Route Description - Komodo (Lombok - Labuan bajo)
11 days / 10 nights
The beginning of your trip
The trip begins in Lombok and ends in Labuan Bajo
The closest airport to the departure harbour is Lombok International Airport (LOP) and the closest airport to the arrival harbour is Labuan Bajo (LBJ)
Pickup time at the airport is according to your flights. Give yourself enough time to go through immigration and pickup your bags
You will be met by someone carrying a Samambaia sign who will take you directly to the boat
Hotel pickup time is in the morning
You can check in on the boat as of 12:00
The boat departs Lombok early in the afternoon on the same day.
Itinerary highlights
The Komodo National Park is firmly established as one of the world's top diving regions.
Enjoy nutrient-rich water, brightly-coloured reefs, critters galore and currents which bring in big pelagics, scuba diving in Komodo is consistently excellent.
Pristine beaches, turquoise bays, starlit skies and gorgeous sunsets.
Land excursions to Komodo National Park to see the world famous flesh eating Komodo dragon
No cruise on MV Samambaia is like the other. Every single trip is tailor-made to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
We do however have our secret spots as well, which you will learn about during the cruise.
DAY 1:
Safety Briefing, Crew Introduction, Necessary Dive Paperwork, Cabin allocation and ship orientation will take place before departing the Harbour.
During the journey to our first dive site for a check dive, please take this opportunity to familiarize yourselves with the vessel and make yourself comfortable.
Please Note: This is a sample itinerary and nº of dives, dive sites, etc. may be subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforseeable factors
Day 2:
We will do three dives in total today at a fantastic sandy critter spot, closed to the famous Gili Islands.
Though highly frequented areas, hardly anyone dives our favourite spot here as it is rather far away from these islands.
You can expect: Frogfish, Ghostpipefish, Seahorses, Nudibranchs, Wonderpus...
Day 3:
In the morning we will do two dives at Moyo. Here you will find yourself at very fishy walls in pristine conditions.
A fishsoup spiked with Trevallie, Tuna, Sharks. Having Eagle and Manta Rays passing by is not uncommon.
In the afternoon we will do a relaxed dive at the island of Satonda.
A land excursion in the afternoon to a beautiful crater lake.
Day 4:
At the active vulcano of Sangeang you can expect superb black sand critter hunting.
But it’s not only the critters like Nudibranchs, Ghostpipefish, Frogfish and Pygmy Seahorses that make the diving here so exciting, but also the stark contrast of colourful Black- and Whipcoral against the black sand.
On the dive site ‘Bubble Reef’ you can see and feel the volcanic activity - gas bubble fields as well as hot water springs under water are the highlights here.
Day 5:
Just outside the National Park of Komodo this island makes you feel as if you were already inside the park.
We will spend the whole day in a great variety of dive sites. ‘Banta Wall’ alsoknown as ‘The Rollercoaster’ is a spectacular wall
GPS point is a reef more than half a mile north of Banta. Very fishy with the potential for Grey Reef Sharksand other big boys passing by. Again the timing here is key.
One of our favourite spots here is our secret spot which happens to be a Manta cleaning station
For sunset we offer some trekking on a hill which will reward you with an epic view over thebay, the sun setting behind the vulcano of Sangeang.
After Dinner we take you on a nightdive on a sandy slope, where Stargazers will make an angry face
Day 6:
We will dive the famous Komodo National Park. Dive sites as ‘Crystal Rock’ and ‘Castle Rock’. Sharks, Jacks, Fish Soup. Action fuelled by current.
In the afternoon and at night two more world-class dives at famous site like ‘The Golden Passage’, ‘The Cauldron’ or ‘Lighthouse’.
Komodo National Park diving at it’s best.
Day 7:
Heading south through the NP we have a wide selection of top dive sites, like ‘Tatawa Besar’, ‘Tatawa Kecil’, ‘Batu Bolong’, ‘Manta Point’.
Three excellent day dives based upon conditions and availability. To cap this great day we offer a night dive at Wai Nilu, which ranks within the Top 5 favorite night dive spots allover Indonesia of our Cruise Director.
Day 8:
We offer three more day dives in the Horseshoe Bay.
Some of our favourite dive sites here include: ‘Cannibal Rock’, ‘The Yellow Wall of Texas’, ‘Devil’s Corner’ and ‘Torpedo Alley’.
In the afternoon we will leave this truly spectacular place and head back up north. For a night dive we will pull into the island of Pantar. Starry Night Octopus, Frogfish, rare Nudibranchs - this dive site never disappoints.
Day 9:
Trekking with Komodo dragons in the morning before it gets too hot in the sun. Expect to be eye in eye with the last dragons on this planet. A must when coming here. Local rangers take care of our safety.
After this adventure we will be heading to the south of Rinca, also known as Nusa Kode or Horseshoe Bay. Some of the lushest diving Komodo National Park has to offer. During the months of May until October however, the waters are quite cold (down to 23°C) and the visibility is rather poor.
You will be, however, rewarded with critter galore: Ambon Scorpionfish, Rhinopias, Frogfish, Wonderpus, Coconut Octopus paired with an overwhelming growth of soft and hard coral on the reefs. A very common sight at the beach are Komodo Dragons, Deer, Wild Boar and up in the trees you might spot a sea eagle.
Day 10
Today we will do two dives around the heart of Komodo National Park.
World class dive sites are plenty and if they are too busy, we have our favourite secret spots as well.
Sail back to Labuan Bajo
DAY 11
Unfortunately, our trip has come to an end and we have to say goodbye, but we hope to see you again soon!
The end of your trip
Your last dives will be on the second to last day in the afternoon
It is your responsibility to ensure you respect the 24 hour no-fly time after your last dive!
The boat docks back in Labuan Bajo in the evening on the second to last day
Check out and disembarkation is between 06:00 and 14:00 on the last day.
Hotel drop-off time is in the morning
Airport drop-off time is according to your flights