Three marinas, twelve operators, dozens of vessels. Your driver knows which pier serves which liveaboard, where to load tanks first, and how to time the tender. Direct from LBJ arrivals to the boat.

Trust strip

★ 4.9 · Bajo Marina · Marina Bayview · Pelabuhan · Manta Rhei, Wicked, Komodo Diving routing · Dive gear sequencing · Fixed price from $40

Labuan Bajo’s marina is actually three marinas

Travellers arriving for a Komodo liveaboard typically know the boat name, the operator, and the departure date. They almost never know which pier the boat actually leaves from — because Labuan Bajo’s “marina” is in fact three separate piers about 1.5 km apart along the harbour, plus offshore anchorages used by larger vessels.

Bajo Marina (Plaza Marina Komodo, attached to Meruorah hotel) — the busiest, used by most luxury phinisi and the AYANA Lako di’a tender. Concrete pier with shaded waiting area.
Marina Bayview — smaller wooden pier slightly south, used by some mid-tier operators and for tender pickup to outlying dive sites.
Pelabuhan / older jetty — the original harbour, used by smaller dive day boats and budget liveaboards.
AYANA / Sudamala beach tender point (Zone C, Waecicu Beach) — only used if your liveaboard is anchored off the resort beach rather than at the city marina.

Airport to liveaboard Komodo is the route we run more than any other. Our drivers can recite which operator uses which pier on which day of the week. Manta Rhei runs from Pelabuhan in the off-season, Bajo Marina during peak. Wicked Diving uses Marina Bayview. Komodo Diving uses Bajo Marina. Aman departures are at Bajo Marina with tender. Aqua Blu anchors offshore and tenders to Bajo Marina pier. We confirm the pier in writing 24 hours before your departure so the gear sequence on the Hiace matches.

How marina liveaboard transfer works

Booking: Tell us liveaboard name, departure date and time, dive operator (if separate from the boat), and number of dive bags.
Pier verification: We confirm with the operator within 6 hours, latest the night before.
Vehicle dispatch: Hiace default. Solo or couple with one bag each can downgrade to Innova.
Gear sequencing: Tanks (if any) loaded first — lowest, heaviest. BCDs vertical. Regulators ride in the cabin. Personal bags on top.
Direct routing: Most marina runs are 11–13 minutes from LBJ. No fuel stop unless requested.
Tender call coordination: If your vessel is at anchor, we WhatsApp the deck crew with your ETA. Tender is at the pier within 5 minutes.
Hand-off: Driver helps the cross from kerb to pier, photographs the gear count once on the boat for your records.
Pre-dawn departures: 04:30 marina runs are routine. Driver arrives 15 min early at hotel, knocks once, never honks.

Pricing for airport to liveaboard transfers

Pier	Drive from LBJ	Innova (1-6)	Hiace (1-10, recommended)	Alphard (1-4)
Bajo Marina	11 min	$25	$40	$75
Marina Bayview	12 min	$25	$40	$75
Pelabuhan / older jetty	13 min	$25	$40	$75
AYANA / Waecicu tender point	18 min	$38	$58	$110
Sudamala Resort Seraya (boat-required)	35 min total	$95	$145	$220

Dive gear bundling free in the Hiace (any number of sets). Late-night surcharge (00:00–04:30) flat $8. Round-trip 10% off when paired with the disembarkation airport return.

Vehicle recommendation

Liveaboard arrivals almost always travel with dive gear plus checked luggage. The Toyota Hiace is built for this — 10 captain seats forward of a cargo zone that holds 14 large bags or roughly four full diver kits without rearrangement. For 1–2 divers with one gear bag and one suitcase each, the Toyota Innova handles it but feels tight; we recommend Hiace for any group of 3+ or for camera-rig owners. The Toyota Alphard is the right call for VIP charter clients (Aman, AYANA Lako di’a) where the brand expectation includes a meet-and-greet feel.

What’s included

Pier verification with operator before pickup
Free dive gear bundling (4+ sets) in the Hiace
Tender coordination if vessel is at anchor
Live flight tracking
Cold water + cold towel + Wi-Fi (Hiace, Alphard)
English-speaking driver briefed on liveaboard norms
Help loading and unloading gear at pier
All taxes, fuel, parking, tolls
Photo of gear count on boat for your records (request in notes)
Pre-dawn pickup capability — see 24-hour transfer

Frequently asked questions

My liveaboard departs at 04:30. Can you pick me up from the hotel?
Yes. Pre-dawn marina runs are roughly one in four of our overnight bookings. Driver arrives 15 minutes early at your hotel, contacts you discreetly via WhatsApp, never honks. The flat $8 late-night surcharge applies between 00:00 and 04:30.

How do I know which pier my boat leaves from?
Tell us the operator and vessel name. We confirm with the operator within 6 hours of booking, latest the night before departure. Manta Rhei, Wicked Diving, Komodo Diving, Blue Marlin, AYANA Lako di’a — we work with all of them and have the pier-by-day-of-week pattern logged.

My vessel is anchored offshore, not at the pier. Can you handle that?
Yes. We WhatsApp the deck crew with your ETA. The tender (small motorboat) meets you at the pier within 5 minutes of arrival. This is normal for Aqua Blu, AYANA Lako di’a, Aman, and most luxury phinisi. We have done this hundreds of times since 2019.

Can my whole dive group fit in one Hiace?
A Hiace seats 10 plus driver. If your group is 6 divers with full kit (12 bags total), one Hiace handles it without strain. Groups of 8+ with full gear should book a Hiace plus a chase Innova for overflow.

Do you handle Sudamala Resort Seraya (island-based liveaboard)?
Yes. Sudamala is on Seraya Island and requires a road transfer (5 km, 13 min) plus a speedboat (20 min) — total 35 min from LBJ. Zone D pricing applies, which includes the boat fare. We coordinate the speedboat with the resort’s marina team.

What about the post-dive return to the airport?
Most liveaboards dock between 07:00 and 11:00 on the final day. Tell us your dock time and your departure flight — we add a 30-minute buffer and dispatch on captain confirmation. Round-trip booking saves 10%.

Are tanks and weights included on liveaboards?
Almost always yes. Indonesian dive operators include tanks, weights, and basic guide service in the per-day price. You travel with personal gear: BCD, regulator, mask-fin-snorkel, dive computer, exposure suit, and any photo rig. The Hiace handles this without strain.

Book your airport to liveaboard transfer

From the LBJ jet bridge to the boat that drops anchor at Crystal Rock — direct, dive-gear-aware, on time.