PremiumMaster Suite
The most exclusive room on board: a double bed with space for an extra bed, a private balcony over the water and a full en-suite bathroom.
- Double bed + extra bed
- Private balcony
- En-suite bathroom
- Air conditioning
Liveaboard
Riley Liveaboard — multi-night Komodo stays & diving
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
The multi-night format of a Riley charter
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
A day boat spends half the trip commuting
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.
- Padar at sunrise
- Start the hike in the dark and have the ridge to yourselves
- First at the reef
- Calmer surface, better visibility, empty mooring at Manta Point
- No 5 a.m. pickup
- Your bed travels with you — breakfast on deck, tender already down
Where you sleep
Four cabins, all en-suite
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.
Premium
SuiteJunior Suite
A generous cabin with a double bed, private bathroom and porthole views — the balance between privacy and value.
- Double bed
- Private bathroom
- Porthole view
- Air conditioning
StandardSuperior Cabin
A snug room for couples or solo travellers, with a soft double bed, private bathroom and the sea a porthole away.
- Double bed
- Private bathroom
- Porthole view
- Air conditioning
Sea viewDeluxe Cabin
Double bed, private bathroom and direct sea views, with more natural light than any other cabin below deck.
- Double bed
- Private bathroom
- Sea view
- Air conditioning
Nights at anchor
What the evenings are actually like
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
Snorkelling runs from the tender, not the hull
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 snorkelManta Point
The 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 entryTaka Makassar
A 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 beachPink Beach
Coral gardens start metres from the crushed-red-coral sand, close enough to snorkel straight off the beach between swims.
Diving
Tanks are an add-on, and certification level matters
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
2026 private charter
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
How many nights should you book?
1 night
2D1N
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
3D2N
The most common booking. Every signature stop without rushing any of them, and time for proper water sessions rather than quick dips.
3 nights
4D3N
Repeat manta sessions, quieter anchorages the day boats never reach, and a built-in buffer if one afternoon's crossing is lumpy.
Liveaboard
Questions about sleeping on board
Is it safe to snorkel off Riley in Komodo's currents?
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.
Will engine noise keep me awake at anchor?
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.
Do I need a dive certification to enjoy the water?
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.
Is there hot water for showers?
Yes, in every cabin, supplied from a five-ton fresh-water tank. Capacity covers a four-day itinerary without rationing.
Do we need a hotel night in Labuan Bajo first?
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
Where to go next
Reservations
Hold your nights at anchor
Send your dates, guest count and certification levels if anyone dives. We reply with live availability and a written quote.