u/MongooseHopeful2889

Hi! In July, my best friend and I did a Komodo Islands cruise on one of the Deluxe Phinisi boats, booked through easykomodo.com, though our boat was also cross-listed on a few other websites. Sharing some thoughts since I couldn't find many detailed accounts from other travelers. From what I can tell, most 3D2N cruises from Labuan Bajo run this same route with a similar vibe. I'm keeping the boat itself anonymous here, since most of the critiques below seem standard across these cruises rather than specific to our crew/boat, so it didn't feel fair to single them out. Feel free to message me for more specifics, and ask me anything here! We paid $375 CAD (~$268 USD) per person for a queen bed room, just the two of us. We booked ~9 weeks in advance and had a 16 passengers max limit on our boat. Our boat was built in the last three years. I am sure we could have gotten a better deal if we 1) booked a shared/communal room, 2) booked last minute (I have heard of people successfully booking the night before, but we didn’t want to take that risk), or 3) booked a less nice boat. 

TLDR: I had a seriously amazing time and saw some of the most gorgeous sights I've ever seen! From a Western (US/Canada) perspective, it's an incredible price compared to similar experiences elsewhere. If you love snorkeling and nature on a budget, I'd highly recommend it. As someone who's snorkeled in Hawaii, the Galapagos, California, and Colombia (so not a ton of experience, but some), this trip stood out. There was an abundance of fish and wildlife: we snorkeled with manta rays, sea turtles, and black-tipped sharks, and also spotted dolphins and flying foxes (a species of bat). That said, it's not the vibes of a luxurious trip, and it doesn't feel especially organized. If you're going for the Komodo Dragons, you might be a little disappointed. They're not always visible, and when they are, you could end up crowded around them with 50+ other tourists. You'll definitely get good photos (the crew makes sure of that), but it doesn't feel like you're seeing them in their natural state. Honestly, the other animal encounters impressed us far more.

Trip Schedule: 

Day 1

• We were picked up from our accommodation at 9:00am and taken to the docks. After an hour wait, we boarded a small boat that took us out to our larger boat, where we had a delicious lunch.
• Then, our boat stopped in the middle of the water where we hopped off to go snorkeling with manta rays and turtles. 
• We got back on the boat and then went to Pink Beach (pink from fragments of broken down red coral), where we snorkeled and saw an incredible amount of fish. Then we relaxed on the beach (it was perfectly sandy, not rocky).
• That evening, we watched an incredible sunset before seeing the most clear and close up stars that we’ve ever seen in our whole lives!

 

Day 2

• Woke up at 4:30am for a 5:00am sunrise hike on Padar Island, reaching our viewpoint around 5:30am for a beautiful 5:50am sunrise. It’s not a particularly long hike, but decently steep. Plenty of people took breaks, and you could stop at any viewpoint along the way.
• Headed to Komodo Island, where two rangers guided our group on a hike. Not too much elevation, mostly flat and dusty with no shade. We saw three Komodo dragons (but really more like two - one was mostly hidden under another, since they were mating).
• Next we took the small boat to a small sandbar (so small you could walk end to end in about 30 seconds). Some people just relaxed on the sand; I snorkeled into the shallow water but couldn't snorkel far out since there were stingrays around.
• Did a short hike to another viewpoint, then swam with some baby black-tipped reef sharks.
• Ended the day at Kalong Island, watching flying foxes which leave the mangroves to feed on Flores Island.

Day 3

• In the morning, we were taken to a beach for some lazing around and snorkeling. This was the most remote experience by far, only us and one other tour boat. 
• We ate lunch back on the boat, which surprised us because we ended up docking back at the pier by 11:30am for our 1:15pm flight.

