Last updated 3 May 2021
Dive All Komodo Archipelago on Tiare Liveaboard
This is a great opportunity to dive the whole Archipelago of Komodo on the brand new phinisi liveaboard: Tiare!
The Best Time to Dive Komodo & Trip Schedule on Tiare Liveaboard
The Southern waters generally provide better visibility from December through April. Lower visibility occurs in the South during the dry season when oceanic up-welling and plankton blooms, attracts a wealth of marine life to Komodo, especially invertebrates. Highest temperatures in the south are during the rainy season. Komodo's Northern waters generally provide better visibility year round. Fish is abundant everywhere but the rocks and reefs in areas of stronger current provide the best chances of spotting the bigger fish, especially sharks and other pelagic species.
All our dive cruises to Komodo are preset from June to August, but Tiare Liveaboard is available to dive and sail Komodo under special request on a different time of the year
Tiare Liveaboard - 11 Night Dive Cruise to Komodo Archipelago
Komodo National Park is composed by the two larger islands, Komodo and Rinca, and about 80 smaller islets. The park hosts one of the richest marine environments including coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, seamounts and semi-enclosed bays where has been registered more than 1,000 species of fish, 260 species of reef-building coral and 70 species of sponges. Sea turtles and marine mammals live in Komodo's waters, and migrating whales are also spotted. If Komodo's underwater delights were not enough, there is also a 3 meters long lizard walking around the islands of Rinca, Kode and Komodo which looks like it came straight from the age of the dinosaurs. For many divers Komodo offers the best diving in Indonesia and right up there with the leading dive destinations in the world.
Diving Trip to Komodo Archipelago on Tiare Liveaboard
Komodo Dive Cruises -All the Archipelago 11NN- Factsheet
All you need to know about this diving trip
Inclusions
- Arrival and departure airport transfers
- Accommodation on board
- All meals a day
- Aqua, tea, coffee, soft drinks, natural juice
- 3 dives a day + 1 night dives
- Excursions according on board program
- Tank, belt and weights
- Toiletries
- Free advice about connecting flights and eventual stops over in Indonesia
Exclusions
- National Park Entrance Fees
- Harbor Fees
- Fuel Surcharge
- Nitrox fills for certified nitrox divers
- Alcoholic beverages, espresso, cappuccino
- Crew gratuities
- Diving Insurance, we highly recommended DAN
- Travel Insurance, we highly recommended World Nomads Travel Insurance
- Hotel and meals before and after your cruise*
- International and domestic flights*
- One transit night depending of your connecting flights*
Terms & Conditions
- Booking by Cabin
- 25% as deposit for booking confirmation
- 100% 60 days before cruise departure
- Private Cruises & Charters
- A 15% deposit for booking confirmation
- 50% 120 days before cruise departure
- 100% 60 days before cruise departure
Cancellation Policy
- Booking by Cabin
- More than 60 days before departure: 75% refund
- 60-30 days: 10% refund
- Less than 30 days: 0% refund
- Private Cruises & Charters
- More than 120 days before departure: 85% refund
- 120-60 days: 50% refund
- Less than 60 days: 0% refund
Tailor-Made Travel
(*) We can organise all your flight itinerary, land services and eventual extensions with the best market price.
Contact us for planning your custom made diving holidays.
Komodo Archipelago 11 Night Itinerary on Tiare Liveaboard
Day 1 Welcome at Bima Airport
Tiare’s crew will welcome you at Bima Airport and will manage your transfer to the boat. Your journey with Tiare Liveaboard begins in Bima, on the island of Sumbawa.
After settling into your accommodation you’ll get ready for some world-class muck diving off the coast of Bima’s Bay. After checking the diving conditions you may dive Bethlehem or Tanjung Batu Putih, two other great muck diving sites. A night dive will also be chosen depending on the water conditions.
