Zendaya

Zendaya is a 23-metre white phinisi for 14 guests, sailing Komodo National Park out of Labuan Bajo. She runs three-day open trips twice a week and can be chartered whole for one to five days.

The boat

She was built in 2020 and kept deliberately plain: a white hull, white cabins and very little carved trim. She is 23 metres long with a 4-metre beam and runs on a Mitsubishi engine, with a 15 hp speedboat as tender. Meals are served at a long table under the deck canopy, and the bow has bean bags and a shaded lounge for the afternoons. Wifi runs on board, and snorkelling gear and a paddleboard are included.

The cabins

Five cabins, each named after an island in the park, all with air conditioning. None has its own bathroom: guests share three bathrooms with hot water.

• Padar: the master cabin, alone on the upper deck, with a double bed, a sea view and the boat’s only private balcony. An extra bed can be added for a third guest.
• Komodo and Rinca: two private cabins with a double bed and a sea view.
• Kanawa and Sabolo: two share cabins on the lower deck for up to four guests each, the cheapest way on board.

Itineraries

• Day 1: Kelor island for the short climb to the viewpoint, snorkelling at Manjarite, then Kalong at dusk, when thousands of flying foxes leave the mangroves.
• Day 2: the sunrise walk up Padar, Pink Beach, the Komodo dragons with a park ranger on Komodo island, then Taka Makassar and Manta Point, where mantas are often seen but never certain.
• Day 3: Siaba for snorkelling with turtles, then back to Labuan Bajo.

Open trips follow this three-day route from March to December. On a private charter the crew plans the days around the group.

What is included, and what is not

• Included on open trips: hotel or airport pick-up and drop-off in Labuan Bajo, all meals with one barbecue, drinking water, tea, coffee, an afternoon snack and soft drinks, snorkelling gear, a local guide, a bath towel, photos and drone footage of the trip, and Jasa Raharja passenger accident insurance.
• Not included: Komodo National Park fees, paid separately (IDR 650,000 per foreign guest for three days, about USD 35 or EUR 30), flights, the hotel night before the trip, tips for the crew and guide, and beer.
• On a private charter, transfers between your hotel and the harbour are not included.

Who she suits

Families and small groups who want to see the park without paying for a luxury boat. The two lower-deck share cabins keep the price down, and Padar is the pick for a couple who want a balcony. Zendaya is a cruising and snorkelling boat, not a dive boat. Prices are per person on the open trip, or per boat for a charter. Ask us for dates.