 

Overall Impressions: 

(+) 

• Absolutely stunning scenery: mountainous islands, gorgeous sandy (not rocky) beaches, and beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Nearly every boat does a sunrise hike, which is truly incredible from a high viewpoint. The sunsets from the boat were just as amazing.
• Once the sky was fully dark, I saw more stars than I've ever seen in my life! That said, we were sometimes anchored next to other boats with their lights on so we couldn’t consistently see the stars. But if you love star gazing, this is an incredible opportunity.
• High animal density for animal lovers. We swam with manta rays, sea turtles, baby black-tipped sharks, and dozens of species of fish. From the boat, we spotted dolphins and flying foxes (a species of bat), and on land we saw Komodo dragons. Obviously no trip can guarantee every sighting, but most of these (manta rays, sea turtles, black-tipped sharks) are observable year-round. And even in a worse-case scenario where you miss some of these bigger animals, the hundreds of schools of bright, colorful fish alone make it worth it. 
• Incredible bang for your buck compared to other similarly stunning destinations, at least from a Western (US/Canada) perspective. Most of the cost likely comes from flights to Labuan Bajo (or Indonesia generally), so if you're already in the country, I'd highly recommend it. The sheer amount included (4 snorkeling sessions, all meals, 7 crew members, insane proximity to wildlife, and a fully planned itinerary where you can just switch your brain off) felt so worth it. 
• Great for photos/videos. Most boats seemed to have a designated photographer with a professional DSLR, and they offered to shoot photos and video constantly, even though we hadn't asked. Our group even shared a video drone with our sister boat. We expected some extra fee, but they just sent us a lovely Google Drive folder with everything, free of charge.
• The food was seriously amazing. Every meal had a solid spread of about 6-7 dishes, typically at least 3 meat proteins plus a vegetarian option, with a nice mix of Asian and Western styles. The only person who really had to navigate around it was someone on our boat who was gluten-free, since quite a few dishes used soy sauce, but the crew made her separate dishes at every meal. Overall, everyone seemed pleased and well-fed. After our afternoon activity between lunch and dinner, we would always get a snack and fresh fruit smoothie which was delightful. 
• The water was surprisingly calm the whole time, and I never felt seasick. I'm not especially prone to it, but I have occasionally felt queasy on other cruises or small boats before, and I was perfectly fine.

 

(-)

Despite all of these negatives, I still genuinely had a 9/10 experience on this cruise. Pointing these out but I still think it was all incredibly worth it! I would do this exact trip, no changes, again in a heartbeat.

• Not very safety-oriented. When snorkeling, there was one crew member in the water with us but there wasn't clear direction on where to go or which boat to swim to. At one point, we were in the water with 50+ other tourists and it was hard to figure out who was in our group or where to go. Life jackets weren't checked, and no one explained how to put one on. If I had kids, I wouldn't bring them unless they were strong swimmers, or unless a capable adult swimmer was assigned to each kid, since staff wouldn't really be able to help if anyone needed help.
• Not a lot of instruction in general. You'd arrive somewhere and end up confused about what you needed or how long you'd be there. It felt like that feeling I’d get as a kid where my parents would take me somewhere without explaining where or for how long. For example, when we first arrived at the departure port, we were sent a QR code and told to wait in one spot while the crew member who met us walked off, leaving us there for an indeterminate amount of time with no real explanation of what was next. Similarly, you're rarely told in advance whether a landing will be wet or dry, so you can't really prepare. Not too much of an issue if you’re prepared to be assertive and ask lots of questions!
• Not many English-speaking crew members. Our boat had 7 crew, one of whom spoke fluent English and another who spoke a little. Speaking Indonesian would be a huge asset. This didn't end up being a big drawback for us, but if you like chatting with the people running your trip, it may be tough. 
• There's a reason they don't show you pictures of the bathrooms… they were definitely the lowlight of the trip. Our bathroom window faced the deck, so people could see in unless we blocked it, which then made it uncomfortably humid which exacerbated the sour odd smell. The floor was covered in a crosshatched wooden grate, so you could see that the floor underneath wasn't properly cleaned. It's also a wet shower, so everything gets soaked. I'd bring separate shower shoes and hand sanitizer as there is no sink. No water temperature either so prepare for cold showers (which really wasn’t so bad, was actually quite refreshing… but just an fyi). 
• There are dozens of boats running this exact same route, so don't expect a serene, tranquil vibe. You're almost always within sight of other tour boats and tons of other tourists. That said, I don't think it took away from the natural scenery overall. The one time it actually bothered me was on Komodo Island, since Komodo dragons aren't guaranteed sightings (our guide mentioned some people get mad with the guides when they don't spot one, which is a fascinating reaction because these are wild, dangerous animals, not props you can pose on command..). But when one was spotted, it turned into 50+ people crowding around the same area, so it made it hard to get a good viewing.

