Adelaar Itineraries
Komodo Dive Itinerary
Aboard Luxury Liveaboard Adelaar
Bali – Komodo – Bali | 11D/10N
Day 1 Monday: The meeting point for our round trip Bali Komodo dive itinerary will be in Serangan Harbor, at the wooden jetty in front of the Dolphin Lodge at 8:00 AM. Adelaar’s crew will be waiting to greet you and transport you to the Adelaar. Once onboard, a ‘ships briefing’ acquaints you with shipboard living. Important safety issues will be discussed as well. As we set off from Serangan Harbor, we travel along Bali’s eastern coastline and cruise overnight to Satonda Island. The day is spent getting settled into your stateroom, or just relaxing on deck. With luck we have a magnificent sunset over Bali’s majestic Mount Agung.
Day 2 Tuesday: Arise at your leisure for coffee latte or espresso on deck while your breakfast is being cooked-to-order. Arrival in Satonda will be late morning; with two dives scheduled today along a sloping reef. The white sandy bottom with many coral outcroppings offers plenty of interesting things to see. Pulau Satonda is an old volcanic island, with a salt water lake that fills the crater. Locals believe a huge tsunami filled the crater after the violent eruption of Mt Tambora, on Sumbawa, in 1814. Take time to visit the lake in the caldera, which is a short hike from the beach. One guest noted that Stromatolites were easily visible in the shallow waters along the shoreline. These are the one of the longest living forms of life on this planet. They can be traced back 3.5 billion years. Do not miss a chance to visit the wishing trees at the lake edge and cast your wish. At sunset, we depart and cruise through the night towards Komodo National Park.
Day 3 Wednesday: We are up early today for a glimpse of the sunrise as we arrive at Gili Lawa Laut, in the northern area of Komodo National Park. The park is located in the region known as Wallacea, denoting the overlapping of Australian and Asian biogeographical areas. This overlapping ensures an interesting mix of bird species. There is a splendid assortment of dive sites just outside this picturesque bay. Typically, in the north we have larger schools of fish, good visibility, and some current. Between dives, you may want to take the opportunity to hike to the top of the hill, where you will be able to catch a glimpse of the magnificent panorama of the entire Komodo Archipelago. We anchor in a quiet bay for the night.
Day 4 Thursday: Dragons wait for no man! We have an early start today at 7:00AM to meet our park ranger for a guided hike into the interior of Komodo Island, where we hope for sightings of prehistoric Komodo dragons. This World Heritage site, the only place on earth that these giant monitor lizards can be found, was recently designated as one of the 7 Wonders of the World. Once back onboard, a scrumptious lunch will be served on deck. Enjoy the beautiful ocean views as we head towards south Komodo. We will make a stop along the coast for diving, and then continue on to Lehok Sera for a dusk dive to search for the elusive mandarin fish. We anchor for the night in this quiet and picturesque bay. Weather permitting dinner will be served topside.
Day 5 Friday: We leave early morning for Langkoi, also known as Manta Alley, on Komodo’s south coast. We are on a manta quest today; we have planned for two dives here, where we hope to see these magnificent animals gracefully feeding. This area typically has much cooler temperatures with nutrient rich waters, and lower visibility. However, during the summer season between November through March, we often find water temperatures and visibility have improved in the southern region of Komodo. After our dives, we enjoy lunch as the boat moves towards the south of Rinca to an area known as Nusa Kode. With the towering cliff walls surrounding all sides, the landscape in this remote area is breathtaking. Our third dive today will be our first macro dive of the trip. Between dives, we will jump into the dinghy and have a shore excursion of sorts to get up close to the resident dragon population here. Weighing up to 350 pounds and with a total length of over 10 feet, these fearsome hunters can charge swiftly to bring down a variety of prey, some as big as a water buffalo. After the sun sets, we prepare for a night dive, and a late dinner.
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Day 6 Saturday: Mornings and evenings in Nusa Kode (a.k.a. Horseshoe Bay) are a time where you can spot dragons wandering along the beach foraging for food. Monkeys, deer and hunting sea eagles are also known to make an appearance. There are two dives planned for this area, one of which will be the famous ‘macro temple” of Cannibal Rock. Depending on the season, almost everything you can find in a critter book has been sighted here. During lunch we journey back up north for diving in Padar, where temperatures start to get warmer and visibility gets a bit better. Later in the afternoon, we go ashore for a hike across the island for a spectacular view of the sunset, and enjoy a sundowner. We overnight here in a quiet bay and there is a possibility for a night dive (for those who abstained from the sundowner!)
Day 7 Sunday: We leave Padar in the early morning to enter an area known as ‘current city’ for our diving day. Here, there is generally better visibility and larger schools of fish. In the late afternoon, we make our way north. At Wainilu, you can go ashore for a short walk up a small hill for a nice view of Rinca and the surrounding islands. We anchor for the night and prepare for a night dive in Wainilu. There is a wide range of possible animals on this white sand slope, bobtail squid, starry night octopus and fingered dragonet are frequently sighted here.
Day 8 Monday: We’ve saved the best for last! We spend the morning diving around the northern most boundary of the Park off the uninhabited islands of Gili Lawa Laut and Gili Lawa Darat. No Komodo dive itinerary is complete without a stop at Castle Rock and Crystal Rock, these world famous dive sites are some of the fishiest sites in the park. In late afternoon, we say goodbye to Komodo National Park and start our journey back westward. We anchor for the night in Banta Island and plan for our last night dive of the cruise. Looking westward, towards Sangeang’s active volcano, we typically have some of the best sunsets of the trip!
Day 9 Tuesday: We depart very early morning for the volcanic island of Sangeang, whose most recent eruption was last year. As we approach, you can see lava steaming as it flows from the crater edge towards the sea. The black sandy bottom makes for spectacular diving. Dive sites such as, Hot Rocks and Black forest, gaseous sulfur bubbles up from the ground, creating an underwater Jacuzzi! At the end of our diving day, the crew will put up all the sails for a brief photo opportunity and give us a glimpse of the Adelaar in full glory. We sail further west towards Bali, sailing through the night for Moyo Island.
Day 10 Wednesday: We arrive at Moyo Island early this morning. Our final two dives will be along the fringing reef outside the main village. An optional shore excursion to the nearby waterfall, takes you through the local village. You are welcome to visit the village school where smiling children show you their classroom, and take the opportunity to practice their English. The walk to the waterfall takes us down a road lined with ‘living fences’, passing herds of goats and water buffalo. If you are interested in the local flora our guide will point out the cashew, teak trees and other locally grown plants along the way. Once at the waterfall, those daring enough can grab the rope, swing out over the falls and drop into the pool below! While we are gone, the crew will have washed and dried all our dive gear. This means once back aboard, we can sit back, relax, and enjoy a gourmet lunch as we head back, bound for Bali.
Day 11 Thursday: We arrive in Serangan Harbor, Bali around 09:00 AM. After breakfast, before we take you to shore, you will have a chance to say goodbye and see you again (sampai jumpa lagi) to our Captain and crew. Transfers can be arranged to take you to your next destination.
Please ensure your onward travels are planned to anticipate delays during cruising. Flights out on the day of arrival back in Serangan should only be scheduled after 16:00 PM.