Itinerary – 12 Days 11 Nights
Westbound
Eastbound
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Welcome aboard La Galigo in Labuan Bajo. After a welcome drink and our vessel and dive-safety briefings, we leave the harbour behind and begin our journey west through the Indonesian archipelago.
Around Sebayur Slope, a relaxed check dive gives everyone time to settle into their equipment, fine-tune buoyancy and get to know the way we dive.
Sebayur is also a lovely setting for night diving, when the reef’s smaller nocturnal life begins to emerge.
Back aboard, dinner is waiting and our Komodo-to-Bali expedition is underway.
Central Komodo gives us a varied mix of manta areas, current-washed reefs and extraordinary fish life.
Mawan and Karang Makassar are known for manta rays gliding above the reef to feed or visit cleaning stations. Batu Bolong rises from deep water and supports an astonishing concentration of marine life.
Together, these sites show three very different faces of Central Komodo, with the tide setting the rhythm for the day.
After dark, a sheltered reef named Stranger Things provides the backdrop for some of the smaller and stranger creatures that remain hidden by day.
Today brings together the underwater and topside worlds of Komodo National Park.
Pink Beach and Golden Passage bring together colourful reef scenery, moving water and the possibility of larger marine life.
A guided Komodo trek takes us through the wild, sun-baked landscape in search of the legendary Komodo dragon. Sightings are never guaranteed, but simply walking through this ancient landscape is an experience in itself.
Night diving in a sheltered area offers another chance to see how the reef transforms after dark.
Today is devoted to the exhilarating diving of Northwest Komodo. Castle Rock, Crystal Rock and The Cauldron – better known as Shotgun – are the iconic names here.
These celebrated sites combine thriving reefs with open water and strong currents that can bring schooling fish, hunting trevally and reef sharks into view.
Our Cruise Director will choose the safest and most rewarding order for the tide and the experience of the group.
Night diving in a more sheltered setting reveals the smaller creatures that emerge once the reef grows quiet.
Sangeang rises straight from the sea, giving today’s diving an extraordinary volcanic backdrop. Black-sand slopes, colourful coral and areas where volcanic bubbles rise through the seabed give Sangeang an underwater character unlike anywhere else on the route.
The island is also prized for macro life. Patient eyes may find stargazers and other unusual creatures tucked into the sand and reef.
A sunset or night dive reveals another side of this volcanic world before La Galigo continues towards Satonda.
Satonda offers a gentle change of pace, with time beneath the surface and ashore. Satonda combines diving around the island with time ashore, where a short trail leads inland to the crater lake – a quiet volcanic landscape hidden just beyond the coast.
A sunset or night dive offers a beautiful way to close the day before La Galigo continues towards Saleh Bay.
In Saleh Bay, we hope to experience one of the expedition’s most memorable wildlife encounters: Whale Shark.
These gentle giants are regularly seen around the traditional fishing platforms known locally as bagans. Every interaction follows local regulations and the conditions on the day, allowing us to share the water with patience and respect.
Moyo’s colourful reefs offer a relaxed contrast to the more current-driven diving earlier in the journey.
Later, La Galigo begins her passage towards Gili Trawangan.
Gili Trawangan brings together easy island atmosphere and two of the Gilis’ best-known dive sites.
Deep Turbo offers sculpted reef and deeper water, while Shark Point is a Gili favourite known for turtles, schooling fish and the possibility of reef sharks. The currents give every visit its own character.
A relaxed island visit and beach barbecue give us a chance to stretch our legs and enjoy the Gilis from above the water.
We continue west to a quieter corner of Lombok for another change of underwater scenery.
Our Cruise Director and guides will select the best reefs for the day’s wind, swell and current. Across the dives, we can expect coral gardens, sloping reefs and a rich mix of marine life.
From Lombok, La Galigo crosses towards Nusa Penida and the sheltered waters near Toyapakeh, a site recently identified as the world’s largest living reef.
Toyapakeh comes alive after dark, revealing the reef’s smaller nocturnal life.
Today brings one of the expedition’s signature combinations: manta rays, dramatic reef scenery and the possibility of encountering the elusive mola mola.
Crystal Bay and Manta Point are among Nusa Penida’s celebrated sites. Manta rays may sweep over the cleaning stations, while Crystal Bay offers clear blue water, a vibrant reef and the chance of open-water encounters. Wildlife is never guaranteed, but every dive here carries a sense of possibility.
The dramatic coastline near Broken Beach offers another striking setting, while sheltered reefs take on a completely different character after dark. Together, these sites capture the variety that makes
Our final full day gives us more time to enjoy Nusa Penida, both in the water and ashore.
