Malca vs Ayvara vs Catnazse vs Naturalia: Which Boat Fits Whom

Last updated: September 2026 · Prices & availability verified for the 2026/2027 season

Malca, Ayvara, Catnazse and Naturalia sail the same Komodo National Park route from Labuan Bajo. Ayvara and Catnazse suit a couple who wants a private balcony. Malca, Catnazse and Naturalia carry cabins for a family of three or four. Malca takes a solo guest on a shared bed; any of the four charters whole. Our reservations desk answers that question most days. Komodo Luxury (Labuan Bajo, since 2015) prices and schedules these four boats itself, so every figure below comes from our own rate cards.

How do Malca, Ayvara, Catnazse and Naturalia differ at a glance?

The short version: Malca Voyages is the fast boat with a jacuzzi on deck and the widest cabin mix, seven cabins for up to 21 guests including two bunk cabins. Ayvara Cruise is the small boat, seven doubles for 15 guests, three with a private balcony. Catnazse Liveaboard is the 34-metre phinisi with two bathtub suites. Naturalia Cruise is the three-deck phinisi for up to 24 guests with hot water in every cabin. Malca vs Ayvara is the pairing guests ask about most. Komodo Luxury is a specialist maritime brand under Juara Holding Group; its charters are operated by PT Komodo Bahari Nusantara.

From our reservations desk. Of 11,254 guest messages to our concierge desk (2025 to 2026), 314 compared boats, and 372 sit in the wider recommendation cluster (3.31 percent, 228 conversations). The questions, in order. What is the difference between your boats (74 messages, 57 conversations). Which boat for a couple, a family or a group (62 / 49). Do the deluxe cabins have a balcony (225 / 124). Which cabins connect for a family of five (99 / 62). Can I join solo in a shared cabin (116 / 84). This post answers them in that order.

In the coordination log our desk keeps with captains and guides, these four boats account for 61 percent of the 2026 trip lines: Malca 177 mentions, Ayvara 176, Naturalia 157, Catnazse 156. The spread is even.

Boat	Size and speed	Cabins and guests	Private balcony	Cabins for 3 to 4	On board
Malca	30 m; 15 to 16 knots	7 cabins, up to 21 guests	Master Ocean View (bathtub)	Quad Room, Triple Room (bunks)	Jacuzzi on deck; no hot water
Ayvara	25 m; since August 2025; 9 to 10 knots	7 cabins, 15 guests	Master, both Deluxe	None; extra bed in the Master	Rooftop deck
Catnazse	34 m phinisi of 2024; 7 to 10 knots	8 cabins, 18 guests	Santalum 1 and 2 suites (bathtub)	Grandis 3 and 4 (queen plus two bunks)	Diving on private charter; packages to 12D11N
Naturalia	33 m, three decks; since January 2026; 7 to 9 knots	8 cabins, 24 guests	Azure, Sandal, Aurea (bathtub or jacuzzi)	Breeze, Aurea, Tide	Air-conditioned lounge; hot water in every cabin

Which boat for a couple or a honeymoon?

Any of the four, in a double cabin on a shared 3D2N: the cabin is yours, and couples are not paired with strangers. A Komodo open trip is a scheduled shared sailing of three days and two nights, sold per cabin, on a fixed Friday-to-Sunday or Monday-to-Wednesday rhythm. Private balconies sit on Ayvara’s Master and both Deluxe cabins, Malca’s Master Ocean View, Catnazse’s Santalum 1 and 2 suites, and Naturalia’s Azure, Sandal and Aurea.

Published per-person rates for two on a shared 3D2N: Ayvara Superior USD 450 and Malca Double Room USD 400, unchanged in 2027. Naturalia Lagoon is USD 400 in 2026 and USD 450 in 2027. Catnazse Santalum 1 is USD 680 in 2026 and USD 770 in 2027. Published rate; our team confirms the final quotation. Choose Ayvara for a balcony on a small boat, Catnazse for a suite with a bathtub, Naturalia if hot water in the cabin matters, Malca for the jacuzzi on deck. For a whole-boat honeymoon we are plain about the arithmetic: for a couple it works out higher per person than a shared cabin; the private charter vs open trip per-person cost post sets it out.

Which boat suits a family with small children?

