Komodo liveaboard FAQ: sixty answers about sailing on Vinca

Message the desk on WhatsApp or by email with your dates, numbers and route. We'll check the boat and send a quote, followed by an invoice. A deposit of 50 percent holds the date. The balance is due 30 days before departure, and bookings made inside that window are paid in full.

The company that operates the boat, a registered Indonesian company based in Labuan Bajo. Its business registration number is 1805260128363, which you'll also find in the operator box on this site. Before you pay, check that the account name on the invoice matches that company.

Yes. VAT at 11 percent is already included in every price on this site.

No, but we recommend it for every booking. Our refund ladder pays back 50 percent at 60 days or more, 25 percent between 30 and 59 days and nothing within 30 days. Insurance covering sea travel and trip cancellation fills the gap the ladder leaves.

By credit card through a payment link, or by Wise, Revolut, PayPal, Alipay or an online payment page. A rupiah bank transfer or QRIS also works. Prices are set in rupiah and the invoice is in rupiah. PayPal adds 7.2 percent, and any card fee is shown on the invoice.

On request. Prices depend on headcount, island and season, so the desk quotes within hours, in writing and in rupiah, and nothing is added to the fare without a written quote. Only three packages have printed prices: the romantic dinner at IDR 2,950,000 (≈ USD 181), the honeymoon set-up at IDR 3,900,000 (≈ USD 239) and the birthday package at IDR 2,000,000 (≈ USD 123).

Yes. All 6 cabins are air-conditioned, and each has its own ensuite with a hot shower. Only the Western rooms have a bathtub, and the brochure lists no jacuzzi. It doesn't give bed sizes in centimetres either, so we don't quote them.

The brochure gives bed types, not dimensions. The Japanese and Western rooms have a double bed, and the Balinese rooms a double and a single. We'd rather leave sizes blank than make them up. If bed width could decide your booking, ask the desk before you pay the 50 percent deposit.

The Japanese rooms on the upper deck get the least engine noise, but they roll the most. The Balinese rooms on the lower deck move least and are closest to the engine, which is loudest when it's working hard. The Western rooms on the main deck are somewhere in between. Of the 6 cabins, light sleepers should go for the upper deck and anyone prone to queasiness for the lower.

No. The Japanese and Western rooms have one; the Balinese rooms, which have portholes, don't. As the photos show, each balcony is a narrow strip of side deck with a bench, nothing wider. Of the 6 cabins, only the Balinese rooms go without.

The Balinese room is the family room, with a double, a single and a fourth bed on request, sleeping up to four. Children under 3 travel free with a parent or guardian. The stairs between decks are steep, so parents of toddlers should plan on holding hands on every flight.

Most visitors do. Nationals of 97 countries can use a 30-day visa on arrival or apply for the same visa online as an e-VoA, and citizens of ASEAN member states enter visa-free for 30 days. Your passport needs six months of validity and two blank pages, and you need an onward ticket. Check the official list for your passport and the fee in the week you fly.

A free digital form covering immigration, customs and health, required at international airports since October 2025. Fill it in within 72 hours before you land, on the official All Indonesia site or app, and keep the QR code on your phone. Third-party sites sometimes charge for the same form. The official one costs nothing.

Telkomsel has the best coverage in town and offshore, and XL is a weaker backup. Every SIM must be registered with your passport, and an eSIM can be installed before you fly and activated on landing. On Vinca, mobile signal returns only near Labuan Bajo, so a data plan will not carry a call from the open sea.

Indonesia runs on 230 V at 50 Hz with two-round-pin plugs, types C and F. Power cuts are more common than in Bali, though usually brief. Charge every device the night before the 09:30 pickup, and carry a power bank of 10,000 mAh or more for the days away from a socket.

Tipping is welcome and optional, and crew gratuities are not in our fare. Operator guides quote a shared crew tip of roughly 5 to 10 percent of the trip price, plus a separate tip for the ranger who leads your walk. Treat that as a norm, not a rule. Bring clean small notes in rupiah, since no cash machine stands on the islands.

