Review Author: JoseTamayoHou, Texas

Review Date: 18 Oct 2016

Review Body: I was on board of the Cheng Ho in Oct. 2016. I arrived with lots of expectations after reading about the famous Komodo currents and dive sites and how to cope with a live-aboard for the first time and I want to to enjoy the beauty of the Komodo corals, nudibranchs, mantas and more. Your team help me very quickly to feel comfortable in the water and the boat and I was able to enjoy this unique experience. It was an excellent value for money trip and the visit to the Komodo diving area is one of the best around the world. The Cheng Ho team is great, the people is very friendly, organized, preparing and coordinating the tasks always on time, safety is a high concern and they were always around supporting us with any additional request. The reception and pickup at the flores Hotel was very on time as planned and my departure for the airport too. The Cheng Ho boat was better than expected, the single room on the top deck was confortable, good AC, hot/cold water and a lot of space. The living areas are very big too. The food in the boat was nice, presenting a good variety during the days, it was good to congratulate the cook and kitchen team. I am sure now that I will do live-aboard again. The dive masters and diving teams were always taking us to the best places, showing the creatures and controlling that we do not disturbe unnecessarily the animal life at sea or while visiting the Komodo dragon. For your consideration, the tanks were usually near 3000 psi, I know it is ok most of the time, I suggest to ensure the tanks are always over 3000 psi. I will highly recommend the trip to the Komodo dive sites in the Cheng Ho.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: neil1018, Philippines

Review Date: 23 Jul 2019

Review Body: We just finished a 5 day diving trip in the land of the dragons with 15 pax on board the Cheng Ho. It was a first time for me in Komodo and also a first time to board a Phinisi, my expectations of the boat, the crew, and the dive sites were met with more than what I had expected. As a full time scuba instructor I was delighted to see how the dive staff of the boat showed and performed safe dive practices during our dives, how keen their attention to detail was underwater, and the dive briefings were followed spot on to every detail. What I liked most about this boat and its crew was that the whole time we were on board it felt spacious and it seemed that we were the only ones there and on the last night when every member of the crew was introduced I didn't think that they were that many of them on board, I know the boat was big but its how the staff gave you the feeling of having your own space and privacy was what I commend. A big shout out to our Cruise Director Mark for handling our group with such profession. To the kitchen staff who made simple but amazing dishes for everyone to enjoy. To the dive masters who were always quick to lend a helping hand top side and underwater. To the boat crew who always had us in mind making sure that we were always in good calm waters regardless of the moments when winds would really blow. I would definitely come back and board sea safari cruises.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: kpbingham

Review Date: 19 Aug 2016

Review Body: We've just finished our 6d/5n Diving Liveaboard on the Cheng Ho, and really enjoyed it. The crew and diving have been great. With a particularly amazing finale where we spent 30 minutes watching a Manta ray at a cleaning station. Our dive guide Nanang worked really hard to make sure we saw everything we wanted, and there have been some fantastic dive sites along the way. The boat is large and comfortable with plenty of lounging and relaxing areas, and our top deck room was spacious. The scenery on the trip is gorgeous, and we were fortunate to get two opportunities to see komodo dragons. Many thanks to the crew.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Virginia_Yukon

Review Date: 21 Oct 2017

Review Body: I was lucky enough to be able to join the Sea Safari VII for a Komodo trip in early October - excellent experience all the way around! Diving was amazing (sites and marine life that you cannot see anywhere else), and the liveaboard itself was great - super-stable (although there wasn't much open water on the trip, there were a few bouncy bits), extremely clean and well-run. Our dive guide, Ronny, was experienced and knowledgeable - terrific to dive with. Loved their purpose-built dive boats that we used as well - easy to get off/on. Boat staff were super-helpful as well.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: howard1652, USA

Review Date: 28 Nov 2018

Review Body: Our boat, with 12 passengers, departed the port town of Sorong on Papua New Guinea for a 9 day snorkeling trip in the area called Raja Ampat, which is now mostly within a national park. The boat and cabins were small but comfy, the food good and plentiful. The guides were amazing, friendly, knowledgeable, and in the water with us pointing out fish and other colorful sea animals, including coral. This was my best snorkeling experience ever and the coral was healthy, lots of beautifully colored fish. I highly recommend it. Go see it while it lasts.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: sunny111, Indonesia

