Last updated: September 2026 · Prices & availability verified for the 2026/2027 season
Travelling alone and looking at a Komodo open trip? The question our reservations desk hears is rarely “can I join”. It is “do I pay for one bed or for the whole cabin, and what does each cost me?”. This guide answers it the way we do on WhatsApp, with 2026 cabin rates checked on 12 September 2026.
Quick answer: Yes, a solo traveller can join any Komodo 3D2N open trip departure. You pay one of two ways: one bed in a sharing cabin at the listed per-person rate, or a private cabin at single occupancy. Sharing cabins are mixed-gender, beds follow the final cabin arrangement, park fees are quoted separately, and availability is checked for your exact dates and confirmed in writing.
The lowest-priced single bed on the four boats the desk quotes first is the sharing bed in Malca’s Triple Room at USD 330 per person per voyage, 3D2N, 2026 rate as published on the Komodo open trip 3D2N share cabin page and checked 12 September 2026. Every figure below is per person, per 3D2N voyage, 2026, park fees not included. Catnazse and Naturalia publish 2027 open-trip cabin rates on their boat pages; Malca and Ayvara 2027 open-trip rates are quoted on request.
The two ways a solo traveller books a Komodo open trip
Option 1: one bed in a sharing cabin
A sharing cabin is sold per bed: you pay the per-person rate for your bed, and the other beds go to other guests on the same departure. On the four boats whose 2026 open-trip rate sheets the desk works from, sharing beds exist in specific cabins: the Triple Room on Malca, the Family Rooms (Grandis 3 and 4) on Catnazse, and the Tide cabin on Naturalia. Ayvara lists no sharing cabin, and partner boats on the open-trip page may list their own, confirmed per date. The trade-off is that you share the cabin, and its bathroom, with guests you have not met.
Option 2: a private cabin at single occupancy
Every other cabin on the open-trip page is a private cabin priced per person on double occupancy: the rate shown is for each of two guests. To have that cabin to yourself, you book it at single occupancy. Where the boat publishes a single-occupancy rate, that rate applies: Malca’s Double Room 1 and 2 list single occupancy at USD 550 against USD 400 per person for two guests. Where it does not, the total is the per-person rate multiplied by two. Single occupancy is quoted at the published basis and is not reduced on request, and the desk does not block a sharing cabin for one guest unless full occupancy is paid. All figures are 2026 rates, checked 12 September 2026; the invoice confirms the amount for your date.
Which cabins are sold per bed on the four boats the desk quotes first
Rates are per person per voyage, 3D2N, 2026, as published on the open-trip page and the boat pages, checked 12 September 2026. No figure includes park fees.
| Boot | Cabin sold per bed | Sharing rate, per person per voyage (3D2N, 2026) | Private cabin example, per person for two guests (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayvara (7 cabins, 15 guests) | None listed; every cabin is private | Not offered | Superior cabin USD 450 per person |
| Malca (7 cabins, 21 guests) | Triple Room: three single bunks, private bathroom | USD 330 | Double Room 1 and 2 USD 400 per person; published single occupancy USD 550 |
| Catnazse (8 cabins, 18 guests) | Family Room, Grandis 3 and 4: queen bed plus two bunks, private bathroom | USD 470 for the double bed, USD 450 per single bunk | Superior cabin, Cafasa 1 and 2, USD 490 per person |
| Naturalia (8 cabins, 24 guests) | Tide, lower deck: double bed plus two single beds, two bathrooms | USD 470 | Lagoon 1 and 2 USD 400 per person |
Two notes on headline figures. The “from USD 300 per person” on the open-trip page is Malca’s Triple Room booked privately by three guests together. A boat page’s from price is likewise its lowest per-person rate at that cabin’s full occupancy: three guests in Malca’s Triple Room, four in Catnazse’s Family Room, two in Ayvara’s Superior and Naturalia’s Lagoon. None of them is a solo rate. For the cabin classes across all party types, see our shared cabin versus private cabin comparison.
Cabin mates: what the desk can and cannot promise
Sharing cabins are mixed-gender, and beds follow the final cabin arrangement
Sharing cabins are mixed-gender. Bed assignment depends on the final cabin arrangement and the overall occupancy of the departure, not on the order of booking. A same-gender cabin mate or an empty bed can be requested and noted, but not promised in advance. What the desk can confirm in writing is the cabin, the bed basis (sharing or private), the departure date and the price.
Solo female travellers: the honest version
Solo female guests book open trips in the same two ways. If a same-gender cabin is essential to you, the reliable answer is a private cabin at single occupancy. Our guide for solo female travellers to Komodo covers the practical side; the cabin policy on this page applies when you book.
What the per-person price includes, and what is quoted separately
The per-person rate covers your bed or cabin for the 3D2N voyage plus:
- all meals on board: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks at set times
- drinking water, coffee and tea throughout the trip
- snorkelling equipment, with life jackets available on board
- pickup and drop-off within the Labuan Bajo area once you share your hotel details
- the destinations and activities listed in the published 3D2N itinerary
Quoted separately: Komodo National Park entrance and ranger fees, at the rate set by the park authority for your travel date. The desk can arrange the tickets with each guest’s full name, passport or ID number, gender and nationality, and adds the fee to your invoice; purchased park tickets are non-refundable. Also outside the per-person rate: alcoholic drinks, diving, flights, travel insurance and crew gratuities.
