How to Charter a Private Boat to Komodo National Park on a Budget?

Imagine dragons! Imagine gin-clear waters lapping on pink beaches. Picture yourself snorkeling over forests of coral surrounded by schools of fish in every shape, size and colour imaginable. Imagine cruising through deep, blue waters and islands which look like the set of Jurassic Park.

Now imagine doing all of this in Komodo National Park from your own private boat!

That’s exactly what we did on our recent trip to Indonesia when we chartered a private boat for an overnight snorkeling trip to Komodo National Park. If you’re on a budget but have a little pirate in you and want to snorkel some of the best reefs in the world, then our guide to seeing Komodo from your own private boat is all you need. A Komodo boat trip is an epic adventure that you won’t forget anytime soon.

Komodo offers some of the best diving and snorkeling in the world. Unlike the Banda Islands, Indonesia’s heavyweight in snorkeling, you can’t snorkel straight from the shore in Komodo.

You will need to join an organized snorkel or diving tour to see Komodo’s underwater wonders. Chartering a boat in Labuan Bajo is easy and not as expensive as you might think. It definitely is something that we recommend you do to have the best experience in Komodo.

Why Charter a Private Boat to Komodo?

Freedom.
That’s why. In short, we didn’t want to be stuck on a boat in the middle of Jurassic park with a bunch of others who might or might be not such nice people.

We can only pretend to listen to the amazing benefits of the vegan lifestyle for so long. We don’t want to party all night nor look at Instagram photoshoots all day long. Yes, we like to do things our way.

So we decided to go alone and really savour this incredible region by ourselves, at our own pace, on our own terms and conditions.

Quality
We believe that chartering your own boat for an overnight trip offers great value and gives you an experience you’ll always remember. Most tours offered around Labuan Bajo are geared towards divers. While many of these diving tours do take snorkelers, most of the reefs will only be accessible to divers, and you’ll probably pay the same price as divers do.

The organized snorkel tours on offer seem to spend a lot of time getting to and from the snorkel reefs, which eats up a big chunk of your day. By chartering a private boat you can combine world-class snorkeling with seeing the Komodo dragons and other islands while relaxing hard in between.

Support Local
By getting a boat right from the source, we are supporting the local community, instead of lining the pockets of the middleman.

When we deal directly with the boat captains, we are directly supporting the people of Labuan Bajo. These are the basics of sustainable ecotourism. It also encourages local communities and fishermen to protect the marine habitat of Komodo as much as possible, since there is a direct financial benefit in it for them if they do.

How Much Does it Cost to Charter a Boat to Komodo?

Do I need to sell a kidney? Before flying out to Labuan Bajo we looked online for snorkel tours. These organized tours were not quite what we had in mind. This leads us to Googling private boat charters in Komodo. We almost had a heart attack when we saw how much a liveaboard costs in Komodo. So we decided to fly to Komodo and put our bargaining skills to the test.

Like everywhere else, there is something for (almost) any kind of budget. We saw grand sailboats with AC cabins and lobster dinners which we knew we could never afford. We also saw canoes with engines. Selling a kidney will definitely help but, fear not, there are many boats to choose from. The size of your boat, number of engines and luxuries will determine the price.

In the end, we got a small boat with one cabin, 2 crew members and all meals included for 3.6 million rupiah (USD 262). On top of this, we still had to pay the entrance fee to Komodo National Park. We recommend not booking any boat tours online before coming here. Not only are most tours online overpriced, but you can also inspect the boats for yourself once in Labuan Bajo.

* The Indonesian government has plans to close Komodo National Park completely to protect the fragile environment. CNN reported that this will not be the case any longer. Instead, visitor numbers will be restricted. Locals say that the entrance fee to the park might also skyrocket due to this, which will severely affect them.

The best time to visit Komodo National Park is NOW before it gets closed down or too expensive to visit in the future

How to Find a Boat in Labuan Bajo?

So where and how do you get a private boat to Komodo we hear you ask.
We booked accommodation in Labuan Bajo for two nights which would give us enough time to find a boat and sort things out before hopefully going on our adventure.

We stayed at La Cecile for two nights before our bout trip, and at Golo Hilltop for 2 nights after. Both these hotels are fantastic and come highly recommended.

Once in Labuan Bajo, let everyone know that you are looking for a boat. Everyone in Labuan Bajo has a brother/ cousin/lover/high school friend with a boat. Give them your phone number, then sit back and relax until they send you pictures of the boat and then the negotiations start from there.

