With a maximum of just 10 guests on board this liveaboard, the Moana offers you an escape from big groups and guarantees plenty of individual attention in a variety of dive crew languages. This compact Phinisi schooner has 5 air conditioned cabins all with ensuite showers. The boat may be less than enormous, but is modern and perfectly formed and is a great boat for individuals, groups or families to see the best of Komodo dive region.
Finding a Komodo liveaboard that balances serious diving with genuine comfort is not always easy. The Moana liveaboard solves that equation. Built for just 10 guests, this compact phinisi schooner carries a crew of 8 plus 3 dedicated dive and snorkel guides. That ratio - nearly one-to-one on the water - changes the feel of a trip entirely. No crowding on the dive deck. No waiting for a guide’s attention. And for mixed groups where one partner dives and the other snorkels, the Moana works better than almost any boat in the region. Everyone gets their own experience, properly supported.
The boat itself is modern, practical, and designed for life in the tropics. 5 air-conditioned cabins each come with an ensuite bathroom. 3 are doubles, 2 are twins, a smart layout that suits solo travellers, friends, or couples. What the cabins do not have is private lounges, and that is intentional. On the Moana, the real living space is on deck. A large shaded dining table for meals. A chill area at the bow where guests nap between dives or sleep under the stars. A sun deck by the mast for those who want to bake. And a dive deck that actually works: well organised, easy to rinse gear, and quick to launch the custom tender boats for site access.
The crew’s stability sets this Moana liveaboard apart. The same management has run the boat since 2014, and most of the crew have stayed for over 8 years. That continuity shows in small ways: pre-trip communication that replies within hours, briefings that feel confident rather than scripted, and a chef who has learned exactly what divers want to eat. Meals are served family-style with an Indonesian focus, fresh local ingredients, 2 breakfasts (one before the first dive, one after), smoothies, salads, and a rhythm that keeps you fuelled without feeling heavy. Guests regularly call the food a highlight.
Diving with the Moana means 14 to 16 dives on a standard 6-day, 5-night trip. The guides split the group by experience and interest: photographers can linger on a macro subject while others drift ahead. Komodo’s range is real: current-swept channels, coral gardens, pinnacles like Crystal Rock, and quieter reefs where turtles and seahorses appear. Mantas are common, but the guides never overpromise. Instead, they read the tides, choose sites with care, and build a schedule that feels full without becoming a checklist. Night dives, beach stops, a trek to see Komodo dragons, and time to simply float on your back; it is all there.
For scuba divers who want a short, affordable Komodo adventure without sacrificing professionalism or warmth, the Moana liveaboard sits in a sweet spot. It departs from Labuan Bajo in Flores, a quick domestic flight from Bali. The proximity to the park means you are diving within hours of boarding. And because the Moana stays in Komodo year-round, the crew know every site, every anchorage, and every trick the local weather might throw at them. That focus pays off in smoother trips, better decisions, and a kind of quiet confidence that is hard to fake. If you want Komodo to feel personal, well fed, and properly guided, the Moana is the boat to book.
Moana has 1 large Standard cabin with a huge double bed which could be used for a family accommodating 2 parents and a young child. There are 2 Standard double bed cabins and 2 Standard twin cabins, each with 2 single beds (bunk bed style positioned in an "L" design). All cabins are on the lower deck, air conditioned, tidily furnished, and have teak wood interiors.
All the cabins have:
- Individually controlled air conditioning
- Portholes
- Private bathroom with shower
- Toiletries and hand basin
- Reading lights
- Daily housekeeping
- Clothing shelf and mirror
- Mains outlet 220 Volts, twin flat pin socket - 24 hours per day
- Bedding
- Life jackets
No. of bathrooms / showers - 5 / 5 - hot water shower on dive deck
Komodo National Park North
Trip highlights: shark action, dolphins, manta rays, dugongs/manatees, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities
Diving environment: advanced divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, very popular, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Sebayur Kecil, Komodo: Tatawa Besar, Batu Bolong, Manta Point, Gila Lawa Darat, Castle Rock, Crystal Rock, The Cauldron, Golden Passage, Tatawa Kecil, Siaba Kecil, Wainilu, and Komodo dragon walk
Day 1
You board the Moana liveaboard at Labuan Bajo harbour. A welcome drink in hand, you listen as the cruise director introduces the boat and gives a brief overview of the safari ahead. Cabin assignment follows. Then comes a gentle check dive in a nearby bay, a chance to dust off your gear and settle back into the rhythm of breathing underwater. A night dive follows, and after dinner the Moana departs on an overnight crossing toward the northern dive sites.
Core Days
The northern circuit of Komodo National Park is famous for strong currents, big pelagics, and reefs that explode with colour. The Moana carries 3 dive guides for a maximum of 10 guests, so groups split easily by experience level. That matters here.
You will dive Tatawa Besar and Tatawa Kecil, current-swept channels where reef sharks patrol and schools of trevally hunt. Batu Bolong is a rocky pinnacle that rises from deep water; soft corals drape every ledge, and the fish life is dense enough to feel like a moving wall. Manta Point delivers on its name. You kneel on the sandy bottom as mantas glide overhead, sometimes so close you can see the pattern of their spots. Castle Rock and Crystal Rock are classic Komodo: steep bommies hammered by current, with grey reef sharks, barracuda, and fusiliers holding in the lee. The Cauldron, also known as 'Shotgun', is a drift dive through a narrow channel where the water accelerates. You go with it, letting the current carry you past gorgonians and sea fans. Golden Passage offers something calmer: shallower reefs with turtles and macro life. At Wainilu, night dives reveal seahorses, frogfish and ornate ghost pipefish tucked into the rubble.
