Bali Liveboard

Start the day with a visit to Kerta Gosa, or Hall of Justice, built in 18th century in Klungkung. It is beautifully laid out within a moat and provides an exquisite example of the Klungkung style of painting and architecture which can be seen in their ceiling murals. Continue through spectacular views of terraced rice fields to Besakih temple, located on the slope of Mount Agung, Bali highest volcano. It is called Mother Temple of Bali as it houses ancestral shrines for all Hindu Balinese and a complex of nearly 24 temples. Our next stop is Kintamani where you can enjoy your lunch with a breathtaking view over the caldera lake, Danau Batur. Driving down, we arrive in the bottom of a lush green valley, where the Gunung Kawi temple, Bali largest ancient monument is located. It consists of 10 rock-cut candi (shrines) – memorials cut out of the rock face in imitation of actual statues and stand in 7m-high sheltered niches cut into the sheer cliff face. Our last stop will be Goa Gajah.

Airport transfer with private vehicle and English-speaking driver.

Fly one way from Bali to Labuan Bajo.

Domestic flight from Bali (DPS) to  Labuan Bajo (LBJ).  Flight time around 1 hour.  Arrive LBJ, register in National  Park office to pay park & harbour fee.  Check in Black  Manta, Welcome & Briefing follow by late lunch.

Labuan Bajo is a fishing town located at the western end of Flores in the Nusa Tenggara region of east Indonesia. Once a small fishing village, Labuan Bajo in Flores is now a busy bustling center of tourism. It is the launching point for trips to Komodo Island and Rinca Island, home to the famous komodo dragons. Nearby Kanawa and Seraya Islands are a great opportunity to do some diving and snorkeling and every evening at Kalong Island thousands of flying fox bats put on an amazing display. Within a few hours of Labuan Bajo can be found several waterfalls, trekking and many diverse beaches.   The town is quite small and can easily be traversed on foot (in 10-15 minutes). Komodo Airport is located just 2 km from the center of Labuan Bajo and has 4-6 daily flights arriving from Bali. The port has daily ferry departures to Bima and weekly or bi-weekly departures to Denpasar and Sulawesi.

(1-2 dives) 8am -10am
Central Komodo (water Temp  26-28 deg). Check dive at Pulau Sabayor Mini Wall, followed by  sunset or night dive.

(5 dives) North Komodo (water Temp 26-28 deg); Crystal Rock, Castle  Rock, Tatawa Island, Makassar Reef (Manta Point), optional night  dive.

Crystal Rock

The rock jutting out of the surrounding crystal clear waters explains how this site got its name. What makes this an unforgettable dive, however, are the large swarms of fusiliers and anthias flitting over the gorgeous soft corals and impressive table corals. In the deep blue, look out for large tuna and mackerel, plus fish schooling around a small mound to the northwest.

Castle Rock

Castle Rock is another submerged mound situated a kilometre further north of Crystal Rock. Its exposed location can mean strong currents, but experienced divers will love the thrill of this dive. In fact, the main action comes from watching the staggering amount of fish life whipping past, such as groupers, midnight snappers and impressive schools. Of course, divers aren’t the only ones interested in the huge numbers of fish here, so expect to see giant trevally, whitetips, blacktips and grey reef sharks hunting around for their next meal.

Tatawa Besar

This is a thrilling drift dive, starting at the north-western tip of Tatawa and continuing down the western side, reaching about 15 to 20 meters of depth. The fish life here is abundant and you will see an endless field of stunning orange soft corals as you glide along. Swim past coral heads inhabited by schools of sweetlips and batfish, and look out for turtles feeding on the reef. Mantas have been encountered here as well.

(4 dives) South Komodo (water Temp 22- 26 deg); Manta Alley, Cannibal  Rock, Crinoid Caynon, Torpedo Point, & Yellow wall.

Cannibal Rock

According to some diving publications, one of the top ten dives sites in the world is situated in Horseshoe Bay, south of Rinca Island. The water in this bay is teeming with nutrients, creating the most spectacular congregation of hard and soft corals. Sponges, ascidians, sea squirts and tube anemones are abundant. A wide diversity of nudibranchs can be seen here, along with frogfish, turtles, cuttlefish and other reef fish. Due to the location of the bay and the nutrient rich water, the temperature if usually colder and the visibility a bit greener, but neither one of these factors can spoil the amazing diving.

Torpedo Alley

A marvelous night dive named after the pancake sized torpedo rays that can be found here. Coconut octopus, seahorses, colourful squid and the bizarre bobbit worm all live in the black volcanic sand. A very shallow dive with a maximum depth of 10m/30ft, spend time looking for all the strange inhabitants among the rocks, soft corals and in the sand.

Yellow Wall of Texas

This wall is located at the entrance to Horseshoe Bay, beautifully draped with yellow and orange soft corals, and is named by the diving explorer Larry Smith from Texas, USA. Look inside the soft corals for the tiny ladybug and scour the wall for vibrant nudibranchs. Schools of fusiliers and surgeonfish adorn the shallow coral heads.

(2 dives) North Komodo, Batu Bolong, Bonsa rock. This is  followed by a walk on the wide side in search of Komodo Dragons,  and  trekking on one of the local Islands, then back on board to wash gear  relax as we sail towards Labuan Bajo.

Batu Bolong

Underwater this rock is covered in a huge amount of soft and hard corals and full of fish life. In the shallows, watch the busy anemonefish and look out for turtles munching on the corals. Giant trevally, white tip reef sharks, snappers and emperorfish tend to congregate here. This site offers particularly good opportunities for both macro and wide-angle photography.

(0 dives) 7am; check out after breakfast, farewells, and transfer to  airport.  Take your pre-booked flight from Labuan Bajo to Bali.   Many thanks and see you again in Raja Ampat.

Fly one way from Labuan Bajo to Bali.