Day 2 Sumbawa: Gunung Api & Bubble Reef
Waking up you’ll be treated to views of the island of Sangeang off the northeast coast of Sumbawa. This island is home to Gunung Api, one of Indonesia’s many active volcanoes. The volcanic activity here has created the perfect conditions for a number of excellent dive sites with healthy reefs of soft and hard corals as well as many types of anemones. You’ll take 4 dives around the island, including Bubble Reef with underwater vents emerging from the black sand, Critter Creek and Pohon Merah. This are great dives for finding creatures hiding in the black sand. Bontoh Reef on the west side of the island is an excellent final dive of the day with the fabulous sunset.
Day 3 Gili Banta. Arriving to Komodo
It’s another 4 dive day, this time off Gili Banta, an island between Sumbawa and Komodo. In the morning you’ll dive GPS point, Highway to Heaven, and Small World. GPS Point and Highway to Heaven are challenging dives as currents can be strong, but the payoff is the possibility of seeing sharks, schools of barracuda, dogtooth tuna and more larger predators. Small World is a more sheltered dive where you might find stargazers buried in the soft sand.
After lunch head under water again for a beautiful drift dive at Golden Passage followed by a night dive off Gili Lawa Laut or choose to take a short trek to the highest point on Gili Lawa Laut for a wonderful view over the Komodo-Flores channel.
Day 4 Crystal Rock, Castle Rock, The Cauldron, Gili Lawa Laut
On day 4 you will dive some challenging sites off Gili Lawa Laut. Crystal Rock (named for the rock jutting out from crystal blue water) and Castle Rock both boast a wide variety of very healthy corals and an impressive array of marine life. The Cauldron (sometimes called Shotgun) and Gili Lawa Laut Lighthouse are two of the other thrilling dives in this area and can be dived in the evening or at night. Here you might see crocodilefish, lion fish, sometimes eagle rays and reef sharks and even manta rays. Between dives you’ll have the chance to trek to the highest point of Gili Lawa Laut to see the gorgeous views over the Komodo-Flores channel if you didn’t do it the day before.
Day 5 Karang Makassar, Batu Bolong, Tatawa Kecil, Pulau Sebayur
Today you’ll be diving off Komodo Island where currents can be quite strong. Dives must be timed in accordance with tides and weather conditions so there are a number of dive sites you may visit. Takat Makassar Reef, Batu Bolong and Tatawa Kecil are all stunning dives with soft and hard corals. You’ll have the chance to see white and black tip reef sharks, manta rays, turtles, giant trevally, snapper in various environments, from shallow reefs to canyons and caves. Dive at night at the mini wall at Pulau Sebayur where you should Look for leaffish, ghost pipefish and nudibranchs.
Day 6 Sebayur Besar, Batu Tengah, Rinca, Wanilu
Get up early and dive at Sebayur Besar and then Batu Tengah. Batu Tengah is right in the middle of the Komodo National Park and slopes into a stunning coral garden. Divers often see turtles, cuttlefish, white tip reef sharks and large groups of Napoleon wrasse and snapper here.
In the afternoon, the outgoing group visit island of Rinca to meet Komodo dragons up close and personal, while the group staying for the longer cruise carry on to a night dive in Wainilu. This dive is situated off northern Rinca. In the shallows hard corals house juvenile harlequin sweetlips and batfish, while starry night octopus, moray eels and demon stingers live in the soft corals of the sandy slope.
Day 7 Manta Reef, Rinca, Batu Bolong, Padar Island
Wake up to the beautiful sights of the straits between the islands of Komodo and Rinca. You will dive here at the stunning Manta Reef (Karang Makassar) and the spectacular Batu Bolong, where you will see an incredible amount of coral and tropical fish. Rest and have lunch on board before an afternoon dive at Three Sisters; 3 underwater ridges with massive steps, and towers of stone, caves and overhangs covered in soft corals. Expect to see nudibranchs, frogfish and larger marine life like reef sharks and bumphead parrotfish. Your third dive of the day will be a night dive in Padar. Water temperatures at these sites can drop to around 20°c, so be prepared for the possibility of chillier dives. You might also notice the water is greener here than other areas. However, this means there are far more nutrients in the water, which in turn means incredible biodiveristy!