Choose the cabin first, then the boat. Malca has the Quad Room (double bunks) and the Triple Room (single bunks). Catnazse has the Grandis 3 and 4 family cabins, a queen bed plus two bunks. Naturalia has Breeze (two queen beds), Aurea (the family cabin with a private jacuzzi) and Tide (four beds, two bathrooms). Ayvara is doubles only; its Master takes an extra bed. We do not promise adjoining cabins or publish deck plans. Tell the desk the children’s ages and the beds you need; it proposes the cabin pair and confirms it in writing. The ranger-guided walk is planned around a child’s pace; sightings are not promised, and the walk is how you look for the dragons. By headcount, the which boat fits a group of 2 to 24 guests post lists the cabins boat by boat.

Which boat can a solo traveller join, and what does one person pay?

All four appear on the shared calendar, so a solo guest can take a cabin alone on any of them at the single-occupancy rate. The lower figure comes from sharing. Malca’s Triple Room is the one cabin sold per bed, with single bunks and same-gender pairing on request; Catnazse and Naturalia list shared-bed rates as well. Start with the shared 3D2N cabin calendar and name the boat in the booking note; we check availability for your exact dates and confirm it in writing.

Which boat for a group of 8, 12 or 20 as a private charter?

Guest count sets the band. A private charter is the whole boat for your group alone, priced per package by guest band, on dates you choose. A guest band is the passenger range (for example 1 to 12) that sets one package price for the whole boat. On the 3D2N package, whole boat, the 2026 rate cards read: Malca USD 6,000 for 1 to 12 guests and USD 6,700 for 13 to 18. Ayvara USD 6,200 for 1 to 8 and USD 7,000 for 9 to 15. Catnazse USD 7,100 for 1 to 12 and USD 8,000 for 13 to 18. Naturalia USD 8,200 for 1 to 8, USD 9,200 for 9 to 16 and USD 10,100 for 17 to 24. Rate cards of 11 September 2026, checked 24 September 2026; park charges are quoted separately.

By headcount. Up to 8: Ayvara or Naturalia’s 1 to 8 band. From 9 to 12: Malca or Catnazse. From 13 to 18: Malca, Catnazse or Naturalia; Malca’s rate card stops at 18, and guests 19 to 21 are quoted as additional guests. From 19 to 24: Naturalia. Catnazse carries packages up to 12 days and 11 nights and is the one set up for diving, on private charter alone. The whole-boat private charter page and the Komodo yacht charter page carry the other durations.

Do the four boats sail the same route, the same days and under the same park rules?

All four sail Komodo National Park from Labuan Bajo: Padar, Pink Beach, the ranger-guided dragon walk and the manta points. The Harbour Master regulates all sailing, so any itinerary is tentative and may change with sea conditions. The shared calendar runs Friday to Sunday and Monday to Wednesday; which boat sails which departure on your date is read by the desk from the live calendar.

Park rules are the same on every boat. The Komodo National Park ticket is excluded from the trip price and set under PP 36/2024 as displayed by the Balai Taman Nasional Komodo. The tariff table reads IDR 250,000 per foreign visitor per day and IDR 50,000 per Indonesian visitor per day (IDR 75,000 on Sundays and public holidays). Our desk registers guests, pays the park and lists the park line separately on the invoice. Since 22 September 2026 the park authority requires entry on the date printed on the e-ticket (Balai Taman Nasional Komodo, 22 September 2026). Quota belongs to the park and is confirmed at registration; no operator can promise quota. Full notice: park quota update of 22 September 2026.

What changes in the 2027 rates, and what stays the same?

Malca and Ayvara carry the same figures in 2026 and 2027, private charter and open trip alike. Catnazse and Naturalia rise in 2027. On the 3D2N whole-boat package Catnazse moves from USD 7,100 to USD 7,800 for 1 to 12 guests. Naturalia rises across its three bands, for example from USD 8,200 to USD 8,500 for 1 to 8. Per person, Naturalia Lagoon moves from USD 400 to USD 450. The year of your departure sets the column. Bookings reach our desk about two months ahead, so a 2027 sailing booked now is quoted at the 2027 figure.

How do we choose, step by step?

1. Send your dates and guest count. Include the children’s ages and whether you want a shared cabin or the whole boat.
2. Name the cabin need, not the boat. Balcony, bathtub, bunks, a shared bed or a band of 17 to 24: that one fact picks the boat.
3. Read the figure with its basis. One cabin or one band, one year, park charges separate; published rate; our team confirms the final quotation.
4. Hold, then pay. Cabin can only be held for 2 x 24 hours (48 hours), and a reservation is confirmed once payment is received. The balance is due on the balance date printed on your invoice; changes and refunds follow the booking terms on your invoice and our T&C page.
5. Send passport details for the park ticket. Full name as in the passport, passport number, nationality and gender. Our desk registers the ticket for your sailing dates; the park requires entry on the ticketed date.

