About Nala
We keep Nala’s bow into the current off Manta Point by 7:15 AM, just as the first rays hit the cleaning stations. It’s not about speed — it’s about timing. At 37 metres, this phinisi isn’t the largest, but she’s built right for Komodo’s chop: solid teak hull, deep bilge, and a draft that lets us tuck into Sebayur when the wind picks up in the afternoon. We’ve run this route for eight seasons, and we know where the tide pushes strongest between Gili Lawa Laut and the mainland. That means we anchor early, line in the water by 7:30, and give our guests first access.
The boat carries just one cabin — a master suite aft, positioned amidships where the roll is least. That’s by design. This isn’t a charter for groups; it’s for one party, or a couple who wants full privacy. The cabin has direct deck access, sound-dampened walls, and a view forward through the raised lounge windows. We don’t have multiple cabin grades because we don’t need them. Everyone on Nala gets the same priority: space, silence, and access. Our galley runs on propane with a convection oven — rare on Indonesian boats — so we can serve proper sourdough toast at sunrise, not reheated bread.
Day one starts with arrival in Labuan Bajo by 11:00. We board, stow gear, and cast off by noon. First stop is Kelor Island — not for the hike, but for the south-facing beach where the coral starts at the shore. We drop the tender with fins and snorkels by 14:00. Guests swim from the beach into the reef channel, following the slope down to 8 metres where the blue starfish cluster. We return at dusk, positioning off Rinca so we’re within 20 minutes of the dragon track trailhead at first light.
Day two is Padar at dawn. We anchor in the north cove, away from the day-trip boats that crowd the west. Guests hike the switchbacks by headlamp, reaching the ridge by 6:15. Back on board by 8:30, then straight to Komodo Island — ranger briefing at Loh Liang, dry forest walk, sighting dragons near the watering hole. After lunch, we move to Pink Beach. Not just for photos — the sand’s hue comes from foraminifera, visible under magnification on our guided shore walk. Late afternoon, we drift-snorkel at Manta Point, letting the current carry us past the cleaning stations. Sunset at Kalong Island, where the flying foxes stream out at 17:45.
Day three begins early — 5:30 departure to Taka Makassar. The sandbar emerges at low tide, ringed by reef. We time it for 7:00, when the light is flat and the water glassy. Swimming across the bar, you can see both Komodo and Rinca on the horizon. By 9:30, we’re at Kanawa, moored on the north drop-off. Snorkel straight into the current line where bumphead parrotfish feed. We surface by 11:00, stow gear, and make for Labuan Bajo, arriving by 13:00.
