Raja Ampat + Komodo — WATERBORN EXPEDITIONS

KOMODO - 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS

Komodo National Park is the only place on earth where one can encounter Komodo Dragons living freely in the wild, as they are endemic species to the islands.

The park has five main islands, including Komodo, Padar, Rinca, Gili Motang, Nusa Kode, and other small islands. The area also offers beautiful, serene white sand beaches, pink sand beaches, adventurous trekking, and a wild Jurassic landscape.

The protected Komodo National Park was established as a national park in 1980. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1991. Komodo National Park is part of the Lesser Sunda archipelago.

ITINERARY

Subject to change due to weather / animal behavior / ferry schedules

DAY 1 - EMBARCATION

Following a short flight to Labuan Bajo (Flores), you will arrive at the airport where we will pick you up to take you to the harbor.

Our crew will welcome you aboard Anne Bonny. After refreshments and a short tour and explanation about the ship, your safety on board, and the plan for the day, we set off in the direction of Sebayur, where we will do a check dive near Sebayur Kecil.

That night we will also enjoy the first night dive of the trip close to the same island.

DAY 2

The morning starts with a light breakfast followed by a first dive at a World Class Dive site named Batu Bolong (Hollow Rock) in the North of the Komodo strait. This dramatic underwater landscape is home to an incredible variety of fish and soft corals. Sharks, Giant Trevallies, Turtles, Barracudas, and Napoleon Wrasses are often spotted here.

Later in the day, we enjoy a colourful drift dive at Tatawa Besar, a site famous for its orange soft corals.

We head to Karang Makassar for our second dive, also known as Manta Point. It is the best site to see manta rays in large numbers (up to 20 or 30 if you’re lucky).

We will do our last night dive for the day in the same area.

DAY 3

Early in the morning, we dive the southern part of Batu Bolong, one of the most amazing dive sites of the Komodo archipelago.

We will then enjoy a drift dive running through amazing canyons, that lies 15 to 30 meter deep at Siaba Kecil. The canyons with spectacular caves are home to big pelagic fish, sharks, barracuda, and schools of giant trevallies and sweet lips. Lots of turtles can also be seen here.

Our third dive will be at Siaba Besar, a lovely Coral Garden, and a magical underwater playground. Satellite reefs grow beautifully in this protected bay, and a short swim over the sand will allow you to look at many different kinds of hard corals. This sheltered bay with a shallow reef is home to rare creatures such as dugongs, silver-tip sharks, ornate ghost pipefish, frogfish, and octopus.

We will end that great diving day with a night dive in the same location.

DAY 4

Early morning we move North to Gilli Lawa where we have 3 great dives planned for you: Cauldron and the Golden Passage are 2 action-packed drift dives in channels between two islands, and very good sites to experience Komodo’s famous currents.

Here we will find an amazing variety of marine life and underwater topography. The currents are perfect for schools of giant trevallies, groupers, turtles, white tip sharks, and sometimes Manta Rays.

The 3rd dive for the day will be at Coral Garden, a nice relaxing dive amongst some of Komodos’ healthiest coral gardens and great for spotting turtles and critters. We trek up to the famous Gilli Lawa viewpoint in the afternoon to enjoy the sunset over the magnificent landscape.

Night dive is offered in the area.

DAY 5

In the morning, we dive the world-class dive sites of Crystal and Castle rock: a profusion of marine life with over 1000 fish species and 300 different corals to explore on these sites, including various kind of sharks, hunting giant trevallies, clouds of fusiliers, tunas, giant groupers and occasionally dolphins.

While enjoying lunch, we navigate south onto Rinca Island to enjoy a “Dragon Walk” to see the last representative of the Jurassic Park on earth, the infamous Komodo Lizard.

At sunset, we set sail again to the Flying fox island, where every evening, around 6 pm, thousands of fruit bats return to the main island of Rinca. After watching their flight, we enjoy our last BBQ dinner.

DAY 6

After breakfast and the last exchange of photos and memories, the crew will say ourfondest farewell and transport you either to your hotel or airport.

We are looking forward to welcoming you aboard.

GETTING THERE

Komodo National Park park is located on the West side of Flores Island. It is easy accessible by direct flights from Jakarta or Bali. The main airport in the area is labuan Bajo Airport -LBJ.

Labuan Bajo is a harbour town and the departure point to Komodo National Park. There are plenty of hotels and restaurants in Labuan Bajo, to relax in before and after your cruise.

CLIMATE

In Komodo, and on the nearby islands within the National Park (Padar, Rinca, plus other smaller islands), the climate is tropical, hot all year round, with a muggy, rainy season from December to March and a dry season from June to September.

Liveaboard is available for charter in Komodo from April through September.

DIVING

The water temperature is 27 ° C in the north and gets colder towards the south where it can drop down to 22 ° C. A 5 mm long wetsuit and a hood are recommended for this destination. The maximum dive depth is 35 m (100 Feet). Some dives can have significant currents, whirlpools and strong down currents. A good level of diving and some experience in drift diving are recommended to participate in this cruise. Although we always try to perform these dives during the best sea conditions, it might change very quickly. Other dives are more quiet and rich in macro, especially in the south. The visibility in the north is excellent at 30 meters or even more, while it ranges between 10-15 meters in the south.

EXPEDITION VESSEL

Our liveaboard is created for comfortable and safe cruises with family and friends. There are three cabins: a Master Cabin with a large double bed and two bunk beds and two Double cabins with a large double bed and one bunk bed.

The vessel is perfect for 6 adults and 4 kids, but can comfortably fit up to 8 adults. The cabins are spacious, equipped with a bathroom with a hot shower, AC, wall fans, charging station, journaling table and many drawers for safe storage.

DIVING

TEMPERATURE – 27 – 31℃ (80-88°F). WETSUIT – 3 mm

DIVING DEPTH – Max 35 m (100 Feet)

CURRENT – Currents are consistent on a number of dives, while some others are really quiet. Some dives on reefs or pinnacles have to be done on the current exposed side to enjoy the best fish life and can, therefore, be slightly “sporty”. Our dive guides always check the current before the dive and will inform you of the conditions. A reef hook and SMB are recommended

VISIBILITY – Up to 30 m (90 Feet)

INDONESIA LIVEABOARD

LOCATION

DIVING IN KOMODO

In addition to the Komodo dragon as the main attraction, the park also features remarkable diversity of marine ecosystems due to its strategic location within the Coral Triangle, which is known as the richest marine biodiversity in the world, puts Komodo National Park on the list as one of the best scuba diving destinations.

Anne Bonny Liveabaord is available for charter in Komodo from April through September.

LEISURE

The Komodo cruise features lots of fun activities. Visiting two islands where the Komodo dragon roams freely, Rinca Island and Komodo Island, these offer great opportunities for Komodo sightings while learning about their environment.

The famous Pink Beach Island is one of Komodo tour highlights with pristine pink sand beach, crystal clear water, and amazing underwater life.

Swimming side by side with giant Manta Rays is not to be missed. That beautiful marine creature can be spotted year-round within the Park.

ACTIVITIES

Snorkelling on the most famous dive sites of Komodo (Tatawa Besar, Siaba Kecil, Cannibal Rock, etc.)
Drift snorkelling through the channel at Gili Lawa
Tracking to Gili Darat, UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Komodo National Park
Snorkelling with Manta rays on Makassar Reef
Visit the famous Padar Island
Komodo Dragons in the wild
Visit to the famous Pink Beach
Dragon walk on Rinca Ranger Station (komodo dragons)
Observation of flying foxes on Flying Fox island
Paddleboarding and kayaking in the lagoons
Beach parties and hangouts
BBQ onboard