ClairevL
Registered
We did a 7 day liveaboard with Dive Komodo a couple of weeks ago and it was such a wonderful trip! Dive Komodo is not one of the big liveaboard companies, and I think they are mostly known for day trips. However, the also have excellent liveaboards. The main differences between Dive Komodo and the more well-known liveaboard companies seem to me:
- the price: We paid about 1400 USD each for 7 days, 25 dives
- the number of divers: the boat is smaller and has a maximum of 8 guests
- the boat: the boat is not as fancy as some of the bigger liveaboard boats. It has private cabins, but shared toilets and showers.
- The itinerary is not fixed. This can either be a pro or a con. We stayed 7 days, but other guests stayed shorter, so new people came on board during the trip and therefore it was harder to move out to the extreme corners of the national park. New guests were brought in by a different boat, so we didn't have to go back to the harbour. An advantage of this flexible itinerary was that the dive guides really took into account our wishes regarding the dive sites. The fact that there was only a small group of divers also made this easier.
The dive guides were great. They have a lot of dive experience in Komodo and know everything about the dive sites. They gave excellent briefings before the dives and after the dives they were always enthusiastic about helping you to identify fish. Furthermore, they were great at finding stuff, both big stuff and macro. Also, both the guides were so much fun to hang out with!
The dive sites were amazing! The coral was incredibly beautiful, there was so much fish around and we saw a lot of mantas and reef sharks. Currents were very strong at some sites, which could be a thrilling experience in itself. At one site we had a current of over 6 knots, but this was something the guides expected and only my buddy and I went there with one of the guides, while the others did a more quiet dive. The visibility was quite good, about 25 m in North and Central, a bit less in South. My favorite dive sites were Batu Bolong, Crystal Rock and Castle rock. There was just so much fish life, big schools of fish everywhere. Even though these sites are some of the most famous in Komodo, they were not crowded, since there are so many sites that we didn't often find any other boar at the same site. In the bays we also saw Rhinopias, lots of nudi branches, and on sunset dives mandarin fish. Also on the night dives there was lots of interesting macro stuff, and many large octopuses. We didn't find as many hunting moray eels as on previous trips in the Red Sea.
The boat was an excellent place to stay. Plenty of space on the dive deck, good cabins to sleep in, lots of nice space to hang out when we were not diving. The boat crew were super friendly as well. The food was really amazing. Always fresh, healthy, delicious and plentiful. After each meal there was delicious fresh fruit. My buddy and I are vegetarians and the crew made sure there was always plenty of vegetarian food for us.
We didn't rent equipment, but some other divers did, and I can say it was in good condition.
Furthermore, the boat has all the required safety equipment. I would really recommend this company both for day trips and liveaboards!
- the price: We paid about 1400 USD each for 7 days, 25 dives
- the number of divers: the boat is smaller and has a maximum of 8 guests
- the boat: the boat is not as fancy as some of the bigger liveaboard boats. It has private cabins, but shared toilets and showers.
- The itinerary is not fixed. This can either be a pro or a con. We stayed 7 days, but other guests stayed shorter, so new people came on board during the trip and therefore it was harder to move out to the extreme corners of the national park. New guests were brought in by a different boat, so we didn't have to go back to the harbour. An advantage of this flexible itinerary was that the dive guides really took into account our wishes regarding the dive sites. The fact that there was only a small group of divers also made this easier.
The dive guides were great. They have a lot of dive experience in Komodo and know everything about the dive sites. They gave excellent briefings before the dives and after the dives they were always enthusiastic about helping you to identify fish. Furthermore, they were great at finding stuff, both big stuff and macro. Also, both the guides were so much fun to hang out with!
The dive sites were amazing! The coral was incredibly beautiful, there was so much fish around and we saw a lot of mantas and reef sharks. Currents were very strong at some sites, which could be a thrilling experience in itself. At one site we had a current of over 6 knots, but this was something the guides expected and only my buddy and I went there with one of the guides, while the others did a more quiet dive. The visibility was quite good, about 25 m in North and Central, a bit less in South. My favorite dive sites were Batu Bolong, Crystal Rock and Castle rock. There was just so much fish life, big schools of fish everywhere. Even though these sites are some of the most famous in Komodo, they were not crowded, since there are so many sites that we didn't often find any other boar at the same site. In the bays we also saw Rhinopias, lots of nudi branches, and on sunset dives mandarin fish. Also on the night dives there was lots of interesting macro stuff, and many large octopuses. We didn't find as many hunting moray eels as on previous trips in the Red Sea.
The boat was an excellent place to stay. Plenty of space on the dive deck, good cabins to sleep in, lots of nice space to hang out when we were not diving. The boat crew were super friendly as well. The food was really amazing. Always fresh, healthy, delicious and plentiful. After each meal there was delicious fresh fruit. My buddy and I are vegetarians and the crew made sure there was always plenty of vegetarian food for us.
We didn't rent equipment, but some other divers did, and I can say it was in good condition.
Furthermore, the boat has all the required safety equipment. I would really recommend this company both for day trips and liveaboards!
