Questions before you book

As early as you have dates. A private charter takes any free date, confirmed in writing. The deposit is 50 percent, and the balance is due 30 days before departure. Send your dates early, above all for school holidays.

Fly to Komodo International Airport, code LBJ, 2 to 3 km and about 10 minutes from the harbour. Bali is about 1 h 10 min to 1 h 20 min away by air, Surabaya about 1 h 30 min and Jakarta 2 h 30 min to 3 h. Pickup in Labuan Bajo is free; the time and the meeting point are confirmed in writing with your booking.

The captain decides the stops and their order from traffic, weather and tides. A rough day changes the order of the stops, not the booking. The harbour master can stop sailings at a day's notice, mainly in the wet season and in spells of strong south-east wind.

If the booked Sea Familia cannot sail for a reason beyond our control, we arrange a replacement boat of the same class, or refund you in full within 14 days.

Cancelling 60 or more days before departure refunds 50 percent of the fare. Cancelling 30 to 59 days before refunds 25 percent. Under 30 days, nothing is refunded. A date change 14 to 29 days before departure carries a fee of IDR 500,000. Do read the terms before you pay.

The deposit is 50 percent of the fare, and the balance is due 30 days before departure. The booking steps page lists the ways to pay.

Every walk is led by a ranger, the stops are short and the first snorkels are in calm water. Kelor is a steep hill of 15 to 30 minutes, Padar a moderate climb of 25 to 45 minutes and Komodo a ranger walk of 45 to 120 minutes. Nobody has to do any of them.

The rangers decide on the day who joins a walk. On the fare, the rule is that children under 3 travel free with a parent or guardian.

Yes, at the calmer stops. Kanawa is 1 to 6 m deep and Pink Beach 1 to 8 m, both with a mild current, and it helps to have a parent in the water alongside. Life jackets are on board; ask for the sizes you need. Manta Point, with its strong current, suits confident swimmers.

Bring your own remedies and let the crew know on the first morning. Fresh air on deck helps more than the choice of cabin. January, February, July and August are the roughest months, and April to June and October to November are calm.

Sea Familia 1 lists 25 life jackets, 4 ring buoys, 1 life raft for 25 persons, a smoke signal, a flare gun, a Garmin GPS and a marine radio. Sea Familia 2 lists a complete set of safety equipment. Both list life jackets and basic first aid in the fare. Ask in writing for the sizes your party needs.

The harbour master's office issues each boat's sailing permit. Its guideline requires life jackets and liferafts for everyone on board, no more passengers than the boat's capacity and a weather check before each permit. The stops are short, and the captain plans each day around the weather.

Children under 3 travel free with a parent or guardian. Neither boat promises a cot, baby food, a child seat or particular life jacket sizes, so ask about each in writing before you pay.

The ranger walk takes 45 to 120 minutes, a ranger leads every group and short trails exist. Padar is optional, and its climb takes 25 to 45 minutes. Whether it suits a particular grandparent is for them and their doctor to decide, and we strongly recommend travel insurance.

It means the whole boat is yours, six cabins and crew, for your party alone. A private charter is priced per boat by party size, not per person. Sea Familia 1 takes 1 to 12 guests and Sea Familia 2 takes 1 to 14. Park tickets, a guide and the fuel surcharge are separate.

Yes. Two couples or two families can take the whole boat and split the rate, because a private charter is priced per boat by party size, not per person. Each household has its own cabins, and one person books and pays the deposit.

Sea Familia 1 is 25 m long and Sea Familia 2 is 36.35 m long. Sea Familia 1 has 6 cabins and takes up to 12 guests, 13 with the extra bed in Manta Cabin I. Sea Familia 2 has 6 cabins and takes up to 14 guests. For 2 to 12 guests Sea Familia 1 has the lower 3 days and 2 nights whole-boat rate. At six guests it costs IDR 16,180,000 (≈ USD 993) per person against IDR 19,070,000 (≈ USD 1,170).

Sea Familia 1 has 6 cabins and takes up to 12 guests, 13 with the extra bed in Manta Cabin I. Sea Familia 2 has 6 cabins and takes up to 14 guests.