Departures, weekday or weekend, and the hold on one bed
The desk’s scheduled open trips are 3D2N; it does not currently offer a 2D1N open trip, and ask the desk before assuming any longer shared departure exists, since longer stays are quoted as private charters. Weekend departures sail Friday to Sunday. Weekday departures sail Monday to Wednesday on selected boats, listed on the Komodo weekday open trip page. The boat pages publish one 2026 open-trip rate per cabin with no separate weekday column; the weekday page carries its own headline rate, so ask the desk to confirm the rate for a Monday departure. Tell the desk whether you want company or a calmer boat.
Availability for one bed or one cabin is checked per date, because cabin allocation moves in real time. Once you decide, the desk re-verifies the cabin during office hours (09:00 to 17:00 WITA), places a 2 x 24-hour hold (48 hours) and sends the reservation form with your personal deposit link. The booking is valid once the deposit is made through that link; if it is not received within the hold, the cabin is released. Do not pay before the hold is confirmed, and secure the cabin before buying flights.
Paying for a single bed or a single-occupancy cabin
The published Terms and Payment Policy states that a 50% down payment is required to secure a booking, and full payment must be made no later than 30 days before departure. For bookings made one year in advance it states that a 30% deposit is required to confirm the charter, an additional 20% is due 120 days before the trip, and the remaining balance 30 days before departure. The terms and conditions of the respective vessel apply to certain vessels, so for an open-trip bed or cabin the desk confirms the exact deposit and balance schedule on your invoice, and you sign the Terms and Conditions before the invoice is issued.
Payments are non-refundable: after registration the deposit is forfeited, and a cancellation cannot be refunded, rescheduled or transferred to another trip, but you may nominate a replacement person to take your place. In force majeure (adverse weather, government regulation, flight cancellation and similar events) the trip may be changed or cancelled without a refund, so we recommend travel insurance covering cancellation.
Flights around a 3D2N when you travel alone
Day-one pickup is between 08:00 and 09:00 from your hotel in Labuan Bajo, with the boat sailing at about 10:00, so arrive the day before. On the last day the boat docks between 11:00 and 12:00 at the latest, the harbour is 10 to 15 minutes from Komodo Airport, and drop-off at your hotel or the airport is included, so book a return flight departing at 14:00 or later. The full timing guide is in our post on Komodo boat tour pickup and return times for flights.
What a solo day on board looks like
The itinerary on the four boats follows the same pattern, subject to weather, sea conditions and the Harbour Master’s instructions: day one Kelor Island, Manjarite and Kalong Island; day two Padar Island, Komodo Island, Pink Beach and Taka Makassar or Manta Point; day three Kanawa Island, then the return to Labuan Bajo. Meals are at shared tables, treks and snorkel stops are done as a group, and day two starts early for Padar, so evenings are quiet. It is not a party boat; alcohol is not provided on board by default.
When a private charter makes more sense than a solo cabin
If you are travelling with friends, compare the whole-boat price. A 3D2N private charter of Malca is USD 6,000 per package for 1 to 12 guests, the same figure in the 2026 and 2027 private charter rate sheets, checked 12 September 2026; park fees are quoted separately and the terms are confirmed in the individual quotation. The 3D2N Komodo private phinisi tour page lists the itinerary and package prices.
Questions our reservations desk hears
If I travel solo on a Komodo 3D2N open trip, do I have to pay for the whole cabin?
Not if you take a sharing bed. Sharing cabins are sold per bed at the listed per-person rate, from USD 330 per person per voyage in Malca’s Triple Room (2026 rate, checked 12 September 2026). For a private cabin to yourself you pay single occupancy: the published single-occupancy rate, or the per-person rate multiplied by two.
Which cabins can I book as a single bed instead of a whole cabin, and on which boats?
On the four boats the desk quotes first: the Triple Room on Malca (USD 330), the Family Rooms Grandis 3 and 4 on Catnazse (USD 470 for the double bed, USD 450 per single bunk) and the Tide cabin on Naturalia (USD 470); Ayvara lists no sharing cabin. Partner boats on the open-trip page can list their own sharing cabins (Mosalaki’s Kelimutu Room is listed at USD 460 per person as a sharing cabin); the desk confirms those per date. Rates are per person per voyage, 3D2N, 2026, checked 12 September 2026.
Will my cabin mate in a sharing cabin be the same gender as me?
We cannot promise that. Sharing cabins are mixed-gender, and beds are assigned from the final cabin arrangement and the overall occupancy of the departure. A same-gender request is noted, not confirmed. If it is essential, book a private cabin at single occupancy.
How is single occupancy of a private cabin priced on a Komodo open trip?
Private cabins are priced per person on double occupancy. For one guest the total is the per-person rate multiplied by two, unless the boat publishes a single-occupancy rate: Malca’s Double Room 1 and 2 list USD 550 for single occupancy against USD 400 per person for two guests (2026, checked 12 September 2026).
Is the Komodo National Park fee included in the per-person open trip price?
No. Park entrance and ranger fees are quoted separately at the rate set by the park authority for your travel date. The desk can arrange the tickets and add them to your invoice. Purchased park tickets are non-refundable.
How far ahead should a solo traveller book one bed, and can the desk hold it for me?
Sharing beds are a small part of each boat’s cabin plan, so send your date early and ask for live availability. Once you decide, the desk re-verifies the cabin during office hours, places a 2 x 24-hour hold and sends your deposit link; the bed is secured when the deposit is made. Secure the bed before you buy flights.
To book one bed or one cabin, send your date and the words “travelling solo” to the reservations desk on WhatsApp +62 811 3810 8110 or [email protected], or start from the Komodo open trip 3D2N share cabin page. The desk checks the boats on the open-trip page for that date and confirms the cabin basis and the price in writing before any payment.
