Raffles Cruise
Raffles Cruise
The night in Labuan Bajo before a 09:30 pickup
Updated 24 October 2026
Book a Labuan Bajo hotel for the night before your Komodo liveaboard. On a multi-day trip Raffles Cruise sends a car to the hotel or the airport at 09:30, and on the full day at 05:00. We ask guests to arrive one day early.
Arrive one day before you sail
Pickup is at 09:30 on a multi-day trip. The full day starts earlier, at 05:00. On the open trip the hour is confirmed with your seat, and 09:30 is the planning figure. A car takes you from your hotel or the airport to the harbour.
The rule is simple: arrive in Labuan Bajo one day before sailing. Destinations may change with weather, currents and National Park or port decisions, which is why a spare night matters. A flight cancelled on the morning of departure leaves no room to recover. A flight cancelled the day before leaves you a whole day.
Nothing in the fare covers that night. Hotel nights in Labuan Bajo are outside the trip price, and so are the flights.
Hotels by district
Marina and town. Meruorah Komodo Labuan Bajo, Komodo Lodge and Triple 888 Suites stand within a few minutes of the harbour. They give the shortest start to a 09:30 pickup.
Airport area. Crowne Plaza Labuan Bajo by IHG and Parlezo by Kagum Hotels suit a late landing. From the airport to the harbour is 2 to 3 km, a drive of around 10 minutes.
Pede Beach. Sudamala Resort Komodo, The Jayakarta Suites Komodo-Flores and Laprima Hotel Labuan Bajo sit along the beach road out of town, a short drive from the pier.
Waecicu Beach. AYANA Komodo Resort, Waecicu Beach, Katamaran Hotel & Resort Komodo and Mohini Komodo Resort are resorts with a longer drive in the morning.
The hills. Loccal Collection Hotel and Villa Domanik look over the bay from above town.
Your hotel and the boat, in one WhatsApp thread
We ask each hotel to confirm its rate for your dates, then line up your arrival, your room and the 09:30 pickup to the boat.
Ask the booking teamAirport area
Crowne Plaza Labuan Bajo by IHG
luxury resort · ~10 min to the harbour
Booking-site rate from IDR 3,200,000
Parlezo by Kagum Hotels
midrange · ~10 min to the harbour
Hills above town
Loccal Collection Hotel
Villa Domanik
boutique · ~10 min to the harbour
Booking-site rate from IDR 1,700,000
Golo Hilltop Hotel
budget · ~5 min to the harbour
Green Hill Boutique Hotel
Marina / town centre
Meruorah Komodo Labuan Bajo
luxury resort · 5★ · ~2 min to the harbour
Booking-site rate from IDR 2,100,000
Komodo Lodge
budget · ~5 min to the harbour
Booking-site rate from IDR 500,000
Triple 888 Suites
Zasgo Hotel
Pu'u Pau Hotel & Coffee Shop
Flamingo Avia Labuan Bajo
midrange · ~5 min to the harbour
Eco Tree O'Tel
Seaesta Komodo Hostel & Hotel
budget · ~5 min to the harbour
Menjaga (boat shuttle from KP3 Pink Harbour)
Menjaga Bay
boutique · ~25 min to the harbour
Pede Beach
Sudamala Resort Komodo
luxury resort · ~10 min to the harbour
Booking-site rate from IDR 3,600,000
The Jayakarta Suites Komodo-Flores
midrange · ~10 min to the harbour
Booking-site rate from IDR 700,000
Laprima Hotel Labuan Bajo
Luwansa Beach Resort
Bintang Flores Hotel
midrange · ~8 min to the harbour
Booking-site rate from IDR 1,050,000
Puri Sari Beach Hotel
Seraya Kecil island (boat transfer)
The Seraya Resort Komodo
luxury resort · ~45 min to the harbour
Wae Kelambu
Bluebell House
budget · ~5 min to the harbour
Wae Rana
Ta'aktana, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa
luxury resort · ~18 min to the harbour
Booking-site rate from IDR 8,050,000
Waecicu Beach
AYANA Komodo Resort, Waecicu Beach
luxury resort · 5★ · ~15 min to the harbour
Booking-site rate from IDR 3,150,000
Plataran Komodo Resort & Spa
luxury resort · ~20 min to the harbour
Booking-site rate from IDR 3,850,000
Katamaran Hotel & Resort Komodo
luxury resort · ~10 min to the harbour
Booking-site rate from IDR 2,500,000
Sylvia Resort Komodo
Mohini Komodo Resort
midrange · ~10 min to the harbour
Waecicu Eden Beach Hotel
boutique · ~20 min to the harbour
Booking-site rate from IDR 1,050,000
We act as a partner agency for every hotel on this page, and the rate we quote is the one the hotel confirms for your dates. No platform fee is added, so it comes out lower than the booking-site rate shown above. Your arrival, your room and the 09:30 pickup (05:00 for the full day) sit in one thread.