The day blends more time around Crystal Bay with a visit to the famous viewpoint above Kelingking Beach.
A relaxed barbecue at Diamond Beach gives us time to enjoy Nusa Penida above the water before La Galigo begins the journey back to Bali.
After days of diving, island crossings and wildlife encounters, it is a fitting way to spend our final afternoon together.
In the early hours, La Galigo sets sail from Nusa Penida to Benoa, as our 12-day expedition comes to a close.
As Bali comes back into view, there is time for one final coffee with the crew, to exchange photographs and contact details, and to say goodbye to new dive friends before disembarkation at approximately 11:00 am.
Our team will then assist with your transfer to I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) or a local Bali hotel. You leave with salt in your hair, a camera full of colour and memories of manta rays, whale sharks, volcanic reefs, Komodo dragons and the many quiet moments that make life at sea so special.
Until next time – sampai jumpa.
Our journey begins in Bali, where we embark La Galigo in Benoa and settle in with a welcome drink, a light breakfast and a full vessel and dive safety briefing. Once everyone is comfortable onboard, we leave Bali behind and set a course east towards Nusa Penida.
Around midday we arrive off the dramatic coastline near Broken Beach. After lunch, we plan our first check dive in the area, giving everyone the chance to become familiar with their equipment, buoyancy and our diving procedures before the adventure properly gets underway. As with all of our diving, the exact site will be selected according to the conditions on the day.
Later in the afternoon we move towards Toyapakeh, where we plan our first night dive of the trip. With the sun down and the reef taking on a completely different character, it is a wonderful introduction to the smaller nocturnal life of Nusa Penida. We will remain around Toyapakeh for the night.
Day two begins with one of Bali’s best known marine encounters as we head south towards Manta Point. The site is famous for the opportunity to dive alongside majestic Manta Rays, which visit the area to feed and make use of the cleaning stations around the reef.
From here we continue to Crystal Bay for our second dive. Clear blue water, a beautiful reef and the possibility of exciting blue-water encounters make this one of Nusa Penida’s classic dive sites. Conditions here can change quickly, so our guides will assess the current and choose the most suitable entry and dive plan for the group.
After the day’s diving, La Galigo anchors up and begins the longer crossing towards Southwest Lombok. This gives you time to relax on deck, enjoy the sunset and settle into the rhythm of life onboard as we continue east through the Indonesian archipelago.
We wake in the waters of Southwest Lombok for a full day of diving. This is a part of the itinerary where the final dive sites are deliberately kept flexible, allowing our Cruise Director and guides to select the best reefs according to the wind, swell and current on the day.
We plan up to four dives across the area, exploring a mixture of coral reefs, slopes and current-swept terrain. It is a chance to enjoy a quieter side of Lombok diving before we continue north, with plenty of time underwater and a wide variety of reef life to search for between dives.
After our final dive, La Galigo sets course for the Gili Islands. We aim to arrive around Gili Trawangan later in the evening, where we will find a sheltered mooring for the night.
This morning we explore two of Gili Trawangan’s best-known dive sites, beginning at Deep Turbo. The site offers an enjoyable combination of reef structure and deeper water, giving us the chance to search the blue while still enjoying the colourful reef below.
Our second dive is planned at Shark Point, a classic Gili site where reef sharks, turtles and schooling fish are among the encounters we may hope to see. As always, the strength and direction of the current will determine the final dive plan.
Following the second dive, we begin one of the longest passages of the itinerary and sail east towards Moyo Island. The rest of the day is spent cruising across the Flores Sea, giving you time to relax, edit photos, enjoy the open decks and watch the islands of Indonesia slowly pass by.
We arrive at Moyo Island in the morning and begin the day underwater at One Mile Reef, followed by a second dive at Angel Reef. Moyo is surrounded by beautiful coral reefs and offers a relaxed contrast to the more current-driven diving that awaits later in the expedition.
After lunch we swap fins for walking shoes and head ashore for one of Moyo’s highlights: a trek through the island to its famous waterfall. The cool freshwater and lush surroundings make this a welcome change of pace after several days at sea.
Depending on the conditions and the mood of the group, the evening may include a night dive or a beach BBQ before we return to La Galigo. Later that night we set sail for Saleh Bay, ready for a very different kind of encounter the following morning.
An early start brings us into Saleh Bay, where we go in search of the area’s famous Whale Sharks. These gentle giants are regularly encountered around the traditional fishing platforms known locally as bagan, creating one of the most memorable wildlife experiences of the entire journey. The exact interaction will always be conducted according to local regulations and the conditions on the day.
