For a Komodo liveaboard, pack a soft duffel with quick-dry clothing, swimwear, reef-safe sunscreen, trail shoes for Padar, seasickness tablets, a 10–20L dry bag, your passport, and your Siora app booking confirmation. Add IDR cash for crew tips and souvenirs — park fees are paid in-app — and leave hard suitcases, unpermitted drones, and single-use plastics at home.
Every week our crew watches guests step onto the jetty in Labuan Bajo with a hard-shell suitcase the size of a small fridge. We smile, we help them aboard, and then we spend ten minutes finding a cabin corner where it will not slide around during the crossing to Komodo. After sailing these waters since 2015, we have a very clear picture of what actually gets used on a Labuan Bajo liveaboard — and what stays zipped away for three days. This is the packing list we send our own guests, updated for the 2027 season and the park rules that came with it.
Start With the Bag Itself: Soft, Small, Splash-Ready
Phinisi cabins are beautifully arranged, but storage is built for soft luggage. A 40–60L duffel or backpack folds flat once unpacked; a rigid suitcase never does. If you are flying in — including on the newer direct routes, Scoot from Singapore twice weekly or AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur three times a week — a soft bag also survives the small-aircraft luggage handling far better. You will board and disembark via tender boats more than once, so assume your bag will meet sea spray. Pack anything fragile or electronic inside a dry bag from the start.
Documents and Digital Essentials (2027 Rules)
Since April 2026, entry to Komodo National Park works differently, and your documents list has grown by exactly one item: your Siora app booking confirmation. The park now runs a pilot daily cap of roughly 1,000 visitors — focused on Komodo and Padar — and every visitor must be pre-booked through the official Siora app into one of three timed sessions: 06:00–11:00, 11:00–15:00, or 15:00–18:00. We handle the bookings and schedule our departures around the morning session, but rangers can ask to see the confirmation, so keep it accessible.
- Passport — plus a phone photo and one paper copy stored separately.
- Siora app booking confirmation — screenshot it; signal drops fast once you leave Labuan Bajo harbor.
- Travel insurance details — with dive coverage if you plan to dive.
- Dive certification card — physical or verified digital, if you are joining our Komodo diving program.
- Flight details and hotel confirmations — saved offline.
Park fees — the foreigner entrance fee of IDR 250,000 per day (about US$16), the IDR 75,000 daily guide fee, and the IDR 25,000 conservation contribution — are all paid inside the app, so there is no ticket booth cash to prepare. That single change removed the longest queue in Labuan Bajo.
Clothing: What Actually Gets Worn
Guests consistently overpack clothes and underpack swimwear. On board, the dress code is salt and sunshine. Here is the honest breakdown for a 3–4 day trip:
- 2–3 swimsuits — you will live in them; a dry one to change into is a small luxury.
- 3–4 quick-dry shirts — at least one long-sleeved rash guard for snorkeling; it beats reapplying sunscreen mid-swim.
- 2 pairs of shorts and one light pair of pants — the pants earn their place on breezy evening crossings.
- One light layer — a windbreaker or fleece for sunrise on deck and the pre-dawn start to Padar Island, where the famous viewpoint hike begins before the heat builds.
- Trail shoes or grippy sneakers — Padar’s steps and the dragon trekking paths on Komodo and Rinca are dusty and uneven. Flip-flops are for the deck only.
- Sun hat with a strap and polarized sunglasses — the strap matters; the wind on the bow is not sentimental about hats.
- A sarong — towel, beach mat, sun cover, and modest cover-up for village visits, all in one.
Reef-Safe Sunscreen Is Non-Negotiable
The equatorial sun reflecting off the water will burn you through a light haze. Bring more sunscreen than feels reasonable — and make it reef-safe (mineral-based, non-nano zinc oxide or titanium dioxide). The park’s 45th-anniversary conservation programs have put renewed attention on marine-zone protection at the snorkel sites, and oxybenzone-based lotions damage exactly the coral gardens you came to float over. Reef-safe brands are hard to find and expensive in Labuan Bajo, so buy at home. Add SPF lip balm and aloe or after-sun gel; someone in every group needs it by day two.
Medications and the Seasickness Kit
Bring your personal prescriptions in original packaging, plus a small kit: paracetamol, motion-sickness tablets, rehydration salts, antihistamines, plasters, and antiseptic cream. Our boats carry first-aid kits, but pharmacies do not exist between islands.
Honest Words About Seasickness
From April to November — the dry season and the best months to sail — the waters inside the park are mostly calm, and we plan each itinerary so longer crossings happen when conditions are gentlest. Still, if you are prone to motion sickness, take a tablet 30–60 minutes before departure rather than after you feel it. Ginger chews and acupressure bands help some guests; a horizon view and fresh air on deck help everyone. December to March brings livelier seas along with the strongest manta season, so pack accordingly if you sail then.
