Lady Grace under way in Komodo National Park

Komodo to Lombok Crossing

Labuan Bajo to Lombok, via Sumbawa4 Days 3 NightsAsik Original

An Asik Original, run by us

Planned and run end to end by the Asik team. You book and deal directly with us, start to finish.

Overview

Most Komodo boats sail a loop and put you back where you started. This one keeps going west, across Sumbawa, and lands you in Lombok four days later. It is a way to move between two islands most people connect by a flight, and it turns the transfer itself into the trip.

The route is the reason to take it. Two days in Komodo National Park cover the stops you would fly in for. Then the boat crosses to Teluk Saleh, the bay on Sumbawa's north coast where whale sharks gather under the fishermen's bagan platforms, and to Satonda, a volcanic island with a saltwater crater lake in the middle of it. Neither is reachable on a Komodo trip and neither has a crowd.

It runs in both directions on a fixed calendar, roughly twice a month in season, and it sells out further ahead than anything else in the fleet. Tell us which way round you want it and we will send you the dates.

Itinerary

Day 1

Labuan Bajo, Padar, Pink Beach, Komodo Island

The park's headline stops on the first day, because the boat has a long way to go.

08:00
Pickup from your hotel or Komodo Airport, board at the harbour, cabin and briefing.
09:30
Sail into the park. The crossing to Padar takes about three hours, with breakfast on the sundeck.
13:00
Padar Island. The three-bay viewpoint, climbed in the afternoon on this trip rather than at dawn, which trades the light for an empty ridge.
15:30
Long Beach on the south side of Komodo. Pink sand and a reef you can swim to from the beach.
17:00
Komodo Village and the ranger walk through dragon country.
19:00
Dinner at anchor off Komodo. First night on board.

Day 2

Manta Point, Gili Lawa, west across the Sape Strait

The last of Komodo, then the boat leaves the park.

06:00
Manta Point at Karang Makassar. A drift snorkel over the cleaning stations before the day boats arrive.
08:30
Breakfast under way to Gili Lawa.
09:30
Gili Lawa Darat, a 30-minute climb up the grass ridge over the channel. This is the last stop in the national park.
12:00
Lunch as the boat clears the park boundary and crosses the Sape Strait toward Sumbawa. The strait runs hard current between two oceans and is the most open water of the trip, around five hours.
18:00
Anchor on the Sumbawa coast. Dinner and the second night on board.

Day 3

Whale sharks at Teluk Saleh, the crater lake at Satonda

The part of the route no Komodo trip reaches.

05:30
Tender out to the bagan platforms in Teluk Saleh at first light. Whale sharks come in under the fishermen's lights overnight to feed on the bycatch and are usually still there at dawn. You enter the water quietly from the platform, no touching and no flash, and the fishermen keep the numbers low.
08:30
Breakfast on board under way to Satonda.
11:00
Satonda Island. A short walk up to the crater lake in the middle of the island, which is saltier than the sea around it because a tsunami filled it and the water has been evaporating ever since. Snorkelling on the reef outside is some of the healthiest coral on the route.
15:00
Under way west toward Moyo. Afternoon on deck, which after two early starts is the point.
19:00
Dinner at anchor off Moyo. Third night on board.

Day 4

Moyo waterfall, Gili Islands, ashore in Lombok

One last stop, then the boat lands you on the far island.

07:00
Breakfast, then ashore on Moyo Island and a short walk inland to the Mata Jitu waterfall. Limestone terraces and pools you can swim in, quiet on a weekday.
10:30
Under way west across the Alas Strait toward Lombok.
14:00
Arrive in the Gili Islands or at Bangsal harbour on Lombok's north-west coast, depending on the sailing. Transfer to your hotel on Lombok or the Gilis, or onward to Lombok International Airport, which is about two hours by road.

What's included

Private or shared cabin with ensuite bathroom and air conditioning
Transfer to the harbour at the departure end
All meals on board, plus fruit and snacks
Free-flow drinking water, coffee and tea
Snorkelling gear and life vest
English-speaking guide and onboard photographer
Harbour clearance and port fees at both ends
All excursions in the itinerary

Not included

Komodo National Park fees, around IDR 650,000 per foreign visitor and IDR 250,000 for Indonesian citizens
Teluk Saleh whale shark fee, IDR 200,000 per person
Satonda and Moyo island fees, IDR 200,000 to IDR 275,000 per person
Transfer from the arrival harbour to your hotel or Lombok airport
Drone permit inside the national park, IDR 2,000,000 per unit per day
Flights, insurance, alcohol and crew tips
Hotel nights before or after the trip

Gallery

1 / 6 Full size

Good to know

Can I sail Lombok to Komodo instead?

Yes. The boats run the route in both directions on the same calendar, so the eastbound sailing does the same stops in reverse and finishes in Labuan Bajo. Which direction is available depends on the date. Tell us your dates and we will send the sailings that fit.

Will we actually see whale sharks?

Usually, and more reliably here than almost anywhere in Indonesia, because the animals come to the fishing platforms for the bycatch rather than being found at sea. It is still wild. There are mornings with nothing, and the crew will tell you the night before what the fishermen have been seeing. Nobody touches the animals and nobody rides them, which is not negotiable on our boats.

How much open-water crossing is there?

Two stretches. The Sape Strait on day two takes about five hours and is the roughest water of the trip, because two oceans meet in it. The Alas Strait on day four takes three and a half. Both are done in daylight. If you get seasick, take something before lunch on day two rather than after.