Arriving by air, leaving by air after 14:00
Labuan Bajo has a single airport, Komodo International, code LBJ. Most visitors pass immigration at Bali, Jakarta or Surabaya, then fly on. Flying time is about 1 h 10 min from Bali and 1 h 30 min from Surabaya. From Jakarta allow 2 h 30 min to 3 h. Schedules change, so check before you book.
Three-day and four-day trips end around midday in Labuan Bajo, and a car then drives you to the hotel or the airport. Book a flight after 14:00 that day. The full day and the 2-day trip have no fixed return hour, so send us your flight and we tell you what fits.
Two things settle the flight choice. The first is the pickup hour on your first morning, since a landing after midnight is a poor start to a 09:30 boarding. The second is the last day, when the drop-off hour decides how much slack you need before an onward flight. Tell us both flight numbers and we check them against the route.
We advise on flights. We do not sell tickets.
Rooms for the whole party, booked beside the boat
The boat takes 14 at most, and the hotel night before needs rooms of its own. Tell us how many rooms you want and which district you prefer. We ask each hotel to confirm its rate for your dates, then set your arrival, your room and the 09:30 pickup in one WhatsApp thread.
We name no hotel rate in advance. Each hotel confirms its rate for your dates, and we pass the figure to you before you pay.
If your party lands on different flights, send each flight number. For a larger group a private Toyota HiAce with up to 12 seats can replace the shared car, quoted separately.
Reading our hotel list
Each entry shows the district, the style of the hotel and the drive to the harbour in minutes. Where we have seen a rate on a booking site, it is shown beside the hotel as a guide. It is not a quote.
Inside a district the order follows the class of the hotel, not on its popularity. Drive times are approximations to the harbour, and a hotel reached by boat transfer is shown with the transfer time.
The list holds the hotels we know best. It is not a ranking, and a hotel you prefer that is not on it is a fair request. Write to us with the name.
FAQ
Where should I stay the night before?
Stay in the marina and town area if you want the shortest start, close to the harbour. Stay at Pede Beach or Waecicu Beach if you want a resort evening and accept a longer morning drive. Tell us the district and the head count, and we ask the hotels for your dates.
Is there a hotel near the harbour?
Yes. Meruorah Komodo Labuan Bajo, Komodo Lodge and Triple 888 Suites are in the marina and town area, a few minutes by car from the pier. They give the shortest 09:30 start. We ask the hotel to confirm its rate for your dates before you decide.
How do I get from the airport to the boat?
A car meets you and drives you to the harbour, 2 to 3 km and about 10 minutes. Pickup and drop-off at the airport or your hotel are part of the trip. Give us your flight number and the hotel's name, and our written reply, sent ahead of payment, names the pickup point.
Can I leave luggage at the hotel during the trip?
Your hotel decides, so ask it when you book the room, and tell us if you return to a different hotel on the last day. The six cabins have little room for hard cases, and there is no luggage store on board. Bring a soft bag and leave the hard cases behind.
What time do we get back on the last day?
Three-day and four-day trips finish in Labuan Bajo around midday, and a car then runs you to the airport or the hotel. Book a flight after 14:00. The full day and the 2-day trip have no fixed return hour, so we confirm it with you in writing.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes. The transfer to and from the harbour, whether at your Labuan Bajo hotel or at the airport, belongs to the trip. The hour is 09:30 for multi-day trips and 05:00 for the full day, and an open-trip seat comes with its own confirmed hour. Tell us the hotel name early so the pickup point is fixed in writing.
Check availability — Raffles Cruise
Raffles Cruise is booked through PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia. We arrange the pickup, take the payment and keep your booking in order. The boat sails with its own crew of 8.