A liveaboard is a vessel where every detail is built around diving: tank racks on the dive deck, in-house compressors, camera-prep stations, dive briefings on a saloon screen, and three to four dives a day from launch to debrief.
A phinisi can dive, but a liveaboard is designed to dive. The difference shows up everywhere: a low-freeboard dive deck instead of a sun deck, tank racks where the lounge chairs would be, an on-board compressor rather than visiting fills, and a daily schedule built around dive briefs and surface intervals instead of meals.
For dedicated divers logging 18–24 dives in a week, this is the format that makes the trip work.
The classic Komodo liveaboard itinerary loops the park: south for Manta Alley, Cannibal Rock, Yellow Wall, and the muck-diving sites around Horseshoe Bay; central for Batu Bolong, Tatawa Besar, Mawan; north for The Cauldron, Castle Rock and Crystal Rock at slack tide; and out beyond to Banta Island and Sangeang volcano. A 7–10 day liveaboard covers all of it.
Land-based dive operators in Labuan Bajo can take you to the central sites in a long day. They cannot reach Manta Alley, Castle Rock at proper slack tide, or any of the southern or far-northern sites. If you want the full Komodo dive experience, a liveaboard is the only format that works.
38m boutique liveaboard, 7 cabins, 14 divers, full Nitrox, dive deck with rinse tanks and camera stations.
50m wellness liveaboard — dive by day, spa by night. 12 cabins, 24 divers, on-board spa team.
Dedicated technical-dive liveaboards with twinset support, deco gas blending, and large dive deck.
60m expedition liveaboard for long-range Komodo + Forgotten Islands journeys. 15 cabins, 30 guests.
AOW + 30 logged dives is the strong recommendation for Castle Rock, Crystal Rock, Manta Alley, and the southern sites. OW divers can join but will be restricted to gentler sites — you’ll get fewer dives per day at sites with current.
Yes, on most of our liveaboards — either included or as a daily surcharge. Confirm at booking.
Yes, but a liveaboard is built for divers. Non-divers will have lots of surface and snorkel time but the daily rhythm is dive-centric. For a non-diver-friendly format, look at a phinisi or motor yacht.
18–24 over 7 nights at sea. Photographers and rebreather divers usually budget slightly fewer; technical divers more.