Review Date: 22 Mar 2018

Review Body: I have just returned from a week long diving trip to Raja Ampat on Sea Safari 8. Overall the experience was great. The crew were amazing, everything was well organized, clean, tidy and comfortable. The food was good (maybe a bit too good - I ate far too much!). The diving was amazing - with great a dive master onboard. The team did everything they could to accommodate the group of divers and a solo snorkler in the group was always looked after too! I can highly recommend them!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Eskatod, Mali

Review Date: 26 Nov 2017

Review Body: Pro Excellent friendly and capable staff with an extremely good and knowledgeable Dive Leader Andi. Good Food Good dive sites. Dive protocols, safety etc seemed excellent. Even Better if All advertising and web sites show fully rigged sailing ships. This was a factor in our choice of boat. We didn’t expect a lot of sailing but did expect some. Actually, the sails were only rigged for one hour for a photo op on the last day. Boat built in 2001 is a little tired and in need of some attention and maintenance. Toilet in our cabin smelt bad for entire trip (apparently other cabins were fine). When there was rain, the dining room had a number of leaks and crew were running around with duct tape. Dive guides were capable but our guy had limited English. Would have been helpful if dive guides spotted less experienced divers early on and offered some coaching. One of party was quite inexperienced and was breaking corals due to limited buoyancy skills; one of the guests who was a dive master wound up offering the necessary coaching which was gratefully received and made a difference. This should have been the guides job if only to preserve the resource. Expensive relative to other locations in the world. Additional costs for mandatory tips, permits etc amounted to between US $500 to US $600. Not well indicated in web site which says upfront, no hidden costs. Drinks were expensive. Overall, the core of this operation is sound and you will have a good time. But a little more attention to the details by operators could improve it to excellent.

Review rating: 4

Review Author: KatieJaneHK

Review Date: 18 Feb 2018

Review Body: Just completed a week of diving on a group trip with Insider Divers which had chosen Sea Safari Cruises for our live-aboard for the week. A seven day trip and they were one of the few companies that was accommodating enough to provide us with a special itinerary so we could see both the south and north of Raja Amput (usually only done for two week trips). The cruise director - Mark was so helpful and him and the rest of the dive masters were very experienced and knowledgeable of the area. As a group we had the boat to ourselves - we were 14 and so had plenty of space (if it had been full to it’s capacity of 24 it could have felt a bit full). The dive set up was really good so we effortlessly squeezed in 3/4 dives each day (apart from one day due to bad weather). As a wooden boat it was quite noisy which did impact sleeping (you need ear plugs) but otherwise very comfortable and food was great. The biodiversity of Raja Amput was very impressive and we had a very special week of diving - I felt the staff went above and beyond to make it an enjoyable trip. Insider Divers made this extra special by adding to experience with guest speakers and presentations - all in all I felt we couldn’t have been better looked after.

Review rating: 4

Review Author: paulinewong1111

Review Date: 04 Mar 2018

Review Body: Had an awesome week of diving the Raja Ampat with the Sea Safari 8, organised by Insider Divers. A week of fantastic diving experience with a special itinerary coordinated between Mark, the Cruise director and Simon from Insider Divers. Great boat, lots of space for the 14 of us, awesome dive deck, superb customer service, great food, very experienced divemasters, and always greeted by a smile. As the Sea Safari VIII is a wooden boat, be prepared to have some noise during sleep time, but noise cancelling ear phones or earplugs work wonders!! Highly recommended if anyone is heading to Raja Ampat, to join the Sea Safari 7-days itinerary (or even more days), arrives and departs from Sorong, easy!

