Komodo liveaboard from Labuan Bajo: one night or two, shared cabin or your own?
5 min read
The answer first. For most people, one night is enough: the 2D1N Komodo and Pink Beach Shared Boat Tour is €159.73 per person, rated 4.2 from 520 reviews, and covers Kalong at dusk and Padar, Pink Beach, Komodo Island and Manta Point on day two. Take two nights if you want a slower pace, the snorkelling at Siaba on day three, or a cabin that is not shared.
| Trip | Nights | Cabin | Day three | From | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2D1N Komodo and Pink Beach Shared Boat Tour | 1 | Shared cabin | none, back between 5 and 6 pm on day two | €159.73 | 4.2 | 520 |
| 3D2N Budget Komodo Liveaboard with Shared Cabin | 2 | Shared cabin, mixed gender, shared bathroom | Siaba, back in the harbour at 12:30 pm | €280.91 | 4.4 | 40 |
| 3-Day Komodo Sailing Tour | 2 | Phinisi with air-conditioned cabin; small group limited to 4 | Sebayur and Kanawa on the list of stops | €296.37 | 4.7 | 117 |
| 3-Day Komodo Sailing and Overland Tour, 12 Stops | 2 | Air-conditioned cabin with bathroom, standard or superior | By land: Rangko Cave, Waecicu Beach, Sylvia Hill; drop-off about 6:30 pm | €255.14 | 4.5 | 47 |
| 2-Night Komodo Liveaboard on Phinisi Boat | 2 | Boat category Superior, Deluxe or Luxury; price per group of up to 2 | No day-by-day plan; stops include Siaba, Kelor and Manjarite | €747.37 | 4.5 | 10 |
One night against two
The one-night trip fits the main sights into two days: Kelor, Manjarite and the flying foxes of Kalong on day one, then Padar at sunrise, Pink Beach, Komodo Island and Manta Point. The budget liveaboard adds a third morning at Siaba, which its listing calls one of Komodo’s best snorkelling spots, known for sea turtles, and the 3-day overland trip ends on land instead.
The cabin is the real difference
On the one-night trip a solo traveller may have to share a bed with a stranger if no single bed is free, according to the listing. The budget liveaboard has a shared cabin that may be mixed-gender, with a shared bathroom and either single beds or a queen bed depending on availability. The 3-day sailing tour and the overland trip list an air-conditioned cabin; the overland listing adds a bathroom and says child life jackets are on board. The 2-night phinisi booking is by boat category, not by a named boat, and the operator confirms the boat later.
Fees are quoted four different ways
The budget liveaboard says IDR 650,000 per person for park, snorkelling and wildlife fees must be settled in advance because of a daily visitor quota. The 3-day sailing listing names park tickets for three days, at 350,000 for Indonesians and 650,000 for foreigners, next to excluded items such as flights and gratuities, so they are most likely not in the price; confirm it. The overland listing says park fees are prepaid only for options that include the park ticket. The 2-night phinisi listing names entrance fees of up to IDR 750,000 and a fuel surcharge per person by boat category in a list that mixes inclusions and exclusions, so confirm what is in the price. We could not confirm the official tariff, so compare the total with fees, not the headline price.
Who should not book
The 3-day sailing tour lists non-swimmers and people prone to seasickness as not suitable; the 2-night phinisi lists the same and adds pregnant women and people with back problems; the budget liveaboard lists pregnant women. Several listings say the programme can change with weather, sea conditions or park instructions. The budget listing recommends arriving a day early and booking a flight home after 2 pm on the last day.
Our recommendation
One night: the 2D1N shared boat. Two nights on a budget: the 3D2N shared cabin liveaboard. If you want your own cabin, read the cabin lines above first. All options are in the liveaboard category.