Yes. Four guests pay IDR 97,100,000 (≈ USD 5,957) for the whole of Sea Familia 1 for 3 days and 2 nights, which is IDR 24,280,000 (≈ USD 1,490) each. Sea Familia 2 costs IDR 28,600,000 (≈ USD 1,755) each. One band covers 1 to 8 guests on Sea Familia 1 and 1 to 10 on Sea Familia 2, so four of you leave cabins empty and pay the same rate.

A private boat is priced per boat and an open-trip seat per person, and an open trip puts other guests on board. A seat on Sea Familia 1 costs IDR 5,850,000 (≈ USD 359) per person for 3 days and 2 nights. Go private when you want the stops, the pace and the cabins to yourselves. On a private charter the guide and the photo and video documentation are not included; both are available on request and quoted separately.

On Sea Familia 1, Manta Cabin I has a queen-size bed and an extra bed, for 2 to 3 guests, on the main deck. On Sea Familia 2, the Family cabin has a queen bed and a bunk, for 2 to 4 guests, on the lower deck. Every cabin has air conditioning and a private bathroom.

That depends on the boat, the length and the size of your party. The lowest whole-boat rate is IDR 97,100,000 (≈ USD 5,957) for 3 days and 2 nights on Sea Familia 1. The lowest open-trip fare is IDR 5,850,000 (≈ USD 359) per person for 3 days and 2 nights, guide included. Park tickets, the fuel surcharge and tax are extra.

On Sea Familia 2 the whole boat for 2 days and 1 night costs IDR 57,200,000 (≈ USD 3,509) for 1 to 10 guests. It costs IDR 64,350,000 (≈ USD 3,948) for 11 to 12 guests and IDR 68,650,000 (≈ USD 4,212) for 13 to 14. Private charters on Sea Familia 1 for other lengths than 3 days and 2 nights are priced on request and confirmed in writing.

Three days hold a Kelor hill, five snorkel stops (Manjarite, Pink Beach, Manta Point, Sebayur and Kanawa), the ranger walk on Komodo, the Padar climb and the bat flight at Kalong. Mantas and dragons are often seen, never promised. Each person's share falls as the party grows, so whether it's worth it depends largely on how many of you there are.

For 3 days and 2 nights, Sea Familia 1 costs IDR 97,100,000 (≈ USD 5,957) for 1 to 8 guests and IDR 102,700,000 (≈ USD 6,301) for 9 to 12. Sea Familia 2 costs IDR 114,400,000 (≈ USD 7,018) for 1 to 10 guests. It costs IDR 128,700,000 (≈ USD 7,896) for 11 to 12 and IDR 137,300,000 (≈ USD 8,423) for 13 to 14. These are 2026 rates, whole boat, excluding tax.

A whole boat for 3 days and 2 nights starts at IDR 97,100,000 (≈ USD 5,957) on Sea Familia 1. An open-trip seat starts at IDR 5,850,000 (≈ USD 359) per person. A private trip covers the boat, the meals and the cabins, with the guide extra; an open trip includes the guide and the documentation.

Six guests pay IDR 16,180,000 (≈ USD 993) each on Sea Familia 1 and IDR 19,070,000 (≈ USD 1,170) each on Sea Familia 2, for 3 days and 2 nights, whole boat. Six guests pay the 1 to 8 band on Sea Familia 1 and the 1 to 10 band on Sea Familia 2.

For 3 days and 2 nights, a seat on Sea Familia 1 costs IDR 5,850,000 (≈ USD 359) per person in a Turtle cabin. A Manta cabin costs IDR 6,850,000 (≈ USD 420). A seat on Sea Familia 2 costs IDR 12,500,000 (≈ USD 767) in a Master cabin. A Deluxe cabin costs IDR 10,000,000 (≈ USD 613) and the Family cabin IDR 8,000,000 (≈ USD 491). The guide and the documentation are included.

They're wild animals, which is why a ranger leads every walk and nobody wanders the island alone. Stay with the ranger and follow their instructions.

