The Komodo National Park, Flores, Indonesia, has long renown as the only sanctuary of the last Komodo Dragons on earth. This Jurassic looking islands is also home of more than 1000 species of fishes, 70 species of sponges, and more than 260 species of coral reefs. Remote and totally isolated from modern life, the Komodo offers holidays in barren landscapes, transparent aquamarine waters, and bright blue sky. This far flung holiday has every reasons to visit—especially when sailing trip with beautiful wooden Phinisi liveaboard yacht is on the menu. The phinisi is the belle of all boats in Komodo—giving the best experience on sailing around this picturesque frontier. If sailing with Komodo liveaboard phinisi is on your bucket list, you would want to know how much budget you have to prepare. And here we are having the breakdowns for you.
Budget for Komodo Liveaboard Phinisi boat
Do you know that not all boats in Komodo are called phinisi? Some boats are just…boat. Like, a fisherman boat with decks to sleep. A small space of living for 15-20 people, sometimes with no cabins. A phinisi is like the better version of these budget Komodo liveaboard. They are usually larger, built with teak woods following the grand ancient Bugisian design. Phinisi boats have several cabin options, two to four deck stories, and complete living facilities. There’s two option of sailing with Komodo phinisi. You can either charter the whole phinisi or join an open trip and just book a slot (or two). Chartering a phinisi is obviously pricier, ranging from USD 2,000 to 4,000 on a single trip.
Twin Sharing or Single Occupancy
When it comes to cabins selection, you will basically have two options. Either you book a twin sharing or double beds for two, or taking the single supplement. Twin sharing in mid class phinisi start from USD 200 in mid range phinisi to USD 1400 in luxurious phinisi yacht. Single occupancy is usually more expensive, ranging from USD 500 to USD 3,000 depend on the class of the boat.
What’s Inclusive on the Package
The budget for trip with Komodo liveaboard might seems huge, but almost all of hem are all inclusive. Means you don’t need to pay for anything more except extra services and alcoholic drinks. What’s included on the price of the phinisi liveaboard are:
- Accommodations, meals, and drinks on mealtime during the sailing trip
- Tea, black coffee, fruit juices, and soft drinks
- 5-18 dives, depend on the length of the trip
- Towels, toiletries, and cabin services
- Islands visits
- Dive guides
- Rent for regular air tanks, nitrox, weight, and belt
Read More: Making the Best Komodo Boat Trip for You
Komodo National Park Entry Fees
Some phinisi include the entry fees to Komodo National Park, some don’t. If they don’t you need to prepare extra budget for your Komodo liveaboard trip. The cost of Komodo National Park is USD 11 (IDR 150.000) on weekdays and USD 18 (IDR 225.000) on weekends. The tourism tax in Komodo or Rinca Island is USD 6.60 (IDR 100.000) per person. A mandatory park rangers in Komodo or Rinca Island is USD 5.30 (IDR 80.000) per group up to 5 people. It’s good to have enough cash ready when you are travelling to the Komodo.
Full Set Diving Equipment Rent
Unless you are sailing in a fully inclusive Komodo diving liveaboard (which is rare), you will be most likely pay for renting the dive gears. Some provide nitrox for free, some charge for USD 15 per diving day. Rent equipments usually vary between USD 8 to USD 15 per piece per dive day. Generally, what you need to rent on board are:
- BCD
- Regulator
- Dive Computer
- Wetsuit (you can bring your own!)
- Fins and Mask
- Large Tanks
- Torch
Onboard Plus Services
As phinisi boat is kinda a step-ahead from common boat trip in Komodo, they also provide some luxury services you can’t find in cheaper boats. In phinisi, you could enjoy massage service, booking a morning yoga class onboard, or even get your clothes laundered. Of course, all these services come with additional prices, which greatly varied between each boat.