Navila Liveaboard
Navila Liveaboard
From Bali, Lombok or Jakarta to the gangway: the day before, the morning itself and the flight home
Updated 3 November 2026
Komodo from Bali, Lombok or Jakarta begins with a flight to Labuan Bajo, ideally the day before you sail. Navila's routes start and finish at Labuan Bajo harbour. On the open trip you meet at 09:00 to 09:30, and the last morning ends between 12:00 and 13:00. Book your flight home for after 15:00.
Your starting airport sets your landing time
Every Navila voyage begins and ends in Labuan Bajo. Wherever your journey started, you arrive at Komodo Airport and the pickup takes over from there. The real question, then, is not which way the boat comes to you but when your flight lands.
The table below gives the flight facts we hold. We give no flight numbers or fares, because schedules and prices change. Your airline has the current figures.
One rule covers all three starting points: land in Labuan Bajo the day before boarding. The open-trip meeting is between 09:00 and 09:30, and a flight landing that same morning leaves no margin at all. A delayed flight is the one thing we cannot arrange around.
A private charter has more give in it. Pickup and boarding are set around your flights, so even a late-morning landing can work. Tell us the flight when you book.
| Airport | Komodo International Airport, code LBJ |
|---|---|
| Usual connections | Bali (DPS), Jakarta (CGK) or Surabaya (SUB); Lombok and Kupang are smaller feeders |
| Flight time to Labuan Bajo | From Bali about 1 h 10 min to 1 h 20 min; from Surabaya about 1 h 30 min; from Jakarta 2 h 30 min to 3 h; from Lombok about 1 h |
| Airlines | Garuda Indonesia, Batik Air, Citilink and Indonesia AirAsia from Bali and Jakarta; Super Air Jet from Surabaya; Wings Air on the shorter island routes. Schedules change, so check before you book. |
| Airport to the harbour | 2 to 3 km, about 10 minutes by car |
Checked 11 October 2026
Starting in Bali: one flight east, one hotel night
From Bali it is one flight east to Labuan Bajo and one night in a hotel there. The night in town is what matters, because it turns the boarding morning into a short drive to the pier.
Book a hotel in Labuan Bajo; the pickup collects you from the lobby, and the transfer to the pier is included. Book the room through us from our 30 partner hotels on the hotels page, or tell us the name of the hotel you already hold so the driver knows where to go.
Leave some room at the Bali end as well. Allow time to get to the airport there, and if your flight leaves early in the morning, sleep near the airport the night before.
Once you are in Labuan Bajo there are no more flights to catch. The voyage takes care of the rest by sea.
Starting in Lombok: air, never the open sea
On the map, Lombok is the nearest island to Labuan Bajo; on the water it is another matter. Navila's published routes begin and end in Labuan Bajo, so a guest starting in Lombok flies in, just as a guest from Bali does.
Some guests ask about a one-way voyage between Lombok and Labuan Bajo. It is not among the routes we publish for Navila, but send the request to us on WhatsApp and we will ask Navila what your dates allow.
Where a Lombok cruise starts and ends depends on the boat and the direction. For Navila, both ends are Labuan Bajo harbour.
Starting in Jakarta: the long way round, timed with care
Jakarta is the farthest of the three. Whichever routing your airline offers, aim to land in Labuan Bajo a full day before the boat sails. If you connect through another city, build in a spare day, not a spare hour.
The reasoning matches Bali's, with one addition: the longer the journey, the more room it has to slip, and the voyage cannot begin without you. Guests who land the day before sleep at the hotel and come to the gangway rested.
Flight times and carriers change through the year, and we do not print them. Get the current schedule from your airline and send us the arrival time; on a private charter we set the pickup around it.
If you are also visiting Bali or Lombok, put those legs earlier in the trip, so that the flight to Labuan Bajo is the last one before boarding.
Boarding morning, from hotel lobby to gangway
On the open trip, day one begins between 09:00 and 09:30 at Komodo Airport or your Labuan Bajo hotel. The boat casts off from 10:00 to 11:00. We send the driver's contact on WhatsApp beforehand, so you know whom to look for.
A private charter keeps its own hours. Pickup and boarding are arranged around your flights, and if you land late the day before, you can ask for a later start.
