Le Pirate Explorer
Le Pirate Explorer
4.5
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About
Together “Le Pirate Bajo”, Le Pirate is launching a fleet of island Hopping Explorer boats. This tour comes as the ideal way to explore the Komodo Archipelago and get the best experience from The World Heritage Komodo National Park. Snorkelling, sightseeing, island trekking, or ….do nothing . The Explorer has it all to keep you busy during the day. Overnight as well as day trips available, visit our website for more information
Labuan Bajo, Indonesia
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
203 reviews
Excellent
159
Very good
21
Average
10
Poor
5
Terrible
8
ilse_k
Amsterdam, The Netherlands17 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
Two weeks ago, we did the 4 days/3 nights explorer trip with Le Pirate and it was absolutely GREAT! 🐠🐬🐚
Armin and the rest of the crew showed us the Komodo islands during a 4 day trip and it was definitely one of the highlights of our holiday. We were on the boat with 4 other couples about our age, which was so much fun. During the trip, we visited multiple islands, did some short hikes, went to the Komodo island 🐊 and did multiple snorklings. We saw a lot of beautiful fish, turtles and even dolphins! One of the others took a drone and shot awesome pictures.
The boat itself was great; we had our own private cabins with a comfortable bed and a place to store your bags. You could open your ‘windows’ so it had the most beautiful views. Downstairs, there was a seating area and some spots to chill on a beanbag or bed. There were always both sunny and shadow parts. The bathroom was small but had a toilet and little shower.
During the trip, the crew cooked the most amazing meals (one of the best we had during our trip!) with a lot of variety. There were drinks like beers and wine, and snacks. In the evenings, we had movie and game nights.
The trip ends at Le Pirate island, where you can stay for one or more extra nights (optional). We highly recommend to do this; it was so beautiful and relaxing on the island. We took one of the bigger tents and regretted not being able to stay a second night.
We would highly recommend Le Pirate; the entire trip was fun, well-organized and guided in a professional way. The crew took care of our safety; one night was very windy and they made sure to check the anchor every 30 mins. Also, during snorkling, there would always be a crew member joining us in the water and another one with a little boat.
Thanks Armin and crew, hope to see you again! 🌊⛵️
Armin and the rest of the crew showed us the Komodo islands during a 4 day trip and it was definitely one of the highlights of our holiday. We were on the boat with 4 other couples about our age, which was so much fun. During the trip, we visited multiple islands, did some short hikes, went to the Komodo island 🐊 and did multiple snorklings. We saw a lot of beautiful fish, turtles and even dolphins! One of the others took a drone and shot awesome pictures.
The boat itself was great; we had our own private cabins with a comfortable bed and a place to store your bags. You could open your ‘windows’ so it had the most beautiful views. Downstairs, there was a seating area and some spots to chill on a beanbag or bed. There were always both sunny and shadow parts. The bathroom was small but had a toilet and little shower.
During the trip, the crew cooked the most amazing meals (one of the best we had during our trip!) with a lot of variety. There were drinks like beers and wine, and snacks. In the evenings, we had movie and game nights.
The trip ends at Le Pirate island, where you can stay for one or more extra nights (optional). We highly recommend to do this; it was so beautiful and relaxing on the island. We took one of the bigger tents and regretted not being able to stay a second night.
We would highly recommend Le Pirate; the entire trip was fun, well-organized and guided in a professional way. The crew took care of our safety; one night was very windy and they made sure to check the anchor every 30 mins. Also, during snorkling, there would always be a crew member joining us in the water and another one with a little boat.
Thanks Armin and crew, hope to see you again! 🌊⛵️
Written July 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gins
5 contributions
Feb 2020
Absolutely fantastic for a group of friends wanting to be out on the water away from it all. We swam with manta rays and turtles, saw komodo dragons, hiked up to some epic sunset viewpoints, boated through a small storm, saw swarms of bats and just had a wonderful time. The staff was fun, nice, and accomodating. The food was really good for boat food and we had a great time.
Some thoughts which have less to do with the le pirate. There are a lot of boats with generators on the water - if you are parked next to them it is horribly noisy especially at night. The staff was accomodating and moved us in the middle of the night when one of these buggers pulled up next to us, but it is a bit annoying considering the beauty of the area. Also the entire region (maybe even all of indonesia?) unfortunately is a bit hard hit by garbage in the water. When the wind is blowing towards you, you sometimes get a garbage current. Maybe bring a couple of plastic bags to help collect the trash and be a good person.
I would recommend this trip to adventurous families or friends who can swim well, don't get sea sick and are not all too fancy about life. One thing to note is that you should be comfortable climbing up the side of a boat on a ladder to reach your bed - this could be dangerous if you are not fit enough to do so. We have no complaints at all - the trip was awesome and away from hordes of tourists in Bali.
