Gandiva is a luxury phinisi running a premium Komodo shared boat trip from Labuan Bajo every Friday: 12 guests across five air-conditioned cabins named after wayang heroes, with canoes and paddle boards aboard. The 3D2N departure is priced per person, from USD 566.01 in the Bima and Yudistira cabins.
Shared trips have a reputation problem in Labuan Bajo: too many bunks, too many people, too little deck. Gandiva is the counterargument. With only five cabins for twelve guests, her Friday departure feels closer to a small house party than an open trip — and every cabin carries a name from the wayang canon: Arjuna at the top of the deck plan, then Nakula, Sadewa, Bima and Yudistira. The toy locker matters too. Canoes and stand-up paddle boards go in the water at anchor, which turns the long golden hour at Kalong or Kanawa into the best part of the day rather than a wait for dinner.
Gandiva at a glance
| Class | Luxury phinisi |
|---|---|
| Guests | Up to 12 |
| Cabins | 5 air-conditioned, wayang-named (Arjuna, Nakula, Sadewa, Bima, Yudistira) |
| Base | Labuan Bajo |
| Style | Shared cabins, 3D2N, departs every Friday |
Cabins and life aboard
Five cabins for twelve guests is a generous ratio for a shared boat, and the wayang names are not just decoration — Arjuna leads the deck plan and books out first every week, Nakula and Sadewa hold the middle tier, and Bima and Yudistira carry the entry fare. All are air-conditioned. Days settle into a rhythm the toy locker sets: canoes and paddle boards go over the side at every anchorage, snorkeling gear is aboard for the reef stops, and evenings end on deck comparing photographs from the ridge. If you have sailed an anonymous open trip before, the difference in tone is immediate.
Kristo’s curation note
For a solo traveler Komodo open trip, this is the boat I put first — five cabins means you meet ten people, not thirty, and the paddle boards break the ice better than any icebreaker. Two honest caveats: the Friday-only departure locks your calendar around it, and cabin pricing is tiered, so confirm if you are booking a full cabin or a shared-basis berth before you compare her against cheaper open trips. She is premium, and priced like it.
Best for
- Solo travelers who want a komodo shared boat for solo traveler standards, not hostel-at-sea energy
- Couples testing the luxury phinisi Komodo experience without paying for a whole hull
- Small groups of friends taking two or three cabins and most of the boat with them
- Anyone who rates a trip by water time — canoes and SUPs at every anchorage
A typical 3D2N route
Gandiva’s documented Friday loop opens with Kelor’s short steep viewpoint and the calm snorkel at Manjarite, anchors near Kalong for the evening bat flight, then commits day two to the big four: Komodo Island’s dragons, Pink Beach, the sandbar at Taka Makassar and the drift over Manta Point. The last morning takes Padar’s ridge at first light and a farewell swim at Kanawa before the run home. It is the same skeleton we map on our 3D2N Komodo charter page — done with twelve people instead of a crowd.
Pricing, transparently
Gandiva is priced per person, by cabin, on the shared 3D2N departure: Bima and Yudistira from USD 566.01, Nakula and Sadewa from USD 673.15, and Arjuna — the cabin worth asking for first — at USD 744.58. That is the operator’s current cabin card, documented as listed; national park fees are quoted separately at booking. If you would rather take a whole luxury hull privately for a comparable per-person spend with a full group, the curation desk at Komodo Luxury will run the comparison honestly.
Check Gandiva availability on WhatsApp or write to sales@komodoluxury.com — tell us your dates and group size and we will confirm the hold within the day. Display number: (+62) 811 3823 875.
Similar boats in our luxury phinisi list
- Senada — panoramic-suite phinisi with the park’s shortest 2D1N shared trip
- Elbark Cruises — 37 m boutique phinisi with nine island-named cabins
- Lamain Voyage — 16-guest luxury phinisi on shared 3D2N departures
Browse the full luxury phinisi section of our fleet or go back to the complete fleet directory.