I had to leave a Komodo liveaboard early. $1,000 down the drain, sick for DAYS, cold showers, dishonest advertising, and the stench of black mold. Honestly? The experience nearly ruined one of my life long dreams. So is a Komodo liveaboard worth it, or should you stick to land-based diving?
Let me show you what I learned before you make the same mistake.
For years, I dreamed of diving in Komodo—the famous mantas, legendary Komodo dragons, turtles, dolphins, pygmy cuttlefish, vibrant reef walls, thrilling currents—the kind of bucket list diving that every diver drools over! Unfortunately, my trip turned out to be more like a nightmare. And it could happen to anyone.
You’re probably thinking, “She didn’t do her research! She went during a bad season! Budget liveaboards are rustic, duh!” Wrong. Here’s exactly what happened, why I don’t recommend a liveaboard in Komodo over land-based diving, and the things the dive shop didn’t disclose up front that felt like an oversight at best and dishonest at worst.
I’m not writing this blog to throw shade at the dive shop, the staff (who were very kind), or discourage anyone from visiting Komodo. I’m writing it because there were things that weren’t transparent during the booking process, and I want to help anyone going to Komodo to scuba dive have a better experience than I did! Komodo is magical for diving and I met some lovely divers on the trip. It’s 1 million percent worth visiting, and I’ll be back for day trip diving someday.
WHAT WENT WRONG ON MY KOMODO LIVEABOARD, SUSPECT REVIEWS, AND WHAT THEY DON’T TELL YOU (KOMODO LIVEABOARD REVIEW)
Komodo was top 3 on my scuba diving bucket list, I agonized over the options for months to choose the absolute BEST one at the best time of year for both mantas and dragons. I waffled so much between the options that I didn’t even book it until a week before it left!
I chose a liveaboard with a reputable dive shop, rave reviews, and a 9.8/10 rating on liveaboard.com. I couldn’t believe the price I scored, especially booking it at the last minute! I did wonder if it was too good to be true, but the glowing reviews and my research in community groups made any lingering concern disappear.
Were the reviews I saw skewed or censored? Were people so blown away by the spectacular diving in Komodo that the negatives were forgotten? I really can’t say. But no matter which way you want to look at it, a few critical pieces of information are left out before you book. So I’m sharing my honest experience to help you plan your own (better) trip to Komodo!
Black mold
There was not ONE mention of the black mold problems on the boat by the dive operator or in the reviews. And let me tell you- this was not a SMALL problem. It was a powerful, overwhelming smell that left my clothes and belongings reeking of mold. Made of tropical ironwood (known locally as ‘ulin’) and teak, the liveaboard boats in Komodo are primarily traditional Indonesian Phinisis. They look really cool and pirate-y! But wooden boats (unless properly maintained) rot in seawater because the salt water penetrates the wood fibers. This creates a perfect environment for mold, fungi, and bacteria, which break down the wood’s cellulose structure and cause it to decay and rot.
This boat didn’t have proper maintenance with protective coatings like marine varnish or epoxy. The only “ventilation” is the ladder hole where you crawl back up to the mid deck. Unfortunately, this is the only place you can store your belongings. It’s also where the only toilet and shower are for guests. Worse still, the smell permeates to the mid deck, where the kitchen is and the staff sleep.
I’m no doctor, but according to Healthline if you’re exposed to black mold for more than a few seconds, your symptoms can develop rapidly. It comes down to your sensitivity, but it’s obviously bad for your health to breathe in black mold day and night.
The mold eating away at the boat also means that the structure of the boat itself is weak. In fact, the dinghy we were towing from the boat RIPPED CLEAN OFF IN ROUGH WAVES. And it pulled ⅓ of the wooden back deck of the ship off and into the sea with it! We had to chase down the dinghy free floating in the ocean with the wood from the boat attached to it.
The pricing is not transparent for Marine Protected Area (MPA) fees
To their credit, the company clearly states that the marine park fees for diving in Komodo are not included in the liveaboard price and you pay them in person when you arrive. And that’s totally fine and super common! I love supporting MPAs and other conservation causes and regularly donate to them.
But when I arrived at the dive shop, I was shocked that those fees were 100 USD. I’ve dove all over the world and never paid so much! Based on the pricing breakdown I found here and on other credible websites, these fees should have been ~60 USD for 4 days/3 nights. This includes the daily entrance fees (for 2 weekend days and 2 week days), diving fees, wildlife observation fees, and a 3% credit card fee (which they also don’t disclose until you arrive. Who carries 1.5 million IDR in their pocket at a time?). It’s even higher than the inflated range they give on their “booking conditions” link.
It would be a common courtesy for the dive shop to show a breakdown of the fees on the website and disclose that there’s a 3% fee unless you show up with cash before you book this expensive, non refundable experience. That way, it’s not a shock when you arrive- and where did my extra 40 USD go?
Yes, it’s just 100 bucks, but if you’re on a budget you want to know where your money is going.
Hot water dishonesty
I know what you’re thinking- most dive boats don’t have hot water showers and cool showers are the norm! I (like you, fellow intrepid diver) would normally be totally fine with that. But part of the reason I booked this particular liveaboard is because they advertised hot water showers. Others I researched said they had warm water or limited hot water, and it’s part of what gave the one I ended up booking a leg up when I was deciding which one to choose.
They waited until you booked, paid the non-refundable price, and were physically on the boat to reveal that the hot water is extremely limited. I’m sorry, but don’t advertise hot water showers for 10 divers (8 guests + 2 dive masters) if you have hot water for 2 divers. That is not honest advertising.
