Group trip in Bali & Komodo • Mermaid II Liveaboard

Explore Komodo’s most beautiful dive sites and encounter whale sharks in Saleh Bay. Travel with a friendly group of Dutch and Belgian divers.

Travel period

May

Features

Boatdiving

Starting from

12 days from € 3.700 p.p.

Group Trip to Bali & Komodo on the Mermaid II

Travel dates: May 3–14 , 2027
Liveaboard dates: May 4–13 , 2027
Accommodations: 9 nights aboard the Mermaid II on a full-board basis
Number of dives: 25 dives in total
Diving level: Open Water or higher ; a minimum of 4 logged dives required
Reserved spots: 6

Discover the best of Indonesia on this unique group tour aboard the Mermaid II. Together with a friendly group of experienced divers from the Netherlands and Belgium, you’ll explore two of the country’s most spectacular diving areas: the world-famous Komodo National Park and the waters of Saleh Bay, where you’ll have a great chance to come face-to-face with impressive whale sharks.

This trip has been specially designed for divers who want more than just beautiful reefs. Komodo is known for its strong currents, colorful coral gardens, and immense biodiversity. From manta rays, reef sharks, and sea turtles to unique macro creatures like pygmy seahorses and nudibranchs: every dive offers new surprises. The absolute highlight is a visit to Saleh Bay, where you can dive or snorkel with the world’s largest fish: the whale shark.

You’ll be staying aboard the Mermaid II, one of Indonesia’s most beloved liveaboards. The ship is known for its excellent service, experienced crew, comfortable cabins, and spacious dive deck. With a maximum of 18 guests on board, you’ll enjoy a personal atmosphere, delicious meals, and professional organization, so you can focus entirely on what really matters: unforgettable dives.

Together with like-minded divers from the Netherlands and Belgium, you’ll enjoy a trip full of adventure, underwater encounters, and fun evenings on deck. A unique liveaboard for those who want to experience the best of Indonesia.

Best Time to Visit for a Diving Trip to Bali & Komodo

May is an excellent month for a liveaboard trip through Komodo National Park and Saleh Bay. The rainy season is over, the sea is generally calm, and underwater visibility is often excellent. In Komodo, manta rays, reef sharks, and large schools of reef fish are abundant, while in Saleh Bay, conditions are ideal for diving or snorkeling with whale sharks.

Average temperatures

Wetsuit advice for Bali & Komodo

A 3mm will almost always suffice, if you get cold really quickly you can consider a 5mm.

What will you experience on this diving vacation?

View itinerary here

Days 1 & 2 | The Trip to Bali

Monday, May 3, and Tuesday, May 4, 2027

Today you’ll be leaving for Indonesia. The international flight to Bali usually has one layover. Depending on the layover time and your departure airport, the trip will take about 16 to 18 hours. You’ll arrive at the Bali airport the next day.

Next, you’ll continue your journey with a domestic flight to Flores. The direct flight from Bali to Maumere takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Upon arrival in Flores, you’ll be taken to the Mermaid II. Check-in on board takes place between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. After a warm welcome from the crew, there will be a safety briefing and a tour of the ship. You can then settle into your cabin and prepare your diving gear for the upcoming days of diving.

While you enjoy your first dinner on board, the Mermaid II sets course for Komodo National Park. During this overnight crossing, you’ll sail to one of Indonesia’s most beautiful diving areas, so you can start diving right away the next morning.

Please note: If your international and domestic flights don’t connect well, we recommend staying overnight in Bali. We’d be happy to arrange a comfortable hotel near the airport, including breakfast and all necessary transfers. That way, you can start your liveaboard trip feeling relaxed.

Day 3 | Diving in the Strait of Linta

Wednesday, May 5, 2027

Today, the first dives of the trip are on the schedule. You’ll make three dives in the Strait of Linta, the strait between Komodo Island to the west and Rinca and Flores to the east.

This area is known for its clear water, strong currents, and immense biodiversity. During your dives, you may encounter reef sharks and whitetip sharks, various species of rays—including manta rays—turtles, large schools of reef fish, and countless macro species such as nudibranchs. There are several possible dive sites, including Batu Bolong, Takat Makassar, Tatawa Besar, Tatawa Kecil, Batu Tengah, and Siaba Kecil. Which locations are visited depends on weather conditions and the tides.

