Lombok to Komodo Luxury Boat Trip — 4 Days 3 Nights by Phinisi
Direct operator · Kayangan Harbour → Labuan Bajo · 4 days, 3 nights
The Lombok to Komodo boat trip runs four days east across the Wallace Line: whale sharks over the bagan platforms of Saleh Bay, the crater lake at Satonda, and then Komodo National Park itself — Padar, Pink Beach, Manta Point and the dragons at Loh Liang. You board at Kayangan Harbour in East Lombok and step off at Labuan Bajo on Flores. It is a crossing, not a loop, and it replaces the flight you would otherwise have to buy.
From USD 375 per person (IDR 6,000,000) — booked direct with the operator, not through a marketplace.
Honestly didn’t expect it to be this good. We just showed up and enjoyed every moment. Would absolutely come back🤙
The trip at a glance
| Detail | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Route | Kayangan Harbour, East Lombok → Labuan Bajo, Flores (also runs in reverse) |
| Duration | 4 days, 3 nights — three nights sleeping on board |
| Season | 18 April – 18 November 2026. No departures December–March. |
| Frequency | Roughly every 4–5 days, alternating direction |
| Boats | Four phinisi, 30–40 m, 7–12 air-conditioned cabins |
| From | USD 375 / IDR 6,000,000 per person, shared cabin |
| Pick-up | Free shuttle from Senggigi, Kuta Lombok and Bangsal |
| Drop-off | Free transfer to your hotel or Komodo Airport in Labuan Bajo |
| Suits | Confident swimmers happy to share a boat with 20–30 people for four days |
| Does not suit | Anyone badly prone to seasickness, or travelling with toddlers |
Straight answers before you book a Komodo tour from Lombok
If you have been researching this route you have already read the critical posts — the ones about whale shark feeding, thin mattresses and boats that arrive too late for your flight. Most of those criticisms are aimed at the budget end of this route, and most of them are fair. Rather than pretend they do not exist, here is where we actually stand on each one.
| What travellers ask | Our answer |
|---|---|
| Are the whale sharks in Saleh Bay being fed? | Fishermen on the bagan platforms have long attracted whale sharks with the small fish in their nets. That happens whether tour boats are there or not. Our crew does not buy, carry or hand over bait, and we do not pay the platforms to feed. |
| Can I skip the whale shark stop? | Yes. Tell your guide the night before and you stay on board. Saleh Bay is an anchorage, not a compulsory excursion, and the price does not change. |
| Are these boats actually safe? | Equipment differs by vessel and we publish each list rather than a blanket claim. Lady Grace carries AIS, EPIRB, GPS and radar SART; Alfathran 3 carries compass, GPS, AIS and chart navigation. Full per-vessel inventory below. |
| Why do you cost almost twice the IDR 3.5 million boats? | Because we are not selling the same product. Cabin count, engine redundancy and crew ratio all differ. |
| Is it crowded? | Yes, relatively — 20 to 32 guests depending on the boat. This is a shared crossing. If you want the boat to yourself, take a private charter instead. |
| Will I make my onward flight? | Not if you book it for the same afternoon. See the flight timing rules below before you buy anything. |
Which direction should you sail?
The two directions are not mirror images. Lombok→Labuan Bajo runs 4 days and 3 nights; the return leg from Labuan Bajo to Lombok runs 5 days and 4 nights on some vessels, because the westbound passage against the prevailing wind takes longer. Check the direction on your chosen dates before you book flights.
Lombok to Komodo Island — the standard direction
You start quiet and finish loud. Day one is a gentle sail to Kenawa, day two is Saleh Bay and Satonda, and the park itself lands on day three when everyone on board already knows each other. This is the version most people mean by a Lombok to Komodo boat trip — a Lombok to Labuan Bajo boat trip in practical terms — and it is the one to pick if Komodo is the finale of your Indonesia trip and you are flying home from Flores.
