Malaillo Liveaboard, Indonesia
9.5 Exceptional - Nitrox available
- Free Nitrox
- En-Suite bathrooms
“My boyfriend and I had an amazing 7-night stay on Malaillo in the Komodo Islands in August. The boat is beautiful, with spacious c…”
Highlights
Malaillo is a 45-meter (147-foot) phinisi liveaboard accommodating 14 guests across 7 cabins: 3 doubles and 4 twins, all with private en-suite bathrooms, and individually controlled air conditioning. Spread across 3 decks, the cabins offer ample natural light and sea views, with the master suite on the upper deck. Guests can relax in various social spaces, including a cozy indoor lounge, open-air dining areas, and a large sun deck perfect for soaking up the Indonesian sunshine.
Divers benefit from a dedicated dive deck with personal gear stations, refillable tanks, and easy access to dive tenders. There is also a fully equipped, air-conditioned camera room for preparing underwater photography. Between dives, guests enjoy delicious cuisine served in indoor or al fresco dining areas, and unwind on the hammock deck, in the bow’s chill-out zone, or on a sun lounger with a drink in hand.
The Malaillo offers curated itineraries across Indonesia's legendary dive regions, from the manta-filled waters of Komodo to the macro wonderland of Alor, the remote Banda Sea, and the biodiversity hotspot of Raja Ampat. Trips range from 7 to 13 days with up to 33 dives, and often include land excursions such as cultural encounters in Alor or hikes to stunning viewpoints. Expect encounters with hammerhead sharks, manta rays, sea snakes, reef sharks, and even blue whales—plus unforgettable reefscapes, volcanic islands, and rich local heritage above and below the surface.
Book your diving adventure aboard the Malaillo today!
Choose your departure date
Included: VAT, Airport Transfer, Hotel Transfer, Drinking Water, Tea & Coffee, Welcome Cocktails, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, Night Dives, Nitrox, Kayaks, Land Excursions, Snorkeling Guide, Beach Towels, Cabin Towels, Complimentary Toiletries, Deck Towels.
Required Extras: Fuel Surcharge (100-250 USD per trip), National Park Fees (50-185 USD per trip), Port Fees (80-110 USD per trip).
Optional Extras: Gratuities, Alcoholic Beverages, Soft drinks, Private Dive Guide, Rental Gear (65 USD per day), Snorkel Gear (19 USD per day), Laundry / Pressing Services (3-5 USD per item), WiFi internet (16 USD).
Book now, pay later: You can easily place your booking online. We will then hold the spaces for you and you can confirm with a payment later.
* Extra fees are shown per person.
Pay by bank transfer or online with
Drawings & Vessel Layouts
Cabin Types
Malaillo Reviews
-
- 9.5 Exceptional
- 11 Verified Reviews
- Vessel 9.3
- Crew 9.5
- Food 10.0
- Diving 9.5
- Value 9.3
-
- 10 Exceptional
- Jayme G
-
Canada
Perfect trip!
The staff really go above and beyond on this liveaboard. The boat itself was beautiful with lots of areas to relax. and the cabins are very spacious. The food was also delicious! The way the dive platform / tenders are set up it makes getting in and out of the water very easy.
- Recommended for
- Exceptional service from the staff. Dives were organized well and getting from the boat to the water was easy. The food was amazing.
-
- 8.8 Fabulous
- Serin K
-
South Korea
Amazing boat for diving
Beautiful underwater environment and very diving focused itinerary! If you solely want to focus on diving, this boat will be perfect.
- Recommended for
- Amazing underwater environment. Professional diving guides and team. Well organized operation.