Cover shoulders and knees in town, villages, churches and mosques, and keep swimwear for the beach and the boat. Remove your shoes before entering a mosque, use your right hand to give and receive, and ask before photographing people. On the park trails, follow the ranger, and guides advise staying at least 2 m from any dragon.

Book ahead with a licensed operator and pay against a written invoice naming the company, the boat, the dates and what is included. Ask for the registration number; ours is 1805260128363, and the operator box shows the Labuan Bajo address. Be wary of very cheap packages, of photos that show another boat and of requests to pay a personal account.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, plus afternoon coffee or tea with a snack and soft drinks throughout the trip. All of it is included in both the open-trip fare, from IDR 6,950,000 (≈ USD 426) per person, and the charter fare. The chef cooks in an open galley, and meals are served at the long table on the covered dining deck.

Tell the desk in writing before you sail, with the details of the allergy or diet; you can raise it again with the guide on the first morning, and the chef works in an open galley. The brochure has no vegan or allergen menu, so what we promise is a conversation, not a menu. There are 7 crew on board.

Yes. Alcohol isn't included in the fare, and the brochure says you're welcome to bring your own; soft drinks are included. The indoor lounge has a bar and the sundeck has bean bags, so bring whatever you'd like to drink at sunset. It won't be covered by the fare of IDR 6,950,000 (≈ USD 426) per person or IDR 50,000,000 (≈ USD 3,067) for the boat.

At one long table on the covered outdoor dining deck, which on a shared departure is where the group comes together. The air-conditioned indoor lounge, with its sofa, TV and karaoke, is for the evenings. On a private 4D3N, one dinner is served at a table on the sand at Sebayur.

Yes. The birthday package is IDR 2,000,000 (≈ USD 123), with balloons and decorations. A romantic dinner on the beach starts at IDR 2,950,000 (≈ USD 181) per couple. Neither package mentions a cake, so ask the desk what's possible and arrange it before you sail.

Yes, on request. A beach dinner is included on private charters of 4D3N and longer; otherwise, a romantic dinner on the beach starts at IDR 2,950,000 (≈ USD 181) per couple. Seafood, private island and special-diet dinners are quoted within hours. Just tell the desk the headcount, the island and about any shellfish allergy.

By air. Direct flights run between Bali and Labuan Bajo, and the airport is Komodo Airport, code LBJ. Book to land the day before sailing, since pickup is at 09:30 and flights are sometimes cancelled or delayed. Hotel and airport pickup in Labuan Bajo is free.

Komodo Airport, code LBJ, is the airport for Labuan Bajo. Pickup from the airport is free on every trip, at 09:30 on the morning you sail. If you land the day before, we collect you from your hotel instead. Tell the desk which flight you are on.

In Labuan Bajo. A 3D2N or 4D3N docks between 11:00 and 12:00, a 2D1N between 18:00 and 19:00, and a day trip at 20:00. Tell the desk your flight and your hotel so that onward transport can be planned. Flights after 14:00 are the safe choice on a 3D2N.

Some. Bring emergency cash and rupiah for tips and small purchases, since there is no cash machine on the islands. Cash machines exist in town. Park tickets and the ranger fee are paid separately from the fare, so keep rupiah notes for the IDR 250,000 per foreign visitor handy.

Near the town, and in patches between islands. Vinca has local Wi-Fi, a hotspot off the crew's mobile signal, but no satellite internet. Plan to be mostly unreachable for the length of the trip, which is three days on a 3D2N. Tell your family the dates and the desk's WhatsApp line.

Yes, on request. The default is a free car or minibus shared with your group at 09:30. For a family or a larger party the desk can quote a Toyota HiAce with up to 12 seats, or a larger coach. Send the number of guests, the number of bags and the pickup points, and the upgrade appears as its own line on a written quote.

