About Kimochi
We keep the engines off as long as we can when rounding the north tip of Komodo Island. The wind needs to be on the beam, not behind, not ahead—just right—and the Kimochi answers. At 20 metres, she’s not the largest phinisi out here, but her Ulin and Jati wood hull knows these swells. We’ve felt her settle into the chop between Sebayur and Batu Bolong like she was born for it. When the monsoon shifts, we adjust. That’s how you keep twelve guests steady without ever killing the mood.
She sleeps twelve across five cabins, all below deck, each with individually controlled AC and real ventilation if you prefer the sea air. No two cabins are laid out exactly the same—carpentry like this doesn’t follow mass production. One has a slightly higher ceiling, another faces the quieter side when anchored off Pink Beach. The crew knows which guests value which. Our galley runs on propane, not electricity, because fresh garlic fried in shallots makes the difference between a good meal and one you remember at 5am when the sun hits Padar.
On a standard 3D2N run, we time arrival for late afternoon. Guests come in from Labuan Bajo flights, settle in, then we sail to Kelor for a slow sunset swim. The next day starts at 5:30 AM with coffee and a briefing—Padar’s switchback trail needs early light and low heat. By 7:30, you’re on the ridge, but we don’t linger. The current builds between Komodo and Rinca by midday, so we shift to Loh Liang for the dragon walk. We keep the dinghy ready 15 minutes early—rangers don’t wait.
After lunch on deck, we drift over to Pink Beach not for the shore, but for the reef slope on the east side. Snorkel there, and you’ll see more than sand. Then Manta Point in the late afternoon—same spot, different tide. We anchor upwind and let the current bring them in. You don’t chase mantas. You wait. On Day 3, we push east to Taka Makassar if the swell’s under 1.5 metres. If not, Kanawa’s inner lagoon still delivers coral and white sand. Either way, we’re back in Labuan Bajo by 4 PM, fuelled and cleaned, ready for the next crew.
The dive gear is DIN and Yoke, both available. We carry spare masks with prescription inserts, not because we advertise it, but because someone always forgets. Our tender is a 5.2m RIB with a 90HP—enough to outrun a squall, not overkill for boarding. We don’t run expeditions to Weh or Cenderawasih. Kimochi is for Komodo: the wind, the current, the dragons, the tides. That’s enough.
