Raja Ampat vs Komodo: Which Indonesia Dive Trip in 2026?
by Yannick SchrothAug 3, 20266 min read
Photo: Sergio Monsalve / Pexels.
Best for
- The richest reefs on earth, remote: Raja Ampat, by liveaboard
- Mantas, currents and easier access: Komodo, from Labuan Bajo
| Raja Ampat | Komodo | |
|---|---|---|
| Signature | Richest marine biodiversity on earth | Manta rays, thrilling currents, Komodo dragons |
| Access | Remote West Papua, fly to Sorong then boat | Fly to Labuan Bajo on Flores, boats from town |
| Best done by | Liveaboard (or Misool/homestays) | Liveaboard or day boats from a base town |
| Cost | Higher, remote | More affordable, easier |
| Season | Dry season Oct to Apr | Dry season Apr to Nov |
| Base town | Limited; mostly liveaboard | Labuan Bajo, a real growing base |
| Park fee, diver | IDR 1,000,000 once (a 700,000 marine park permit valid twelve months plus a 300,000 entry ticket | IDR 300,000 per day) marine park entry, diver surcharge and harbour fee |
| Booking | Permit online or on arrival | SIORA booking mandatory from 1 April 2026, no walk-in tickets |
| Best for | The ultimate reefs, if budget allows | Mantas, currents and a base you can work from |
Raja Ampat in short
Raja Ampat, in remote West Papua, has the richest coral-reef biodiversity ever recorded, and diving it properly means a liveaboard (or a stay at Misool or a homestay), reaching sites far from any town. It is the ultimate reef trip, and priced accordingly, with a dry-season sweet spot from roughly October to April. If money is no object and reefs are everything, this is the one.
Komodo in short
Komodo National Park delivers manta rays at Karang Makassar, exhilarating current dives, and Komodo dragons above the surface, all reached from Labuan Bajo on Flores, a town that has grown into a real base with flights, wifi and a nomad scene. Liveaboards and day boats both work here. It is more accessible and more affordable than Raja Ampat, with a dry season from about April to November.
The park fee runs the other way from the flights
Raja Ampat is the dearer place to reach and the cheaper place to stay in the water. Its marine park permit is IDR 700,000 for a foreign visitor and is valid for twelve months, with a separate IDR 300,000 visitor entry ticket on top, about 1,000,000 rupiah, some 57 US dollars, once. Children under twelve are exempt from the permit.
Komodo charges by the day. For an international diver the figure reported across operators is IDR 300,000 a day, made up of marine park entry, a diver surcharge and a harbour fee, about 17 dollars. Ten diving days is 3,000,000 rupiah, roughly 170 dollars, against a flat 57 in Raja Ampat.
So the cost line on the table above is only half the story. Komodo is cheaper to fly to and cheaper to sleep in; past about four diving days the park fee alone starts closing that gap, and a two-week trip inverts it. One more planning point for Komodo: from 1 April 2026 booking through the SIORA system is mandatory for everyone and there are no walk-in tickets, so this is not a decision to leave until you land in Labuan Bajo.
The verdict: Raja Ampat or Komodo
Choose Raja Ampat for the single best reef diving on earth if your budget and time allow the remote liveaboard trip; choose Komodo for mantas, big currents and dragons with far easier logistics and a base town you can actually work from. Many divers do Komodo first and save Raja Ampat as the bucket-list splurge.
Raja Ampat or Komodo: which to pick
- If you want the richest reefs on earth and can afford the remote liveaboard: Raja Ampat.
- If you want mantas, currents and easier access with a real base town: Komodo (Labuan Bajo).
- Both are dry-season trips; assume little connectivity on any liveaboard leg.
FAQ: Raja Ampat vs Komodo
Is Raja Ampat or Komodo better for diving?
Both are world-class. Raja Ampat has the richest reef biodiversity on earth but is remote and best by liveaboard. Komodo offers mantas, dramatic currents and easier access. For sheer reef life, Raja Ampat; for mantas, big currents and logistics, Komodo.
Which is more affordable and accessible?
Komodo, clearly: it is reached from Labuan Bajo on Flores, a growing town with flights, wifi and day boats, making it cheaper and easier than remote Raja Ampat, which usually needs a pricier liveaboard out of Sorong.
Can I work remotely from either?
From Komodo, yes, between dives: Labuan Bajo has become a real base with wifi. Raja Ampat is remote and largely liveaboard-based, so treat it as offline dive time. Neither has usable connectivity at sea.
Sources
- Raja Ampat's marine park permit. Kawasan Konservasi Perairan Raja Ampat, the conservation area's own entry-card service: IDR 700,000 for a foreign visitor, valid twelve months, with under-twelves exempt, plus the separate IDR 300,000 visitor entry ticket registered through SIPARI. kkprajaampat.com. Read 9 September 2026.
- Komodo's daily fee and the booking rule. IDR 300,000 a day for an international diver, combining marine park entry, diver surcharge and harbour fee, and SIORA booking mandatory from 1 April 2026 with no walk-in tickets. Triangulated across three independent operators publishing the 2026 schedule, because the park authority publishes no English fee page: divebooker.com, komodoguide.org and komodoresort.com. Read 9 September 2026.
- The conversion. European Central Bank reference rate of 7 September 2026, 17,647 rupiah to the dollar. frankfurter.dev.
- The full picture for each is on its own guide: Raja Ampat, Labuan Bajo (Komodo).
- How we work: editorial standards.