Komodo Resort

My first time in Indonesia with my snorkeling pal and an organized group for two weeks. The first resort was Komodo. We were not disappointed in the least! The promises of uncompromising ocean abundance delivered and exceeded expectations! The friendly resort staff and exuberant ocean guides made us welcome, safe and well fed! Our cottage was constructed in quaint traditional style with views of the reefs and surrounding islands. And Yes air conditioning. Added bonuses; our gear was cleaned and ready for us the next day. House reef was available for exploration as often as we liked and just a short walk to the pier. There was a bar with beer and wine and very refreshing cocktails. Managers were checking in with us regularly to make sure we were comfortable. They went the extra for us and constructed a hand rail for the steep steps into our cottage. Menu choices varied every day. Chef accommodated all dietary needs. I found the traditional dishes were the best tasting and consistent. If you love spices you’ll be happy. Let them know if you cannot tolerate. I will remember most the kindness and joy of the boat staff! They are a happy, helpful crew. Made me smile hearing them sing old American songs! Nothing better than a little Elvis at 8:30 in the morning before getting wet! If you are planning a trip don’t miss this location!

Went here on a trip with a snorkel group and loved every minute. Everything was very clean and comfortable. I had some concerns that the bathrooms would be humid as they did not have AC but it did not seem to be a problem. The grounds were beautiful and the food was good. The snorkeling was amazing. Our small group was split into two smaller groups with large comfortable boats. I may need to buy one of those bean bags. Both boats had several guides who were very attentive. We did receive briefings before our snorkels with visuals that discussed the reef, our snorkel plan, and the current. The guides were able to point out and identify smaller sea life I would have missed as well as being aware of everyone in the group and checking on us. We saw turtles, sharks, mantas, eels and so much more. All of the staff at the resort were so wonderful, it was just as sad leaving them as the resort. I also enjoyed checking out the tide pools at low tide. Don't forget to check out the house reef. It goes a long was and was nice enough that other boats and liveaboards were bringing people over.

To be balanced, this review will detail the GOOD, BAD and the UGLY to help those choosing where to snorkel in Indonesia and to Komodo Resort and Dive Club Management in the hope they will take action to improve. Some context: we were a group of 10 + our tour company trip leader, on a snorkeling-specific tour to Alor and Komodo Resort and Dive Club (KR) . All of us are experienced international snorkelers, have been to multiple snorkel resorts/liveaboards. The GOOD: The resort/scenery and house reef. The Komodo area and the site of the resort are otherworldly; with islands having little vegetation vs. jungle. The welcoming ice-cold washcloths were a treat. The accommodations are comfortable with a desk with handy plugs/converter, mosquito netting and a drying rack on the front porch. The enclosed bathroom (vs. the more typical open-air versions in other resorts) got hot in the afternoons but was OK. Each bungalow has its own set of chaise lounges with an umbrella at the water’s edge. The open-air restaurant and beach bar offer serene views. An ala carte menu with daily specials offered a great deal of choice. The entrees ranged from just fine to very good, and breakfast and desserts were excellent. The house reef is wonderful and gets better the farther you go away from the dock. Home to stunning hard and soft corals, we saw a turtle and repeatedly a large cuttlefish and octopus. It is so good that, several times a day, small boats from liveaboards brought groups of snorkelers to swim it. Having read the reviews of the resort prior to the new ownership taking over last year, it is clear that responding to past complaints about food and the shabbiness of furniture was the priority of the new owners. The food and condition of the resort are both good. Unfortunately, the reverse is true about our main reason for being there: having an exceptional snorkeling experience. The BAD: we experienced serious problems at the resort around the poor quality of Snorkeling Briefings, Guides and Sites. The Diving/Snorkeling at Komodo is now run by Neptune Scuba Diving who’s “Experience Komodo Snorkeling” web page says: “As an itinerary the day typically begins … with a proper briefing.” On Day one we were told we would go to 3 sites plus a stop at Manta Point. Stating the number of sites turned out to be the total “briefing.” Listing the number of stops does not a “proper briefing” make. In our collective experience, a proper briefing minimally provides a description of where you are going, what the reef is like, what is commonly seen, and what you might see if lucky. In fact, the standard is to provide a visual, on a screen or whiteboard, before getting in the water. This invaluable information informs everything from layers of swimwear to camera choice and settings and most importantly expectations for why you are spending your limited snorkeling time at this site vs. another or at the great house reef. Here’s why this matters. Our first boat snorke

Wonderful holidays in a beautiful, peaceful and private island. Great diving, amazing house reef, good food, nice rooms and excellent service. We take back home with us the wonderful smiles and kindness of the hardworking people of the resort. A place for real relaxation ! Thank you to all of you ! Betina Adler

Family vocation with a kid of 2 years old, the resort is nice and beautiful, staffs are very friendly and helpful. Room is quite new, balcony is our favorite place to stay, house reef is amazing, so many corals and fish. We all love the vocation in Komodo resort, would like come back again!

Overall experience is so great! Good to stay liveaboard in Komodo Sea Dragon and having a good instructor Jello! A good diving experience during this holiday and totally satisfied with the services. This is a recommended place to visit and for booking definitely.

The atmosphere on the boat makes people feel comfortable and relaxed. Every meal is different, especially my favourite calamari and laska soup. The taste is impeccable and the ingredients are very fresh. Manager Jello's itinerary planning is very reasonable and experienced. The short three-day and two-night trip made me meet a new friend of the whole ship. We are just like a big family and Keep no secrets from each other. This is a very memorable memory. I will never regret choosing them as a team.

The Island is beautiful and the Resort has a fantastic location, being the only one inside the Komodo National Park. The house reef is fantastic! The price is fair for what it offers since is a full board and food is good and abundant. The rooms are simple but ok, would benefit from an update. The staff is nice but not very well prepared, they communicate very poorly and we as guests lack indication of what do do with Towels and other services. We choose to make our Tours while at this Hotel but prices are outrageous, more expensive than in Labuan Bajo although we are much closer. For a one day tour we paid more than 130 USD/person and my 9 Old Son paid the same! Also they say they include boar transfer but the boat leaves at 8h30 a.m. and even if you have an afternoon flight you have to loose half a day at the resort or to pay extra! Overall we enjoyed ver much the Resort, although there are many things to improve.

I went on a 7 day diving trip on the Komodo Sea Dragon boat. It was a very good experience, the cabins were superb with a balcony and had plenty of space for us three. I also did my PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification while on the boat. Jello was my instructor, who really put a lot of effort in my diving experience, so I would always feel safe, even in challenging situations like drift or depth diving. He also never got tired of emphasizing the importance of diver safety and 1-on-1 diving with me. The rest of the crew were really nice as well, so we always felt welcomed and cared for. Especially Alan was always so warm and welcoming.