About Riara
Salt stung my lips the first morning as Riara’s engine roared to life at 07:00, slicing through the calm waters just outside Labuan Bajo’s main dock. I remember gripping the padded seat, the cold metal rail under my palm, watching fishing boats blur into the distance behind us. The sun wasn’t even fully up, but the sky was already bleaching from grey to pale gold, and the silhouette of Kelor Island grew sharper with every minute. We weren’t on some silent sailboat – this was a speedboat, built for pace, and the vibration in the deck told you this trip was about covering ground.
By 08:30, we’d anchored in a perfect horseshoe bay at Kelor. The guide handed out snorkels and showed us where the current was lightest near the coral shelf. I floated above parrotfish and clownfish weaving through brain coral, the water so clear I could see every grain of sand. Back on board, breakfast was already laid out – warm banana pancakes with honey and strong local coffee in plastic cups. We didn’t linger long; Riara was booked solid for the day, and Padar Island’s famous ridge awaited. We didn’t climb it – that takes hours – but we circled the base, cameras snapping at the jagged peaks and the pink-tinged sand tucked in the cove below.
Manta Point was the real surprise. By 10:45, we’d pulled up near the cleaning station buoys. The crew dropped anchor quietly and pointed. I slipped into the water and within seconds, a shadow glided beneath me – then another. Two mantas, wingspan wide, circling the reef. One tilted mid-pirouette, its white belly flashing like a signal. I kicked gently, heart hammering, and for nearly ten minutes they danced below us, unbothered. The water was cooler here, and I remember the chill on my shoulders, the rubber of my mask pressing into my face.
Lunch was served on deck around 12:30 – grilled fish with sambal, cucumber salad, and cold watermelon – as we motored toward Pink Beach. The sand really does glow pink, especially in midday sun, though most of it’s crushed coral and forams. We had an hour there: swim, walk the shore, take photos. The crew laid out mats under a pop-up shade. No one from our group went inland to see the Komodo dragons – that’s a separate trek we hadn’t booked – but we saw tracks in the sand near the tree line.
Kalong Island at sunset was quieter than I expected. The sky turned orange over the mangroves by 17:30, and we watched the fruit bats lift off in slow spirals, silhouetted against the light. No big crowds, no boats jamming the anchorage. Just the sound of wings and water. Then it was back to Labuan Bajo, the ride bumpier in the evening chop, everyone quiet, sunburnt, full. Riara pulled into the dock at 18:00 sharp. It wasn’t luxurious – no cabins to sleep in, just bench seats and a canvas roof – but it got us everywhere, fast, and I wouldn’t have traded those manta moments for anything.