Some thoughts which have less to do with the le pirate. There are a lot of boats with generators on the water - if you are parked next to them it is horribly noisy especially at night. The staff was accomodating and moved us in the middle of the night when one of these buggers pulled up next to us, but it is a bit annoying considering the beauty of the area. Also the entire region (maybe even all of indonesia?) unfortunately is a bit hard hit by garbage in the water. When the wind is blowing towards you, you sometimes get a garbage current. Maybe bring a couple of plastic bags to help collect the trash and be a good person.
I would recommend this trip to adventurous families or friends who can swim well, don't get sea sick and are not all too fancy about life. One thing to note is that you should be comfortable climbing up the side of a boat on a ladder to reach your bed - this could be dangerous if you are not fit enough to do so. We have no complaints at all - the trip was awesome and away from hordes of tourists in Bali.
Written February 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eva V
1 contribution
Jan 2023 • Couples
Amazing experience, would recommend for everyone! Magnificent snorkeling multiple times a day, swimming so close to turtles, surrounded by thousands of fish and the most beautiful and colorful reefs. All the islands we visited were unique in their own and lovely to visit. The boat crew was the best, the cook makes the best food and an amazing combination of vegetarian and non-veggie food in this little kitchen on the boat, amazing! So no worries you are not going to go hungry, also snack and water (hot/cold) at your convenience at all times. Very well equipped boat, enough space, good bathroom, and boat was cleaned every morning by the crew. Really nothing negative to say about this experience, would recommend to anyone thinking about traveling to Indonesia or the Komodo islands.
Just a few tips, bring motion sickness pills just in case. My boyfriend and I never get sick, but on the boat we felt quite dizzy, luckily the amazing crew had some motion sickness pills which were a live saver. Another tip, you will have quite some free time/chilling on the boat/beaches which is amazing but something to keep you busy like books, or anything you like to do.
Just a few tips, bring motion sickness pills just in case. My boyfriend and I never get sick, but on the boat we felt quite dizzy, luckily the amazing crew had some motion sickness pills which were a live saver. Another tip, you will have quite some free time/chilling on the boat/beaches which is amazing but something to keep you busy like books, or anything you like to do.
Written January 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Martijn Tromp
2 contributions
Dec 2021 • Couples
We went to amazing places, but the crew didn't smile once. This was no problem until te last day. We were supposed to be dropped of at the private island after lunch around 4PM and we would first be doing some snorkeling at an other location. At 8 AM we arrived at the island and when we asked why we were there so early, the crew said the captain wanted to go home.
Ofcourse we did not accept this because we payed for a 3 day trip. The crew called the manager and we explained the situation. The manager, Gaby, the girlfriend of the owner, was very rude on the phone and after hearing our complains the only thing she had to say was: "are you done?". We asked what she was going to do about the trip being cut of shorter. She was going to do nothing and said it was because of bad weather. The weather was the best we had that trip so that was really strange.
We had breakfast on the boat and then we were dropped of at the island. The staff on the island was really surprised to see us that early and even asked us why we came early.
On top we were supposed to pay for the drinks we had on the boat at the reception at their office in Lubuan Bajo. To our, and the island staffs surprise Gaby send the payment machine with the supply boat to make us pay the drinks before leaving the island, otherwise we would not be able to get off the island. This was so we did not came back to the reception and when we arrived in Lubuan Bajo the reception was ofcourse closed.
Visiting the amazing places and island was great, but next time I would book with an other company. The company, and especially the manger Gaby, are just rude and do not care about their customers, only about the money. We asked Gaby for a refund for the last day, but we could not even get a "I'm sorry to hear that" out of her mouth. The whole thing just completely ruined to experience and just added so much extra drama.
My advice, do a trip with an other company. They just cut the trip whenever they feel like it and blame it on the weather. You will not get compensated and the crew will just laugh will your on the phone with Gaby..
Ofcourse we did not accept this because we payed for a 3 day trip. The crew called the manager and we explained the situation. The manager, Gaby, the girlfriend of the owner, was very rude on the phone and after hearing our complains the only thing she had to say was: "are you done?". We asked what she was going to do about the trip being cut of shorter. She was going to do nothing and said it was because of bad weather. The weather was the best we had that trip so that was really strange.
We had breakfast on the boat and then we were dropped of at the island. The staff on the island was really surprised to see us that early and even asked us why we came early.
On top we were supposed to pay for the drinks we had on the boat at the reception at their office in Lubuan Bajo. To our, and the island staffs surprise Gaby send the payment machine with the supply boat to make us pay the drinks before leaving the island, otherwise we would not be able to get off the island. This was so we did not came back to the reception and when we arrived in Lubuan Bajo the reception was ofcourse closed.
