Sailing from Lombok to Komodo Island
Sailing from Lombok to Komodo island was high on our bucket list as soon as we arrived in Indonesia. The surrounding islands have some of the best diving in the world and we were eager for more diving after getting our PADI on Gili Trawangan. Oh yeah, and Komodo dragons are some about the coolest animal on the planet. I mean come on, they’re DRAGONS!
Simply flying to neighboring Flores and then taking a day drip seemed a little too mundane for our tastes. When we heard you could live the pirate life and sail from lombok to komodo on 4-day boat trip, we were eager to channel our inner Jack Sparrow.
After reading countless horror stories about this trip, we did some serious researching and settled on a touring company called Wanua Adventures. While it was slightly more expensive than other competing tours, they had positive reviews and we were able to book in person at an office on Gili Meno, ensuring that we had an agent to contact should anything be (and I quote… “Unsatisfactory”). This golden phrase is a literal wet dream for the average backpacker. Check out why we think this tour is the best value for your money!

The Location:
The Cost:
- $100-$150 (1.3m 2m IDR) depending on the company and your negotiating skills
- + $75 for a private cabin
- -Includes 3 meals a day, unlimited coffee & tea, 6 large bottles of water, snorkeling gear, sleeping mats, blanket and pillow, and transport from Gili’s to harbor where boat leaves on Lombok. In some cases, the price includes the national park fees for Komodo and Rinca islands. If not included it will cost an extra 300,000IDR ($23USD) so ask about this when you book!
The Cost:
- $100-$150 (1.3m 2m IDR) depending on the company and your negotiating skills
- + $75 for a private cabin
- -Includes 3 meals a day, unlimited coffee & tea, 6 large bottles of water, snorkeling gear, sleeping mats, blanket and pillow, and transport from Gili’s to harbor where boat leaves on Lombok. In some cases, the price includes the national park fees for Komodo and Rinca islands. If not included it will cost an extra 300,000IDR ($23USD) so ask about this when you book!
The Description:
Sailing From Lombok to Komodo Island:

Our humble abode for the next 4 nights

Enjoying an early morning snorkel of the coast of a deserted island.
Day 1:

You can expect some epic sunrises on this trip.
Day 2:
More epic adventures: The Complete Guide to The Mae Hong Son Loop in North Thailand
Day 3:
Another early morning… hopefully you made it through the night! We hit some intense waves on night 2 and spent most of the night praying for safe passage. Rest assured, we all survived. Only a few people got sick, and we all laughed about it the next morning. After breakfast, the boat will anchor at Gili Laba, famous for it’s insane peak views. Eat quickly and put on your tennis shoes, because this is a hike you do not want to miss. It’s about 20 minutes to the top, but worth every drop of sweat in the sun. The view from the top is absolutely incredible with stunning scenery surrounding you in every direction. You’ll be able to see the thousands shades of blue in the sea, and the rolling greens and gold of the islands dotting the coastline. It truly is a sight to behold.

After the hike you’ll head to Manta point, a world famous dive site for….you guessed it, manta rays! These majestic creatures are breathtaking to see in their element. Although it’s not guaranteed, we found that most of the other boats in the area saw one, and so did we. After some snorkeling, you’ll hop back on the boat and continue sailing to Red beach. This whole area can only be described as idyllic.
Picture tiny pink sand beaches sprinkled amidst the sparking and crystal clear turquoise water. It was so stunning that we literally begged our captain to make an unscheduled stop and let us play on one of the sandbars. The snorkeling here was fantastic, and the opportunity for photos is endless. After nearly two hours of a spontaneous good time, we headed back to the boat and continued our sail to the intended last destination of the day- Red Beach. This unique cove boasts a small and secluded pink sand beach. After some down time, you’ll jump back on the boat and cruise to a beautiful spot for sunset. If you’re lucky, you might catch the daily migration of flying foxes as they leave their surrounding caves and fly into the setting sun.