Have your passport or ID with you at the pickup.
The timetable below is the sample three-day route. The first stop is the captain's call, and traffic, weather and tides can reorder the day. The full day-by-day plan is on the three-day route page; this guide stays with the road to the quay.
Day 1
| What happens | Have ready | |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | Pickup from your hotel or Komodo Airport in Labuan Bajo (open trip: meeting time 09:00 to 09:30) | passport or ID |
| 10:00 | On board at Labuan Bajo harbour (open trip: departure 10:00 to 11:00) | |
| · | Kelor Island, a short climb to the top | shoes with grip, hat and water |
| · | Manjarite | mask and snorkel |
| · | Kalong Island at sunset | a light layer |
| 🌙 | Night aboard. Where the boat anchors for the night depends on the weather and the captain's decision on the day. | |
Day 2
| What happens | Have ready | |
|---|---|---|
| · | Padar Island at sunrise | shoes with grip, hat and water |
| · | Pink Beach | reef-safe sunscreen |
| · | Komodo Island, to look for Komodo dragons with a ranger | closed shoes, park ticket |
| · | Taka Makassar sandbar | reef-safe sunscreen |
| · | Manta Point, to look for manta rays | mask and snorkel |
| 🌙 | Night at anchor | |
Day 3
| What happens | Have ready | |
|---|---|---|
| · | Kanawa Island | mask and snorkel |
| 12:00 | Back at Labuan Bajo harbour around 12:00 (open trip: trip ends 12:00 to 13:00) |
These stops swap order with tide and wind: Manta Point ⇄ Taka Makassar.
Times are operating patterns, not a timetable. Pickup is the only promise we make by the clock.
Flying out: the afternoon hours that are safe
On the last morning the boat reaches the harbour between 12:00 and 13:00, and the transfer to the airport or your hotel is included. A flight leaving after 15:00 is safe. Anything earlier is a bet against the tide and the weather.
The boat comes back on time unless the sea has other ideas, and when weather or tide does push the schedule, a few hours in hand make it harmless.
With a late-evening flight you have a free afternoon in Labuan Bajo. If you fly the following morning, book a hotel for the night; the hotels page covers late flights too.
The host's note. On the last morning, keep your passport and onward ticket in your day bag rather than in the luggage the crew carries to the car. It saves a search at the kerb.
FAQ
What time and where is the pickup, and when do I get the driver's contact?
On the open trip you are collected between 09:00 and 09:30, at Komodo Airport or your hotel. A private charter sets the time around your flights. We send the driver's contact on WhatsApp before the day, so you know whom to meet, and the transfer within Labuan Bajo is included.
How do I get from Bali or Lombok to Labuan Bajo in time to board?
Fly to Labuan Bajo and land the day before boarding. From Bali that means one flight east and a night in a hotel; from Lombok the answer is the same. Navila's routes begin and end at Labuan Bajo, so no sea crossing is involved. Check the current schedule with your airline.
Do you run one-way trips between Lombok and Labuan Bajo, and why do they cost more?
A one-way voyage is not among Navila's published routes, but send the request on WhatsApp and we will ask Navila. Such a run costs more, because the boat covers a much longer distance, uses more fuel and passes several island groups. We quote the exact price per boat and per date in writing.
Where does a cruise from Lombok start and end, and when do we arrive?
Navila's published routes begin and end at Labuan Bajo harbour, so a Lombok cruise is not one of them. On the three-day open trip the boat is back between 12:00 and 13:00 on the last day, and a flight home after 15:00 is safe. Weather and tides can shift that time.
Which airport serves a Komodo voyage?
Fly into Komodo Airport at Labuan Bajo. That is where the pickup works from, and the transfer to the pier is included. Open-trip guests are met at the airport or their hotel, from 09:00 to 09:30. Send us your arrival time and we confirm the pickup in writing.
Where is the best place to sleep in town before and after the voyage?
Stay in Labuan Bajo town, near the pier, the night before boarding. The pickup collects you from the hotel lobby. Book the room through us from our 30 partner hotels on the hotels page, or tell us the name of the hotel you already hold so the driver knows where to go.
Check availability — Navila Liveaboard
Navila Liveaboard belongs to Navila Group; Komodo Explorer arranges your booking, your payment and every message before you sail.