Liveaboard
Sleep at anchor inside the park instead of commuting from Labuan Bajo. Four air-conditioned en-suite cabins, up to ten guests, and the first tender in the water every morning.
What it is
Riley Liveaboard is the multi-night charter format of Riley Phinisi — a 29-metre wooden phinisi with four air-conditioned en-suite cabins for up to ten guests, sleeping at anchor inside Komodo National Park.
You wake up near Padar, Pink Beach or Manta Point rather than back in Labuan Bajo harbour. It is the same boat and the same crew as a shorter charter — what changes is that the distance to tomorrow's first stop is measured in minutes.
Charters are always private: one group takes the whole vessel.
Why sleep aboard
The sites that define Komodo National Park — Padar's ridgeline, the manta cleaning stations, the sandbar at Taka Makassar — sit 30 to 50 kilometres from Labuan Bajo harbour. A day boat spends four to six hours of every trip covering that distance, and arrives at each site at the same moment as every other day boat.
A liveaboard removes the commute. Riley anchors inside the park overnight, so the boat is already where you want to be when the light comes up.
Where you sleep
Built in 2020 in ironwood and teak by the shipwrights of Bulukumba, South Sulawesi. A five-ton fresh-water tank supplies hot showers across a multi-night stay.
PremiumThe most exclusive room on board and the only one with its own balcony: a double bed with an extra bed, a private bathroom and air conditioning.
Upper deckAn upper-deck cabin beside the Master Suite, with a double bed, private bathroom and air conditioning.
SuiteA generous lower-deck cabin with a double bed, private bathroom and air conditioning — the balance between privacy and value.
StandardA snug lower-deck room for couples or solo travellers, with a soft double bed, private bathroom and air conditioning.
Nights at anchor
Riley cruises at six to nine knots between sites, then drops anchor in a sheltered bay for the night. The main engine shuts down; the generators keep the cabins cool and the deck lit.
Most groups settle into the same rhythm: an anchorage near Kalong to watch thousands of flying foxes stream out of the mangroves at dusk, dinner from the chef at the outdoor table, then the jacuzzi under a sky with no light pollution for a hundred kilometres.
The karaoke and sound system are there if your group wants noise. The anchorage supplies silence if you do not.
In the water
The tender is what turns Riley from transport into a water-sports base. Two to three sessions a day is normal on a multi-night stay.
Drift snorkelThe tender drops you up-current of the cleaning stations and you drift over them while the driver shadows the group for pickup. Mantas visit year-round; sightings peak roughly December to February.
Easy entryA crescent sandbar on shallow coral — calm, waist-deep entry, the easiest snorkel in the park and the natural warm-up for children or first-timers.
Off the beachCoral gardens start metres from the crushed-red-coral sand, close enough to snorkel straight off the beach between swims.
Diving
Riley is set up first as a snorkelling boat. Scuba is arranged as an add-on through the operator, who organise licensed local dive guides and rental equipment when you request it at booking.
Komodo's reputation among divers rests on current-swept sites, so certification matters. The calmer reefs around Taka Makassar and Pink Beach suit newly certified divers; the famous drift sites are best left to Advanced Open Water divers with drift experience.
Tell the reservations desk your group's certification levels and we will match sites to them before departure.
Rates
Riley is chartered privately — one group takes the whole boat, and the rate is per charter, not per person.
| Duration | 1 – 8 guests | 9 – 10 guests |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Days / 1 Night | USD 3.350 | USD 3.600 |
| 3 Days / 2 Nights | USD 4.350 | USD 4.650 |
| 4 Days / 3 Nights | USD 5.600 | USD 6.050 |
Later seasons are published on the booking page. The rate covers the boat, the crew and the chef; park entrance, ranger and activity fees are charged per person on top.
How long
1 night
The park's headline stops in twenty-four hours. Enough for Padar and the dragons, with little slack if the weather forces a reshuffle.
2 nights
The most common booking. Every signature stop without rushing any of them, and time for proper water sessions rather than quick dips.
3 nights
Repeat manta sessions, quieter anchorages the day boats never reach, and a built-in buffer if one afternoon's crossing is lumpy.
Liveaboard
Yes, with the crew managing it. Currents in Komodo are real, which is why every session runs from the tender: the crew read the tide tables, drop the group in slack or drift-friendly windows, keep a guide in the water and the tender alongside, and skip exposed sites when conditions or swimmer ability call for it. Life vests are available for every guest.
The main engine shuts down once Riley anchors for the night. A generator keeps running to power the cabin air conditioning — a low background hum from aft, not the working noise of the drivetrain. Most guests report the opposite problem: anchorages are quiet enough that the pre-dawn Padar call feels early.
No. Snorkelling is the core activity, and Manta Point, Taka Makassar and Pink Beach all reward snorkellers at the surface. Certified divers should bring their cards and request dive arrangements at booking; Advanced Open Water is recommended for the current-swept sites.
Yes, in every cabin, supplied from a five-ton fresh-water tank. Capacity covers a four-day itinerary without rationing.
We strongly recommend it. Komodo Airport is twenty minutes from the marina, so a morning arrival can connect to a midday boarding — but LBJ flights are weather-sensitive and Riley cannot wait.
Keep reading
Reservations
Send your dates, guest count and certification levels if anyone dives. We reply with live availability and a written quote.