Day 8 Nusa Kode, Cannibal Rock, Torpedo Alley
On day 3 you will have 4 dives off Nusa Kode Island, where you’ll see some of the most incredible marine creatures in the archipelago. During the day you’ll dive at Canninbal Rock, which has often been listed as one of the top 10 dive sites in the world! With its sand slopes, rocky areas and a plateau covered in marine life, you can expect to see hard and soft corals, sponges, tube anemones, and a huge variety of nudibranchs. Yellow Wall at southern entrance to Horseshoe Bay is your next stop, where you will see the yellow and orange corals that give the site its name. This drift dive allows you to slowly take in all the ladybugs and nudibranchs covering the wall. Entering in to the bay Boulders is home to resting rays and sometimes even hiding nurse sharks. Head back to Tiaré for a rest before a shallow night dive in Torpedo Bay (sometimes called Torpedo Alley). This site is named after the torpedo rays that are found here. You can also expect seahorses, coconut octopus, squid and the odd bobbit worm burrowed into the volcanic black sand.
Day 9 Manta Alley, German Flag, Tora Langkoi Bay
Another 4 incredible dives in store for you: weather permitting of course. This morning you’ll be south of Komodo Island at Manta Alley and German Flag. Manta Alley is in Tora Langkoi Bay and is the most popular dive for spotting the majestic manta rays. There is also a possibility of spotting mantas at German Flag, as well as Malabar groupers, schools of potato cod, red snapper, surgeon fish. In the afternoon you will dive Tanjung Lehoksera or Batu Gajah depending on the weather conditions. At night discover the wreck of a 100-foot wooden Pinisi boat.
Day 10 & 11 Pulau Hantu, Pantai Merah or Pink Beach, Bima
A more restful day 10 includes 2 dives at Pulau Hantu and Pantai Merah (Pink Beach) off of Komodo Island. Pink Beach is famous for not only its beautiful pink sand, but its mini wall in the middle of the reef where the crevices make the perfect home for glassfish, nudibranchs, frogfish, crocodilefish and scorpionfish. In the sandier area opposite the wall juvenile harlequin sweetlips and mandarin fish live. After so many amazing dives it’s time to meet the magnificent Komodo dragons on their own turf. Tour the island before heading back to the boat and sailing overnight to Bima.
Day 12
After breakfast on board you will ready to disembark at your convenience in the harbour of Bima. The crew of Tiaré Liveaboard will accompany you to Bima airport.
As always, this is a solid and proven itinerary that not only delivers fantastic diving opportunities, but also promotes a sense of adventure and uniqueness conveniently managed by our experienced boat crew, so it is expected some flexibility in the itinerary. Natural conditions as weather, tides, currents and eventual unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances may affect the schedule at any time, and in any case, the final say correspond to the Liveaboard Captain.
Diving in Komodo
The narrow straits between the islands of Komodo and Rinca communicate the Flores Sea with the Indian Ocean. Their tide currents provide a continuous exchange of water and nutrients between the inner sea and the ocean creating a unique ecosystem, favouring the biodiversity and the proliferation of peculiarities like the frog fish or endemic species that can only be observed here, like the sea apple. The depths are densely populated with fixed life, with great underwater variety of landscapes, from diving in vertical walls covered with soft corals resembling the Red Sea gardens to stone structures resembling the cold water reefs of the North Sea. Due to the high degree of protection that this National Park enjoys, it is also an area of great abundance of fish, with thick schools of carangids, sweet lips and butterflies, as well as frequent encounters with manta rays and reef sharks.
Batu Bolong, a pinnacle in the middle of the strait covered with coral and abundance of fish. In Nusa Kode, Cannibal Rock, is a submerged mountain literally covered with marine life and invertebrates. Castle Rock, another underwater pinnacle with sharks and schools of carangidae. Bubbe Reef, a beautiful coral garden on the slopes of a volcano with bubbles coming out from the black sand. Crystal Bommie, Yellow Wall and Manta Alley are also some of the awesome dive sites we will enjoy.