For a boat outside these four, ask: we work with partner vessels by name, publish neither their rates nor their calendars here, and confirm both during office hours.

Frequently asked questions

Which of the four boats suits a honeymoon?

Ayvara or Catnazse if you want a private balcony for two. Ayvara’s Master and both Deluxe cabins have one on a 15-guest boat; Catnazse’s Santalum suites add a bathtub and a king bed. Naturalia’s Azure and Sandal give a private bathtub and hot water. On a shared 3D2N the cabin is yours alone.

Which boat suits a family with small children?

Malca, Catnazse or Naturalia, because they carry cabins for three or four in one room. Malca has the Quad and Triple Rooms with bunks; Catnazse the Grandis 3 and 4 with a queen bed plus two bunks; Naturalia the Breeze, Aurea and Tide. Ayvara is doubles only. We do not promise adjoining cabins.

Ayvara Superior or Malca Deluxe: what is the actual difference?

Both are ensuite, air-conditioned ocean-view doubles without a private balcony. On Ayvara the balconies belong to the Master and the two Deluxe cabins; on Malca, to the Master Ocean View alone. Malca adds a jacuzzi on deck but has no hot water. Per person on a shared 3D2N: USD 450 for Ayvara Superior, USD 500 for Malca Deluxe, in 2026 and 2027.

Which boats run the shared open trip and which are private charter only?

All four appear on the shared calendar and all four charter whole. The open trip is a scheduled shared 3D2N sold per cabin on a Friday-to-Sunday or Monday-to-Wednesday rhythm. Which boat sails which departure on your date is confirmed by the desk from the live calendar. Diving is Catnazse, on private charter alone.

Do all four boats have Wi-Fi, air-conditioning and ensuite bathrooms?

Yes. Malca, Ayvara, Catnazse and Naturalia are fitted with Starlink, and the signal can dip in some bays. Every cabin on the four is air-conditioned with a private bathroom. Hot water differs: Naturalia has it in every cabin, Malca has none, and for Ayvara and Catnazse the desk confirms it cabin by cabin.

Do the rates of Catnazse and Naturalia change in 2027?

Yes, both rise in 2027, while Malca and Ayvara keep their 2026 figures. On the 3D2N whole-boat package Catnazse moves from USD 7,100 to USD 7,800 for 1 to 12 guests, and Naturalia from USD 8,200 to USD 8,500 for 1 to 8. Per person, Naturalia Lagoon moves from USD 400 to USD 450.

Is the Komodo National Park ticket included in the price on these boats?

No. The ticket is set under PP 36/2024 as displayed by the Balai: IDR 250,000 per foreign visitor per day, IDR 50,000 per Indonesian visitor per day (IDR 75,000 on Sundays and public holidays). Our desk registers guests, pays the park and lists the park line separately on the invoice. Since 22 September 2026 entry is on the e-ticket date alone.

Sources and last reviewed

• Komodo Luxury private-charter rate cards 2026 and 2027 (Final Edition, 11 September 2026) and open-trip rate sheets 2026 and 2027; checked 24 September 2026.
• Komodo Luxury fleet sheets for Malca, Ayvara, Catnazse and Naturalia, 30 August 2026.
• Balai Taman Nasional Komodo, tariff and carrying-capacity page (PP 36/2024), read 24 September 2026.
• Balai Taman Nasional Komodo, announcement PG.46/T.17/TU/KSA.04.01/B/09/2026 on visitor quota distribution, published on its official channels, 22 September 2026.
• Guest enquiries to our concierge desk (2025 to 2026): 11,254 messages, 1,189 conversations; desk coordination log 2026; desk booking records of 2026. Counted 24 September 2026.

Last reviewed 24 September 2026 by the Komodo Luxury Editorial Desk.

If you have your dates, send them with your guest count to the reservations desk on WhatsApp at +62 811 3810 8110 or [email protected]. We check availability for your exact dates, confirm it in writing and send the one figure for your boat, band and year.

By the Komodo Luxury Editorial Desk, Labuan Bajo. Rate-card figures checked 24 September 2026.