Visiting the amazing places and island was great, but next time I would book with an other company. The company, and especially the manger Gaby, are just rude and do not care about their customers, only about the money. We asked Gaby for a refund for the last day, but we could not even get a "I'm sorry to hear that" out of her mouth. The whole thing just completely ruined to experience and just added so much extra drama.
My advice, do a trip with an other company. They just cut the trip whenever they feel like it and blame it on the weather. You will not get compensated and the crew will just laugh will your on the phone with Gaby..
Written January 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Martjin Tromp
On December 24th, the Darwin, Kupang and Labuan Bajo weather stations issued a warning for a tropical storm developing rapidly as a cyclone in the South Banda sea. The usual trajectories of tropical storms moves from East to West and the forecast announced a rapid degradation of the weather for NTT and North Australia.
The Labuan Bajo harbor master made a formal announcement to all cruise boats to reschedule cruising departing from Labuan Bajo between the 24th and 27th December. This announcement was extended through a milder version until December 30th by a board notice, requesting all cruising boats to sail cautiously in open waters ( South of Komodo- Rinca and North of Sebayur )
We can only praise our manager and captain who took this warning seriously and decided to depart and arrive earlier to the destination to avoid taking the risk of cruising in harder conditions. Once you arrived in Le Pirate island, you had the option to stay on board and snorkel along the reef but your group call was to disembark in the island after breakfast. Therefore the boat left back to Labuan Bajo. As a compensation, the hotel offered you a free lunch and access to all activities . The cruise itinerary, meals and activities have all been delivered according to the program . Unfortunately the sailing restrictions issued by the harbor master for the open waters of North and South of the Komodo Taman National affected the timing of the last run of the cruise and this issue was beyond our control. As a general reminder : Our terms and conditions state that the itinerary can be changed upon the weather and tides condition
Written April 19, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Manuel G
8 contributions
May 2024 • Family
We did a 4D/3N tour in May 2024 with the Pirate Explorer 8 and guide/chef Ronny and his crew and were absolutely thrilled! Ronny and his team did a fantastic job, making the trip an unforgettable experience for us. Very professional, always in a good mood and with a lot of fun, they showed us breathtaking places in the Komodo region. The food was good, the boat was very clean and we felt very comfortable at all times. We can only recommend Explorer 8 and Ronny and his colleagues and would book with Pirate Explorer again - the subsequent 2 nights on Pirate Island were also highly recommended.
Written June 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Quest609080
4 contributions
Mar 2022
This was our second cruise with Explorer. The first time was a bit too short so we booked the 3 nights cruise and the timing was perfect. The National Park was very quiet and we had the moorings for ourselves. The weather was not at its best but the crew managed to complete the itinerary and this time we saw plenty of Manta Rays and turtles. Only negative was that we run out of ice the last day so our last drinks were not cold.
Written April 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Isis K
2 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
This trip was beyond amazing. We’ve seen all the beautiful spots of Komodo and the crew made sure we’ve had the best spots, they really knew what they were doing (best flying dogs spot, saw a group of many mantra’s, when the weather forecasting was’nt that good they made sure that we did all activities by good weather). We would like to especially point out our tour guide Emilio. He was so funny, shared interesting information and above all really put his enjoyment in the trip. Also the cook made delicious food with many extra’s, our captain made sure we were on the right spot on the right time and the engineer helped with everything.
Thank you so much for this amazing experience, would 100% reccomend.
Thank you so much for this amazing experience, would 100% reccomend.
Written October 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tibout v
3 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
Amazing! We had been recommended by a friend of ours and we’re not disappointed! The boat is well equipped and for us a great selling point is that it takes a maximum of 10 people along the trip, making it a bit more cozy than most.
The crew is very knowledgeable and our navigator/guide Armin did a great job in accommodating everyone’s wishes! Working together with the rest of the crew we managed to see manta ray’s, dolphins, turtles, sharks and baby sharks and all the other beautiful fish and corals!
Even though we booked the last and there for downstairs cabin we have enjoyed everything about the trip and would definitely recommend friends.
And again props to Armin, great guy and navigator!
The crew is very knowledgeable and our navigator/guide Armin did a great job in accommodating everyone’s wishes! Working together with the rest of the crew we managed to see manta ray’s, dolphins, turtles, sharks and baby sharks and all the other beautiful fish and corals!
Even though we booked the last and there for downstairs cabin we have enjoyed everything about the trip and would definitely recommend friends.
And again props to Armin, great guy and navigator!
Written May 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jefvc
Ghent, Belgium14 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
We've booked a private cruise with our family of two adults and two kids ca. 8 months before departure after receiving good reviews from Le Pirate Explorer.