Komodo to Lombok — the reverse crossing
Front-loaded. Manta Point, Pink Beach and Padar all happen on day one, followed by two slower days across Sumbawa and a Kenawa sunrise to close. Choose this if you are already on Flores, or if you want to end the trip on the Gili Islands rather than start there. It also means you see Komodo before any sea legs wear off.
Lombok to Komodo boat trip prices, 2026
Four phinisi run this route for us. Prices are per person for the full four days and three nights, and they are the operator’s own rates — there is no marketplace commission layered on top.
| Boat | Rates, capacity and specification |
|---|---|
| Alfathran 3 | From IDR 6,000,000 shared bunk (Sumbawa Room) · private cabins IDR 7,250,000–12,250,000 · 12 cabins · 22–28 guests · 29.3 m · 9 crew |
| Sukha Sail 2 | From IDR 7,000,000 · 40 m, 8 m beam · twin Weichai WD10, 240 hp · 6,000 Wp solar with lithium bank · cabin-by-cabin rates on request |
| Sukha Sail 1 | From IDR 7,750,000 shared (Komodo Cabin, 5 berths) · private cabins IDR 12,200,000–14,700,000 · 7 cabins · 24–32 guests · 34 m · extra bed IDR 5,500,000 |
| Lady Grace | From IDR 8,350,000 shared (Captain’s Room) · private cabins IDR 9,000,000–13,750,000 · 10 cabins · 20–25 guests · 34 m · GT 125, built 2021–22 |
Lowest rate on each boat is a berth in a shared cabin, bookable as a single. Everything above that is a private cabin for two, with extra beds charged per person. IDR is the contract currency; we quote USD, EUR or AUD on request at the day’s rate. Payment by Visa, Mastercard, Amex, PayPal, Wise, Revolut or Indonesian bank transfer. A 50% deposit confirms the booking and the balance falls due 60 days before departure.
Why this costs more than the IDR 3.5 million boats
Search for a Komodo island tour from Lombok and you will find 4D3N trips advertised from around IDR 3,500,000 and others above IDR 9,000,000. Both are real, and both are selling the same islands. The gap is not margin, it is the boat and the crew.
- Cabins instead of deck space. The cheapest fares on this route are open-deck mattresses under a tarpaulin, or four to five people sharing one cabin. Every rate on this page is an air-conditioned cabin with an en-suite bathroom and a hot shower.
- Two generators, not one. A single generator means the air conditioning stops when it is being serviced — which, on a boat crossing open water for three nights, is the difference between an inconvenience and a miserable night.
- Crew-to-guest ratio. A dedicated chef, a local guide and a deck crew, rather than a captain who also cooks.
- Hull age and build. Our newest vessel on this route was built in Bulukumba in 2021 and finished in 2022, at GT 125. Many of the budget boats on this crossing are considerably older.
- Safety equipment that is actually carried. Not required on paper alone — see the inventory below.
One honest caveat on the comparison: several cheaper operators include the Komodo National Park entrance fee in their headline price and we do not. Add the park entrance fee for your vessel — see the table below — to any figure on this page before comparing like for like. We keep it separate because the fee is set by the park authority and changes without notice, and we would rather show you the real number than bury a buffer in the fare.
Saleh Bay whale sharks: our operating policy
This is the most contested part of the route and it deserves a direct answer rather than a paragraph of eco-language.
The situation. Whale sharks gather at Saleh Bay around the bagan — the stilted platforms local fishermen use to lift nets of small fish at night. The sharks learned decades ago that a lifted net means an easy meal. Some platforms actively hand fish to them. That practice predates tourism on this route, and it is the reason at least one international booking platform has stopped selling Lombok–Komodo trips altogether.
What we do. These are the rules our crews operate under:
- We do not buy, carry, supply or pay for bait, and our crew does not feed the sharks at any point.
- Guests enter the water in groups with a fixed maximum in at one time, not all at once.
