What to pack for a Sumbawa liveaboard, from operators' own lists

By Sumbawa Liveaboard Editorial Desk

Pack light clothes, a hat, UV sunglasses, reef-safe sunscreen, seasickness tablets, shoes for walking on Moyo, your own fins and a 3 mm wetsuit if you want them, and a European two-pin adapter. That list draws on what Komodo Resort and Sumbawa Tour ask of guests. Leave jewellery off near whale sharks, and bring cash from town.

What do operators tell guests to bring?

Two published lists are short and specific enough to use for a Sumbawa liveaboard. Komodo Resort suggests reef-safe sunscreen, hiking shoes for Moyo or Tambora, seasickness tablets, an underwater camera and a 3 mm full wetsuit. Sumbawa Tour asks guests on its private programme to bring sun protection, a hat, running shoes or sandals and UV sunglasses. Between them they cover sun, sea and land, and the rest of this page fills in why each matters and what they leave out.

Clothing is the area where operators say least, so here is our reasoning rather than anyone's rule. Choose by the months you are travelling. Climates to Travel says peak heat comes from September to November, with highs that can reach 35 to 37 degrees Celsius, especially on the north side, so long sleeves that block the sun earn their place then. A light rain layer is worth a corner of the bag in the wetter months. Quick-drying shorts and a few shirts will go a long way, and your operator can tell you if a boat expects anything smarter.

Baggage limits are the open question here, on the boats and on the domestic flights alike: we have not found a source for either. Soft bags that fold down are easier to stow in a cabin, and the small aircraft on the last leg are a reason to check your allowance. The flights themselves are covered in our guide to reaching the boat.

What should you not wear near whale sharks?

The most specific guidance we have read comes from one resort's guest rules. Amanwana's trade guide asks guests to remove jewellery and use coral-reef friendly sunscreen, and asks them not to smoke on board. The same document bans camera flash, jet skis and sea scooters, and limits interaction to 6 guests in the water and 60 minutes per rotation. Those are the terms of one 2023 excursion, not the words of Indonesian law, but they are a sensible default when your own operator says nothing.

So before a whale shark morning, take off rings, necklaces and anything that dangles, and switch your camera's flash off before you get in the water, because you will not remember to do it after. A scooter or a similar powered gadget stays in the bag. Apply sunscreen earlier rather than in the last minutes on deck, or cover up with a rash vest and use less of it. The start comes early as well. Kompas gives the best time as about 05.30 to 09.00, which means gathering your things the night before.

Check the rest of the code before you go, because what you carry follows from it. Spacing, touching and how boats behave are covered in the Saleh Bay rules guide.

Do you need fins or a wetsuit?

Bring your own mask and fins if the fit matters to you, because the boat's kit may not include them. Green Rinjani lists snorkelling equipment without fins on its boat, and Sumbawa Tour's inclusions name snorkelling gear except fins, while Sumbawa Holiday lists mask, fins and snorkel. Komodo Resort's list includes snorkelling gear, and its wording does not say whether fins are part of it. If you want fins for swimming in open water, ask this question early.

For temperature, read each source separately. Komodo Resort publishes a monthly table with water of 26 to 29 degrees Celsius, and it suggests a 3 mm full wetsuit. The Important Shark and Ray Area fact sheet gives sea surface temperatures of about 25 to 33 degrees for Saleh Bay alone. Those figures describe different things, the first a seller's dive table and the second a scientific range for one bay, so we will not merge them into a single number. Sensitive divers may want more cover than the suggestion, and a snorkeller may be content with a thin long-sleeved top. Either way, it also protects you from the sun.

Divers have a longer list. Komodo Resort's trip leaves rental equipment outside the rate, so ask what you would be charged before deciding what to carry, and read the diving guide for site conditions, including any specialist kit a current site calls for. Carry your dive computer and mask in your hand luggage, in case a bag goes astray on the way.

Will you be able to charge and connect?

Komodo Resort gives electricity as 220V, 50Hz, with European two-pin plugs, so ask about charging on your boat. Check that your chargers accept that voltage, and pack a small multi-socket lead if the cabin is short on outlets. Other boats may publish nothing about power, in which case a power bank makes sense, charged before you board.

Connection varies far more. Komodo Resort lists basic Starlink internet as included and a premium package as an extra on Neptune One, which is one boat's offer and should not be read across the fleet. So ask, and plan as though you could be without signal for parts of the trip. Save your booking details, insurance papers and any maps offline before you leave town.

How much cash should you think about?

