A whole-boat charter on Mutiara Cruise Phinisi includes the vessel, crew, all meals, coffee break, port fees, local retribution, Jasa Rahardja insurance, port clearance, airport transfer, guide and trip documentation. It excludes national park tickets, flights, hotels, alcohol, personal insurance, extra land transport and additional diving requests. Below is the line-by-line version.
The core inclusion and exclusion list
| Included | Not included |
|---|---|
| Full ship facilities and crew service | Komodo National Park tickets |
| All onboard meals — breakfast, lunch, dinner | Flights and hotels |
| Coffee break | Personal and travel insurance |
| Port fees and local retribution | Additional diving requests |
| Jasa Rahardja insurance | Alcoholic beverages |
| Port clearance | Additional land transport |
| Airport transfer | — |
| Guide and trip documentation | — |
Two inclusions are more valuable than they look on a list. Port fees, local retribution and port clearance are administrative work that a self-arranged charter would have to handle each departure. And Jasa Rahardja insurance is the statutory passenger cover — worth confirming is present on any vessel you charter in Indonesia, and it is here.
Diving: a separate list entirely
| Included with diving | Not included |
|---|---|
| Dive tanks | Nitrox |
| Dive guide at a 1:4 ratio | Dive insurance |
| Dive documentation (GoPro) | BCD |
| Weight belt | Regulator |
| Weights and hooks | Wetsuit and booties |
| Torch for night dives | Dive-specification mask |
| Standard snorkelling fins | Open-heel fins |
| — | Dive computer |
| — | National park diving tickets |
The item that surprises people is BCD and regulator. Certified divers who assume a liveaboard supplies full kit should confirm rental separately — a 1:4 guide ratio and tanks are provided, personal life-support equipment is not. Hooks being on the included list is a quiet signal about where you will be diving: Komodo’s stronger sites are reef-hook country.
| Site | Depth | Current | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karang Makassar / Manta Point | 8–18 m | Gentle to moderate drift | All levels |
| Siaba Besar | 5–18 m | Light to moderate, sheltered bay | Beginner-friendly |
| Tatawa Besar | 5–18 m | Moderate to strong drift | Beginner to intermediate |
| Batu Bolong | 5–35 m | Always present, moderate to strong | Advanced / intermediate-advanced |
| Crystal Rock | 5–35 m | Strong | Advanced |
| Castle Rock | 4–30 m | Very strong, negative entry, reef hook required | Advanced only |
| Manta Alley (south) | 5–25 m | Moderate to strong, exposed | Intermediate to advanced |
Water temperature differs sharply north to south: roughly 26–29 °C in the north and centre depending on season, but 21–25 °C in the south during the June–September upwelling. That is a wetsuit decision, and wetsuits are excluded — so it is a decision you make before you fly.
The costs that surprise guests, stated in advance
- National park charges. The largest excluded item by a distance.
- Alcohol. Excluded outright. Agree a bar arrangement before departure.
- Dive equipment beyond tanks and weights. BCD, regulator and wetsuit rental are separate.
- Extra land transport. The standard airport transfer is included; additional vehicles are not.
- Travel and dive insurance. Excluded, and materially important given the cancellation terms on our rates and cancellation page.
- Bank transfer charges. Borne by the sender; the invoice amount must arrive intact.
| Line | Foreign visitor | Indonesian visitor | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official park entry, PP No. 36/2024 | Rp 250,000 per person per visit | Rp 50,000 weekday · Rp 75,000 weekend and public holiday | Balai Taman Nasional Komodo / KLHK |
| Komodo Island site charge collected by the operator | USD 100 per person (Komodo + Padar combined) | Rp 200,000 per 5 guests | Operator rate card |
| Padar Island | included in the USD 100 above | Rp 150,000 per 5 guests | Operator rate card |
| Rinca Island | USD 40 per person | Rp 100,000 per person | Operator rate card |
| Gili Lawa | USD 25 per person | — | Operator rate card |
The two rows are not in conflict, and this is the single point most trip pages get wrong. Rp 250,000 is the national-park entry tariff set by regulation. The figures you see quoted by boat operators — and the Rp 600,000 or Rp 650,000 numbers circulating on comparison blogs — are bundles: park entry plus regional retribution plus ranger and trail-management charges for each specific site. The Rp 3,750,000 “conservation membership” proposed in 2022 was cancelled and is not payable.