 

What I Wish We Did Different/What I Wish We Knew 

• I was backpacking for a month, so I packed light and only brought one swimsuit. I worried that wouldn't be enough and I'd be stuck wearing a wet suit constantly, but we only snorkeled once a day, or snorkeled and then went to a beach with snorkeling optional back to back, so it was a non-issue. There were also places to hang our suits, and they dried quickly.
• Bring reef-safe sunscreen with you! There's no actual law requiring reef-safe sunscreen here, so it's more of an honor system, but it's surprisingly hard to find once you're in Labuan Bajo. What is sold locally tends to be marked up (often $25 USD for something usually under $20 USD), and selection is limited (though we did find one brand tucked on a back shelf). Even though there aren't official rules, you should bring reef-safe sunscreen if you can! 
• Along the same lines, make sure to bring good sun protection. When we explored Komodo Island, it had very limited shade and we were directly under the sun for most of our walk. I would also bring a beach towel! Our boat provided us with towels for showering but it was a huge asset to have a separate beach towel to sit on. 
• Labuan Bajo has Grab (the local Uber equivalent), but only motorbikes, not cars. That was fine for my friend and I (though one driver didn't have a helmet for me, which I didn’t love...). If you have kids or anyone with mobility concerns, that's worth considering. Especially because there are some hilly parts of the island where you may want to hold on. Many hotels in the area offer airport pickup/drop-off, so you can likely coordinate a car through them but I would check with your accomodations before booking. 
• You'll want a decent level of physical fitness for this trip. You'll often be walking on somewhat unstable surfaces, like when transferring from the small boat to the main Phinisi or on some of the wet landings where the small boat is swaying and the landing platform is rocky. 
• I used an eSIM (Airalo), which worked great in Labuan Bajo and Yogyakarta but didn't work at all on most of our boat trip. 
• At most beach stops, vendors sell souvenirs (t-shirts, Komodo figurines, etc.) along with drinks and food if you want anything! Our guide told us we could leave our things at a nearby restaurant for free, but we felt pressured by staff there to buy something once we did. The first time, we didn’t have anything we wanted to buy so firmly left with our stuff without buying anything (which they seemed displeased by…); after that, we just left our things on the beach instead.
• Bring separate shower shoes or just make sure you have waterproof sandals for the shower. And make sure to bring hand sanitizer because most bathrooms don’t have sinks. 
• The itinerary we actually followed didn't match the schedule posted on the website (which is also why it's hard for me to reconstruct the exact day-by-day itinerary above with specific islands). They told us almost right after boarding that the order of activities would be shuffled, though we'd still hit the same stops, since it apparently helps them dodge crowds at popular spots. Didn't bother us at all, but if you're trying to sync up with another group on a different boat, this could make it difficult.
• I would advise looking for a boat with ample lazing lounge space. You'll spend a few hours each day just cruising between stops, and ours had a great area where everyone could stretch out and relax. I really liked how we could lie down: made it perfect for star gazing! I noticed some other boats only had their dining seating to hang out in during downtime, which looked way less comfortable.
• This is so random and I didn’t know what section to put it in but I think every crew has a vaping additiction hahahaha because they all had them clipped to their lanyards. We are worried for their lungs...
• I really wish I'd looked into the landscape and animals more before we went! On another small boat cruise I did in the Galapagos, it felt super educational, we learned all about how the history of how the different islands formed and the unique animals' behaviors and characteristics. I didn't feel like I learned much on this cruise, it was more just about soaking in the scenery and vibe. Researching ahead of time probably would've made the experience even better! So we ended up looking up more information after we got back which was still a great way to relive and appreciate the trip.