Liveaboard Pre-Voyage Checklist

Riung Flores › Packing Guide › Liveaboard Pre-Voyage Checklist

A multi-day liveaboard around Komodo or a boat-based leg of a Flores trip has different prep needs than a land-based hotel stay — limited resupply once you’re aboard, no ATMs at sea, and specific documentation requirements that have changed with the SiOra booking system. This checklist is organised by how far out from departure you should handle each item.

H-30 to H-14: Booking and Documents

• Confirm your SiOra booking if your itinerary includes Komodo National Park — since 1 April 2026, advance online reservation through the official siora.id portal is mandatory, and the park’s daily visitor cap makes last-minute booking unreliable.
• Confirm what’s included in your liveaboard package: meals, drinking water, snorkel gear, park fees, and whether the PP No. 36/2024 entrance fee (IDR 250,000 flat for foreign visitors) is bundled into your price or billed separately.
• Check your travel insurance covers water activities and, if relevant, diving specifically — not all standard travel policies do by default.
• Sort visa or entry requirements for Indonesia well ahead of departure if you haven’t already.

H-7: Packing and Health Preparation

• Seasickness medication — start any non-drowsy tablets a day or two before boarding if you’re prone to motion sickness, since small and mid-size boats move more than larger vessels.
• Reef-safe sunscreen — see this site’s responsible travel guide for why this matters specifically in these reef systems.
• Basic first-aid items for cuts, coral scrapes and mild stomach upset, since medical facilities are not immediately accessible at sea.
• Quick-dry clothing and a light long-sleeve layer for sun coverage and cooler evenings on deck.
• A dry bag for phones, cameras and documents — genuinely useful on any small boat.

H-3: Final Logistics and Cash

• Withdraw enough Indonesian rupiah before boarding — ATMs are not available at sea and are scarce in smaller port towns like Riung specifically.
• Confirm your embarkation point, time, and any pre-departure meeting directly with your operator; details can shift closer to departure.
• Charge all electronics and confirm whether your boat has charging points, since power access aboard smaller vessels can be limited.
• Download offline maps and any documents you might need, since connectivity at sea and around Riung specifically is inconsistent.

H-1 to Departure Day

• Print or screenshot your SiOra confirmation and any park tickets in case of connectivity issues at the point of entry.
• Wear reef-safe sunscreen before boarding, not once you’re already on the water.
• Take seasickness medication with enough lead time to be effective before the boat departs, per the product’s instructions.
• Bring a physical copy of your accommodation and onward travel plans in case of a phone battery or connectivity issue.

What’s Different if You’re Combining This With Riung

If your liveaboard or boat leg is one part of a wider trip that also includes Riung’s 17 Islands, remember there’s no direct boat connecting the two regions — see this site’s Riung-Labuan Bajo transfer guide for the honest version of that route. Pack and prepare for the boat leg and the overland leg somewhat separately, since cash access, connectivity and pacing needs differ between the two.

Common Last-Minute Mistakes This Checklist Prevents

• Arriving without a confirmed SiOra booking and discovering the park’s daily cap has been reached for your dates.
• Running out of cash mid-trip with no ATM access at sea or in smaller towns.
• Taking seasickness medication only after symptoms start, when it works far better as a preventive taken beforehand.
• Assuming reliable phone signal or charging access throughout a multi-day boat trip.

Choosing the Right Boat or Cabin Type

If you have a choice of vessel or cabin for your liveaboard leg, consider motion sensitivity, budget and group size together: a larger boat generally rides more smoothly in swell than a smaller one, which matters if you or a travel companion is prone to seasickness; a private cabin costs more than a shared one but matters more on longer, multi-night trips than a single-day charter. Ask your operator specifically about vessel size and stabilisation if motion sickness is a serious concern rather than assuming all boats on a given route are comparable.

If You Get Seasick Anyway

Even with preventive medication, some travellers still feel unwell at sea. Staying on deck in fresh air and looking at the horizon rather than going below deck typically helps more than trying to tough it out in a cabin. Ginger-based remedies are a commonly used complementary option alongside (not instead of) medication if you prefer a non-drowsy approach. Tell your crew if you’re feeling unwell — most are experienced with seasickness and can offer practical help or adjust where you’re seated.

After the Trip: A Short Post-Voyage Checklist

Once back on land, a few small habits close out the trip properly: rinse and dry any rented snorkel gear before returning it if required, check your cabin or bag for anything left behind before disembarking, and keep your SiOra or park ticket confirmations until you’re certain no further verification will be needed. None of this is complicated, but it’s easy to forget in the rush of disembarking after a multi-day trip.

A Note on Travel Insurance Documentation

Keep a digital and, if possible, printed copy of your travel insurance policy number and emergency contact details accessible throughout your trip, not just on a phone that could lose charge or signal. This matters more on a multi-day boat trip with limited connectivity than it would on a standard land-based holiday, since accessing your insurer’s app or website isn’t guaranteed to be possible exactly when you’d need it.

Booking Confirmation Redundancy

Save your SiOra confirmation, liveaboard booking, and any transfer arrangements in at least two places — for example, both a phone app and a printed copy — since relying on a single device with uncertain charging or connectivity access during a multi-day boat trip is a common and avoidable point of failure.

Final Recap

Handle documents and bookings early (H-30 to H-14), pack and prepare health items mid-way out (H-7), sort cash and final logistics close to departure (H-3), and keep confirmations accessible on the day itself. This simple sequencing prevents the majority of avoidable liveaboard trip problems.

One Last Practical Point

Keep this checklist itself accessible offline — save or print it before departure — since the moment you most need a packing or booking reminder is often exactly when connectivity is least reliable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to book Komodo National Park entry in advance for a liveaboard trip?
Yes. Since 1 April 2026, SiOra online booking is mandatory, and the park’s daily visitor cap makes last-minute entry unreliable.

Is there an ATM on a liveaboard boat?
No. Withdraw all the cash you’ll need before boarding, since ATMs aren’t available at sea and are scarce in smaller port towns.

When should I take seasickness medication?
Before symptoms start, typically the night before or morning of departure per the product’s instructions — it works far better preventively than reactively.

What should I pack that people usually forget?
A dry bag for electronics and documents, and enough physical cash, since both connectivity and card payment access are inconsistent on and around these boat trips.

Last updated: 24 August 2026. SiOra booking requirement and Komodo National Park fees per PP No. 36/2024, tnkomodo.ksdae.kehutanan.go.id.