The night dive takes place at Wainiloo, known for its unique nocturnal marine life, or on a reef in northern Komodo.

Day 4 | Diving at Manta Alley

Thursday, May 6, 2027

Early in the morning, the Mermaid II sets course for Manta Alley, one of the most famous dive sites in Komodo National Park. This location is known for the high chance of encountering reef manta rays up close. The manta rays regularly gather here at cleaning stations, where smaller reef fish remove parasites from their skin. In addition to manta rays, you may also encounter reef sharks, eagle rays, sea turtles, and large schools of reef fish here.

After the manta ray dives, the boat continues on to Horseshoe Bay, a sheltered bay in southern Komodo. Due to the cooler, nutrient-rich water, the underwater life here differs greatly from that of the northern dive sites. The reefs are rich in soft corals, sponges, and an impressive diversity of macro life.

The day ends with a night dive at Torpedo Alley. This famous muck dive is the perfect spot to search for unique nocturnal creatures, such as torpedo rays, anglerfish, ghost pipefish, flamboyant cuttlefish, octopuses, shrimp, seahorses, and colorful nudibranchs. A fantastic way to end a day that highlights both large pelagic life and the tiniest underwater creatures. You’ll make a total of 4 dives on this day.

Day 5 | Diving at Cannibal Rock and onshore in Komodo

Friday, May 7, 2027

Today’s itinerary includes four dives, including a visit to the world-famous Cannibal Rock dive site in Komodo National Park. This sheltered dive site is one of the absolute highlights of South Komodo and is known for its exceptional biodiversity and colorful underwater landscape.

The volcanic seabed is covered with an abundance of soft corals, large sponges, black corals, and ascidians (sea squirts). Amid this colorful vegetation live countless remarkable macroinvertebrates, including rare nudibranchs, anglerfish, ghost pipefish, pygmy seahorses, shrimp, and various species of squid. Turtles and large schools of reef fish are also regularly spotted here.

Between dives, there’s an opportunity to go ashore. On the beach, you can look for the famous Komodo dragons, and with a little luck, you might also spot deer, wild boars, and monkeys along the coast. From the boat, you’ll also have a chance to spot dolphins or even whales as they forage in the calm waters of the bay.

After a day filled with impressive dives and extraordinary encounters, the Mermaid II continues its journey through the Komodo Archipelago.

Day 6 | Shore excursion in Komodo & diving in northern Komodo

Saturday, May 8, 2027

The day begins with a shore excursion in Komodo National Park. Accompanied by a local ranger, you’ll take a walk across the island, where you can admire the impressive Komodo dragons in their natural habitat. During the hike, you’ll also have the chance to see other animals, such as deer, wild boars, and various bird species.

After visiting the island, the Mermaid II sails north for about an hour and a half to the Strait of Lintah. Here, you’ll do one or two dives, depending on the weather conditions and the current. The dive sites are known for their healthy coral reefs, large schools of reef fish, sea turtles, reef sharks, and, with a little luck, manta rays.

At the end of the afternoon, the boat continues on to Gili Lawalaut or Gili Drat in northern Komodo. Here, you’ll end the day with a night dive, during which the reefs come to life and you’ll search for octopuses, moray eels, lobsters, shrimp, and other fascinating nocturnal reef dwellers.

Day 7 | Diving at Gili Lawa Laut

Sunday, May 9, 2027

Today, we have four dives planned around Gili Lawa Laut, an island in the northern part of Komodo National Park known for its spectacular drift dives and fish-rich reefs. The strong currents provide a constant supply of nutrients, making the underwater life here exceptionally abundant.

Depending on the tides, you can dive at Taka Toko, where gray reef sharks are frequently spotted. With a little luck, you might even see dolphins swimming by. Other possible dive sites include Lighthouse Reef and The Old Passage, both known for their impressive drift dives along colorful reefs. Here, you have a chance to see pelagic species, large schools of reef fish, sea turtles, and the occasional manta ray.

One of the highlights of the day is Crystal Rock. This iconic dive site owes its name to the crystal-clear water and is famous for its abundant soft corals in shades of yellow, orange, and pink. Countless reef fish, napoleon fish, sea turtles, and various species of sharks inhabit the colorful reef. Thanks to the combination of healthy reefs, strong currents, and a wide variety of marine life, Crystal Rock is considered by many divers to be one of the most beautiful dive sites in Komodo.

