Four days on a boat in Komodo National Park.

What it is, and where

Komodo National Park lies in eastern Indonesia, between Sumbawa and Flores. It is a World Heritage Site, as much for its dragons as for its underwater world.

The starting point is Labuan Bajo, at the western tip of Flores, about an hour's flight from Bali.

From there, boats leave for two, three or four days. The four day, three night format is the one that gives you time to get away from the busiest sites and reach the viewpoints when nobody else is there.

When to go

The dry season runs from April to December. It is the time when boats sail without interruption and visibility under water is at its best.

From January to March, it is the rainy season. The sea picks up, some crossings are cancelled and some operators stop departures altogether.

For manta rays, the most reliable months are in the first half of the dry season, but you can see them all year round at the cleaning stations.

We went in August, in good weather. But with some swell at times, and that is the real issue: you do not often set foot on dry land. If you get seasick, it is worth knowing before you book.

Choosing your boat

This is the decision that shapes everything else, far more than the route, which varies little from one operator to the next.

The level of comfort

There are three categories. Budget boats, where you sleep on deck on mattresses, with shared toilets and no air conditioning. Mid range boats, with simple cabins and a fan. And high end phinisi boats, with air conditioned cabins and private bathrooms.

The price gap is big, and so is the difference in experience. Sleeping on deck under the stars is an experience in itself, but three nights of rough sea in those conditions feel long.

The number of passengers

Twelve people or twenty five is not the same cruise. A small boat gets into calm anchorages more easily and waits less at each site.

What is included

Before paying, check what the price covers: meals, snorkelling gear, national park entry fees, airport transfers and drinking water. These items added afterwards make a clear difference to the bill.

Safety

A topic rarely mentioned and yet essential: enough life jackets, a radio on board, the state of the engine. Incidents are not rare in this area, and the lowest price sometimes hides a poorly maintained boat.

We went with Komodo Horizon, for 250 €.

We had a small room for four on board. There are dorms where fifteen or twenty people sleep together, like in a hostel, and double cabins. Prices obviously differ, there is something for everyone.

Let's be clear about comfort: do not expect much of it in this price range. It is a boat, not a hotel. Private cabins exist and make a real difference, but you pay for them. If comfort matters to you, put the budget in, otherwise you will be disappointed.

A detail nobody tells you: the boat keeps sailing while you sleep. So you hear the engine all night. For us it was more soothing than anything, but it is better to know.

What you see

The dragons

They only live on a few islands, mainly Komodo and Rinca. Visits must be made with a ranger, on marked trails. They are real predators, not an attraction.

Padar

The most photographed viewpoint in Indonesia, with its three bays meeting. The climb is short but steep, and is done at sunrise to avoid the heat and the crowds.

In this photo I am wearing the finisher T shirt from the Ha Giang loop, done a few weeks earlier in Vietnam. Two places that have nothing in common, and yet the same feeling when you reach the top.

The manta rays

At the cleaning stations, you watch them while snorkelling from the surface, sometimes in a strong current. It is one of the few places in the world where sightings are this reliable.

Pink Beach

The sand is pink in places, a mix of crushed red coral and white sand. The colour is more subtle in real life than in the edited photos you see online.

The underwater world

It may be the park's real treasure. Dense coral, turtles, fish everywhere. A mask and snorkel are enough to spend a whole day with your head under water.

The budget

Three costs add up, and only the first one is shown on booking websites.

First, the price of the cruise, which varies a lot depending on comfort and the number of passengers.

Then the national park entry fees, paid on the spot and often not included. They vary depending on the sites visited and the day of the week.

Finally the extras: diving tanks, drinks on board, a tip for the crew, and the flight to Labuan Bajo.

In our case, 250 € and nothing else. The park entry fees were included in the booking with the agency, we had nothing to pay on the spot.

That is the point to check before booking, because it is not always the case and it noticeably changes the total.

What to pack

A dry bag, because everything that comes on board ends up wet at least once.

Plenty of sunscreen, a long sleeved T shirt for snorkelling and a hat. The sun beats down on the water all day, and there is almost no shade on deck.

A power bank, or even two. Sockets on board are rare, sometimes non existent, and the generator does not run at night.

Seasickness tablets, to take before the crossing, not during.

Cash, in small notes, for park fees and tips.

And something to film with if you want to bring back footage: a waterproof case or an action camera is more useful here than any lens.

Mistakes to avoid

Choosing on price alone. It is where the gap between two offers shows straight away, in comfort as well as in safety.

Booking a format that is too short. In two days, you spend most of the time sailing between the nearest sites.

Counting on phone signal. There is none, or almost none, once you leave the port. Telling your loved ones before you go saves them needless worry.

Forgetting the park fees in your budget. They catch a lot of travellers by surprise when it is time to pay.

Nothing we had not planned for. The swell made us a bit sick, but it only lasted a few hours over the whole cruise.

It is an experience I recommend two hundred percent.