- Minimum distance is maintained from the body and a wider margin from the tail. No touching, no riding, no blocking the animal’s path.
- No flash photography and no chasing. If a shark moves away, we let it go.
- If several boats are already at a platform, we wait or move on rather than add to the crowd.
- The stop is optional. Tell your guide the evening before and you stay on board. There is no price difference and no argument about it.
What we will not claim. We cannot tell you this is a fully wild encounter, because the aggregation at Saleh Bay is shaped by human activity. We can tell you our boat is not the one doing the feeding, and that you can opt out entirely. If that distinction is not enough for you, the honest recommendation is to fly Lombok–Labuan Bajo and take a 3D2N Komodo tour from Labuan Bajo instead, which does not go near Saleh Bay. We would rather lose the booking than have you spend four days uncomfortable about it.
The same rules apply at Manta Point: no chasing, no crowding, and guests are briefed before they enter the water.
Safety equipment carried on board
This crossing includes overnight passages in open water, well away from the sheltered day-trip grounds around Labuan Bajo. Published safety inventories are rare on this route, so here is ours — per vessel, because the boats are not equipped identically and it would be dishonest to present one list as though it covered all four. Ask any operator you are comparing for the same breakdown.
| Category | Carried |
|---|---|
| Position & distress | Lady Grace: AIS, EPIRB, GPS, radar SART, SOS flares. Sukha Sail 1: EPIRB, SART, flares and smoke signals, HF/VHF radio and handhelds. Alfathran 3: compass, GPS, AIS, chart, SSB and VHF radio, handhelds. Sukha Sail 2: radar, GPS, sonar, AIS, magnetic compass and marine charts. |
| Abandon ship | Lady Grace: 3 liferafts (15 persons each), 2 tenders, 3 ring buoys. Sukha Sail 1: liferafts rated 2×25 plus 10, ring buoys, two tenders (85 hp and 40 hp). Alfathran 3: 1 liferaft rated 50 persons, 1 fiberglass tender (40 hp), lifebuoy. |
| Personal flotation | Lady Grace: 40 life jackets. Sukha Sail 1: life jackets for full manifest. Alfathran 3: 30 life jackets. |
| Fire | Lady Grace: 15 extinguishers across deck, galley and engine room. Alfathran 3: 2 extinguishers plus first aid kit. |
| Monitoring | CCTV on deck areas, binoculars on the bridge |
| Propulsion | Lady Grace: main engine plus two independent generators. Sukha Sail 1: twin Weichai 30 kVA three-phase sets, cruising 8–11 knots. Alfathran 3: Nissan diesel, 30 kVA and 40 kVA generators plus an 8,000 W emergency set, 9 crew. Sukha Sail 2: twin Weichai WD10 240 hp, 6,000 Wp solar array with a 20 kVA lithium bank. |
Every boat sailing this corridor is inspected by the harbour authority before departure and must clear its documents at both ends. Weather is checked before each sailing, and the route is adjusted or postponed when the Sumbawa crossing looks poor — which is why the itinerary carries a weather clause rather than a promise.
Lombok to Komodo itinerary, day by day
Day 1 — Kayangan Harbour, Kenawa Island
Meet at 07:30 — The Breakery in Kuta or KFC Senggigi — and the shuttle leaves at 08:00. The drive across Lombok to Kayangan Harbour in the east takes roughly two and a half hours, and you board between 13:00 and 14:00, sailing at 14:00. First stop is Kenawa, a bare grass island off Sumbawa with a short climb to a ridge that looks back at Rinjani. Snorkel, walk up for sunset, then the boat sails through the evening to anchor in Saleh Bay.
Day 2 — Saleh Bay, Satonda Island
Wake-up at 05:00, in the water by 06:00. Early light is when the sharks are around the platforms and when the bay is calmest — and it is also before the other boats arrive. Breakfast under way, then Satonda: a small volcanic island with a saltwater crater lake in the middle of it and Mount Tambora on the horizon behind. The longest passage of the trip follows, overnight east toward the park.