On the listed Sea Familia 1 route you reach it on day 2, after the Komodo walk. From Komodo Island the leg to Manta Point takes 30 to 60 minutes, and from Manta Point to Taka Makassar 20 to 30.

Yes. The listed Sea Familia 1 route for 3 days and 2 nights does both on day 2, the Komodo walk with a ranger and then the drift at Manta Point. Sea Familia 2 has no listed route, so its stops are agreed with you in writing before you pay.

The listed Sea Familia 1 route takes three days and two nights and covers nine stops. Two days and one night fits in fewer; four days lets you go slower. Private charters on Sea Familia 1 for other lengths than 3 days and 2 nights are priced on request and confirmed in writing.

Not as a rule, though it has closed for a few days at a time. The harbour master and the park office closed Komodo and Padar in recent seasons for waves, wind and park reasons. Check the park notices before you fly, and ask us in writing about your dates.

Dragons are often seen on a ranger walk, though never guaranteed, and mornings give you the best chance.

Stops and their order can change with traffic, weather and tides; the captain decides on the day. Tell us what you'd like before you book, and the written quote records it. The Komodo route on Sea Familia 2 is agreed with you in writing before you pay; the captain sets the order by conditions.

Yes. Manta Point is a snorkel drift from the surface, 30 to 60 minutes in 3 to 15 m of water with a strong current. Mantas, turtles and dolphins are often seen in season, never promised.

Mantas, turtles and dolphins are often seen in season, never promised. No stop guarantees turtles.

Wear a life jacket, which both boats carry as part of the fare, and stick to the calmer stops. Kanawa is 1 to 6 m deep and Pink Beach 1 to 8 m, both with a mild current. A confident swimmer or a life jacket is advised at Manta Point. The crew decides in the water.

Stops run 30 to 90 minutes. Pink Beach, Sebayur and Kanawa run 45 to 90, and Manta Point and Taka Makassar run 30 to 60. You can always get out sooner. The captain sets the time by traffic, weather and tides.

This is a snorkel boat. Diving can be arranged with a separate dive operator on request. Manta Point, Pink Beach and Kanawa are all snorkel stops from the surface.

April to June and October to November are calm and clear. The manta months are December to February and July to September. For children, pick calm water; if mantas matter most, pick a manta month. The month guide covers all twelve.

A reef in the central park, also called Karang Makassar, where snorkellers drift with the current for 30 to 60 minutes at 3 to 15 m. The current is strong.

Roughly December to February and July to September, with March rated good. The tide matters as much as the month, so the captain times the stop. Mantas, turtles and dolphins are often seen in season, never promised.

No. The stop is a snorkel drift from the surface. A confident swimmer or a life jacket is advised.

The risk to plan for is the strong current at Manta Point. Follow the crew and keep your distance.

No. Do not touch, chase or feed one. The park's rules apply in the water, and the crew's instruction comes first.

Included: harbour transfer, the whole boat, breakfast, lunch and dinner, air-conditioned cabins with private bathrooms, mineral water, coffee and tea, life jackets and basic first aid. Sea Familia 1 adds an afternoon snack, juices and a snorkelling set. Not included: flights, hotel, park tickets, the drone fee, insurance, alcohol, gratuities, the fuel surcharge and tax.

On a private charter the guide and the photo and video documentation are not included; both are available on request and quoted separately. On an open trip the tour guide and the documentation are included.

This is a snorkel boat. Diving can be arranged with a separate dive operator on request.

Life jackets and basic first aid are in the included list of both boats; ask for the sizes you need. Sea Familia 1 provides a mask and snorkel; fins are not provided. Snorkel gear for Sea Familia 2 is confirmed in your written quote.

An entry ticket is IDR 250,000 per person for international visitors. Indonesian citizens pay IDR 50,000 on weekdays and IDR 75,000 at weekends. Komodo National Park tickets and ranger fees are never part of the fare. Ranger and other levies are separate and can change.

Wi-Fi is not promised on either boat, and mobile signal comes and goes in the park. Download what you need at the hotel before you board.