There are no advantages to doing a liveaboard in Komodo vs. day trip diving
When I was on a speedboat back to land, a Komodo dive master on the boat told me there are literally 0 advantages to exploring Komodo by liveaboard. The sites are equally accessible by the day trip speed boats!
The only potential advantage is that liveaboards can stay in the park overnight and access night dive sites more easily. My liveaboard only included one night dive, so that really didn’t matter to me.
Incomplete dive plan briefing (1 scenario only, but worth mentioning)
Most of the dive briefings were thorough and excellent, but there was one scenario that made me uncomfortable during my dive at the famous Bato Bolong dive site.
After the briefing, we geared up and boarded the dinghy to the dive site. We were geared up, masks on, when the dive master threw out right before the backward roll that we were going to enter the site by going down “the chimney,” which was not mentioned in the dive briefing. I’m not a fan of caves or enclosed places, and this conjured up images of a literal chimney- descending down some kind of enclosed structure- and made me immediately ask to wait and have them explain. They were a little dismissive, telling me I would have space and that I would see once we got in the water.
That’s not okay. I want to be briefed on a dive site fully and have the opportunity to ask questions, not have something tossed out at the last minute when we’re all about to backward roll in. When we got in the water and they started leading us towards an enclosed space on the descent, I felt panic rising in my chest and signaled something was wrong. We descended a different way, but it was another reminder that I alone am responsible for my safety and comfort when diving. Always speak up and be okay saying no if you’re not comfortable, especially if you’re already in the water.
Rough seas and casual attitude about a forecasted storm
I know what you’re thinking- “No one can control the weather. She probably went during a bad season! She didn’t ask about the safety plan or policies if there’s a storm!” Wrong.
What’s the best time of year to visit Komodo? I went in the first week of December, and it’s an awesome time! The central and southern sites in Komodo are usually best dived between October – March. The best chances to see lots of mantas is September – May. December is also great for seeing the Komodo dragons because they are neither mating nor nesting. And no, I didn’t go in the monsoon season, which is from mid January-mid March. Source: Scuba Junkie. I’m also obviously not blaming them for the weather, but what I didn’t like was the answer I got when I asked about the storm that was forecasted.
I asked about the forecasted storm and what the contingency plan is, and there was a somewhat judgmental pause and I was told casually that no, we don’t come back, but we try to find a sheltered cove. I’m fine with that, but it didn’t exactly inspire confidence- are you monitoring the storm? How closely? Does the captain get alerts from marine authorities? When is a call made? It might seem dramatic, but I take safety seriously and accidents with weather do happen on liveabaords. I would have liked to hear that there’s a procedure. Is a Komodo liveaboard worth it if you’re not confident about the safety operations of the boat you’re living on if there’s a storm?
I left the liveaboard early because of black mold & unrelenting sea sickness. Here’s what it was like leaving and how they made it hard.
The water coming from the filtered water dispenser smelled of mold. The food is prepared in a kitchen smelling of mold. That isn’t healthy. The mold situation- plus my constant seasickness (and ensuing difficulty eating anything)- made it a straightforward decision to cut my time on the liveaboard short.
The first day
On the first day, I had a bad feeling right away. I told the dive master that this isn’t for me and I’d like to leave. They convinced me to stay and give it a shot, and I actually appreciated that and had a great time on the first few dives. Again, the diving is spectacular and I can’t WAIT to come back and do land-based diving.
The second day
After a night on the boat and a couple more dives, I was filled with dread underwater that we were returning to the moldy ship and there was no escape. That’s when I told the DM again that I needed to go and asked them to contact the nearby day trip boat for a lift back to land per their hop on, hop off policy.
Again, they tried to convince me (with a bit of emotional gaslighting) to stay as I barely held down the hot throw up bubbling in my throat. I was suppressing barfing into my reg the entire previous dive, my stomach was so twisted up that I couldn’t eat, and I was reluctant to drink the moldy water. I knew it was time for me to go. And to be totally honest, I don’t like that it took several times going back and forth and finally me saying clearly and loudly in front of all the other divers, “I’m uncomfortable. It’s time for me to go, this isn’t working for me” for them to finally call the day boat.
I’m sure the DM had good intentions with wanting me to stay and have the experience, but I would have liked my wishes to be respected more easily and more privately.
Was I devastated to miss out on the rest of the diving? Of course! Was I upset at the money I was losing? Of course! But was it worth the misery of seasickness, anxiety about the forecasted storm, and continuing to breathe in mold and not be able to eat? Absolutely not. I was okay to take the L on this one, cut my losses, and get out early.
What I learned and advocating for yourself as a diver
I am not embarrassed at all for cutting it short- I’m proud that I cut my losses and did what was best for me. I don’t regret going or the experience that I had because time and time again, travel has brought me life lessons in ugly packaging.
This time it was to advocate for myself, honor the sunk cost fallacy, and that it’s okay to be direct and firm when I need to be. It’s possible to be direct and state your needs clearly without being unkind (SO many of us ladies struggle with this!). As I watched the lightning storm from my hotel the night after I left, I was so incredibly grateful to be off of the boat. It’s cheesy, but sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and every loss is a lesson.
So is a Komodo liveaboard worth it? For me, it’s a hard no. Go to Komodo, do land based diving, and have a hell of a time in this MESMERIZING dive destination (or at least find a way to check if there’s a mold issue on your boat before you pay 😅)!
Looking for other (more positive) nature and scuba diving content!? I’ve got you! Be sure to check out my guide diving with thresher sharks in Malapascua, stories from the famous Cathedrals in Maui, and my know-before-you-go travel guide to seeing orangutans on a jungle river cruise in Borneo!
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