Can you sail from Bali to Komodo on a diving liveaboard?
Yes. Samambaia publishes a 12-day/11-night Serangan, Bali, to Labuan Bajo sample diving cruise. Mermaid publishes Bali–Komodo–Maumere samples: ten days/nine nights on Mermaid I and eight days/seven nights on Mermaid II. Both cross east from Bali through diving areas around Sumbawa and Komodo, but they do not finish in the same port.[1][2]
Choose the Samambaia route pattern if you want a one-way journey ending at Labuan Bajo, the Komodo gateway in western Flores. Choose the Mermaid pattern if you want to continue through Komodo to Maumere. These are operator-published sample programmes, not confirmed departures, weekly ferry services or proof of available cabins. This page covers the Bali-to-Komodo direction; it does not reverse a westbound itinerary to invent an eastbound sailing.
[2] Samambaia: Bali–Labuanbajo sample diving itineraryThe finish port changes the onward journey
Swipe or scroll sideways to compare every column.
| Your decision | Samambaia sample [2] | Mermaid I sample [1] |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 12 days / 11 nights | 10 days / 9 nights |
| Embarkation | Serangan, Bali | Benoa Harbour, Bali |
| Route outline | Lombok → Moyo/Satonda → Sangeang → Banta → Komodo/Rinca | Moyo/Satonda → Sangeang → Banta → Komodo/Rinca → Maumere area |
| Disembarkation | Labuan Bajo, western Flores | Maumere, farther east on Flores |
| Main reason to choose it | Finish at the Komodo gateway after a longer island crossing | Continue east rather than finishing at Labuan Bajo |
Where the nights go on the 12-day Samambaia route
The published sequence starts at Serangan and finishes in Labuan Bajo. Nights 1–11 are onboard, with the boat moving between dive areas; the places below are route areas, not hotel bookings or guaranteed anchorages. Weather, conditions and the cruise director can change the sequence.[2]
Day 1: embark at Serangan for orientation. Day 2: dive around Lombok, starting with an equipment, weights and buoyancy check. Day 3: Moyo diving, followed by Satonda and a possible crater-lake visit. Day 4: Sangeang’s volcanic black-sand dive areas. Day 5: Banta, outside Komodo National Park. This allocates several days to the crossing rather than pretending the whole cruise is inside Komodo.[2]
[2] Samambaia: embarkation and days 1–5Days 6–12: Komodo, Rinca and the Labuan Bajo finish
Day 6: northern Komodo, with Crystal Rock and Castle Rock named in the sample. Day 7: central Komodo and Rinca, with central-site choices and a proposed Wai Nilu night dive. Day 8: a ranger-led Rinca dragon walk followed by the journey toward Nusa Kode/Horseshoe Bay. Day 9: further Horseshoe Bay diving before moving north. Day 10: central and northern Komodo. Day 11: the final diving in central Komodo, with the number of dives depending on next-day flights, then return toward Labuan Bajo. Day 12: disembark in Labuan Bajo.[2]
Use this sequence to judge the balance of crossing days and park diving, not to demand every named site. The cruise director selects the actual sites and order for the sailing; a sample route is not a fixed daily reservation.
[2] Samambaia: Komodo and disembarkation sequenceThe 10-day Mermaid I alternative continues to Maumere
Mermaid I’s sample starts at Benoa on day 1 and cruises overnight toward Moyo. Day 2 covers Moyo and Satonda before an overnight move toward Sangeang. Day 3 combines Sangeang with a later Banta-area dive. Day 4 moves from Banta into northern Komodo. Day 5 stays around Gili Lawa and Lintah Strait before a proposed Pink Beach night dive.[1]
Day 6 combines a Komodo land visit with a move south toward Manta Alley and Horseshoe Bay. Day 7 stays in the Horseshoe Bay area. Day 8 returns to Lintah Strait before the eastward crossing to Maumere. Day 9 has the final dives in the Maumere area. Day 10 is disembarkation and transfer to Maumere airport or a city hotel. Nights 1–9 are onboard. Maumere is the finish, not a stop before a return to Bali.[1]
[1] Mermaid: Bali–Komodo–Maumere ten-day sampleThe eight-day Mermaid II version is a different allocation
Mermaid II’s eight-day/seven-night sample follows Benoa → Moyo/Satonda → Sangeang/Banta → northern Komodo → Horseshoe Bay → Komodo and the crossing east → Maumere diving → disembarkation. It spends fewer days on the route than the Mermaid I sample, with Maumere still the final port.[1]
It is not simply the same ten-day cruise with two empty days removed. Compare time assigned to the Komodo areas you want, the actual last dive and the onward travel from Maumere. The advertised dive counts are planned opportunities and remain subject to conditions; neither wildlife encounters nor access to a particular current-sensitive site is guaranteed.
[1] Mermaid: eight-day sample and route-change noticeBali arrival and Flores departure: book the right ports
Serangan and Benoa are different embarkation ports. Do not use one operator’s meeting point for the other. As an editorial buffer, plan a Bali land night before boarding rather than making a separate international flight the only route to the boat. Mermaid’s FAQ encourages arrival a day early where possible; its general Bali boarding window is 13:00–15:00, but the final departure instructions control.[6]
For Mermaid’s Maumere route, published included transfers cover departure-day DPS airport and named Bali areas including Kuta, Sanur, Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, Benoa and Seminyak, and arrival-day Maumere airport or city hotels. Transfers from other locations can cost extra. That Maumere transfer does not cover a journey across Flores to Labuan Bajo.[1]
[6] Mermaid: boarding and arrival-day guidanceKeep a separate post-diving flight buffer
Count the interval from the actual final surfacing time, not from disembarkation. DAN recommends at least 18 hours before flying after multiple dives per day or multiple days of no-decompression diving for divers without DCS symptoms; longer intervals further reduce risk. This is a minimum guideline, not individual medical clearance or a guarantee against DCS.[7]
A land night after the cruise is a useful planning buffer, but its adequacy still depends on the last dive and flight time. Decompression dives need a substantially longer interval than 18 hours under DAN’s guidance. If symptoms could indicate DCS, seek medical advice and avoid flying. Do not rely on an itinerary’s airport-transfer promise as permission to fly.
[7] DAN: Flying After Diving guidelines and limitationsQualifications and costs follow the boat, not the route name
Mermaid’s FAQ requires at least Open Water certification with four completed training dives and says dive groups and site selection depend on ability, comfort and the cruise director’s judgment. That entry threshold does not promise access to every Komodo site, and it is not Samambaia’s acceptance rule. Give the chosen operator your actual certification, logged dives, recent activity and current-diving experience before paying.[6]
Mermaid lists meals, specified drinks, guided diving, tanks, weights and eligible transfers as included. Park/port fees, Nitrox, rental equipment and any applicable fuel surcharge are excluded. Its FAQ requires dive insurance and a personal dive computer, with rental available. Obtain a complete quote rather than treating a repositioning journey as automatically discounted or equipment-inclusive.[6]
[6] Mermaid: certification, equipment and inclusion conditionsWhen a local Komodo departure makes more sense
Choose a Bali crossing for the wider island journey and the diving en route. If your time is limited and you mainly want Komodo park diving, compare a Labuan Bajo departure instead. More nights at sea do not necessarily mean more days in Komodo.
Before booking, retain the dated sailing confirmation showing the vessel, programme, direction, start and finish ports, nights, cabin, diving acceptance and itemised charges. Sample itineraries reviewed on 26 October 2026; no current cabin availability or specific departure operation is asserted.