Route Description - Komodo Island (Labuan Bajo - Labuan Bajo)
6 days / 5 Nights
Day 1: Sebayor Island
Mantamae staff will pick up guests at Labuan Bajo airport in Flores and accompany them to the dock for immediate boarding and departure. During a light lunch, guests will receive a briefing on Manta Mae, and depending on the time of arrival, they will also be briefed on the "check dive." The small island of Sebayor offers excellent diving just a few miles from Labuan Bajo’s harbor. Sebayor Kecil and Mini Wall are perfect for warm-up dives, where divers are likely to see bronze sweepers, lionfish, eels, and possibly the resident ghost pipefish. The staggered tiers of the neighboring patch reef are home to various species, including nudibranchs, pipefish, sea fans, sponges, and twin-spot lionfish.
In addition to daytime diving, a night dive will be offered daily if conditions are favorable.
Day 2: Gili Lawa Laut – Gili Lawa Darat
Two celebrated dive sites await divers just north of Gili Lawa Laut Island. Crystal Rock and Castle Rock are both incredible locations, boasting the key elements of an impressive dive site: a wide variety of healthy corals covering the reef and a diverse range of fish species, from small reef fish to larger predators.
Cauldron is another exhilarating dive site, and the healthy hard coral reefs off the island of Gili Lawa Darat offer excellent night diving. Between dives, guests may visit Gili Lawa Laut Island for a short trek to the top of the hill, offering a stunning view over the Komodo-Flores channel.
Crystal Rock: This site is named after the rock jutting out of the surrounding crystal-clear waters. Large schools of fusiliers and anthias flit over the gorgeous soft corals and impressive table corals. In the deep blue, large tuna, mackerel, and other fish can often be seen schooling around a small mound to the northwest. A lone eagle ray is frequently spotted cruising in the currents.
Castle Rock: Situated a kilometer north of Crystal Rock, this submerged pinnacle experiences strong currents, providing thrilling experiences for experienced divers. The main attraction is the staggering number of fish, including batfish, groupers, midnight snappers, and schools of barracuda and surgeonfish. Giant trevally, as well as whitetip, blacktip, and grey reef sharks, are often seen hunting in the area.
Cauldron: The channel between Gili Lawa Laut and Gili Lawa Darat forms a dive site with unique topography. The dive begins with a drift along a sloping reef and sandy bottom, where bumphead parrotfish, sharks, and schools of batfish are commonly seen. Crocodile fish and lionfish hunt among the small schools of glassfish, while pygmy seahorses and frogfish hide among the corals. The site shallows out into the ‘bull ring’ circle, ending in a flat rock plateau with a chance to encounter manta rays.
Day 3: Makassar Strait
Following a light breakfast, divers will explore Batu Bolong (Hollow Rock), a world-class dive site in the north of the Komodo Strait. Its dramatic underwater landscape, featuring towering walls, is home to an incredible variety of marine life and corals. Sharks, giant trevallies, unicornfish, rainbow runners, turtles, barracudas, and napoleon wrasse are frequently spotted here.
Later in the day, Tatawa Besar offers a thrilling drift dive starting from the northwestern tip of Tatawa and continuing down the western side at a depth of 15 to 20 meters. The vibrant fish life and endless fields of orange soft corals make for a breathtaking experience. Schools of sweetlips and batfish inhabit coral heads, and turtles can often be seen feeding on the reef. Manta rays have also been encountered here.
At Makassar Strait, divers have the opportunity to see mantas at their cleaning station. This exhilarating drift dive along a shallow, flat bottom interspersed with coral patches presents a chance to see manta rays, turtles, eagle rays, and whitetip and blacktip reef sharks. The site is also excellent for snorkeling.
Day 4: Tatawa Besar – Tatawa Kecil – Siaba Island
After another dive at Tatawa Besar, the journey continues to Tatawa Kecil, where a dive in a beautiful coral garden with brisk currents and an unspoiled reef awaits. The site features remarkable topography, including boulders, walls, overhangs, and caves. It is home to vast numbers of groupers, snappers, and trevallies.
The west side of this small rocky outcrop presents a fantastic underwater landscape with enormous slabs of rock, channels, canyons, caves, and swim-throughs. On the north plateau, crocodile fish lie among scenic reefs, alongside a host of reef fish and schooling barracuda.
After the dive, the journey continues to Siaba Besar, where the boat will moor offshore for the night. The white beach of Mauan provides the perfect setting for a sunset barbecue.
Day 5: Pantai Merah – Batu Tiga – Rinca
Pantai Merah, also known as Pink Beach, is one of the most frequently visited sites in the park. Snorkeling from the beach is excellent, and a nearby rock that is submerged at high tide provides a great dive site. The area is home to a variety of tame fish and a diverse selection of critters, including leaf scorpionfish, blue-ribbon eels, crocodile fish, and nudibranchs. This site is also ideal for night dives.
The next dive site, Batu Tiga, lies southeast of Tanjung Kuning in the Linta Strait. It is an excellent location for big fish encounters and is considered one of the most current-affected sites in Komodo, making it suitable for advanced and experienced divers. Timing is crucial, with the best approach from the northwestern side of the three rocks.
The rewards of this dive are numerous. A rocky reef extends below the surface towards Komodo, where most coral growth is stunted due to the strong currents. In deeper waters, large boulders provide excellent habitats for groupers and other species. Large groupers, mantas, giant trevally, and other pelagic species are frequently spotted.
In the afternoon, the itinerary includes a visit to Rinca Island, one of Komodo’s main non-diving highlights. Here, guests will embark on a guided hike of up to two and a half hours to observe the legendary Komodo dragons in their natural habitat.
Afterward, the journey continues to Bat Island, where thousands of flying foxes make their home in the mangrove forest. Watching these magnificent bats take flight at sunset is a truly mesmerizing experience.
Day 6: Departure Day
The final morning will include a return to Sebayor Island for one last snorkeling session at an incredible site before sailing back to Labuan Bajo harbor, concluding the adventure.