After four impressive dives, you’ll enjoy a relaxing evening on board as the Mermaid II continues its journey.

Day 8 | Diving at Gili Banta

Monday, May 10, 2027

Today you’ll make two more dives in the northern part of Komodo National Park. Depending on conditions, dive sites will be chosen that are known for their healthy coral reefs, strong currents, and a wide variety of marine life. You may spot reef sharks, sea turtles, large schools of reef fish, napoleon fish, and, with a little luck, manta rays or other pelagic species.

After the morning dives, the Mermaid II sets course for Gili Banta, a small volcanic island northwest of Sumbawa. The third dive and the night dive of the day are scheduled here.

The night dive takes place in the sheltered bay of Gili Banta or at Stargazer Beach. As soon as the sun sets, the reef transforms completely, and countless nocturnal creatures emerge. Look out for various species of octopuses, shrimp, lobsters, moray eels, cuttlefish, nudibranchs, and other remarkable macro creatures. Predatory fish are also frequently active during this dive, providing an impressive way to end the day.

Day 9 | Macro Diving at Sangeang

Tuesday, May 11, 2027

Today you’ll go on two dives around the volcanic island of Sangeang. This island is known for its black volcanic sandy bottoms, colorful reefs, and excellent macro diving. A distinctive feature of these dive sites is the underwater hot springs, where volcanic gases escape from the seafloor. This unique environment attracts a wide variety of marine life.

During the dives, you’ll search for pygmy seahorses, rare nudibranchs, ghost pipefish, anglerfish, shrimp, and other remarkable macro creatures. There’s also always plenty of life to discover among the colorful soft corals and sponges.

After the second dive, the Mermaid II sets course for Saleh Bay. Throughout the afternoon and night, you’ll sail toward this sheltered bay, where one of the absolute highlights of the trip awaits you the next morning: an encounter with whale sharks.

Day 10 | Diving with whale sharks at Saleh Bay

Wednesday, May 12, 2027

Early in the morning , the Mermaid II arrives in Saleh Bay. Here, you’ll go on two dives or snorkeling excursions near the traditional bagangs, the floating fishing platforms used by local fishermen. Whale sharks regularly visit these platforms to feed on small fish that escape from the nets, making the chances of an encounter exceptionally high.

Swimming alongside these gentle giants of the ocean is an unforgettable experience. Between encounters, there’s plenty of time to enjoy the spectacle from the boat or head back into the water.

After an impressive morning, you’ll begin your return journey to Bali, where you can reflect on a special liveaboard filled with spectacular dives and unforgettable underwater encounters.

Days 11 & 12 | Return Trip

Thursday, May 13 & Friday, May 14, 2027

After breakfast, the Mermaid II arrives in Benoa, on the southeast coast of Bali. Around 8:00 a.m., you’ll say goodbye to the crew and the group and be transferred to the airport or to your hotel in Bali.

From Benoa, it’s just a short drive to Denpasar International Airport, making it easy to catch your flight back home. Want to enjoy Indonesia a little longer? Then this is also the perfect time to extend your trip with a stay in Bali.

The liveaboard

The cabins & facilities

Liveaboard Mermaid II

The M/V Mermaid II is a 33-meter steel motor yacht. With 18 guests in 8 deluxe cabins and 2 guests in a budget cabin on the lower deck, this ship offers a wide range of accommodations. Luxury cabins, located on the main deck, offer panoramic sea views, individually controlled air conditioning and ensuite bathrooms, while budget cabins below deck feature shared facilities.

A vast diving platform with two ladders and hot showers is the gateway to the dive sites. The spacious dive deck provides ample space for donning equipment, camera facilities and rinse tanks. After diving, fresh towels and hot chocolate await you. Enjoy delicious buffet meals in the dining room, relax in the lounge overlooking the sea, and choose between the shaded party deck or the sun terrace. NITROX is available for every cruise, making the Mermaid II one of the most comfortable dive boats in Asia.

Deluxe cabins, located on the main deck, have panoramic windows with sea views, en-suite bathrooms, and are optionally equipped with a double bed or two twin beds. Budget cabins, on the lower deck, have bunk beds, a sink, individually controlled air conditioning and share a bathroom with an adjoining cabin. Both cabins promise a good night’s sleep with quality beds and linens of at least 300 thread count.