Once our time in Saleh Bay is complete, La Galigo begins the passage towards Satonda Island. By the afternoon we head ashore for a trek to the island’s remarkable crater lake, a peaceful volcanic landscape tucked away behind the coastline.
We finish the day with sunset around Satonda and, conditions permitting, the option of a night dive before departing for Sangeang. It is a full day that combines big-animal encounters, a land excursion and another beautiful crossing through the islands of West Nusa Tenggara.
Today we arrive beneath the imposing volcanic slopes of Sangeang Api. The island’s volcanic character gives the coastline a very different atmosphere from the reefs we have visited so far, and we plan two daytime dives in the area with the final sites chosen according to conditions.
The afternoon is kept flexible. Where timing and local arrangements allow, we may include a short village visit to experience a little of life around Sangeang before returning to the vessel. This visit remains subject to confirmation and may be adjusted as the trip develops.
As the sun drops behind the volcano, we prepare for either a sunset or night dive before La Galigo begins the overnight passage towards Northwest Komodo. By morning we will be entering one of the most celebrated diving regions in Indonesia.
Day eight is dedicated to the high-energy diving of Northwest Komodo, and for many divers this is one of the standout days of the entire trip. We begin with Castle Rock and Crystal Rock, two submerged pinnacles exposed to the open water and famous for the action that gathers around them.
Strong currents can bring schooling fish, hunting trevally and reef sharks into the blue, while the reefs themselves are covered with colourful life. In the afternoon we move to The Cauldron, better known as Shotgun. When the tide is right this current-driven dive provides an exhilarating ride through the channel and is one of Komodo’s signature underwater experiences.
We finish the day with a night dive in a more sheltered area, selected according to the conditions and our overnight mooring.
We move into Central Komodo for a day built around three very different dive sites. Our first stop is planned at Mawan, where Manta Rays are often the main attraction and the shallow reef provides a beautiful setting for watching them move through the water.
From Mawan we continue to Karang Makassar, another of Komodo’s famous manta areas. The dive is generally conducted as a drift, allowing the current to carry us across the long reef while we keep an eye out for mantas cruising, feeding or visiting cleaning areas.
Later in the day we head to Batu Bolong, one of the park’s iconic reef dives. This small rock rises from deep water and supports an extraordinary concentration of marine life. The exact route around the site is carefully planned around the tide, after which we finish with a night dive at a sheltered location nearby.
The tenth day is intentionally flexible, giving us the freedom to follow the best conditions in either Central or Southern Komodo. The final decision will be made by the Captain and Cruise Director after considering the wind, current, swell and the experience of the group.
We plan three daytime dives, choosing from the strongest options available in the area. Central Komodo can offer colourful reefs, current-swept channels and excellent fish life, while the southern part of the park is influenced by cooler, nutrient-rich water and presents a noticeably different underwater environment.
After the third dive we settle into a protected anchorage and prepare for one more night dive. This flexibility is an important part of diving Komodo, allowing us to make the most of the park rather than forcing a fixed site when the conditions suggest a better alternative.
Our penultimate day brings the underwater part of the journey towards its close. Depending on the conditions and final routing, we plan our last dive around Pink Beach or Wainilu. Both areas offer a more relaxed finish to the diving, with the final site selected to suit the timing of the day’s land activities.
After breakfast we head ashore for a guided trek inside Komodo National Park. This is our opportunity to experience the landscape above water and, where conditions and park arrangements allow, search for the legendary Komodo Dragons in their natural environment.
Later in the afternoon La Galigo moves towards the mangroves for one final natural spectacle. At sunset, thousands of fruit bats can be seen leaving their roost and crossing the evening sky in search of food on the mainland. It is a fitting final sunset before we sail towards Labuan Bajo for our last night onboard.
In the early hours, La Galigo sets sail from Nusa Penida to Benoa, as our 12-day expedition comes to a close.
As Bali comes back into view, there is time for one final coffee with the crew, to exchange photographs and contact details, and to say goodbye to new dive friends before disembarkation at approximately 11:00 am.
Our team will then assist with your transfer to I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) or a local Bali hotel. You leave with salt in your hair, a camera full of colour and memories of manta rays, whale sharks, volcanic reefs, Komodo dragons and the many quiet moments that make life at sea so special.
Until next time – sampai jumpa.
La Galigo does not guarantee this outlined itinerary, and it is to be considered as a rough guideline. Information compiled here is based on past trips we have conducted, and includes common dive sites and routes we often visit. Weather and sea conditions in the area can be unpredictable, and La Galigo retains the right to alter an itinerary from advice of the shipʼs captain, cruise director, or owner for the safety of the vessel, its passenger and crew.
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