Check-in at your hotel?
We are looking for a private boat.
Ordering a drink at a cafe?
Oh, do you know of a boat captain without an eyepatch?
Paying the bill after your meal?
Say, we are looking for a boat on Wednesday. Can you hook me up?

Some of the offers really took wild chances, so be prepared for a hard bargain. One offer we got was 6 million rupiah for what was essentially a canoe with a tarp. No, thank you. We waited for the next offer and ordered another drink.

Finding a Boat at Labuan Bajo Harbour

We also went down to the harbour itself to talk to the captains themselves. While all the captains were very friendly and eager to take us to the islands, none of them spoke good enough English for us to make a deal and come to an agreement.

Whenever an interpreter was involved, we got the idea that the price drastically increased. Going to the harbour yourself allows you to inspect the boats and get an idea of what is out there.

Success!

Towards the end of day 1, we sealed the deal on a boat. We rented scooters and told the scooter guy that we are looking for a boat. Within an hour or two scooter guy had sent us pictures that looked good and the price was right.

We met at the harbour to inspect the boat and things were falling into place. After inspecting the boat we discussed our itinerary and paid a deposit for the crew to buy food and a map and a bottle of rum supplies.

Pascal from Pippos scooter rental was the guy who made it all happen. Pippos is located across from the mosque, and about a block from the Starbucks.
You can contact Pascal on WhatsApp: +62 812 3975 1614

The Dede Putra: Our Budget Komodo Liveaboard

We chose the Dede Putra because it had both a cabin inside and a seating/lounging area outside. That and, of course, the price was right.

Towards the front of the boat is a small door leading down towards the cabin, which sits under the deck. Inside the cabin is a double berth as well as two single berths on the side. Small and narrow windows which can slide open and close run the length of the cabin, which makes the cabin light and airy. You’ll be outside on the deck for most of your time on the boat.

So we would prioritize a good outside area over a cabin though, as you’ll only really sleep in the cabin. And it’s only for one night. In the dry season, it might be better to sleep out on the deck. We went in January which is supposed to be the peak of the rainy season, and that’s why we were looking for a boat with a cabin.

Outside, on top of the cabin, is where we spent most of the time while onboard. The crew put up comfy mattresses and sarongs and from there we put up our feet and enjoyed the views as we put-put-putted through the islands. Here we took long naps and read and really relaxed like there was no tomorrow.

Behind our seating area was where the captain steered the wheel and a sleeping area for the crew. Towards the rear of the boat is a small kitchen. From here the meals appeared, as if by magic. There is also a toilet with a mandi (scoop and bucket shower- with freshwater).

Yes, this is a budget liveaboard, and just what we were looking for.

The Crew on Our Budget Liveaboard

Our friendly crew took care of us right from the moment we stepped onboard the Dede Putra. The main man in charge, Bien, splashed and cleaned every surface of the boat throughout our trip.

At the helm young DD steers our ship safely through the strong currents that run like wild rivers between these islands. Taking turns, the two of them keep us safe, fed and happy.

I’d say that your crew will have a major impact on how your adventure goes, so do try and meet them before deciding on a boat.

Our crew gets a 5-star score!

Komodo Boat Trip Food

Discuss your menu and dietary needs with your captain/crew before departure. We are non-vegan easy people so we eat local Indonesian food, similar to what you’ll get at a Padang food joint.

Bien and DD take turns cooking and we enjoy fried fish, fried chicken, eggplant, tempeh, vegetables, noodles and rice. Portions are large and we don’t go hungry. We took some snacks with us just in case we got hungry. They were not needed and came back to Labuan Bajo unopened.

The absolute best though is the Pisang Goreng (fried banana) complete with chocolate sprinkles and drizzled in chocolate sauce. This makes a breakfast of champions and a solid snack after snorkeling. Add to this a free flow of coffee and tea and you are a happy camper sailor.

Tips for Your Private Komodo Boat Trip

• Inspect the boats in person before paying a deposit
• Decide on a reasonable budget and stick to it.
• Don’t accept the first offer
• Discuss itinerary and food before departure
• Make sure the captain registers your travel plan with the harbour master
• Take your own beer/soft drinks
• Rent snorkeling gear in Labuan Bajo or bring your own
• Make sure to bring back all your garbage to Labuan Bajo with you
• Do tip your crew if you were happy with everything.