Facilities include individual air conditioning, life jackets, smoke detectors, sun and dive towels, toiletries, hair dryer and reading lights. Relaxation areas include an air-conditioned lounge with TV and music, an extensive library and two outdoor decks for enjoying the view and social interaction. The chefs prepare delicious buffets using local ingredients, and a selection of beverages, including wine and beer, is available at an additional cost.

Mermaid Liveaboards offers a 5-star experience and their liveaboards are consistently in the top 10 best liveaboards in the world, reviewed by DIVE Magazine over the past decade. Mermaid Liveaboards has won no fewer than 9 SCUBA Diving Magazine 2024 Readers Choice awards, including first place in categories such as Best Overall and Level of Safety. The exceptional service and commitment to eco-friendly operations, combined with luxury, make this our preferred choice when it comes to liveaboards in Indonesia. The fact that Komodo trips start and end in Bali offers not only ease of travel but also the chance to dive at Sangeang, an active volcano with sparkling waters full of critters, ideal for macro diving and beloved of underwater photographers.

Travel costs

What is included

This diving vacation to Bali & Komodo is available starting at € 3.700 per person, based on two people sharing a Budget Cabin. You will share the room with a fellow traveler. There are two Budget Cabins available on the boat.

For an additional charge of € 800 per person, you can stay in a Deluxe Cabin. The trip is then available starting at € 4.500.

The diving trip can be expanded as desired. A number of things are included by default in this travel package.

Prices are subject to price changes, increases or changing exchange rates. Flights are always based on the cheapest possible booking class.

Want to learn more about this group tour to Bali & Komodo? Contact us!

Included in this diving trip, from € 3.700 p.p.

9 nights in a Budget Cabin
Accommodation on full board basis
Coffee, tea, water, soft drinks, snacks
Cabin towels and deck towels
Wi-Fi Internet (3G)
Diving package with up to 25 dives
Return transfers
VZR & Administration fee

Excluding

✈︎ The quoted (international) flight prices are indicative prices and based on departures from Europe. However, we can arrange flights from any location worldwide. Booking your own flights is of course also possible.

Optional

Email this diving holiday

Want to save or share the details of this diving trip with someone? You can do so by sending the trip by email.

Where may we send the email to?

Frequently asked questions about this diving holiday

Diving in Bali & Komodo general information

What kind of diving do you do here?

Boat diving, from the liveaboard. The diving is very diverse, from muck/macro diving to drift diving with big stuff and of course the highlight… the manta rays.

How far are the dive sites away?

Always fairly close to the big liveaboard, last bit by zodiac.

How many dives can I make per day?

On this trip, you’ll make a total of up to 25 dives spread over 8 days:

Day 3: 3 dives
Day 4: 4 dives
Day 5: 4 dives
Day 6: 3 dives
Day 7: 4 dives
Day 8: 4 dives
Day 9: 4 dives
Day 10: 2 dives
Day 11: 2 dives

Can I do night diving here?

Yes, there are a few night dives on the itinerary. They can’t take place every night, because sometimes the boat has to head to the next location around that time.

Can I take a diving course here?

Yes, by arrangement you can take a PADI course.

Diving equipment

Are the tanks DIN or INT?

Both tanks are available.

Are there any 15L tanks?

Yes, there are 10 15L tanks available; they are free to use. Please let us know as soon as possible, because there aren’t enough 15L tanks for everyone on board.

Can I dive here with nitrox and what is the cost?

The cost for nitrox is € 6 per tank or € 130 for the entire trip.

Can I rent diving equipment here and what is the cost?

Description	Price
Full Set* (Full Set – items marked*)	€ 40
BCD* item	€ 15
Regulator – with octopus and gauges* set	€ 15
Wetsuit – shorty* item	€ 10
Wetsuit – long* item	€ 10
Mask/Snorkel* set	€ 10
Full Foot Fins* item	€ 10
Open Heel Fins plus Boots set	€ 15
Compass item	€ 5
Underwater Camera – per day excl.strobe	€ 40
Dive Computer Item	€ 10
Dive Torch item	Free
Weights/weight belt item	Free
Surface Marker Buoy item	Free
15 Litre tank – subject to availability item	Free