Komodo Sea Life
Barracudas, surgeonfish, bumphead parrotfish, trevally and giant trevally, Napoleon wrasse, wobbegong shark, tunas, mackarels, manta rays, mobulas, seahorses, frogfish, leaf fish, scorpionfish, black corals forests, gorgonian fields, soft corals, gorgonian fields.
Visibility
Visibility is excellent in the whole northern part of the strait and on the way from Denpasar to Komodo. In the south it may be lower in some specific areas or for short periods.
Water Temperature
Temperature is 27°C in the north. Much cooler in the south with around 22-24°C. A 5 mm long wetsuit and a hood are recommended for this diving trip.
Currents
Komodo Park is well known for its consistent currents that can be dangerous. We pay very much attention to dive at the right place at the right time in order to avoid that uncomfortable and dangerous currents. Before each dive, briefings will inform you about the diving conditions and advises will be given to always keep the dives safe. However, a strong scuba diving experience is required for this fabulous cruise. A reef hook can be useful.
Itinerary
From Bima we direct to Island Sangeang for memorable diving in bubble reef, dive in the strong currents of Banta Island and get delightful in amazing Gili Lawa, the red beach, Sabolan and Seabayur and the most spectacular diving points in the warmer waters of Northern part of Komodo archipelago to pass to the cooler waters of Southern Komodo Rinca, Padar and Nusa Kode. At the end of this diving trip we return to Bima and you will spend one of the most memorable 24h/No FLY time of your diver career immerse in the jurassic landscape of Komodo National Park. Our 11 Bima-Bima itinerary is not fixed, which will give us a great margin to play with factors such as suitability of sea conditions and the presence of other divers' boats in order to optimize the diving and maximize the liveaboard experience of our guests.
Land tours
One of the main attractions of this route is the visit to the Komodo and Rinca National Park for the observation of the famous Komodo Dragons, a carnivorous variety of lizard (Varanus Komodiensis) which can grow up to 3 meters of length. Due to the strong currents of the straits surrounding these islands, and in spite of the fact that the dragons can swim, they have remained isolated in these two remote islands of prehistoric look.
The visit is a two – three hours trek in one of the two islands, Komodo or Rinca, accompanied by a National Park guide, depending on how lucky we would be that day we will see, apart from the dragons, deer, wild boars, water buffalos, parrots and fowls. Wooden dragons carvings of different sizes and pearls from nearby farms can be bought to the natives of the island.
Last but not less, a slight trekking in Gili Lawa or Padar Island to get some of the most memorable photos from the jurassic landscape of Komodo. Everything around you will be a scenery of an overwhelming beauty.
Embark and Disembark - Domestic Flights - In Transit Accommodations
- Embarking port: Bima. Airport: Bima in Sumbawa.
- Disembarking port: Bima. Airport: Bima in Sumbawa.
- You will need a flight from Jakarta-Bima-Jakarta in connection with your international flights.
At your arrival at airport, our staff will be there to pick you up: you will easily identify them wearing their Tiare Liveaboard T-shirt and a folder mentioning your name and our logotype.
- Check in: the cruise starting date, before 12:00pm.
- Check out: at the cruise ending date, before 12:00pm.
You might need spend one transit night before and after your diving trip depending of your international flights.
So complicated? Contact Us We have the most competitive airfare (domestic & international) and accommodations for all range of budget.
Tiare Liveaboard Technical Data
Cruising Indonesia is proud to introduce TIARE CRUISE, a 36m brand new luxury sailing yacht starting operations on April 2017. Design and concept is the cornerstone of the quality of service on Tiare Liveaboard, and she promises cater to the needs of the most exigent divers: dive in top world class exotic scuba diving destinations according to the comfortable and wealthy life stile they are accustomed to have.
Cruising Indonesia | The Liveaboard & Dive Specialists
Cruising Indonesia, as Reservation Team of Tiare Liveaboard, is committed to ensuring you not only a perfect diving holiday but also the best price guarantee. Contact us and we will arrange everything you need: every single details of your cruise reservation, the international & domestic flights, the ground services, an amazing tour extension...