On the last full day, you make 2 morning dives, perhaps at Saiba Kecil or Gila Lawa Darat, then spend the afternoon on Rinca Island. A ranger leads you on a walk in search of the Komodo dragons. These are not zoo animals. They move with a slow, ancient weight, and the encounter gives the trip a sense of wildness that stays with you.
Final Day
No rush. A final breakfast on board, then a last chat with the Moana crew. You are transferred either to your hotel in Labuan Bajo or directly to the airport for your flight out. The trip ends the way it began: with the feeling of having dived somewhere genuinely different.
[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].
A day on the Moana liveaboard balances serious dive time with good food, rest, and the small pleasures of life on the water. The crew have run these routes for over a decade, and it shows in how smoothly things move. No rush. No waiting around. Just a natural flow from sunrise coffee to sunset stories on deck.
6 am - First light, first bite:
A small breakfast of fresh fruit - papaya, banana, local pineapple - plus cornflakes and honey. Enough to wake the body without weighing it down. Tea and coffee are already brewing. You eat standing at the rail or sitting in the bow’s chill area, watching the islands take shape in the morning light.
6:45 am - Dive one:
Kitted up and briefed. The first dive is often the most dramatic: cooler water, better light, and the best chance to catch mantas or reef sharks before the wind picks up. The Moana’s 3 guides split the group based on experience. Beginners take the gentle slopes. Experienced drifters head for the channels. Everyone gets the right site.
8:30 am - Real breakfast:
Back on board. Wetsuit off. Towel dry. And then the main breakfast arrives: omelettes cooked to order, pancakes with local honey, sausages, ham, and fresh bread. One guest described it as 'the breakfast you dive for'. Another dive follows around 10 am, once everyone has eaten properly.
12 noon - Lunch, served properly:
Lunch is a 2-course affair, served at the large shaded table on deck. The Moana does not do buffets. Instead, the chef plates each meal: a mix of Western, Asian, and Indonesian dishes. One day it might be grilled fish with steamed vegetables and rice. Another day: gado-gado (warm peanut sauce over blanched greens and tofu), followed by fresh fruit. Vegetables come from local organic farmers. Seafood is bought that morning from the Labuan Bajo markets. You eat, then find a patch of shade. Some guests nap on the bow’s mattress. Others read or review their dive photos.
2:30 pm - Afternoon dive:
The third dive of the day. Slower pace. Often a coral garden or a macro site: seahorses, ghost pipefish, nudibranchs the size of your fingernail. The guides know where to look.
4:30 pm - Snacks and sun:
Back on board. Biscuits, cake, fresh fruit, and cold drinking water appear on the deck table. This is the hour for stretching out, charging cameras, or taking the kayak or stand-up paddleboard for a quiet paddle. The light softens. The air cools.
5:45 pm - Sunset dive or twilight snorkel:
The fourth dive of the day is often a night dive, scheduled just before sunset so you descend in daylight and surface under stars. For snorkelers, this is a gentle twilight swim. For divers, it is a different world: sleeping turtles, hunting lionfish, bioluminescence if you are lucky.
7:30 pm - 3-course dinner:
Showered, changed, and hungry. Dinner on the Moana liveaboard is the meal people remember. A typical evening: pumpkin soup to start, followed by beef rendang (slow-cooked in coconut milk and spices) with stir-fried kangkung and jasmine rice, finished with banana fritters and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Another night: fresh tuna steak in a lemongrass-ginger broth, then chocolate pudding. The chef takes dietary requests seriously: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free; just tell the crew before you board.
9 pm - Deck time:
Some guests head straight to bed. Others stay on deck, lying on the bow mattress under a sky thick with stars. A beer or a glass of wine (both available for purchase) finishes the evening. The generator switches off late, but the boat runs quiet. You sleep to the sound of water against the hull.
What runs through the day:
Coffee, tea, milk, fruit, biscuits, and drinking water are always available, free of charge. Flavoured water and smoothies appear at intervals. No fixed menu exists, which is part of the point. The Moana’s chef cooks to what is fresh, what the group enjoys, and what makes sense after a long dive day. The result is food that feels like part of the holiday, not just fuel between dives.
You dive. You eat. You rest. You eat again. By day 2, it feels less like a schedule and more like the most natural way to spend a week in Komodo.
"
Great crew, great service, great food (set menu for lunch and dinner sometimes not enough for the men on board), fantastic diving, very attentive staff, nice & clean rooms" -
Britta Bombien, Germany, 24 December 2016 ...
"
Everything was great. The crew was very attentive, offered clear explanations, & answered all questions promptly. Very professional and friendly service! I highly recommend this Komodo liveaboard!" -
Kathy Lee, USA, 21 July 2014 ...
"
Friendly, efficient, all basic equipment available. Operator knowledgable, calm, friendly and always going the extra mile." -
Mathias Eick, Germany, 2 June 2013 ...
"
Equipment all in very good condition, staff very attentive and friendly, accommodation and shared facilities very good." -
Jenny Hamilton-Ible, UK, 26 April 2010 ...
"
Overall satisfied with the trip - good quality rental kit and very polite and friendly staff. Boat was comfortable but basic, but was to be expected. Food was only average." -
Talib Yousry, UK, 7 May 2009 ...
"
Very good service on board, decent cabins, very nice boat, very good food." -
Karl Kepplinger, Australia ...
