By Salah Teman · 5 August 2026
Komodo liveaboards run June to September, departing and returning to Labuan Bajo (airport code LBJ). That window is not arbitrary — it is the dry season, when seas are calmest and conditions most consistent.
What the season gives you
Dry weather, calm crossings, warm water and reliable sunshine. Water in central and northern Komodo sits around 26–30°C, comfortable in a 3mm suit. Visibility is generally at its best, which matters on sites like Crystal Rock where the appeal is coral colour in natural light.
The southern exception
Southern Komodo behaves differently. Horseshoe Bay, home to Cannibal Rock and Yellow Wall, is fed by cold upwellings and runs 24–26°C. If your trip reaches the south, plan warmer exposure protection than the north requires — a 5mm, or a hood if you feel the cold. Reaching Horseshoe Bay costs cruising time, so it appears on longer itineraries.
Mantas
Reef mantas are present through the season at Karang Makassar and the Cauldron. Numbers vary, and no operator can promise them, but the channel is a feeding and cleaning lane rather than an occasional sighting.
Outside June to September
We move the boat. From November to April the Teman is in Raja Ampat, which has its own season and its own diving. If your dates fall outside the Komodo window, Raja Ampat is usually the answer rather than a compromise.
Booking timing
Komodo is the busier of our two main seasons, and cabins on a 12-guest boat are limited by definition. Earlier is better, particularly for the shorter 4 and 5-day trips which fill first.
About the boat
The KLM Teman is a 36-metre Indonesian phinisi carrying 12 guests in 5 ensuite cabins with a crew of 10 and a Cruise Director. See our full FAQ for booking and onboard detail.
Salah writes for Teman Liveaboard, the owner-operator of the KLM Teman. The Teman is a 36-metre Indonesian phinisi, handbuilt in Sulawesi and launched in 2017, carrying 12 guests in 5 ensuite cabins with a permanent crew of 10 and a Cruise Director. The team behind her has more than 20 years sailing the Indonesian archipelago. The boat works Komodo National Park from June to September out of Labuan Bajo, Raja Ampat from November to April out of Sorong, and runs Banda Sea and Ring of Fire crossings between the two seasons. The dive site guides on this blog are written from the operator's own logs and itineraries, with conditions, seasons and equipment guidance checked against the dive team who work these sites every week. Where a detail depends on the day — depth on a given tide, or where a current will take you — we say so rather than guess, because that is a briefing the Cruise Director gives on the boat, not something a web page can promise.
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About the author
Salah Teman — Salah writes for Teman Liveaboard, the owner-operator of the KLM Teman. The Teman is a 36-metre Indonesian phinisi, handbuilt in Sulawesi and launched in 2017, carrying 12 guests in 5 ensuite cabins with a permanent crew of 10 and a Cruise Director. The team behind her has more than 20 years sailing the Indonesian archipelago. The boat works Komodo National Park from June to September out of Labuan Bajo, Raja Ampat from November to April out of Sorong, and runs Banda Sea and Ring of Fire crossings between the two seasons. The dive site guides on this blog are written from the operator's own logs and itineraries, with conditions, seasons and equipment guidance checked against the dive team who work these sites every week. Where a detail depends on the day — depth on a given tide, or where a current will take you — we say so rather than guess, because that is a briefing the Cruise Director gives on the boat, not something a web page can promise.
