Komodo Open Trip started in 2015 with one chartered boat, a borrowed outboard tender and a conviction that the people best placed to show you Komodo National Park are the people who grew up inside it. Our founder, a third-generation boatman from Mesa village on the west coast of Flores, spent his childhood crossing these straits before the first tourist jetty was built in Labuan Bajo.
A decade later we operate a fleet of wooden two-masted phinisi running the Lombok–Komodo open trip, and have hosted more than 12,000 guests from over 60 countries. The thing we are proudest of is not the fleet. It is that our first captain still sails with us, that our crews are hired almost entirely from coastal villages in West Manggarai, and that a meaningful share of every charter stays in the community that makes these trips possible.
Meet the Crew
Every guide and article on this site comes from people who sail these waters for a living — not a marketing desk. These are some of the crew you will meet, and the team behind our tour packages and travel guides.
Captain Yusuf Abdullah — Head Skipper
Yusuf has more than 12 years at the helm in Komodo waters. Born on the Flores coast, he has run the Lombok–Komodo route in every season and weather window there is. He holds final authority on every route we sail, leads the on-board safety briefings, and writes our guides on hiking, sailing conditions and the open-trip itinerary.
Dewi Lestari — Trip Coordinator & Local Guide
A Flores native, Dewi plans hundreds of itineraries a year and knows the park-fee, permit and logistics detail inside out. She is the person most guests message before they travel, and the author of our trip-planning and Labuan Bajo logistics articles.
Our Founder — Third-Generation Boatman, Mesa Village
Our founder grew up crossing the Linta Strait long before Labuan Bajo had a tourist jetty. He still helps draft routes on paper charts and hires almost every crew member from the coastal villages of West Manggarai.
Captains, Cooks & Deckhands
Every captain, deckhand, cook and guide on our payroll is from Flores or its neighbouring islands. That is not a marketing line — it is an operating advantage. Our crews read the Linta Strait currents the way you read a street sign, know which Padar trail is shaded at 6 a.m., and can find a calm anchorage in a blow because their grandfathers used the same one.
Licensing & Safety
Komodo Open Trip is a fully licensed Indonesian travel operator trading as PT Komodo Dragon Wisata Bahari, registered in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai. Our business licence (NIB) and tourism operating permit are on file and available on request — just ask before you book and we will share them.
- Certified captains. Every departure sails with a certified captain and full crew. You will never be asked to operate the boat.
- Safety equipment. Boats carry SOLAS-grade life jackets for every guest, marine radio for continuous contact with our office, and onboard first-aid kits. We drill man-overboard procedures with every new crew.
- Safety before schedule. Our captains hold final authority over every route, every day. In ten years of operation we have rescheduled hundreds of departures because of weather and regretted none of them.
- Insurance. Our boats and operations are covered by passenger liability insurance; certificate details are available on request.
By the Numbers
- Since 2015 — a full decade running Komodo and Flores sailing trips.
- 12,000+ guests hosted from 60+ countries.
- 600+ reviewed travellers across our packages and boats — the ratings you see on this site come only from real, approved guest reviews, never invented.
- Local crew — almost every captain, cook and guide is hired from coastal villages in West Manggarai.
Our Promise to You
We want you to book with confidence, so we keep the trust details in plain sight:
- Transparent pricing, no hidden fees. The price you see is all-in for what is listed. Komodo National Park entrance and ranger fees are disclosed clearly under “included” or “not included” on every tour package.
- Clear refund & reschedule policy. Free rescheduling up to 14 days before departure, subject to availability, with a graduated refund schedule beyond that. The full policy is in our Terms & Conditions.
- No online payment trap. We confirm availability first, then invoice you by email — you are never charged before we have a confirmed seat.
- We answer within 12 hours, daily. WhatsApp is the fastest channel; see all the ways to reach us on our contact page.
- Your data stays private. We only use the details you share to plan and run your trip — read our Privacy Policy.
What We Believe
Tourism that gives back
We cap group sizes, brief every guest on park etiquette before the first landing, use reef-safe practice at snorkel sites and carry every kilogram of waste back to Labuan Bajo. Through our village partnership program we fund school supplies in Melo and Papagarang — communities that host our guests and deserve more than foot traffic.
Our office sits on Jl. Soekarno Hatta, five minutes from the marina — if you are in town, come for coffee and we will plan your route on a real chart, not a brochure. Ready when you are: browse our tour packages, meet the phinisi fleet, or get in touch.