Review rating: 4

Review Author: olddiver94

Review Date: 25 Sep 2018

Review Body: This will be a mixed review as I guess most people experience. Let me break it down. We sailed on the Sea Safari VII this September and dove in Komodo, Indonesia. The diving was probably the best my wife and I have experienced in 5 liveaboards and 24 dive trips. We've dived around the world from the Red Sea to Maldives to Bonaire and Thailand and the Philipine Islands. This was our first trip to Indonesia and the diving was both extremely exciting to somewhat boring. Visibility was very questionable to poor at times but I understand that is common during this time of year in Komodo. The first three days of diving were cold with poor vis. The next three days was warm with better vis but the vis was never what I would call outstanding. The dive guide we had was outstanding. Not an instructor but that is not required as we are experienced divers. He pointed out spectacular small stuff and some wonderful Mantas. We were able to dive in the currents with confidence that our guide was extremely familiar with the current and would not steer us wrong. The currents were strong at times and we had to pull along the bottom from rock to rock at times and hooked into the reef several times for either rest or to watch the blue for large fish. Our guide was always there for help if needed but true guidance at all times. The staff was hard working and very accommodating. They enthusiastically welcomed us back to the boat after each dive and handled our gear without the first complaint. Tanks were filled before each dive and Nitrox checked and double checked before each dive. (as an aside I feel like the charge for Nitrox at $20/day was a slight bit high but I was in the minority on the boat) The staff was the unsung hero of the trip. Very good people. The food was mediocre, in my opinion, at best. We are not "American food only" kind of people but the food was less that desirable. That's not to say the cook staff wasn't always cooking and working hard but the outcome just wasn't great. Also, dinner wasn't available until after the night dive. The night dive took place at 6:30 (if memory serves) so dinner wasn't eaten until about 8:00. A bit late especially when the anchor was pulled or dropped at 2:00 AM or4:00 AM so people turned into pumpkins early. The boat,while charming, was in need of dry dock. Our room was directly under the dive deck and the ceiling leaked. All the water that came on board at the end of dives or when the wet suit or camera tank was emptied ran right over our room and found its way in. When notified the crew did attempt to rectify the situation almost immediately but ultimately the fix was to put a towel on the floor to catch the drip. The shower was sketchy. Sometimes we had warm water and sometimes the toilet flushed. Quaint. Other cabins commented they had no shower water at all and they showered in the dive deck shower. Our cabin, being the most forward on the first floor, had a slanted floor and therefore the bed was slanted side to side. Not anything we didn't adjust to and ultimately was quite comfortable. So I give the diving a 9 of 10 (some was 12 out of 10 and some was 6 of 10), dive guide 10, staff 9, food 4, boat 5. And after all that my wife says Indonesia is one of the few places that she would love to go back to.

Review rating: 3

Review Author: TeresaC626, Hong Kong

Review Date: 13 Dec 2017

Review Body: ~ had chartered SS8 for a 7D Raja Ampat trip ~ reasonable price ~ spacious room and other faclities (12 guests out 18 capacity if full house) ~ camera station next to dinning area, with electrical socket, space for approx. 6 persons ~ buffet food, western and indonesian style, taste reasonably well ~ dive briefing was clear, but may be a bit different from actual diving, probably due to changing current (?) ~ dive guides are cautious on safety ~ sighting of guides varied quite a lot ~ the boat crew provided v professional service and hospitality ~ overall,money for value about the crew and facilities, with varying service and feeling on the diving aspect

Review rating: 3

Review Author: Claudio L, Spain

Review Date: 15 Nov 2018

Review Body: We have had a scuba cruise in Komodo with Sea Safari group on the boat Cheng Ho. We made our booking through PADI TRAVEL. I want to inform you that never I will book again a travel with PADI for the following reasons: - PADI was not able to indicate the correct time of the scuba cruise departure; - PADI was not able to indicate the correct water temperature during the cruise; - PADI gave me a wrong information about the hair dryer on board; - we had the worst cabin on Cheng Ho boat, this may happen of course, but the cabin is completely different from what it looks like in the images; in the map of the boat the surface in square meters is that of the ceiling, but in reality the floor is less than half the space PADI sells ! Moreover I want not to say anything about the bathroom, where you must be a yoga practitioner if you are taller than 170 cm. and you want to have a shower. I took photos of cockroaches too. This lousy room should cost much less than the others and when I booked the travel there were still 5 available rooms, so that means that Sea Safari probably considers PADI and their clients as second-rate people - we have chosen Cheng Ho because there is the possibility to have nitrox on board, but it was a pity because, despite we reserved all our dives with nitrox, it was possible only for one day; - at the end PADI have taken the payment steps automatically without any warning (this means that I could not change my credit card details or bank account). My suggestion is that PADI must deal only with what you know how to do in future. My cabin was n. 107

