Day Charter
A 6-8 hour day charter departs Labuan Bajo in the morning and returns by evening, typically visiting Pink Beach and Manta Point.
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Komodo Phinisi Charter — Private Luxury Sailing Experiences
Quick Answer: A Komodo phinisi charter is the exclusive way to explore Indonesia’s Komodo Islands aboard a traditional wooden sailing vessel. These vessels pair authentic maritime heritage with modern comfort across day charters, multi-day liveaboards, and bespoke private trips.
What Is a Phinisi Boat?
A phinisi is a traditional two-masted wooden schooner from South Sulawesi, built for centuries of trading and cargo voyages. A typical phinisi runs 40-60 meters long with a 7-10 meter beam, giving it generous deck space and cabin room.
What sets a phinisi apart is its soul—crews steeped in Indonesian sailing tradition, now paired with modern safety systems, navigation, air conditioning, and luxury fit-outs.
Komodo National Park’s 29 islands make it one of the world’s great sailing grounds, and a phinisi is the classic way to see them.
Charter options
Phinisi Charter Options
From a single sunset sail to a week at sea, a phinisi charter flexes to the trip you want.
Multi-Day Liveaboard
3 to 7-day charters explore Komodo National Park in full, with cabins, all meals, and guided diving or snorkeling included.
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Wedding & Special Events
A phinisi makes an unforgettable venue for weddings and milestone celebrations, hosting 20-40 guests with ceremony timing built around sunrise or sunset.
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Corporate Retreat
Corporate retreats pair the team-building of sailing with the prestige of a private phinisi and Komodo’s scenery as a backdrop.
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Charter this phinisi
Lasha — Our Largest Phinisi
A traditional Buginese hull at the top end of the size range described above — 52.5 metres, ten cabins, and room for 26 guests.
Lasha Phinisi Cruise
Built from select ulin and teak across four decks, with a 750HP engine sized for the open crossings between north and south Komodo rather than short day hops.
- 26 guests across 10 en-suite cabins
- 52.5 m × 10.3 m, 466 GT
- Master Suites with balcony and jacuzzi
- Sun deck jacuzzi, bar lounge, dive deck
- Private charter or share-cabin open trip
- Departs Labuan Bajo, Flores
Private charter from USD 10,800 / night
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Why Charter a Phinisi in Komodo
A phinisi’s shallow draft and nimble handling reach anchorages closed to larger motor vessels and day-trip boats, while its wind power keeps a lighter footprint in this UNESCO World Heritage site.
Crews are typically Indonesian with generations of sailing knowledge, serving authentic cuisine on board, while cabins keep en-suite bathrooms, fine linens, and climate control.
Charter Pricing Overview
| Charter Type | Duration | Nightly Rate | Included Services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day Charter | 6-8 hours | USD 5,300/night | Meals, snorkeling, guide services, beverages |
| 3-Day Liveaboard | 3 days/2 nights | USD 5,300/night | Accommodation, meals, diving/snorkeling, activities |
| 5-Day Liveaboard | 5 days/4 nights | USD 5,300/night | Full accommodation, all meals, diving, guides |
| 7-Day Liveaboard | 7 days/6 nights | USD 5,300/night | Full accommodation, all meals, diving, guides, activities |
| Private Charter | 3-7 days | USD 5,300/night | Exclusive use, customized itineraries, premium services |
For comprehensive details, see the liveaboard pricing page.
Planning Your Charter
Onboard Life
- Expect cozy staterooms to spacious suites with air conditioning and en-suite bathrooms, three daily meals plus tea and cocktails, and a crew-to-guest ratio of 1:2 to 1:4
Sample Itineraries
- Classic 3-day routes cover Kalong Island, Batu Bolong, Castle Rock, Manta Point, and Pink Beach; 5-day trips add Gili Laba, Rinca Island, and Padar Island
Booking & Deposit
- Share your dates, duration, and group size, browse our fleet and destinations, then confirm your charter with a 50% down payment (balance due 30 days before departure)
Frequently Asked Questions About Phinisi Charters
May to September brings the calmest seas and best sailing winds, with July–August the most stable but priciest months. April–June and September–October offer excellent value with reliable weather.