-
- 10 Exceptional
- Madeleine C
-
Singapore
Banda Sea Ring of Fire Diving with Sea snakes, Schooling hammerheads & pristine coral reefs full of fish
The warmth, care & professionalism of the crew on Malaillo was impressive. They even packed me to go lunch sandwiches when leaving the ship in Ambon to fly home ! Was thrilled and very lucky, happy to do the Banda Sea Ring of Fire itinerary with them. They got us safely to all destinations on this epic trip and we spotted schooling hammerheads, sea snakes hunting with Trevally, schools of chevron barracuda, midnight snappers, ubiquitous butterfly fish and red tooth trigger fish everywhere, huge eels, pygmy seahorses, banded sea kraits, dolphins swam beside us at times, the coral reefs at certain dive sites were truly extraordinary & spectacular. My regulator had a malfunction and they fixed it up for me with parts they had because safety & comfort was a priority on their dive deck. Their rental equipment and wetsuits are in very good condition. My Assigned DM also gave me some tips regarding better deployment for my SMB and by the end of the trip I had more confidence with improved technique. Dive Tender boat drivers were really on point for this trip. Food was delicious with lots of guests going for second helpings and I really appreciated my early bedtime and no loud obnoxiousness after 9p so we got lots of rest and good sleep in nicely cooled sleeping areas. Nitrox fills were consistent and free ! They were really sweet & accommodating of everybody. I love manageable current and drift diving and was truly feeling the spirit of being “adventurously alive” with Malaillo. The Cruise Director Mr Adin took very good care of us and administered seasick pills & all kinds of medicines for guests that suffered various minor afflictions like upset stomachs, ear aches, eye sensitivities and sprained / almost broken toes etc etc and any problems like leakage and smelly exhaust fumes that came up were swiftly resolved. The crew entertained us at the end of the trip and they were really amazing. Always so touched by the way Indonesians make you feel welcome and part of their Liveaboard family on these exotic Indonesian itineraries. They even cooked foods I specially requested occasionally ! The whole crew on this vessel worked tirelessly to kept the ship very clean ( no roaches or bed bugs on Malaillo thank goodness ! ) and always with a smile on their faces:) Would gladly go again with them on another dive sojourn ! Thank You everybody on Malaillo for a wonderful trip. 🦋🐬🫐🌊🪸
- Recommended for
- Dive guides Deck Crew were phenomenal. Ship was beautiful. Diving was incredible saw schooling hammerheads & sea snakes hunting with Trevally.
-
- 9.6 Exceptional
- Anouk M
-
Netherlands
Amazing experience
Had an amazing time sailing with Malaillo. The staff makes sure everything is taken care off and run the extra mile to make it an unforgettable experience. Good variety of divesites and experienced diveguides. Very good price/quality ratio
- Recommended for
- Amazing staff. Variety of food. Wonderfull diving.
-
- 10 Exceptional
- Alice W
-
United Kingdom
An amazing week in Komodo
My boyfriend and I had an amazing 7-night stay on Malaillo in the Komodo Islands in August. The boat is beautiful, with spacious communal areas to relax between dives. The master cabin was roomy and we loved the view. The crew are all lovely and were a huge part of what made the trip so memorable. The diving obviously forms a major part of the experience - the marine life is incredible and the dive guides were excellent, which was particularly important given the currents and risks diving in the area. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Malaillo and hope to book again in the future!
- Recommended for
- Crew. Luxury. Diving.
-
- 9.6 Exceptional
- Adam F
-
Poland
highly recommend
Great boat, excellent food, amazing dive site, and above all, amazing crew and divers. Thank you for a wonderful time.
- Recommended for
- Boat. Crew. Dive spots.
-
- 8.8 Fabulous
- Frédéric L
-
France
Perfect diving cruise: top organization and unforgettable underwater encounters
An unforgettable experience from start to finish! The dive sites were nothing short of spectacular, with magical encounters underwater — including majestic manta rays and night dives full of life and mystery. The crew was amazing: always available, attentive and caring, taking care of every detail so that we could fully enjoy our stay. Everything was perfectly organized, from the equipment to the briefings, including the safety and conviviality on board. A perfectly managed and emotional liveaboard – definitely recommend!
- Recommended for
- Guide and crew. Sites. The quality of the meals.