As we've payed everything up front, we were hoping on a fair approach. However two days before our foreseen departure we were contacted by Le Pirate saying that the entrance fee for the National Park to see the Komodo's was raised from 500k per person - as mentioned in the reservation confirmation - to 700k per person. When we answered we heared the entrance fee is actually 400k per person, which was later confirmed as we've visited the park with another company, we didn't got any reply. However few minutes later we've received a formal email from Le Pirate saying that they had to cancel our cruise due to 'technical problems'. So two days before departure, our domestic flight and hotels booked and payed, we've received the dry news Le Pirate had canceled our journey. For all inconveniences they offered us the option to reschedule the cruise within 12 months or a 'full' refund. As the first option was a bit complicated (we're not traveling twice a year to Lubuan Bajo!), we opted for the full refund. Shameless Le Pirate has only made a partial refund nevertheless their explicit promise in their formal email for a total refund. In a short email they stated the solde is used for their banking costs and that they're not refunding those costs.
You understand we have the impression the staff of this company is not trustworthy and thus this company should be avoided at al cost.
As we've payed everything up front, we were hoping on a fair approach. However two days before our foreseen departure we were contacted by Le Pirate saying that the entrance fee for the National Park to see the Komodo's was raised from 500k per person - as mentioned in the reservation confirmation - to 700k per person. When we answered we heared the entrance fee is actually 400k per person, which was later confirmed as we've visited the park with another company, we didn't got any reply. However few minutes later we've received a formal email from Le Pirate saying that they had to cancel our cruise due to 'technical problems'. So two days before departure, our domestic flight and hotels booked and payed, we've received the dry news Le Pirate had canceled our journey. For all inconveniences they offered us the option to reschedule the cruise within 12 months or a 'full' refund. As the first option was a bit complicated (we're not traveling twice a year to Lubuan Bajo!), we opted for the full refund. Shameless Le Pirate has only made a partial refund nevertheless their explicit promise in their formal email for a total refund. In a short email they stated the solde is used for their banking costs and that they're not refunding those costs.
You understand we have the impression the staff of this company is not trustworthy and thus this company should be avoided at al cost.
Written August 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David N
9 contributions
Feb 2020
I really can't imagine a better way to experience the Komodo area -- every single stop provided was magical, and pristine.
We travelled during February, which is apparently a bit more rainy, although we got very lucky to have just drizzle at night and rain only on the final day. The deck is very slippery, so you have to be careful and mobile in order to enjoy this properly. If there were a true downpour, the canvas cabins would certainly be at risk.
There are risks but I can't imagine a better way to see manta rays, tropical fish, komodo dragons, sharks, and coral in a three night stay than this!
Our guide, Armin, was excellent, I hope you get him!
We travelled during February, which is apparently a bit more rainy, although we got very lucky to have just drizzle at night and rain only on the final day. The deck is very slippery, so you have to be careful and mobile in order to enjoy this properly. If there were a true downpour, the canvas cabins would certainly be at risk.
There are risks but I can't imagine a better way to see manta rays, tropical fish, komodo dragons, sharks, and coral in a three night stay than this!
Our guide, Armin, was excellent, I hope you get him!
Written March 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, we‘d like to know about the bathroom. Is there a toilet, you can flush? And a shower?
Written February 16, 2020
Hello all,
I am a solo traveller from Germany...
How much it will be for 3N/4D
Is it makeable
I am in Labuan Bajo from 17-21.4.20
Thx all and have fun 👍🤗
Written November 26, 2019
Bonjour, les taxes à payer pour la croisière dans le parc sont de 300 000rp pour les 4 jours de croisière ou par jour et par personne ? Merci
Written September 6, 2019
Has anyone stayed on explorer 4 on one of the below cabins? Looks like it's the room with the sign "admiral" on the door. This is all that's available for the dates we can go and would love if anyone has previous experience of this to share (we were very keen on the upstairs layout).
Cheers!
Written April 19, 2019
Cuál es el precio aproximado para un tour de 3D 2 noches para 2 personas? Gracias
Written April 7, 2019
Do they do one day full tour. We plan to stay at labuan bajo. Just want to do full day tour with the whole family. Thanks dor your response?
Written January 14, 2019
Do they do one day full tour. We plan to stay at labuan bajo. Just want to do full day tour with the whole family. Thanks dor your response?
Written January 14, 2019
Yes they do. We did the one day tour with them and it was great. It goes to Rinca rather than Komodo Island but we loved it and still saw lot's of dragons.
Written January 15, 2019
For over night cruise, how many person the boat can accommodate?
Written October 31, 2018
On our boat Explorer 4, we had 5 couples (including us) and 4 staff (our guide, the cook, the captain, & an extra hand).
Written November 5, 2018
Just wondering if anyone has paid via the DOKU payment link? just a bit worried it isnt a legit payment site?
Written October 16, 2018
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