What to bring
The operator publishes its own packing list, and it is a practical one: sunblock, sunglasses, a beach hat, snacks and supplements, clothes, swimwear, hiking sandals, a power bank for island days, personal medicine, toiletries, wet wipes, a dry bag and a local SIM card. Add reef-safe sunscreen and a rash guard for the long snorkel days, and — if you dive — your own computer and mask.
| Leg | Approximate sailing time |
|---|---|
| Labuan Bajo → Kelor | about 1 hour (verified across operator schedules) |
| Kelor → Manjarite | about 30–60 minutes |
| Manjarite → Kalong | about 1 hour |
| Kalong → Padar (overnight passage) | about 3–4 hours |
| Padar → Pink Beach | about 1–1.5 hours |
| Pink Beach → Komodo Island | about 30–60 minutes |
| Komodo → Manta Point (Karang Makassar) | about 30–60 minutes |
| Manta Point → Taka Makassar | about 20–30 minutes |
| Taka Makassar → Siaba | about 1–1.5 hours |
| Siaba → Kanawa / Sebayur | about 1–1.5 hours |
Only the first leg is published as a fixed figure by operators; the rest are working estimates drawn from real departure and arrival windows. A 47-metre phinisi cruising at 5–10 knots sits at the slower end of these ranges under load, which is why the overnight passage to Padar is run while guests sleep.
Best for
Bookers building a true total-cost budget
Not just a charter quote.
Dive groups
Who need to know exactly which kit to ship or rent.
Anyone comparing operators fairly
Inclusion lists differ far more than headline rates do.
Less useful for
Travellers who simply want a price; that lives on the main charter page.
Families should cross-read the equipment section against our cabin and privacy page and the child policy on the family charter page before finalising the packing list.
How to check dates and book
Ask for the inclusion list in writing with your quote — it is the honest way to compare two operators. Charter dates for Mutiara Cruise Phinisi are held by the reservations desk of Komodo Luxury, the operator that markets and charters the vessel, in business since 2015 and part of Juara Holding Group. A booking is confirmed with a 50% deposit; the balance is due no later than 30 days before departure.
- WhatsApp +62 811 3823 875 — fastest for availability and holds
- Email sales@komodoluxury.com — best for quotes, contracts and invoices
Ask for the current rate sheet in writing before you transfer anything. Rates apply to the year in which they are issued and are adjusted annually.
Frequently asked questions
What is included in a whole-boat phinisi charter?
Full ship facilities and crew service, all onboard meals, a coffee break, port fees and local retribution, Jasa Rahardja insurance, port clearance, airport transfer, and guide with trip documentation. Park tickets, flights, hotels, alcohol and personal insurance are not included.
Are national park tickets included in the charter price?
No. Park charges are excluded on every operator’s rate card. Foreign visitors pay Rp 250,000 official entry under PP 36/2024 plus operator-collected site charges — USD 100 for Komodo and Padar, USD 40 for Rinca, USD 25 for Gili Lawa.
Is diving included?
Diving has its own inclusion list: tanks, a dive guide at 1:4, GoPro documentation, weight belt, weights and hooks, a torch for night dives and standard snorkelling fins. Nitrox, BCD, regulator, wetsuit, booties, dive-spec mask, open-heel fins, dive computer and dive insurance are excluded.
Is alcohol included on board?
No. Alcoholic beverages are explicitly excluded from the charter rate. Non-alcoholic drinks with meals and the coffee break are included. Ask reservations about bringing your own or arranging a bar list before departure.
Does the charter include the airport transfer?
Yes. Airport transfer is on the included list, along with port clearance and port fees. What is excluded is additional land transport beyond that standard transfer — extra vehicles or side trips ashore are quoted separately.
Do I need my own dive insurance?
Yes. Diving insurance is on the exclusion list, as is personal and travel insurance generally. Given that cancellations forfeit 100% of payments under the published terms, travel insurance is a practical necessity rather than an upsell.
What should I bring that is not provided?
The operator’s own packing list names sunblock, sunglasses, a beach hat, snacks and supplements, clothes, swimwear, hiking sandals, a power bank, personal medicine, toiletries, wet wipes, a dry bag and a local SIM card.
Are meals for special diets covered?
All breakfasts, lunches and dinners are included and the galley accommodates dietary requirements, but provisioning happens before the vessel leaves Labuan Bajo. Send dietary needs with your booking rather than raising them at embarkation.
Vessel and rate data on this page is taken from the operator’s published Mutiara Cruise Phinisi listing and was checked on 1 August 2026. Rates are reviewed annually and can change with fuel costs, added routes and government regulation. Confirm the current figure in writing before paying a deposit.
Inclusion lists differ between operators, so check whole-boat availability and charter dates elsewhere before comparing two quotes line by line.