Review rating: 2

Review Author: Laura b

Review Date: 08 Dec 2018

Review Body: Our opinion about this boat is a poor one although we had great dives, good food and friendly staff. The fact is that we had the cabin n.107 and my husband had already explained the fact in his review ( 3 weeks ago). I think that n107 and the opposite one should cost less than others. Others are more confortable and bigger. A part from that another poor experience we had booking with PADI travel. Now I won't repeat the same things that my husband has written, but I 'd like to share few pictures for showing how really is the cabin 107 with cockroaches included. My last suggestion is: Cheng Ho may put a bigger tank for washing our wetsuit because the tank for washing mask and camara is bigger than that.

Review rating: 2

Review Author: Jonathan G, Hong Kong

Review Date: 26 Feb 2017

Review Body: This review is not reflective of the crew onboard Sea Safari VI(SS6) but rather what was witnessed by us from one of Sea Safari's other boats, the Sea Safari VIII. On the last day of the cruise (17/02/2017) while diving the 'Blue Magic' dive site at approximately 8am and at the same time as the passengers from the Sea Safari VIII(SS8), our entire group of 8 divers witnessed some significantly destructive diving practices being carried out by the divers of SS8. The large group of divers belonging to a single tour group being led by a Malaysian Chinese tour leader were breaking off, standing on and generally causing significant damage to the coral reef and other areas of the surrounding dive site. It was so blatant that 2 of the divers actually had large chunks of coral stuck to their wetsuits. After witnessing this and seeing no intervention by the DMs or other divers from SS8 my girlfriend whom is Indonesian approached them and signaled them to please remove themselves from the coral. This was met by something I can only describe as a physical attack on her by one of the male divers from SS8. He positioned himself above her and began kicking her back and tank forcing her down towards the reef. He then began to cock his fist in an attempt to punch her in the face. All of this as a result of what have been perceived as a loss of face for him in front of his other Chinese buddies. After many years of diving, witnessing this was certainly a first for me. If this attack had been carried out on land it would certainly of resulted in the arrest of the man who carried it out and some serious explaining as to why he thinks it's acceptable to beat on a 46kgs girl who was simply trying to protect the (her) environment. SS6 groups dive was immediately ended and afterwards we decided to pay a visit to the crew of SS8 to discuss this physical assault and the blatant destruction of the reef with the individuals in charge and to clarify exactly what had happened. As expected our visit was met with denials, counter accusations, verbal abuse and threats of further physical abuse this time towards myself and my girlfriend. The crew onboard SS8 showed zero interest in policing their divers and it became very clear that there would no positive resolution. The only thing we did learn is that the diver who carried out the assault is certified as a DM! Therefore we left and are now pursuing the option of a formal complain with the local authorities. As much as we would love to give a more positive review for SS6 we simply can not support a company that appears to be supporting destructive diving practices.

Review rating: 1

Itinerary Day 1

Itinerary Summary: Sail & Dive at Sebolan

Itinerary Description: 11.30am: Sail from Labuan Bajo to the first dive site at Sebolan Island.

Itinerary Day 2

Itinerary Summary: Swim with an abundance of colourful and energetic sea life

Itinerary Description: Morning to afternoon: Visit Canibal Rock, Banana Island, Yellow Wall, Torpedo Alley

Itinerary Day 3

Itinerary Summary: Island hopping adventure.

Itinerary Description: Morning to afternoon: Visit Manta Alley, Lohok Sera Bay and Komodo Island

Itinerary Day 4

Itinerary Summary: Swim with an abundance of colourful and energetic sea life

Itinerary Description: Morning to afternoon: Visit Castle Rock, Gili Lawa Laut, Crystal Rock

Itinerary Day 5

Itinerary Summary: Today you will meet famous Komodo Dragons

Itinerary Description: Morning: Dive at Batu Balong Afternoon: Visit Tatawa Kecil and Rinca Island

Itinerary Day 6

Itinerary Summary: Today, you will arrive at Labuan Bajo as your dive trip comes to an end

Itinerary Description: Morning: Breakfast, then drop off at Labuan Bajo