Beautiful sunset over Komodo Island.
For most of the people on the boat, this is your last night. So after the sun goes down, the party lights turn on. Turn the music up and finish those beers you’ve been hoarding! If you run out, there are even little jiff-boats who have beer and snacks for sale.
Day 4:

After Komodo and Rinca, it’s time to board the boat, eat lunch, and begin the short trip to Labuan Bajo where you’ll finish your journey. There is just enough time for a cruise, a quick meal, and a snorkel stop (because these guys really love their snorkeling), then it’s time to say goodbye. While most people are eager to leave the ship and shower (ahhhh a real shower!), we were the crazy ones that stayed on the boat that night.
Since you pay for 4 days and 4 nights, sleeping on the boat the last night while in port is totally an option and is a perfect saving strategy for the shoestring backpacker. We nervously left our packs on the boat and headed into town to grab some dinner, with explicit instructions from the captain to be back at 7pm.
Much to our dismay, the boat had moved when we returned for the evening. After a bit of panic, we sorted it out. Luckily most of the companies running these tours have offices blocks away from the port. We were able to have the office call the boat captain who came and escorted us back to the boat for the night. As it was empty, we had the whole place to ourselves and slept comfortably in a cabin free of charge.
Tips for Sailing From Lombok to Komodo Island:
- Snacks snacks snacks! We cannot emphasize this one enough. It’s not that you don’t get enough food, but after 4 days the variety lessens, and having snacks keeps you from being at the mercy of the kitchen all the time!
- Try to get on the boat first. This will allow you to pick your beds first.
- Choose beds carefully! The layout of the ship will vary, but almost all will have you sleeping on the top. We suggest choosing a bed near a window, as it does get pretty hot. The next best thing is a bed near the front or rear exit so that you’re not stepping on other peoples beds each time you pass through.
- Bring your own snorkel gear if you can. The gear that they provided was adequate in function but definitely needed a clean. There was black mold everywhere and it was always a race to see who would get the few uncontaminated masks. Fins are not provided.
- Bring an extra t-shirt or pillowcase for your pillow if you can. The pillows provided are kind of disgusting.
- Be ready for that meal bell! Seriously guys, this boat is where chivalry goes to die.
- If possible, book in person! When you book in person you are able to negotiate more with price and what is included, specifically the fees associated with the parks. After reading many blogs and speaking with fellow boat mates, we found a lot of disparity on included fees. Additionally, booking in person also gives you a point of contact should anything go wrong, or is not up to the standards that you were promised. In general, face to face is always better.
- Buy extra beer, if you get crazy you’ll have to keep it with you near your bed, but through out the trip you can sneak them into the cooler! Buying outside of the tour company should save you about at least 1$ per beer.
- Bring some playing cards and a speaker!
- Keep any and all receipts, especially those for the food and beer you purchased through the tour. The allocation and tracking of these isn’t the best, so it’s better to have proof and keep track yourself.

Liked this post?
Pin it!
You might also like....
Join the Sustainable Travel Community!
Subscribe to our blog to stay up-to-date on new posts and sustainable travel news!
Awesome! This is super helpfull guys!
what is the best time to visit komodo island?
we are from Malaysia, is Lombok the best point to depart for Komodo Island
May i have the price in USD for the trip
Thank You
Hey there!
In terms of best times to go. January is still in the rainy reason for Indonesia but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad time to go! We’ve had some of our best times in Indonesia during the rainy season. It usually means less people and more bearable temperatures. The only way to access Komodo island via boat is from Lombok. The other option is to fly to Labuan Bajo on Flores island and take a day trip. Our trip cost $170USD for 4 day 3 night boat trip.
Be advised: The Indonesian government has been considering raising the entrance fee to Komodo National Park and that may have taken effect. We encourage looking into that before booking your trip.
Hi There,,
Amazing trip hey! I was wondering if you guys could share witch company you guys used? Is hard to fun it on google.. also I would like to to Komodo to Lombok.
Thank you so much
Rudson
Hey there!
Great question! We went through Wanua Adventures! You can find them on google, but we booked in person to make sure we were negotiating a fair price. It’s also good to book in person so you can gain a contact should your experience lack what you were promised when purchasing the trip. Unfortunately this has been known to happen from time to time on this trip. We got everything we were promised from Wanua, but better to book in person and get a business card from the agent just in case! 😉
They have an office on Gili Air, but I believe there are more scattered through out Bali, Lombok, and the Gilis.
Hope this helps! 🙂