Explore Two Fantastic Coral Triangle Destinations on This 14 Day Journey Exclusively for Snorkelers
May 17-30, 2028
This exciting Komodo and Alor liveaboard snorkeling trip will be an ideal way to explore these two outstanding snorkeling destinations. These locations are both in southern Indonesia and the Coral Triangle, which is the epicenter of marine biodiversity in the world. We have snorkeled both of these destinations and found that they offer some of the finest snorkeling to be found anywhere! And it all happens aboard a beautiful new liveaboard.
You are almost sure to see manta rays, turtles and reef sharks, and have the chance of seeing a mola mola. Rare critter life like frogfish can be spotted, along with endless fields of brightly colored corals and the schools of fish that surround them. You will explore a vast variety of underwater terrains and ecosystems, from anemone fields and fringing reefs, to coral encrusted walls that drop off into the blue deep.
Your home for this trip will be the brand new Naga Biru liveaboard, which was completed in June 2025. It sports all the luxuries and amenities of a comfortable resort, and serves as a functional base for your exhilarating snorkeling sessions. There are seven cabins which hold a total of 12 guests plus your guide.
Although the liveaboard is brand new, the owners and managers of this liveaboard are well known to our trip partner who has organized this adventure. The owners are extremely experienced with the reefs around Komodo and Alor, and in guiding fantastic trips for snorkeling groups.
The yacht is chartered exclusively for the use of your group of snorkelers. This trip is being run by our partner and friend Ben and his team. Based in the U.K., they are experts in the Coral Triangle, run amazing excursions, and have a great appreciation for the underwater world.
Watch This Video for a Quick Preview of This Trip
Komodo and Alor Liveaboard Snorkeling Trip Itinerary and Map
Within the famous Coral Triangle, this tour will explore Komodo National Park and the Alor Archipelago in southern Indonesia.
After your international flight into Bali International Airport (DPS), you will check into a comfortable hotel to relax and recover from your long journey. There will be a group dinner to welcome and introduce everyone.
The next morning you will meet your group for breakfast, then check out and take your flight to Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores. At the airport, you will be met by staff from the Naga Biru liveaboard, and transferred by car to the port, where you will board the yacht.
You will have 12 nights aboard the yacht, from which you will explore Komodo National Park and the islands of Flores and Lembata on the way east to the Alor Archipelago. At the end of your journey, you will disembark the yacht in Kalabahi. Then you will be transferred back to the airport for a group flight to Bali, where the tour ends.
What Will the Snorkeling Be Like on This Safari?
You will be exploring Komodo National Park, Flores, Lembata, and the Alor Archipelago. The beauty of a liveaboard is that the itinerary can change to experience the best weather and water conditions, and the best times for viewing marine life. So while there is a route on the map above, the order of things and specific spots will be based on current conditions.
You will board smaller tender boats, which will take you to the shallow snorkeling sites. There will be three snorkeling sessions offered per day, along with several night or sunset snorkels.
Snorkeling in Komodo
The islands in Komodo National Park are volcanic in origin with striking rugged hillsides of dry savanna and green thorny vegetation surrounded by beautiful sandy beaches.
Below the surface you can expect truly world class snorkeling. Being in the Coral Triangle, it offers an abundance of marine bio-diversity. You have many opportunities to see larger species in Komodo. There are manta ray cleaning stations scattered throughout the park. It isn’t uncommon to have encounters with large numbers of these majestic creatures, as well as eagle rays. Schooling pelagics, reef sharks, and Giant Trevally also make frequent appearances. And you are very likely to see many large sea turtles tucked into corals for a break, or coming to the surface for air.
Komodo has big tidal ranges, with strong currents, which is one of the reasons the reefs are so healthy. So you will often be led by your guide in a drift snorkel along a reef, or even around a small island, and get picked up in a different spot by the boat.
You will explore a variety of reefs, with expansive coral fields of many types, anemones, sponges, and reef fish galore. This makes the snorkeling suited to a variety of preferences.
Besides the nearly overwhelming number of small reef fish, you will also commonly see Napoleon Wrasse, and schools of jacks, fusiliers, spadefish, and trevally, and many more. Beautiful small nudibranchs are commonly sighted, as are colorful tunicates, and cephalapods like cuttlefish and octopus.
On the way to the Alor Archipelago, you will snorkel a number of other spots on Flores and Lembata Island. On the north side of Lembata is Lewaling Bay. Beneath the scenery of a volcano, the bay offers numerous spots with walls and slopes, where you can see critters small and large and schooling fish.
Snorkeling in Alor
Most of Alor’s great snorkeling spots are in the Pantar Strait, the waterway between the islands of Alor and Pantar. Some of the small islands in the strait offer wonderful snorkeling, like Ternate, Pura, and Treweng, but there are many great spots on Alor and Pantar as well. Spots of note are Bakalang Jetty, Great Wall (Pantar), Cathedral, and Beang Abang.
Alor is remote, and few tourists visit the area. That, combined with a lack of destructive fishing practices, means that the reefs are exceptional, unspoiled, and full of unique life. The other reason the reefs are so healthy and full of unique life is that Alor has strong currents, that flush the area with nutrients.
You will occasionally see traditional fish traps (see picture below) used that are both beautiful and seem to have a low impact on fish populations.
Alor is very special in our hearts for how untouched and diverse the reefs are. While you will see lots of fish, particularly a crazy abundance of smaller reef fish, and larger fish schools of spadefish, fusiliers and jacks, what really stands out for us about Alor is how incredibly diverse the fields and walls of coral life are, and how healthy they are. Every spot we visited seemed like a different ecosystem, with very different colorful corals, sponges and anemones, and the most marine biodiversity we’ve seen.
