Ayvara Cruise FAQ: Cabins, Trips, Rates and Booking

Ayvara Cruise, also written Ayvara Cruises, is a VIP-class traditional wooden phinisi that sails Komodo National Park from Labuan Bajo, Flores. The boat has 7 above-deck sea-view cabins for up to 15 guests and has been sailing since 1 August 2025. It is owned and operated by Komodo Luxury; the full specification is on the yacht page.

Ayvara Cruise is owned and operated by Komodo Luxury, with in-house crew and maintenance; Komodo Luxury is part of Juara Holding Group. This site, ayvaracruise.com, is a dedicated information site for the vessel and takes no bookings. Reservations are handled by the Komodo Luxury reservations desk, and more on the operator is at About Komodo Luxury.

Both. Ayvara is sold as a shared 3D2N open trip, priced per person per voyage by cabin type, and as a private charter of the whole boat, priced per charter by duration (2D1N to 7D6N) and guest band (1–8 or 9–15 guests). Open trips follow a fixed route on fixed weekly dates, while a charter gives one group all 7 cabins. The two formats are compared in open trip vs private charter in Komodo.

This site does not publish guest reviews. Komodo Luxury, the operator, is rated 4.9/5 by 1,530 guests on the Trustindex profile shown on komodoluxury.com, and the same site states it is a 2025 TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice winner (both checked 21 September 2026). Those figures cover the operator as a whole, not Ayvara alone. The operator's own write-up of the boat is Komodo Luxury's Ayvara Cruise review.

Ayvara is a phinisi with 7 above-deck cabins, suited to private family cruising around Komodo: a private charter gives one family or group the whole boat, up to 15 guests. The Master Cabin sleeps 3 with a queen bed plus one extra bed, and children aged 3 and above are charged the full rate. The 3D2N route includes treks on Kelor, Padar and Komodo Island and several snorkelling stops, so parents should judge whether that pace fits their children. See Komodo with kids.

It depends on what a traveller wants from the fare. An Ayvara open trip costs from IDR 6,750,000 (USD 450) per person per 3D2N voyage in a Superior Cabin (2027 publish rates, rate sheet dated 11 September 2026; Komodo National Park fees not included). That buys an air-conditioned sea-view cabin with a private bathroom, meals, a guide, Starlink internet, a 360° rooftop deck and drone, GoPro and mirrorless documentation delivered as raw footage. Travellers whose only priority is the lowest possible fare may prefer a simpler boat.

Ayvara has 7 above-deck sea-view cabins: 1 Master Cabin (sleeps 3, queen bed 160 × 200 cm plus one extra bed), 2 Deluxe Cabins (sleep 2) and 4 Superior Cabins (sleep 2). The Master and both Deluxe cabins have a private balcony, while the Superior cabins have large panoramic windows instead. Every cabin has air conditioning and a private en-suite bathroom. Layouts and photos are on the cabins page.

Yes. Ayvara has Starlink high-speed internet on board, as listed in the vessel specification. Starlink is a satellite service, so speeds can vary with weather, the boat's position and the number of people connected. The operator's packing list also includes a Telkomsel SIM card; more detail is in Starlink Wi-Fi on a Komodo liveaboard.

Ayvara's published facilities are a 360° rooftop deck, an expansive shaded sundeck, a fully equipped indoor dining area, wooden interiors, Starlink internet, and air conditioning with an en-suite bathroom in every cabin. Snorkelling gear and life vests are provided, and trips include drone, GoPro and mirrorless documentation delivered as raw footage. Anything not on this list, such as dive equipment, should be checked with the reservations desk before booking. Photos are in the gallery.

Ayvara's published specification lists radio, VHF and GPS for navigation, and life vests and snorkelling gear are included in the trip price. The boat is owned and operated by Komodo Luxury with in-house crew and maintenance, a guide is included on each trip, and guests are required to follow the guide's instructions. Routes may be changed for weather and field conditions. This site does not publish safety certificates, so questions about them should go to the Komodo Luxury reservations desk.

Day 1 sails from Labuan Bajo to Kelor Island for a trek and photo session, Manjarite for snorkelling and Kalong Island for sunset, where flying foxes are usually seen from the boat. Day 2 starts with a 06:00 trek on Padar Island, then Pink Beach, a trek on Komodo Island, snorkelling at Manta Point and Taka Makassar. Day 3 is snorkelling at Sebayur Island before the return to Labuan Bajo. Stops may change with weather and field conditions; timings are on the itinerary page.

Ayvara open trips run as 3D2N voyages twice a week, every week of the year: weekend departures sail Friday to Sunday and weekday departures Monday to Wednesday. The published schedule covers 2026 and 2027; in January 2027, for example, the first weekend departure is 01–03 and the first weekday departure is 04–06. Cabin availability on a given date is confirmed by the Komodo Luxury reservations desk. All dates are listed on the open trip page.

No. Day 2 of the Ayvara itinerary includes a trek on Komodo Island to see the dragons and a snorkelling stop at Manta Point, but these are wild animals and no sighting can be guaranteed. Dragons are usually seen on the Komodo Island trek, while manta encounters depend on currents, season and conditions on the day. What to expect in the water is covered in snorkelling at Manta Point.