Day 3 — Komodo National Park
The big day. Manta Point and the sandbar at Taka Makassar, then Pink Beach, then a ranger-guided walk at Loh Liang on Komodo Island to see the dragons, and Padar at the end of the afternoon for the ridge walk and the three bays. Rangers set the pace on the dragon trek and their instructions are not optional — these are wild animals and the park treats them that way.
Day 4 — Kelor, Manjarite, Labuan Bajo
Breakfast at 07:00, two last snorkel stops at Kelor and Manjarite on the way in, and the boat is alongside at Labuan Bajo Harbour at about 12:00. Shuttle to your hotel or to Komodo Airport. Read the flight section before you book that ticket.
Reverse: Komodo to Lombok
Pick-up in Labuan Bajo at 08:00, sailing the same morning. Day one is the park. Day two is Komodo Island at 06:30 and then the long haul west to Sumbawa. Day three is Saleh Bay at dawn and Moyo Island for the Mata Jitu waterfall. Day four is sunrise at Kenawa and alongside at Kayangan Harbour around 12:30.
Itineraries shift with weather and sea state. The stops above are what we sail in normal conditions; the captain will reorder or drop a stop if the crossing calls for it.
2026 departure dates
Each vessel keeps its own calendar — there is no single route timetable, so the dates below are examples and you should confirm against the boat you want. Sukha Sail 1 runs 1 April to 1 November, alternating every four days, 4D3N in both directions. Alfathran 3 runs 7 May to 1 November, 4D3N eastbound and 5D4N westbound. Lady Grace runs 18 April to 18 November. Whichever you pick, these are confirmed sailings rather than indicative windows.
| Month | Lombok → Komodo · Komodo → Lombok |
|---|---|
| April | 18–21, 27–30 | reverse: 23–26 |
| May | 6–9, 15–18, 24–27 | reverse: 2–5, 11–14, 20–23, 29 May–1 Jun |
| June | 2–5, 11–14, 20–23, 29 Jun–2 Jul | reverse: 7–10, 16–19, 25–28 |
| July | 8–11, 17–20, 26–29 | reverse: 4–7, 13–16, 22–25, 31 Jul–3 Aug |
| August | 4–7, 13–16, 22–25, 31 Aug–3 Sep | reverse: 9–12, 18–21, 27–30 |
| September | 9–12, 18–21, 27–30 | reverse: 5–8, 14–17, 23–26 |
| October | 6–9, 16–19, 25–28 | reverse: 2–5, 12–15, 21–24 |
| November | 6–9, 15–18 | reverse: 2–5, 11–14 |
The fleet does not open and close on one date. Sukha Sail 1 starts the season first, on 1 April, and runs until 1 November. Alfathran 3 begins 7 May and also finishes 1 November. Lady Grace runs latest of all, 18 April to 18 November, so if you want to sail in the second half of November that is the only hull still working. From late November to March the northwest monsoon sets in: the Sumbawa crossing is fully exposed, and no operator we would recommend runs it.
Best time to sail from Lombok to Komodo
| Period | Sea & conditions · Verdict |
|---|---|
| April – June | Seas settling, islands still green, visibility improving — best overall value, fewer boats at every stop |
| July – August | Calmest water, best visibility, hills burnt gold — peak, book two to three months ahead |
| September – October | Still calm, manta activity strong, crowds thinning — the connoisseur’s window |
| November | First swell returning, occasional afternoon rain — last chance, season closes mid-month |
| December – March | Northwest monsoon, exposed crossing, poor visibility — route closed |
Whale sharks are present in Saleh Bay across the whole operating season, so timing your trip around them is unnecessary — time it around the sea state instead.