Also of note about Alor, and probably one of the big reasons the reef is so healthy, is because there is a large tidal range, and with that strong currents in the area. This flushes a lot of water through the reefs, full of nutrients. Because of this, Alor is a place to snorkel with a very experienced guide. Because of the currents our guide would often have us dropped off at one end of a reef, we would drift with the current, and we would be picked up at the other end of the reef by our boat.
Every spot you visit in Alor is very unique, from plateaus of colorful reefs, with clouds of small reef fish, to larger drop-offs, with larger species. Just some of the unique life you can see in Alor are clouds of anthias, frogfish, octopus, nudibranchs, and even seahorses. There are good chances of spotting the weird and very large mola mola! From the boat, you might spot pods of dolphins and melon-headed whales, and it’s even possible to spot blue whales.
What Will the Naga Biru Liveaboard Be Like?
Naga Biru is a 115 foot (35m) long wooden liveaboard purpose-built for snorkeling and diving. She has been exclusively chartered for this snorkeler-only adventure. She is a very comfortable and safe ship for exploring the remote regions of Indonesia.
She comfortably holds 13 guests in her seven elegantly designed cabins that can accommodate a variety of sleeping arrangements. With five distinct cabin types, Naga Biru Liveaboard ensures every guest finds their ideal space. Each cabin is equipped with essential comforts, including air-conditioning, en-suite bathrooms, USB charging ports, writing desks, and high-quality amenities.
There are two Grand Deluxe Cabins on the Upper Deck that have private terraces. These can be made up with two twin beds or one king. The small single cabin on the Upper Deck will be used by your guide from Ben’s team.
There are two Deluxe Cabins on the Main Deck; each has a private balcony. These rooms can have either two twin beds or one king.
On the Lower Deck there is one Superior Cabin which can be made up with two twin beds or one double.
Also on the Lower Deck there is an Economy Double Cabin, which has one double bed and can be booked by a single occupant.
The vessel is equipped with an air-conditioned indoor central lounge area on the Main Deck, where you can relax on the sofa and enjoy delicious meals around the large dining table. They can accommodate a range of dietary preferences, including vegetarian, vegan, and certain allergies. Please give advance notice of your needs. The Naga Biru also offers plenty of outdoor space to take in all the sights from the comfortable lounging areas.
For those traveling with cameras, the boat offers a dedicated camera room, also on the Main Deck, to organize and store your camera gear in between snorkels.
Trip Details and How to Sign Up
This is a small group charter and we expect it to fill quickly. Your spot is reserved with your deposit. Contact Ben below for deposit instructions.
Trip Date:
May 17-30, 2028 – Available.
Trip Price:
Grand Deluxe Cabin (Upper Deck): $8800 US per person sharing
Deluxe Cabin (Main Deck): $8300 US per person sharing
Superior Cabin (Lower Deck): $7500 US per person sharing
Economy Double Cabin (Lower Deck): $6350 US per person sharing or Single occupant $8800 US – first come first served
The initial deposit for this trip is $800 US per person. At 12 months before departure there is a $1000 US per person interim deposit, and at six months there is another $1000 US per person interim deposit. The final balance will be due three months before departure. A few payment options are available including debit and credit cards.
Individual travelers – Ben will happily find someone of the same sex for you to share a room with. If he cannot find you someone, no single supplement surcharge will apply.
Inclusions:
- 1 night accommodation at a Bali hotel with group dinner and breakfast
- Round trip domestic flights, transfers, and connections (Bali – Labuan Bajo – Alor – Bali) with 20kg/44lbs checked luggage
- 12 nights accommodation and full board (all meals) on the Naga Biru Liveaboard
- Drinking water, tea, and coffee
- 3-4 guided snorkel sessions per day
- Komodo land excursion (if available)
- A guide from Ben’s team
- Marine park and port fees
- Snorkeling equipment rental
Exclusions:
- International flights and visas
- Tips
- Travel insurance (recommended)
- Health insurance (compulsory)
- Alcoholic drinks, specialty coffees, laundry and general sundries
Trip Organizers
Ben and his U.K. based team are the organizers and leaders of this trip (more about them below). Galen and Nicole from TropicalSnorkeling.com are promoting this trip, but all signups, trip organization and payments are made to and managed by Ben’s team. TropicalSnorkeling.com does receive a referral fee in exchange for promoting the trip, at no extra cost to attendees.
How to Sign Up or Learn More?
Use the contact form below to contact Ben and his team to request more information about them and express your interest in signing up. They will get back to you shortly with full details.
More About Ben and Our Partnership
Ben (pictured with Nicole) is our friend and snorkeling trips partner. He and his team are based in the U.K. and have over 20 years of experience guiding in Asia and beyond. He has been running his own business since 2010 and is primarily offering guided snorkeling trips, but he started with diving. He began offering snorkeling specific trips because he was aware that snorkelers often get the short end of the stick when thrown in with divers. He and his team love the freedom and low stress of snorkeling, and are very aware of the different needs of snorkelers versus divers, in terms of the reef depth, and calm surface conditions needed.
From our experience going on some of his snorkeling trips we found them very well organized, the guides were fantastic and very helpful, and the underwater experiences were exceptional. Snorkeling groups really get the benefit of all of Ben and his guides’ years of experience in the water, and with different resorts and liveaboards.
All of his trips are small groups of 12-18 guests, or with a similar ratio of snorkelers to guides. These are premium trips including nearly everything you will need, accommodation, meals, transportation, and more.
His company is licensed and insured. Barring extreme circumstances they do not cancel trips.