No published total fits every trip, so here is where cash goes. Komodo Resort advises carrying cash for remote areas, with ATMs in Sumbawa Besar and Bima, so draw it there or before you arrive rather than counting on a machine near the harbour. Then ask your operator which of these it expects in cash, and in which currency:

• Crew tips. Komodo Resort describes tipping as customary, and the hidden costs guide gives the per-day figures operators mention.
• Park or conservation charges, if your operator collects them on board rather than including them.
• Drinks, Nitrox and equipment rental, where they sit outside the rate.
• Small purchases and fees ashore, such as the motorbike taxi on Moyo that The Langkah Travel reports.

Paying by card is not always the simple way out. One traveller reports a 3 percent card fee on a single Lombok to Labuan Bajo booking, and that is enough of a reason to ask about surcharges before you decide how to settle up.

Which documents and medicines belong in your hand luggage?

The items that are hardest to replace are paper and pills, so keep them on your person and not in a bag that leaves your sight. This is the short list we would use.

• Passport and arrival papers. See the access guide for what to expect at the airport.
• Insurance details. La Galigo says many operators require proof of dive insurance before boarding. Australia's travel advice warns against assuming that a policy covers adventure or high-risk activities, so read yours before you print it.
• Certification card and logbook. If you dive, expect to be asked for them before the first briefing.
• Malaria advice from your doctor. The US CDC lists rural areas of West Nusa Tenggara among malaria transmission areas and recommends preventive medicine for travellers to certain parts of Indonesia. Whether that applies to your route is a conversation for your doctor, and the time to have it is before you leave home.
• Your regular prescriptions. Carry enough for the trip and a few days over, since the last place to buy them may be well behind you.

Which dive kit can a boat insist on?

More than a suit and a mask, on at least one published trip. EcoPro Divers, on its Komodo to Sumbawa page, requires every diver to use a dive computer and a surface marker buoy and to carry a reef hook on every dive, plus a torch for night dives. It wants the buoy on at least 5 metres of line, bans gloves, and says rental stock is limited and must be requested before the trip with your sizes. Treat that as one boat's rule and ask yours for its own list before you pack.

Wetsuit advice differs too. Komodo Resort suggests 3 mm. EcoPro gives an average water temperature of 27 degrees Celsius, warns of cold currents and recommends 5 mm. Liveaboard Indonesia says 3 mm works year-round, but that Gili Banta can drop to 24 degrees from June to September and that 5 mm is worth packing for it. If Gili Banta is on your route in those months, the thicker suit is the safer guess. For a route that stays with Moyo, Satonda and the bay, ask the crew what guests wore on the last departure.

What small questions come up while packing?

Do liveaboards provide towels and toiletries?

Not on any published list here, and it will vary by boat. Ask your operator, and pack a small towel if the answer is unclear.

Can I wear a rash vest instead of sunscreen?

Yes, and it reduces how much sunscreen you need. Amanwana and Komodo Resort both point to reef-friendly sunscreen for the skin you leave uncovered, so bring some for your face and hands.

Should I bring my own snorkel set?

Yes, if a good fit matters to you. Several operators supply gear, but Green Rinjani and Sumbawa Tour both leave fins out, and a borrowed mask may leak. A set of your own removes that uncertainty.

Will my phone charger work on board?

That varies. Komodo Resort gives 220V, 50Hz and European two-pin plugs for its listing, so check the voltage printed on your charger and ask directly on any other boat.

Do I need proper hiking boots?

Not necessarily. Komodo Resort suggests hiking shoes for Moyo or Tambora, while Sumbawa Tour is content with running shoes or sandals. Let your plans ashore decide, and do not give up bag space for boots you will wear once.

Which sources support this page?

• Komodo Resort: Sumbawa liveaboard page
• Sumbawa Tour: private 4 days, 3 nights programme
• Climates to Travel: Sumbawa climate
• Amanwana: whale shark experience trade guide, 2023 (PDF)
• Kompas: whale sharks and people in Saleh Bay
• Green Rinjani: Labuan Bajo to Lombok, 4 days
• Saleh Bay Important Shark and Ray Area fact sheet
• The Langkah Travel: Moyo Island guide
• A traveller's account of the Lombok to Labuan Bajo boat
• La Galigo: Sumbawa liveaboard cost guide
• Smartraveller (Australian Government): Indonesia advice
• US CDC: travel health notes for Indonesia
• Sumbawa Holiday: Whale Shark Liveaboard, 2 days 1 night
• EcoPro Divers: Komodo to Sumbawa
• Liveaboard Indonesia: Sumbawa

How do I reach the desk?

The desk can answer a packing question if your operator has not. WhatsApp +62 811-3941-4563 or email bd@juaraholding.com.