Booking your flights around the crossing
This is where the route goes wrong most often, and it costs people real money. A boat is not a scheduled service: it arrives when the sea lets it. Here is what our own arrival times mean for your ticket.
| Leg | Alongside · Rule |
|---|---|
| Arriving Labuan Bajo (LBJ) | About 12:00 on day 4, transfer to hotel or airport 12:00–13:00. Komodo Airport is close to the harbour, roughly 15 minutes [VERIFY]. Do not book anything before 17:00. Fly out the next morning if you can. |
| Arriving Kayangan, Lombok | About 12:30 on day 4. Kayangan is in the east; Lombok International (LOP) is in the south, about 2.5 hours [VERIFY]. Do not book a same-day flight at all. Overnight in Kuta or Senggigi. |
| Departing from Lombok | Meeting point 07:30 on day 1. Arrive in Lombok the day before — there is no morning flight that makes a 07:30 meeting point. |
| Departing from Labuan Bajo | Pick-up 08:00 on day 1. Arrive the day before; the first flights into LBJ land after the boat has sailed. |
One more thing that is easy to miss: this is a one-way crossing. Book two separate one-way tickets, not a return. Travellers book a return into Lombok every season and then discover they need to get back from Flores.
What is included
Included
- Shuttle transfer from Senggigi, Kuta or Bangsal to Kayangan Harbour
- Transfer to your hotel or Komodo Airport on arrival in Labuan Bajo
- Three nights on board in an air-conditioned cabin
- All meals, snacks, coffee, tea and drinking water
- Chef, boat crew and English-speaking local guide
- Snorkelling equipment and life jackets
- Tender for all island landings
- Sundeck, loungers and shaded deck space
- Trip photography and video — drone, GoPro and mirrorless
- All excursions listed in the itinerary
Not included
- Komodo National Park entrance and conservation fees, charged per person per trip and set by the boat you sail on: Alfathran 3 IDR 800,000 foreign / IDR 400,000 Indonesian; Sukha Sail 1 IDR 1,000,000 / IDR 500,000; Lady Grace IDR 1,200,000 / IDR 700,000. Sukha Sail 2 confirmed at the time of booking. The spread reflects which park components each vessel bundles — park entry, ranger service, harbour and the Saleh Bay whale shark point are separate line items and not every boat covers the same set.
- Flights and hotels either side of the crossing
- Travel or diving accident insurance
- Alcohol and personal expenses
- Crew and guide gratuities
Park fees are collected by the national park authority and are paid on arrival. We show them separately rather than folding an estimate into the fare.
Park permits and the2026 visitor cap
Komodo National Park changed how it admits visitors in 2026, and it affects this crossing directly. Your permit date is fixed by the sailing schedule, so it is worth understanding before you book anything.
- Advance booking is compulsory. Every visitor, Indonesian or foreign, now needs a permit reserved ahead of time through the park reservation platform. Walk-in tickets at the gate no longer exist.
- Passengers cannot register themselves. Permits are filed by a licensed boat operator. We register your group, which is why we ask for passport details before departure.
- There is a daily cap on park entries. Once the cap for a date is reached the system stops issuing permits and rangers turn people away. Peak dates in July and August close out weeks ahead.
- Permits are non-refundable and non-transferable. They are tied to one person and one date. Miss the boat and the permit is gone.
- Scheduled crossings carry allocated permits. Because our departure dates are fixed, permits move with the sailing rather than with you individually. That is the practical advantage of a scheduled liveaboard over assembling day trips after you land.
What we need from you. Full name exactly as printed in your passport, nationality and passport number, at least [VERIFY] days before departure. Send them when you confirm your cabin and we handle the filing.
One number to ignore. You will still find pages quoting a Komodo entrance fee of IDR 3,500,000 or IDR 3,750,000 per foreign visitor. That was a premium access scheme proposed in 2022. It was cancelled before it ever took effect and has never been charged to anyone. The real figure is a fraction of that, and it is in the not-included list above.
The boats on this route
All four are phinisi — the Bugis two-masted hull built by hand in Bulukumba, South Sulawesi. All four have air conditioning in every cabin, en-suite bathrooms with hot water, a sundeck and a tender.