Most charters welcome both certified divers and snorkelers; PADI Open Water or equivalent lets you join guided dives. Many phinisis even run Open Water certification courses during multi-day charters.
Yes—day charters and shorter 3-4 day liveaboards work particularly well for families. Children enjoy the sailing, swimming, snorkeling, and wildlife encounters.
Galley crews routinely handle vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-conscious diets. Flag special requests 6+ weeks before departure for specialty ingredients.
Activity levels vary widely, from relaxation-focused charters to moderate 2-4 hour treks and dives that demand reasonable fitness. Your crew adapts activities to your capabilities.
Expect Komodo dragons on Rinca and Komodo islands, sea turtles, and diverse fish and bird life, with manta rays aggregating seasonally from November to March. Dragon and manta encounters are likely but never guaranteed.
Standard inclusions are accommodation, meals and non-alcoholic drinks, crew and guide services, snorkeling/diving gear, and port fees; alcohol, photography workshops, and spa services are common extras. See the detailed pricing page for full breakdowns.
Operators run regular hull, engine, and electrical inspections plus annual dry-dock refits, all within Indonesian maritime regulations. Modern navigation electronics and emergency equipment round out onboard safety.
Ready to charter your own phinisi in Komodo?
Phinisi Charter Budget Planner (Published Ranges)
The ranges below repeat the charter pricing table published on this page in one budgeting view, so you can match a format to your group and travel window at a glance. Every figure is the same published range — nothing here is a new quote.
| Charter format | Duration | Published range | Best suited for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day charter | 6–8 hours | $150 – $300 | First taste of the park: Padar, Pink Beach, snorkeling |
| 3-day liveaboard | 2 nights | $800 – $1,800 | Long-weekend escape covering the central park |
| 5-day liveaboard | 4 nights | $1,500 – $3,500 | North + central loop with unhurried dive days |
| 7-day liveaboard | 6 nights | $2,500 – $5,500 | Full north-to-south expedition including remote sites |
| Private full-boat charter | 3–7 days | $3,000 – $10,000+ total | Exclusive use, custom route, families and celebrations |
Private Charter or Open Trip: the Per-Person Math
The decision usually comes down to group size. Scheduled open-trip departures let couples and solo travelers join a fixed date without filling a boat — the fleet’s flat USD 5,300 per-night all-inclusive rate is published on the Komodo liveaboard price page. A private charter flips that logic: the whole-boat total is fixed, so the more guests you bring, the less each person pays — split a full-boat night across a larger group and the per-person cost falls fast, with the entire deck, route and daily rhythm belonging to your group alone.
Charter rates on this page follow the same structure as our package pricing: accommodation on board, full meals while sailing, and guided diving or snorkeling blocks are part of the charter, while flights, insurance and park fees sit outside it. The full list of separate costs — domestic flights at $80–200, insurance at $50–150 and the park’s own fees — is itemised in the cost breakdown guide and the park fee explainer.
Planning Your Charter Window
Boats that take private charters release a limited number of full-boat dates each season, and the best months disappear first — the month-by-month season guide shows how conditions shift across the year, and the manta season explainer matters if the cleaning stations are on your must-see list. Route-wise, a 2-night charter comfortably covers Padar, Pink Beach and the dragons; from 4 nights you add the northern dive sites; 6 nights opens the remote south. Compare layouts on our fleet page, then send dates through the booking form — the reservation team confirms availability, route and the exact whole-boat quote for your group size before anything is paid.
Deposits, Confirmation and What Happens Next
Once dates and boat are agreed, charters follow the same reservation flow as our scheduled trips: a deposit secures the hull for your dates, the balance follows on the published payment schedule, and the reservation team reconfirms route, guest list and dietary notes in the weeks before departure. The step-by-step process — deposit timing, payment methods and the cancellation terms that apply before you pay anything — is documented in the booking guide and the inclusions breakdown. If your dates are flexible, say so in the enquiry: shoulder-season weeks often unlock the lower end of each published range, and the crew can suggest the calmer anchorages for first-time sailors. For a sense of how a charter day actually runs, read a typical day on a Komodo liveaboard before you lock the route.