-
- 8.8 Fabulous
- Max C
-
Germany
Wonderful dive experience with room for improvement
We spent 9 days on the liveaboard Malaillo in Raja Ampat and overall had a very enjoyable stay with many positive aspects, but also a few areas with room for improvement that we would like to share. The service, food, and cabins were particularly outstanding. The meals were consistently warm, fresh, and very tasty. As a nice extra, there were even freshly baked donuts and cakes served as snacks. The service – both in the dining area and around the cabins – was truly exceptional. The cabins were clean and practically designed, with plenty of storage space, hooks, and drawers, which made the stay very comfortable. The boat offers enough space for 14 guests, so it never felt crowded. The crew mostly stays in the dive area, meaning you rarely get in each other’s way. There is also a designated small smoking area in front of the bridge, which we appreciated as non-smokers. A real highlight is the sun deck with a sail providing shade – we hardly saw any other boats with a similar setup. This was actually one of the reasons we chose the Malaillo. Raja Ampat itself offers an incredible underwater world. The selected dive sites were diverse and very enjoyable. Every diver was equipped with an ENOS system, a GPS transmitter that alerts both the boat and the nearest coast guard in case of emergency. The equipment was overall fine – not brand new, but also not heavily worn. One of the less positive aspects was the medical support on board. I had a middle ear infection shortly before the trip and again on board. I asked about medication, but was only told that I could purchase ear drops. On the first day of the trip, I also developed a deep wound on my foot caused by my closed-heel fins, which later became infected. When I asked for treatment options, I was directed to a small box with leftover medication from previous guests, most of which was empty or unusable. We would have expected much better equipment and support in this area. We booked the Master Cabin, which is a beautiful and spacious room exactly as shown in the photos. Unfortunately, we repeatedly had almost no water pressure and no hot water in the shower. We understand that this can happen on a boat, but despite the crew visiting our cabin seven times, the issue was never properly resolved. This became quite frustrating over time especially because all the other cabins where without issues. The crew was always polite, friendly, and helpful. However, we felt that a certain level of “excitement” or enthusiasm was missing that could have made the trip truly special. At times, it seemed like not everyone was fully motivated. While this is understandable given the workload, little effort was made to hide it. Our dive guide appeared rather reserved and at times disengaged underwater. There were longer periods where he would simply hover in one spot for several minutes. Staying behind the guide, as is standard, only works if the guide is actually moving. For example we would discover the area on the left just to find the guide starting to swim right. Communication underwater was very limited. We were rarely asked proactively about our remaining air supply and often had to approach the guide ourselves, for example to indicate that a safety stop was due. With our experience (Rescue with around 40 dives in 2 years), we would have appreciated more active guidance – especially better adaptation to the experience level of the guests. Additionally, despite being announced during onboarding, there were no post-dive briefings. When several guests raised this with the director (regarding guiding, communication, and briefings), the response was rather dismissive. Instead we were asked if we dived in Indonesia before. No changes were made, and instead we had the impression that the situation was discussed internally and even laughed about – which we noticed and found unprofessional. A safety-related incident should also be mentioned: one of the three dive groups (not ours) was left in
- Recommended for
- Dive spots. Food. Boat.
-
- 10 Exceptional
- Philipp H
-
Italy
Malaillo is a ship that can only inspire every diver.
The wooden ship is a dream, the team keeps the boat in good shape. Diving caters to the needs of the guests. You feel fully cared for all around. Fantastic the drinks after each dive, the food wonderful. Hot chocolate after every night dive, what more could you want. The whole team on board treats every guest with friendliness and after a short time on board you feel like you have arrived in a family. Nature and the environment are looked at, no plastic on board. Just perfect. Anytime again Malaillo!!
- Recommended for
- Dive sites thoughtfully chosen. Service and friendliness. Atmosphere on board.
-
- 10 Exceptional
- Pascal M
-
Switzerland
Perfect cruise - better than expected
Welcome on board... All the dives Fantastic food Quality of our room and bathroom Lots of space, great deck Very professional team and course director
- Recommended for
- Crew. Boat - clean, confortable and beautiful. Diving sites - lots of sharks, turtles and Mantas.