Want the whole boat to yourself instead of a shared crossing? We charter VVIP, Luxury and Deluxe phinisi privately on your own dates and route.
- Sukha Sail 2
- Sukha Sail 1
- Alfathran 3
- Lady Grace
Lombok to Komodo boat trip: frequently asked questions
How long does the boat trip from Lombok to Komodo take?
Four days and three nights. You board at Kayangan Harbour in East Lombok around 11:00 on day one and step ashore at Labuan Bajo on Flores around midday on day four. There is no shorter sailing on this route — anything advertised as two or three days is either skipping Saleh Bay or is not actually crossing.
How much does a Komodo tour from Lombok cost?
Our shared-cabin rates run from IDR 6,000,000 to IDR 8,350,000 per person depending on the boat, with private cabins on Lady Grace up to IDR 13,750,000. Elsewhere on this route you will see fares from around IDR 3,500,000 — those are deck or multi-share sleeping arrangements on older hulls. Add the national park entrance fee to every quote you compare — ours runs IDR 800,000 to IDR 1,200,000 per foreign visitor per trip depending on the vessel.
Can I do the trip in reverse, from Komodo to Lombok?
Yes. Departures alternate direction through the season, but the return leg is longer — 5 days and 4 nights on Alfathran 3 rather than 4D3N — so the price and your flight dates differ. Confirm the duration for your specific departure. The reverse crossing puts Komodo National Park on day one and finishes with a sunrise at Kenawa, arriving at Kayangan Harbour around 12:30.
Is the Saleh Bay whale shark stop ethical?
The whale sharks at Saleh Bay gather around fishing platforms, and some platforms feed them. Our crew does not feed, does not supply bait and does not pay for feeding, and we enforce distance, group size and no-touching rules. We also let you skip the stop entirely with no change in price. If none of that satisfies you, fly to Labuan Bajo and take a Komodo trip that does not pass Saleh Bay.
Do I need to be able to swim?
You should be comfortable in open water. Every water activity is optional and life jackets are available for all of them, but four days of a trip built around snorkelling is a poor use of your money if you plan to stay on deck.
Where does the trip end, and can I continue to Flores?
It ends at Labuan Bajo Harbour on the western tip of Flores. From there you can fly out of Komodo Airport, or keep going overland to Bajawa, Kelimutu and Maumere. Book two one-way flights rather than a return.
When is the best time of year?
April to November. July and August have the calmest seas and the best visibility but every stop is crowded; April to June and September to October give you nearly the same conditions with far fewer boats. The route does not run from December to March.
What should I pack?
Light clothing, a wind layer for the night crossings, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, a dry bag, sandals plus trainers for Padar and the dragon trek, seasickness tablets if you are prone, and any medication you need — there is no pharmacy between Kayangan and Labuan Bajo. Cash for park fees and tips; there are no ATMs once you sail.
What is your cancellation policy?
A deposit of 50% confirms the booking, payable within two days of the invoice, with the balance due 60 days before departure. Booking inside 60 days is payable in full. Cancelling 60 days or more before departure returns 40% of what you paid; cancelling inside 59 days returns nothing. Shared trips can be rescheduled up to 65 days out. If we cannot sail because of weather, force majeure or a government restriction, you choose between rescheduling or a 70% refund. Those are the vessel terms and they are the ones that apply — if you have seen a 100% refund mentioned elsewhere on this site, it is out of date and this paragraph supersedes it.
How do I book?
Message us on WhatsApp with your dates and how many people are travelling, and we will tell you which boats and cabins are actually open — not a form that disappears into an inbox. We are the operator, so the answer comes from the person who holds the manifest.
Plan Your Boat Trip With Us!
Tell us your dates, group size and destination. We are the operator, not an agent — you get the direct rate with no marketplace markup, and a real itinerary back, usually within a few hours.