IDR 250,000 per person per day under PP 36/2024, paid separately from the fare. Ranger fees, pier fees and snorkel levies are collected on top and can change without notice, so the desk will give you the current total before you fly, not a number that goes out of date.

Yes. Indonesian visitors pay IDR 50,000 per person per day on weekdays and IDR 75,000 at weekends and on holidays. Ranger and other levies are charged separately, as they are for foreign visitors, and they can change without notice.

Not without a permit. A drone permit is a separate charge, on top of park entry of IDR 250,000, and it is not in our fare. The park can refuse it. The open trip already includes drone footage by the crew, together with GoPro and mirrorless photos, so most guests do not need their own.

Yes. Nobody walks the Komodo trails without a park ranger, and the ranger fee is separate from the park ticket of IDR 250,000 per foreign visitor. Your guide arranges it, and you pay it separately from the fare. The rangers choose the trail by the conditions and the group.

No. Park tickets are bought against your names and are non-refundable, even if the route changes. They sit outside our refund ladder of 50 percent and 25 percent, which applies to the fare only. Budget the fees as spent as soon as you sail.

The park charges per person per day inside the park, IDR 250,000 for a foreign visitor. The first two days of a 3D2N reach Padar, Komodo and the snorkel stops. Day three is a morning near Labuan Bajo, and one operator says such a morning is generally not counted. We have not confirmed it for Vinca, so the quote states the days.

No cash at the gate. Tickets have been sold online through the park's SiOra system since February 2025, in each visitor's name with a passport or ID number. Send us your names as printed on your passports a week before sailing, and ask for the e-ticket or QR code in your name once it is issued.

Yes. Since April 2026 the park authority has capped entry at 1,000 visitors a day across Padar, Rinca, Komodo and 23 nearby dive sites, in three time sessions. It is one more reason to fix a date early. Whether every snorkeller and cruise guest counts is not fully clear in the reports.

From the 09:30 pickup on day one to drop-off between 11:00 and 12:00 on day three: two nights, or about 50 hours in all. Open trips depart on Monday & Friday, so a Monday start finishes on Wednesday and a Friday start on Sunday.

Stops can move for tide, weather and park decisions, and the captain decides on the day. The brochure doesn't offer custom routes, so ask the desk before booking rather than on the quay. Prices vary by route, from IDR 50,000,000 (≈ USD 3,067) for a day trip to IDR 120,000,000 (≈ USD 7,362) for a 4D3N, for the smallest band.

In your cabin, either at anchor or under way, depending on the weather and the captain's call on the day. The brochure names no fixed anchorage, so neither do we. If the night matters to you, ask the desk about your dates before you book.

Padar takes 25 to 45 minutes to the main viewpoint, up a steep, loose path. Kelor is a short, steep hill. The Komodo trails are walked with a ranger and take 45 to 120 minutes, depending on the trail. Ask the guide if you would rather stay aboard for a climb.

No. They are wild animals on a ranger-guided trail, and sightings are likely but never guaranteed. Nobody walks the trails without a park ranger, whose fee is separate from the park ticket of IDR 250,000 per foreign visitor per day.

Yes. A company outing is a whole-boat charter for up to 18 guests, priced by guest band from IDR 50,000,000 (≈ USD 3,067), and a meeting runs at the long table on the dining deck or in the air-conditioned lounge. The Wi-Fi on board is a local hotspot with no satellite link, so keep video calls for ashore. We are not a hall with a projector, and we say so before the deposit.

Yes, with a life jacket, which the crew provide. Snorkelling at Pink Beach and Taka Makassar is shallow and mild. Manta Point has a strong current, and the guide advises a life jacket or a confident swimmer in the group. Tell us when you book, so that the crew know from the start.

The rate sheet prints none. Children under 3 travel free with a parent or guardian, and from 3 up they pay the full rate. The steep stairs, the open sundeck and the strong current at Manta Point are the points to weigh for very small children.