Camera, Drone, and Electronics
An action camera or a phone in a waterproof pouch covers 90 percent of guests. Bring double the memory cards and batteries you think you need — you will shoot more than you expect, and there is no camera shop at Pink Beach. Our vessels have charging points, but bring a power bank for excursions and a universal adapter for Indonesian two-pin sockets.
A note on drones: rules inside the national park are strict and enforced. Commercial use requires permits, rangers can ground your drone at any site, and flying over the dragons or the crowded Padar summit is never acceptable. Talk to our crew before you launch anything — we know the current rules site by site and will tell you honestly where flying is and is not possible.
Cash: What You Still Pay in Rupiah
The Siora app absorbed most park payments, but cash has not disappeared. ATMs exist only in Labuan Bajo town, so withdraw before boarding. Here is what the fees look like in 2027 and how they are paid:
| Item | Amount (IDR) | How It’s Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Park entrance (foreigner, per day) | 250,000 (≈US$16) | Siora app |
| Guide fee (per day) | 75,000 | Siora app |
| Conservation contribution (per day) | 25,000 | Siora app |
| Ranger trek — Komodo Island (per group ≤5) | 200,000 | Arranged with your trip |
| Ranger trek — Rinca Island (per group ≤5) | 200,000 | Arranged with your trip |
| Ranger trek — Padar Island (per group ≤5) | 150,000 | Arranged with your trip |
| Harbour fee | 25,000 | Arranged with your trip |
| Crew tips, souvenirs, extra drinks | Your discretion | Cash on board |
For tipping, a common range our guests choose is IDR 150,000–300,000 per guest per day, shared across the crew — always at your discretion. Check our liveaboard pricing guide to see exactly which fees are already included in your package, so you do not double-budget.
What NOT to Bring
- Hard-shell suitcases — they do not fit under phinisi beds.
- Heels, formal wear, hair dryers — there is no occasion, and onboard power is for essentials.
- Single-use plastics — bring a refillable bottle instead; every boat in our fleet carries refill stations, and the park takes its plastic rules seriously.
- Non-reef-safe sunscreen — covered above, worth repeating.
- Expensive jewelry — salt water and gemstones are a sad combination, and cabins do not have safes.
- Full dive kit if you’d rather not haul it — quality rental gear is available; just tell us your sizes when you book.
The Dry Bag: One Item, Endless Gratitude
If you buy one thing for this trip, make it a 10–20L roll-top dry bag. Every landing — Padar, Pink Beach, the dragon islands — happens by tender, and tenders splash. Your phone, camera, spare shirt, and Siora confirmation ride ashore dry, and on deck the same bag keeps sunset-hour electronics safe from spray. Guests who bring one use it ten times a day; guests who do not usually ask where to buy one by day two.
The Laundry Reality
There is no laundry service at sea, and freshwater on board is a finite, carefully managed resource — it has to cover drinking, cooking, and showers for everyone between ports. Plan to re-wear, not re-wash. Quick-dry fabrics rinsed briefly and hung on the deck lines will dry within an hour in the dry-season breeze; cotton will not. On a 4D3N Komodo liveaboard, three or four rotations of quick-dry clothing genuinely covers the whole trip. Pack a small ziplock of detergent only if you sail longer, and drop proper laundry in Labuan Bajo afterward — it is cheap and fast in town.
FAQ
Do I need to bring my own snorkel gear on a Komodo liveaboard?
No — masks, snorkels, and fins are provided on our boats, sized when you board. If you have a prescription mask or simply prefer your own fit, bring it; a personal mask is the one piece of gear where familiarity noticeably improves the experience at sites like Manta Point.
How much cash should I bring for a 3–4 day Komodo liveaboard?
Around IDR 1,000,000–1,500,000 per person covers crew tips, souvenirs at the Komodo village stalls, and extra drinks. Park entrance, guide, and conservation fees are paid through the Siora app, and ranger trekking fees are arranged with your trip, so cash is mainly for discretionary spending. Withdraw in Labuan Bajo — there are no ATMs in the park.
Can I charge my phone and camera batteries on board?
Yes. Our vessels have charging points in cabins and shared areas, powered on a generator schedule rather than around the clock. Charge overnight, carry a power bank for excursions, and bring an adapter for Indonesian two-pin (Type C/F) sockets if your plugs differ.
Packing well is the quiet start of a trip that feels perfectly arranged. If you want a checklist tailored to your dates, boat, and session times — or you’d rather we simply confirm what’s already included — book your Komodo liveaboard or ask our Labuan Bajo team anything before you fly. You can also WhatsApp us and we’ll reply with a packing list matched to your departure.