. That exchange feeds the reefs and draws in mantas, sharks and big schools, and it also makes Komodo one of the more demanding dive areas in Indonesia. Divers who want to build experience before a trip often start with day diving from Labuan Bajo or a short stay at the Neptune Komodo resort.
Most liveaboard itineraries run 5 to 8 nights as a loop from Labuan Bajo, with 15 to 21 dives split between the warm northern pinnacles and the cooler southern bays, plus a ranger-guided walk to see Komodo dragons. For a detailed site-by-site view, the Komodo diving guide covers day trips and resort diving as well.
Komodo can be dived all year, but the dry season from April to November has the calmest seas and is when most liveaboards operate. July to September brings the clearest water in the north; the wet season from December to March has more rain and wind but is the peak for mantas in the south.
The two halves of the park run on different calendars. In the dry season the southeast trade winds can make the southern crossing to Horseshoe Bay rougher, while the north is calm and clear. In the wet season the pattern flips, with the northwest monsoon bringing swell to the northern sites and plankton blooms to the south, which is what draws the mantas. February is the month most often lost to weather.
Neptune's King Neptune and Neptune One both run their Komodo programmes from late June to August, while Komodo Sea Dragon is based in Labuan Bajo and sails 5 to 8 night park trips through the year.
The best known Komodo dive sites are the current-swept pinnacles of the north and centre, the manta cleaning stations, and the cold-water walls of the south. Several have their own detailed guides on this site, linked below.
A submerged seamount where divers hook in or shelter behind the rock to watch grey reef and whitetip sharks, giant trevally and huge schools of fusiliers. Negative entries are standard because of the current.
A rock that breaks the surface at low tide, with soft coral, turtles and schooling fish on the down-current side. Visibility here is often the best in the park.
A tiny island with a hole through it, surrounded by some of the densest coral cover in Komodo. The current splits around the rock, so dives are planned for slack water on the sheltered side.
A sandy bowl that funnels into a narrow channel, firing divers through a shallow coral saddle at speed. Mantas and sharks are seen in the bowl before the ride.
A long, shallow rubble reef where reef mantas feed and visit cleaning stations. The dive is usually a fast drift, and snorkellers often see the mantas too.
A calm bay often called Turtle City, used for check dives, night dives and macro. Green and hawksbill turtles rest in the shallows.
A southern pinnacle covered in sea apples, soft coral and frogfish, in water that can drop to 22°C. Photographers rank it among the most colourful dives in Indonesia.
A wall of yellow soft coral and crinoids, with nudibranchs, frogfish and pygmy seahorses for those who look closely.
A set of rocks and channels where groups of mantas gather to clean, especially in the wet season. Surge and cold water make it a more advanced dive.
North and central Komodo are warm, clear and current-driven, while the south is colder, greener and far richer in invertebrate life. Most liveaboards include both, crossing overnight between them.
In the north, water from the Flores Sea sits at 27 to 29°C with visibility often above 20 m. The draws are sharks, schooling fish and tidal drifts at sites such as Castle Rock and Batu Bolong. In the south, cold upwelling from the Indian Ocean can bring the temperature down to 22°C and the visibility to 8 to 15 m, but the plankton supports dense soft coral, sea apples, frogfish and larger groups of mantas.
The practical result is that one 7-night trip can call for two different wetsuits. A 3 mm suit is enough in the north, and many divers switch to 5 mm with a hood in the south. Nitrox helps on the repetitive 20 to 25 m profiles that are common here; the Enriched Air Diver course can be completed on board.
Every Komodo liveaboard schedules at least one land excursion. Komodo dragons, the largest living lizards, live only on Komodo, Rinca, Gili Motang, Gili Dasami and parts of Flores, and visits to Komodo or Rinca island are made on foot with a park ranger.
The walk usually takes one to two hours and is timed for early morning, before the heat. Other common stops include the sunrise hike up Padar Island to the famous three-bay viewpoint and Pink Beach, whose colour comes from fragments of red foraminifera and coral mixed into the white sand. On the evening before or after, many boats anchor near Kalong Island to watch thousands of flying foxes leave the mangroves at dusk.
Dragon walks are included on all three Neptune boats' Komodo itineraries. Travellers who want more time ashore can add a Komodo National Park tour before or after the cruise.
Labuan Bajo on the western tip of Flores is the departure port for almost every Komodo liveaboard. Once a fishing village, it has grown into a busy harbour town with hotels, restaurants and the expanded Komodo Airport, which handles direct flights from Bali in a little over an hour.
Liveaboards collect guests from the airport or town hotels before 12:00 on day one and return to the harbour the night before the last day, with checkout by 10:00. Arriving a day early gives a buffer against flight changes and is a good chance to do a refresher dive. The Neptune dive centre in Komodo runs day trips and courses for those who want to warm up first.
