About Ayvara Cruises
We keep the bow steady through the Savu Sea swell just after midnight, lining up for first light on Padar. It’s a 2.3-knot current eddy along the north passage that tells us it’s time to slow engines. On Ayvara Cruises, we run on precision, not guesswork. With only three cabins, we can time arrivals to avoid crowds and position Ayvara Cruises exactly where the tide works in our favour. Our crew of six knows every anchorage by the colour of the sand and the angle of the sun.
By 06:30, guests are ashore on Padar’s switchback trail, the only footprints in the dust. We stock chilled coconut water in the cooler before sunrise so there’s no waiting. After the climb, we drift back to Pink Beach — not the crowded south cove, but the quieter stretch near the eastern ridge where the coral sand mixes with crushed shells. Snorkeling here, you’ll see parrotfish grinding on reef edges while our guide points out the black-tip juveniles hiding under ledge overhangs.
At midday, we move to Komodo Island. The rangers are expecting us — we coordinate arrival times in advance to avoid the 11:00 rush. The dragon trail takes us through dry savannah, where the scent of eucalyptus and wild basil rises in the heat. We pause at the observation platform, then cut inland to a less-visited nesting zone where juveniles bask in shaded burrows. Back onboard, lunch is served under the awning: seared tuna with tamarind glaze, local greens, and cucumber salad.
Manta Point comes alive around 14:00. We anchor on the south lee side, where the current funnels plankton along the reef lip. Our spotter stays topside with binoculars, calling jumps and barrel rolls. When mantas surface, we’re in the water in under two minutes with low-angle cameras ready. That evening, we reposition to Kalong Island by 17:30. The sky turns tangerine as the fruit bats begin their spiral flight. Guests sip on lime-infused palm wine from the sundeck.
Day three starts at Taka Makassar. The sandbar appears at low tide, just a finger of white breaking the surface. We lay out mats and serve coffee as the reef flats glimmer with blue starfish and emerald sea cucumbers. By 09:30, we’re at Kanawa, where the volcanic slope drops sharply. Snorkellers follow the thermocline where warm surface water meets cooler upwellings — that’s where the eagle rays glide. We return to Labuan Bajo by 13:00, time enough for a final shower and a cold Bintang on the aft deck.
