Perama

We booked directly with Perama following some questionable reviews about third party operators and they answered any queries we had leading up to the trip professionally. We did the 5 day 4 night Komodo tour and it is one of the best things I've ever done. The crew are awesome, they all seem like one big family and are always laughing and having a good time which it contagious. The party at the start was great fun, make sure you join in! Every stop was incredible. The snorkeling at the pink beach, the swimming in an old volcano, the baby white tips, the waterfall jumping, many beaches, sunsets, cave tours, botanical gardens and one of the best experiences was having lunch at a homestay with a lovely family who were so welcoming. Then of course the Komodos. We were incredibly lucky to see 12 on Komodo Island (including a Figg between 2 big ones) and another 6 or 7 on Rinca Island. I saw some of the best views of my life on this trip but be prepared to hike for them. There were some long sails on the boat but it's good to have time to relax. I often get travel sick but only felt sea sick once on the ride back as the wind was really strong, making it very choppy. Food was amazing and traditional. Honestly couldn't sing their praises enough, I would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Indonesia.

Wanted a speedboat to Komodo island. And this was one of the only companies who provide them. It's excruciatingly expensive for what you get. There were 12 of us crammed into a tiny speedboat with no room to move. The snorkelling equipment was average to poor, and the whole day was rushed. We also asked for vegetarian food and this wasn't honoured so we ended up with a meat meal which we couldn't eat. Did the job getting us to the islands and back In a quick and smooth manner, but not worth £90!!!!

My friend and I booked the 2 Day/ 2 Night boat tour from Komodo (Labuan Bajo) to Lombok. The tour itself was great! We booked the deck class. The mattresses and sheets/pillows were sufficient and what we expected for the "backpacker" class. The first night you sleep out in the harbor so the boat can leave around 5 am to get out to Rinca Island by 8 am. We arrived a little late, we had booked dives and weren't able to meet at the official starting time but this wasn't an issue. The boat was still at the pier when we arrived and dinner was still available for us as well. The welcome party was pretty entertaining. The customers on the boat weren't all that into it but the crew and the staff from the office in town had a great time and were very entertaining, doing line dances and trying their hardest to get the rest of us on the dance floor. Sleeping was fine. Even the second night when you're traveling across open water, in our case wasn't rough (though we heard it can be), they lower plastic shades to block the wind which kept us from freezing on the deck. The stop in Rinca is optional. It's an additional fee and we had already done the dragon trekking on Komodo so we skipped it. The other snorkeling stops and the waterfall was good fun. There's a rope swing at the waterfall and you can jump off one of the platforms off the boat as well. Nothing felt rushed as there is ample time for the activities. The meals were pretty tasty - local Indonesian fare - and plenty of food. The bathrooms were the only downside, but it's to be expected on a boat. Everything is just always wet in these combined toilet/shower rooms. The only issue we had was when we arrived at the port in Lombok, they told us they couldn't drop us at our accommodation even after we had confirmed with both the office in Labuan Bajo and the crew on the boat that it shouldn't be an issue, Transportation to the west side of the island is included in the trip which is a 3 hour drive from the east side of the island. Our accommodation was a 10 minute drive from the harbor and therefore not included. There was a lot of arguing back and forth (some of the first "not nice" Indonesians I've come across) resulting in one of the staff charged us an additional 100,000 Rupiah to personally drive us to our accommodation. I thought is was a little unprofessional. Too bad this is how the trip ended.

We enjoyed a magical three days on the boat tour of Komodo National Park with Perama. We were a couple and were surprised to find that we were the only passengers on the boat, along with our guide and the three boat crew. Everyone on the boat (in our case the crew of 'Alila', captained by The Master) was very welcoming and experienced at their job. We paid about 10 million rupiah for the 2 people, which I thought was great value. We chose this particular itinerary because it included Padar Island, which was a highlight. Other reviewers here complain about the time spent on each island and at first it surprised me too. The islands are strictly controlled - much more so than national parks in Australia. The guides are instructed to bring their guests to the islands for no more than about 2 hours, so be ready for this. The contact with the dragons is also limited. They are wild animals, and they have a big island to hang out on. The walk along the designated track may or may not find many or any dragons, and the ones that hang around the village are lethargic and a bit sad. If you want a longer hiking experience on Komodo, and a better chance to see the dragons, you'll need to arrange for 'adventure trekking'. It costs more of course, and will alter the itinerary. That said, once we'd accepted the limitations of the trekking, we were able to enjoy the experience on offer. The boat was slow, which meant we got to enjoy the beautiful scenery slowly moving by. The swimming was so great, as well as the snorkeling. We were lucky to have a great time swimming with the Manta Rays, and our crew we by far the best at finding them. This itinerary is used by many different companies, so you'll see a lot of other boats moving around the islands in a similar way. We found the whole experience deeply relaxing, in a way that we didn't expect. Spending three days at sea, with beautiful scenery and great food. Nothing to do except the occasional swim or trip to shore. We visited a number of islands in Indonesia on this trip, and our time with Perama in the Komodo Islands is probably the most memorable.

We had an amazing time during the 5 days tour exploring Komodo and different islands on the way. The crew is super nice (especially Edy and Hondra who spent the most time with us) and made us feel welcomed and comfortable during the trip. The food was really tasty and everyday was slightly different which was a great touch. We enjoyed all the stops during the trip, some of them are more beautiful than the others but definitely a good mix of places to see. Keep in mind, the first day leaving from Lombok, the tour is mostly around Lombok island so not really on the boat. We stayed in the cabin, which was comfortable and more private, but deck seemed pretty good as well. The only thing that could be improved is the snorkelling equipment. It’s pretty used so we were struggling with it at some points. Hopefully they could get some new ones. In case, bring your own.