Komodo is best known for reef mantas, grey reef and whitetip sharks, turtles, giant trevally and big schools of fish, with a strong macro scene in the colder southern bays.
| Species | Where | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reef manta rays | Manta Point, Manta Alley, Gili Lawa | Year-round, peak December to February in the south | Encounters on most liveaboard trips |
| Grey reef and whitetip sharks | Castle Rock, Crystal Rock, Batu Bolong | Year-round | Strongest action on incoming tides |
| Green and hawksbill turtles | Siaba Besar, most reefs | Year-round | Very common |
| Giant trevally and dogtooth tuna | Northern pinnacles | Year-round | Hunting in the current |
| Frogfish and sea apples | Cannibal Rock, south Rinca | Year-round | Cold-water southern sites |
| Pygmy seahorses and nudibranchs | Southern walls and sea fans | Year-round | Ask the guide to find them |
| Dolphins | Channels between islands | Year-round | Often seen from deck |
All three Neptune liveaboards dive Komodo. Komodo Sea Dragon is based here and runs 5 to 8 night loops; King Neptune and Neptune One run Komodo programmes from late June to August, then head east to Alor and the Banda Sea.
35 m wooden liveaboard, 6 cabins, 12 guests
Komodo Sea Dragon carries only 12 guests and stays in the national park, so its trips focus entirely on Komodo dive sites.
| Itinerary | Route | Nights | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Komodo National Park | Labuan Bajo round trip | 5 to 8 | Regular departures, including October and November 2026 |
46 m steel and aluminium yacht, 10 cabins, 20 guests, Nitrox included
King Neptune covers both the north and south of the park on each trip, and continues to Alor at the end of August.
| Itinerary | Route | Nights | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Komodo North and South | Labuan Bajo round trip | 6 to 8 | Late June to August, 2026 and 2027 |
| Komodo - Alor | Labuan Bajo to Alor | 11 | 31 Aug 2026, 30 Aug 2027 |
39 m traditional phinisi, 8 cabins, 16 guests, renovated 2025
Neptune One arrives from Bali in June, runs its Best of Komodo programme through the summer, then sails on to Alor.
| Itinerary | Route | Nights | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bali - Komodo | Bali to Labuan Bajo | 9 | 1 Jun 2026, 20 Jun 2027 |
| Best of Komodo | Labuan Bajo round trip | 5 to 7 | June to early August, 2026 and 2027 |
| Alor - Komodo | Alor to Labuan Bajo | 9 | 9 May 2027 |
| Komodo - Alor | Labuan Bajo to Alor | 9 | 14 Aug 2026, 17 Aug 2027 |
Fly to Komodo Airport (LBJ) in Labuan Bajo, which has direct flights from Bali and Jakarta. Liveaboards collect guests at the airport or town hotels before 12:00 on embarkation day.
Most international travellers connect through Bali (DPS). Jakarta (CGK) also has direct flights to Labuan Bajo.
Bali to Labuan Bajo takes a little over an hour, with several flights a day.
Pick-up from Komodo Airport or Labuan Bajo hotels before 12:00 on day one.
The boat returns to harbour the night before the last day. Checkout is by 10:00, and the 24-hour no-fly rule after diving still applies.
Neptune One's Bali to Komodo crossing is the alternative for divers who prefer to start in Bali; it is covered in the Sumbawa liveaboard guide. Ferries and overland routes through Lombok and Sumbawa exist but take two to three days. Read flying after scuba diving before booking the return flight.
Departure towns and airports may change, and this information is for guidance only. The confirmed departure and return details for each trip are provided during the booking process.
Foreign visitors pay a daily park entrance fee plus small charges for diving and harbour use. Since 1 April 2026 the park also runs a daily visitor quota, booked through the official SiOra system, which liveaboard operators handle for their guests.
| Charge | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Park entrance, foreign visitors | IDR 250,000 per day | Set by Government Regulation No. 36 of 2024, in force since 30 October 2024 |
| Diving activity fee | IDR 25,000 per day | Charged for each diving day |
| Harbour fee | IDR 25,000 | Labuan Bajo port charge |
| Visitor quota | 1,000 visitors per day | Pre-booked through SiOra from 1 April 2026 |
A 7-night liveaboard with six diving days inside the park therefore adds roughly IDR 1.8 to 2 million per diver. A much higher IDR 3.75 million fee for Komodo and Padar islands was proposed in 2022 and later withdrawn. Fees are normally paid on top of the trip price; check the inclusions on each boat page.
All amounts are subject to change without notice, as fees are set by local governments and park authorities.
April to November is the main season, with the calmest seas and clearest water in the north. December to February has more rain but the most mantas in the south.
Five to seven nights covers the north, centre and south of the park. Shorter trips usually skip the southern sites.
Komodo currents can be strong, with down-currents at some sites. They are manageable with Advanced Open Water certification, a reef hook, a surface marker buoy and dives timed to the tide.
Yes. Komodo liveaboards include a ranger-guided walk on Komodo or Rinca island, usually in the early morning.
Foreign visitors pay IDR 250,000 per day for park entrance, plus IDR 25,000 per diving day and a IDR 25,000 harbour fee.
King Neptune, Neptune One and Komodo Sea Dragon all dive Komodo. Komodo Sea Dragon is based there; the other two run Komodo trips from late June to August.
A 3 mm suit is fine for the north. For the south, where the water can drop to 22°C, a 5 mm suit and a hood are recommended.
Advanced Open Water certification with a minimum of 25 logged dives is recommended, because many Komodo sites have strong currents and down-currents.
Almost all Komodo liveaboards depart from Labuan Bajo on Flores. Neptune One also runs a crossing from Bali in June.
Yes. From 1 April 2026 the park limits visitors to 1,000 per day, booked in advance through the SiOra system.
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Schedule and fees checked: October 2026
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