On a Komodo liveaboard like LASHA, days divide between short sailing legs and long stops: paddleboarding and kayaking off the swim platform, snorkeling straight from the dive deck, alfresco meals, a jacuzzi on the sun deck, foredeck sunsets, and stargazing with zero light pollution. Four decks and a 26-guest maximum keep it uncrowded.
The most common question before a first liveaboard trip is a practical one: what do you actually do out there? The honest answer is that a well-run Komodo charter is not a ferry ride between photo stops. The boat itself is half the holiday. This guide walks through how a day aboard LASHA is structured, what equipment sails with the vessel, how her four decks divide up slow hours at sea, and exactly which activities are included in the charter rate versus billed separately.
What can you actually do on board a Komodo liveaboard?
Strip away the marketing language and a sea day on LASHA offers six core activities, all launched from the boat itself:
- Paddleboarding and kayaking in the calm bays where the boat anchors, straight off the swim platform.
- Snorkeling from the dedicated dive deck — masks, snorkels, and fins are carried on board, so there is nothing to rent ashore.
- Swimming off the stern whenever the boat is at anchor and the crew confirms conditions.
- Alfresco dining — meals are served on the open decks rather than in a sealed dining room, which is where a phinisi genuinely outclasses a hotel restaurant.
- The jacuzzi on the sun deck, best used in the late afternoon as the light softens over the islands.
- Doing very little, deliberately — foredeck sunsets, reading in the Lounge & Resto, and stargazing after dinner. Komodo National Park has no cities within sight, so on a clear night the sky is the show.
Scuba diving is the seventh activity, and it works differently: LASHA carries a dedicated dive deck and runs charters under a separate diving rate, covered below.
How does a day at sea actually flow — how long do you sail versus stop?
This is the rhythm question travelers research most, and Komodo answers it kindly. The park's anchorages sit close together, so most repositioning legs run roughly one to three hours. On a typical charter day LASHA spends far more hours at anchor than under way — the sailing legs function as transitions, timed around meals and rest, rather than as long passages. Here is a representative sea day drawn from the pattern of our Komodo itineraries:
| Time | Boat status | What guests are doing |
|---|---|---|
| 05:45–06:30 | Short sailing leg | Sunrise coffee on the foredeck as the boat repositions |
| 06:30–09:30 | At anchor | Morning excursion ashore — an island ridge walk or a ranger-guided dragon trek |
| 09:30–11:00 | Sailing | Full breakfast served alfresco while the boat moves to the next bay |
| 11:00–15:00 | At anchor | Snorkeling, paddleboards, kayaks, swimming; lunch on deck |
| 15:00–16:30 | Sailing | Siesta in the cabins, jacuzzi, reading in the Lounge & Resto |
| 16:30–18:30 | At anchor | Beach or reef stop, then sunset drinks on the foredeck |
| 18:30–late | At anchor overnight | Dinner under the open sky, then stargazing from the sun deck |
Add it up and the engines run perhaps three to five hours across the day, while the boat sits stationary for the rest — which is why the on-board experience matters so much when choosing a vessel. Nights are normally spent at anchor in sheltered bays, so you sleep on still water. One honest note: LASHA is a traditional wooden phinisi, built from ulin and teak by Buginese shipwrights, and she does not carry active fin stabilizers. Within Komodo's mostly sheltered inner waters this is rarely an issue, and her 52.5-meter hull and 466 GT volume give her substantial mass in the water, but travelers who are highly motion-sensitive should plan around the calmer months and discuss routing with the crew.
How do four decks change a slow day at sea?
Deck space is the difference between a relaxing sea day and a crowded one. LASHA spreads a maximum of 26 guests across four decks, which in practice means every couple or family can claim its own territory: the sun deck with the jacuzzi up top, the foredeck for sunsets, the Lounge & Resto for shade and long lunches, and the dive deck at water level for gearing up or simply sitting with your feet over the sea. Ten ensuite cabins — two Master Suites with private jacuzzi and balcony, four Junior Suites with balconies, two Grand Deluxe, and two Deluxe — mean nobody queues for a bathroom either; the full layout is in our cabin guide. For a deck-by-deck walkthrough of where everything sits, see the companion post LASHA's deck plan: four decks explained.
Where do the water toys live?
The stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, and snorkeling sets are staged around the dive deck at the stern, launched by the crew whenever the boat anchors. Because LASHA was purpose-built in 2023 with a dedicated dive deck rather than a converted swim step, getting in and out of the water is a walk-down affair, not a climb. The Weichai 750 hp engine and the full technical picture are on the yacht page if you want the specifications behind the experience.
Which activities are included, and which cost extra?
LASHA's whole-boat charter model keeps this refreshingly short. The water toys sail with the boat — there are no per-use fees for paddleboards, kayaks, or snorkeling gear. The genuine extras are the national park's own fees and the dive operation:
| Activity or item | Included in charter? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Paddleboards & kayaks | Included | No per-use fee; crew launches them at anchor |
| Snorkeling gear | Included | Masks, snorkels, fins carried on board |
| Alfresco dining & crew service | Included | Full crew sails with every charter |
| Jacuzzi, sun deck, Lounge & Resto | Included | All four decks are guest space |
| Scuba diving | Separate rate | Charters run under the diving rate: US$11,600–18,200 per night by group size |
| Komodo National Park entrance fee | Extra | US$25 per guest per night, billed at cost |
That is the entire list. If you are comparing operators, this is a useful screening question: some Komodo liveaboards in the broader market charge separately for gear or water-toy time, so always ask for the included list in writing.
What about evenings — sunset and stargazing?
Evenings are where a liveaboard beats any land-based stay in Labuan Bajo. The foredeck faces the anchorage for sunset, dinner is served in the open air, and once the deck lights dim the sky takes over. Komodo National Park sits far from any major city, so light pollution is effectively nil — on moonless nights the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye from the sun deck. No schedule, no excursion, no extra cost; it is simply what the anchorage gives you.
How much does a charter cost, and how do you book?
LASHA charters as a whole boat with a two-night minimum in Komodo. The leisure rate starts at US$10,800 per night for groups of 1–14 guests and steps up with group size to US$17,000 per night at 22 paying guests; a full 3D2N charter therefore starts at US$21,600, and diving charters start at US$11,600 per night. The complete tier tables, free-of-charge guest allowances for larger groups, and Raja Ampat season pricing are on the rates page, and availability is confirmed through the booking page.
⚓ This guide is part of the journal of LASHA Cruise — official site — the 52.5-metre luxury phinisi sailing Komodo National Park and Raja Ampat. Official booking only via lashacruise.com · WhatsApp +62 811-3823-875 (Komodo Luxury).