How do I get to my hotel at the other end?

The boat lands at the Gilis or at Bangsal on Lombok's north-west coast. A hotel on the Gilis or in Senggigi is a short transfer. Lombok airport is about two hours by road from Bangsal, so if you are flying out the same day, book nothing before 18:00. We arrange the car if you want it, it is not in the price.

Is this a good way to get to Bali?

It is a good first leg. From the Gilis there are fast boats to Padang Bai in Bali most mornings, around two hours. So Labuan Bajo to Bali overland becomes four days on a boat and one crossing, instead of a 90-minute flight. That is either the appeal or the reason not to.

Is there a solo traveller option?

Yes. These boats carry shared cabins with bunk beds, allocated by gender, which is the cheapest way onto the crossing and the reason it fills with solo travellers. Book the shared cabin as one person and you pay for one bed, not two.

Booking and cancellation terms

A deposit confirms your booking. The balance is due before the trip starts.
Cancel 14 days or more before the start date: full refund of what you have paid.
Cancel 7 to 13 days before: 50% of the total paid is refunded.
Cancel less than 7 days before, or do not show up: no refund.
If we cancel the trip, you choose a new date or take a full refund.

Full terms are confirmed with your booking. Bank transfer fees are paid by the sender.

The boats that sail this trip

An open trip runs on whichever vessel has your cabin free on the date. Every boat below sails this itinerary. Compare the cabins, then tell us which one you want.

The fleet

Sundari Voyages

The largest of the charter boats, and one of only two that will run to Lombok.

max 20 guests5 cabins

View the boat

Lady Grace

The crossing boat: ten cabins, a jacuzzi, and a route that runs Komodo to Lombok.

20-25 guests10 cabins

View the boat

Andalucia

A VIP cabin with a balcony, two ocean rooms, and a four-bed share.

15-17 guests6 cabins

View the boat

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Itinerary

Day 1

Labuan Bajo, Padar, Pink Beach, Komodo Island

The park's headline stops on the first day, because the boat has a long way to go.

08:00
Pickup from your hotel or Komodo Airport, board at the harbour, cabin and briefing.
09:30
Sail into the park. The crossing to Padar takes about three hours, with breakfast on the sundeck.
13:00
Padar Island. The three-bay viewpoint, climbed in the afternoon on this trip rather than at dawn, which trades the light for an empty ridge.
15:30
Long Beach on the south side of Komodo. Pink sand and a reef you can swim to from the beach.
17:00
Komodo Village and the ranger walk through dragon country.
19:00
Dinner at anchor off Komodo. First night on board.

Day 2

Manta Point, Gili Lawa, west across the Sape Strait

The last of Komodo, then the boat leaves the park.

06:00
Manta Point at Karang Makassar. A drift snorkel over the cleaning stations before the day boats arrive.
08:30
Breakfast under way to Gili Lawa.
09:30
Gili Lawa Darat, a 30-minute climb up the grass ridge over the channel. This is the last stop in the national park.
12:00
Lunch as the boat clears the park boundary and crosses the Sape Strait toward Sumbawa. The strait runs hard current between two oceans and is the most open water of the trip, around five hours.
18:00
Anchor on the Sumbawa coast. Dinner and the second night on board.

Day 3

Whale sharks at Teluk Saleh, the crater lake at Satonda

The part of the route no Komodo trip reaches.

05:30
Tender out to the bagan platforms in Teluk Saleh at first light. Whale sharks come in under the fishermen's lights overnight to feed on the bycatch and are usually still there at dawn. You enter the water quietly from the platform, no touching and no flash, and the fishermen keep the numbers low.
08:30
Breakfast on board under way to Satonda.
11:00
Satonda Island. A short walk up to the crater lake in the middle of the island, which is saltier than the sea around it because a tsunami filled it and the water has been evaporating ever since. Snorkelling on the reef outside is some of the healthiest coral on the route.
15:00
Under way west toward Moyo. Afternoon on deck, which after two early starts is the point.
19:00
Dinner at anchor off Moyo. Third night on board.

Day 4

Moyo waterfall, Gili Islands, ashore in Lombok

One last stop, then the boat lands you on the far island.

07:00
Breakfast, then ashore on Moyo Island and a short walk inland to the Mata Jitu waterfall. Limestone terraces and pools you can swim in, quiet on a weekday.
10:30
Under way west across the Alas Strait toward Lombok.
14:00
Arrive in the Gili Islands or at Bangsal harbour on Lombok's north-west coast, depending on the sailing. Transfer to your hotel on Lombok or the Gilis, or onward to Lombok International Airport, which is about two hours by road.

Good to know

Can I sail Lombok to Komodo instead?

Will we actually see whale sharks?

How much open-water crossing is there?

How do I get to my hotel at the other end?

Is this a good way to get to Bali?

Is there a solo traveller option?

Booking and cancellation terms

A deposit confirms your booking. The balance is due before the trip starts.
Cancel 14 days or more before the start date: full refund of what you have paid.
Cancel 7 to 13 days before: 50% of the total paid is refunded.
Cancel less than 7 days before, or do not show up: no refund.
If we cancel the trip, you choose a new date or take a full refund.

Full terms are confirmed with your booking. Bank transfer fees are paid by the sender.

Komodo to Lombok Crossing