Tell the guide at once. The captain has a VHF radio and handheld radios to reach port, and the boat can turn back toward Labuan Bajo, where hospital care is. Bring your own medicines in your hand luggage, and take insurance that covers sea travel. 7 crew are aboard.

Padar is moderate. The path is loose and steep in parts, and the climb to the main viewpoint takes 25 to 45 minutes. Guests who prefer not to climb can stay aboard while the rest go, and the boat will be waiting. Wear shoes with grip, not sandals.

It has open decks, a sundeck and steep stairs between the 6 cabins and the dining area, and nothing in the brochure describes childproofing. Children under 3 travel free, and a parent must hold them on the stairs and on deck. Ask the desk before booking if you want to bring one.

Take a motion tablet with dinner before any night crossing, as the itinerary advises, not after you feel unwell. Choose the lower deck, which moves least. Stay on deck and watch the horizon. Vinca has no stabilisers, so in rough months the upper deck moves most.

No. Destinations can change without notice for weather, current, park or port decisions, and the fare stays the same. If sailing stops altogether because of an event we cannot control, the date can be moved. If we cancel, you get a full refund within 14 days.

November, when the dry season ends: calm seas, clear water and the quietest sites of the year, with Padar sunrise at 05:31. October is nearly as quiet, and January and February are quiet for a different reason, which is that the sea is roughest. July and August are the busiest months.

From June onward the south-east wind builds toward July, and July and August are the windiest months. On a boat without stabilisers, that means more movement on the upper deck. The lower deck is the cabin choice for anyone who minds. April, May and October are the calm alternatives, and a 3D2N cabin costs the same IDR 6,950,000 (≈ USD 426) to IDR 8,500,000 (≈ USD 521) per person in all of them.

Yes, with caveats. From December to March the rain is heavier, the sea is rougher and visibility is lower, particularly in January and February. Mantas peak in that window, though. The open trip has a single departure in January and none in February, so a wet-season trip usually means a charter from IDR 100,000,000 (≈ USD 6,135).

Yes. The open trip on Vinca is a 3D2N sailing on fixed dates, sold per person and per cabin from IDR 6,950,000 (≈ USD 426). The list holds 122 start dates and the next is Monday, 12 October 2026. Meals are at one long table with the other guests. Ask about cabin sharing before you pay the deposit.

We do not know yet, and the brochure does not say. It prints a per-person rate by cabin type and no pairing rule or solo supplement. Ask the desk for the rule on your date and get the answer in writing before you pay the 50 percent deposit. Ask first, because it changes your total.

Balinese costs least at IDR 6,950,000 (≈ USD 426) per person, sits on the lower deck and moves least, with portholes and the most engine noise. Western and Japanese rooms are IDR 8,500,000 (≈ USD 521) per person. Western has the bathtub, and Japanese has the big windows and the most motion. Choose by stomach first, then by price.

The boat carries 7 crew for up to 18 guests, a life raft for 25 people, life jackets, flares, GPS and a VHF radio, and a guide leads every trek with a park ranger. We cannot screen the other guests on an open trip. Tell someone at home your dates, since the boat's Wi-Fi is only a patchy local hotspot with no satellite link.

For one person, almost always the open trip. A whole-boat charter for one to five guests is IDR 100,000,000 (≈ USD 6,135) for a 3D2N, against IDR 6,950,000 (≈ USD 426) to IDR 8,500,000 (≈ USD 521) for a single cabin on the open trip. A charter suits a solo traveller only when friends join and split the band, or when you want your own route.

Bring a soft bag, sturdy shoes and a headtorch for the Padar sunrise, reef-safe sunscreen, a power bank, your original passport and small rupiah notes. Tell the desk your swimming ability, allergies, hotel and flights, and arrive the day before. Book the flight home after 14:00, because the boat docks between 11:00 and 12:00.