For travellers who want to see the main sites of Komodo National Park without rushing, usually yes. Ayvara's 3D2N route reaches nine stops (Kelor, Manjarite, Kalong, Padar, Pink Beach, Komodo Island, Manta Point, Taka Makassar and Sebayur), and sleeping on board puts guests at Padar for a 06:00 trek and at Kalong for sunset without returning to Labuan Bajo each night. A day trip has to fit its stops into a single day. The trade-off is three days of travel time and a cabin fare; the route is explained in Komodo in 3 days and 2 nights.

Ayvara sails all year, with open trip departures every week. The dry season, roughly April to October, usually brings calmer seas and clearer skies, and July and August are typically the busiest months. The wetter months run roughly from November to March, and stops may be changed for weather and safety in any month. A month-by-month view is in best time to visit Komodo.

The Ayvara 3D2N open trip is priced per person, per voyage, by cabin type: Superior Cabin IDR 6,750,000 (USD 450), Deluxe Cabin IDR 7,750,000 (USD 530) and Master Cabin IDR 8,500,000 (USD 570). The Open Trip Ayvara 2027 sheet also prints an additional-pax rate of IDR 4,500,000 (USD 330). These are 2027 publish rates, rate sheet dated 11 September 2026, and Komodo National Park fees are not included. The full table is on the rates page.

An Ayvara private charter is priced per charter for the whole boat, by duration and guest band. For 1–8 guests, 2D1N is IDR 92,000,000 (USD 5,500), 3D2N is IDR 104,000,000 (USD 6,200) and 7D6N is IDR 312,000,000 (USD 18,600); for 9–15 guests the same durations are IDR 104,000,000 (USD 6,200), IDR 118,000,000 (USD 7,000) and IDR 354,000,000 (USD 21,000). These are 2027 publish rates, rate sheet dated 11 September 2026, and exclude Komodo National Park fees. Rates for 4D3N, 5D4N and 6D5N are on the private charter page.

The price includes the stay on board, meals during the trip, mineral water, coffee and tea, a guide, snorkelling gear, life vests, drone, GoPro and mirrorless documentation (raw footage only), and pick-up and drop-off within the Labuan Bajo mainland area near the harbour. It does not include Komodo National Park fees, crew gratuities, flight tickets, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, personal snacks, personal expenses or the optional drone permit. The inclusions are listed alongside the 2027 rates on the rates page.

Bookings are not taken on ayvaracruise.com. Ayvara is reserved through Komodo Luxury, either on the Ayvara Cruise page on Komodo Luxury or with the Komodo Luxury reservations desk by WhatsApp on +62 811-3823-875 or email at sales@komodoluxury.com. The desk confirms cabin or charter availability for the chosen dates, and a 50% down payment secures the booking.

A 50% down payment secures an Ayvara booking, and the deposit is non-refundable. Full payment is due no later than 30 days before departure, and trips less than 30 days away are paid in full. Bookings made one year in advance follow a staged plan: 30% deposit, a further 20% 120 days before the trip and the balance 30 days before departure. Bank charges are borne by the sender; the steps are set out on the booking page.

Cancellations forfeit 100% of payments made: payments cannot be refunded, rescheduled or transferred to another trip, although a replacement guest may be nominated. Force majeure, such as weather, natural disaster, government regulation or flight cancellation, may change or cancel a trip without refund. On private trips, delays caused by late arrival shorten the itinerary and the charter period is not extended. Travel insurance that covers cancellation is worth considering.

No. Komodo National Park fees are not included in any Ayvara rate, open trip or private charter. The fees are set by government regulation and charged as they apply at the time of the trip, so no amount is quoted on this site; guests should ask the Komodo Luxury reservations desk what applies to their dates. Background on the park is in the Komodo National Park guide on Komodo Luxury.

Ayvara departs from Labuan Bajo on Flores, which is reached by air through Komodo Airport (LBJ). Direct flights are listed from Jakarta (Garuda Indonesia, AirAsia, Citilink, Batik Air), Bali (Garuda Indonesia, AirAsia, Batik Air) and Surabaya (Batik Air, Super Air Jet). Airline schedules change, so routes should be checked before booking, and flight tickets are not included in the trip price. Details are in how to get to Labuan Bajo.

Yes, within limits. Pick-up and drop-off are included within the Labuan Bajo mainland area near the harbour, with pick-up arranged between 8 and 9 a.m.; the itinerary shows a 09:00 pick-up from a Labuan Bajo hotel or the airport before the boat sails at 10:00. Accommodation on other islands or in the Manjaga area is not covered, so guests staying there need to make their own way to the harbour.

The operator's packing list is: sunblock, sunglasses, a beach hat, clothes, a swimsuit, hiking sandals, a power bank, personal medicine, toiletries, wet wipes, a dry bag, snacks and supplements, and a Telkomsel SIM card. Snorkelling gear and life vests are provided on board, so they do not need to be brought. Hiking sandals matter because the route includes treks on Kelor, Padar and Komodo Island. Packing notes are in what to pack for a Komodo boat trip.

Guests who want to fly their own drone in Komodo National Park need a drone permit, which is optional, not included in the Ayvara price and should be requested 7 days before the trip. Separately, every trip includes on-board documentation with a drone, GoPro and mirrorless camera, delivered as raw footage only. Guests planning to fly should raise it with the Komodo Luxury reservations desk when booking.