Adelaar

Wonder on the Adelaar We just finished a 6-night liveaboard trip on the Adelaar in Komodo and would absolutely use them again in the future, especially for a Raja Ampat trip.
The Adelaar is a beautiful boat with classic lines and is exceptionally well maintained. You can tell immediately that the crew takes pride in her and works hard to keep her in top condition. The wood throughout the cabins and common areas gives the boat a very warm and luxurious feel without being over the top.
The food was excellent and unbelievably plentiful. Meals ranged from perfectly prepared steaks to seafood and local Indonesian dishes, all of which were very good. There was fresh fruit and pastries before the 7:00 AM dive, breakfast afterward, lunch after the 11:00 dive, snacks after the 3:00 dive, and dinner around 7:00 or 8:00 depending on the evening schedule. One of the little touches we really appreciated was that after every dive, Ann would greet us with a hot drink made with ginger and lime or coconut milk. It was incredibly refreshing after being in the water.
Way-yu, the steward, was exceptional throughout the trip. He was attentive, friendly, and seemed to anticipate what we needed before we even asked. He kept the rooms spotless, handled meal service flawlessly, and genuinely made us feel taken care of.
The rest of the crew also worked with impressive precision and professionalism, while still seeming relaxed and happy together. That atmosphere matters on a liveaboard and really added to the experience.
Dylan, the cruise director, was outstanding. He was attentive from the moment we boarded and always made sure everyone’s needs were handled. He also served as our dive guide, selected the dive sites, and conducted all of the briefings.
Komodo is not an easy place to plan diving. The currents, changing conditions, and remoteness make it a challenging area to operate in safely and successfully. While not every dive was executed perfectly, every dive was enjoyable and several were truly world class.
Our first day took us south to Manta Alley where we saw numerous giant mantas. Visibility was not great that day, but it was still an incredible experience. After that, the diving seemed to get better and better every day.
Crystal Rock was one of my personal favorites. Another standout was Batu Bolong, which is rated as one of the top dive sites in the world. The site is a sheer wall covered with uncountable numbers of fish, eels, and sharks. One of the highlights for me was watching a massive green bumphead wrasse moving through the reef.
Over the course of the trip we saw whitetip, blacktip, and grey reef sharks. The amount of color and coral on these dives was unbelievable. In some places the coral was so dense you could not even see the ocean floor underneath it.
On the final day we visited another manta cleaning station and had 10 to 15 mantas circling around us for nearly 20 minutes. It was one of those dives you never forget.
We normally dive Cozumel, and the only things Komodo lacked for us were the same level of visibility and the huge coral structures and pinnacles that Cozumel has. I only wish reefs in other parts of the world were as healthy and packed with fish life as what we experienced in Komodo.
Overall, I would rate this trip as a true 5-star experience and would highly recommend both the Adelaar and its crew.

The Trip of a Lifetime Aboard Adelaar Our week aboard Adelaar in Komodo was nothing short of extraordinary.
As divers, we’ve been fortunate to travel to many incredible destinations around the world, and I can honestly say that our stay aboard the Adelaar liveaboard was the finest
experience we’ve ever had!
The first thing that strikes you is how beautiful the boat is. Adelaar is absolutely stunning. The craftsmanship, woodwork, and attention to detail are incredible. You can see the care and pride that goes into maintaining this historic vessel. It feels elegant, welcoming, and full of character.
What truly made this trip special, though, was the crew.
Cruise Director Dylan and Assistant Cruise Director Ann went above and beyond every single day. Dylan has an incredible gift for noticing the little things. Before you even realized you needed something, he was already taking care of it. His attention to detail, professionalism, and genuine care for guests made us feel completely looked after throughout the entire journey.
As if that wasn’t enough, Dylan also served as our dive guide and was exceptional underwater. He quickly learned that I love photographing nudibranchs and made a point of finding and pointing out the tiny treasures he knew I would want to capture. Time and again he spotted creatures I would have completely missed on my own. At one point he even lent me his dive light so I could get better photographs. Those small acts of kindness and attention are what separate a good trip from an unforgettable one.
Ann was equally wonderful. She was always warm, helpful, and full of positive energy. Together they created an atmosphere that felt both luxurious and personal, making every guest feel special.
The diving itself exceeded every expectation we had.
We experienced multiple encounters with manta rays, including several magical dives where we watched them gracefully circling cleaning stations as smaller fish tended to them. We saw sharks, turtles everywhere we turned, and an incredible diversity of marine life. But what truly amazed us was the condition of the reefs. The coral was some of the healthiest and most vibrant we’ve seen anywhere in the world. The colors were absolutely stunning and seemed to go on forever.
And the fish life wow.
Schools of fish filled the reefs in every direction. Everywhere you looked there was movement, color, and life. Every dive seemed to reveal something new and exciting. We surfaced from dive after dive talking about what we had just seen and wondering how the next dive could possibly top it.
The food deserves its own standing ovation. A huge thank you to the chef and assistant chef, who consistently amazed us with every meal. The variety throughout the week was impressive, and each dish was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. Every meal felt like dining in a fine restaurant rather than on a dive boat. We looked forward to every breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack.
I also want to recognize Wahyu, who took care of our dining service and our cabin throughout the trip. Every day we were greeted with a warm smile and genuine kindness. He seemed to appear exactly when something was needed, yet never felt intrusive. The care he took with our room and the thoughtful service he provided throughout the week added so much to our overall experience.
What makes Adelaar stand apart is that it delivers far more than great diving. It combines world-class diving with luxury accommodations, outstanding cuisine, impeccable service, and a crew that genuinely cares about creating unforgettable memories for their guests.
We arrived with high expectations and somehow left even more impressed than we imagined possible.
Thank you to Dylan, Ann, Wahyu, the captain, dive guides, chef, assistant chef, and the entire Adelaar family for creating an experience we will never forget. The memories made aboard this beautiful ship will stay with us for years to come.
If you’re considering a Komodo liveaboard and want a true luxury experience with exceptional service and a crew that treats you like family, Adelaar is worth every penny.
We would return in a heartbeat.
* Dory & Jefe, Texas

Adelaar Komodo + whale sharks 6 days trip This is the second time I go diving with Adelaar. This was a 6 days trip starting from Sumbawa, getting into Komodo national park and ending in Labuan Bajo. This time we were only 5 guests, 4 divers and one snorkeler. The staff and crew are impeccable, with attention to detail, I really felt at home on this boat and comfortable, very hard to top this. This is a great boat and the diving is simply amazing, Dylan really knows a lot about the dive sites, he is a patient, caring and very pedagogical in his approach to diving giving tips and understanding guests, giving feedback but also making them feel safe at all times. He is passionate about the sea and it shows and it is always a pleasure going on dives with him. Ann is also very accommodating with guests, she takes good care of people even non-divers, taking them snorkeling and has a keen eye to show them beautiful nature (snorkelers have reported seeing ribbon eels, dugongs, octopus, mantas ). She is very knowledgeable on Indonesia, its culture, history, nature and gastronomy and keen to share recipes with guests and give recommendations on places to visit after the trip or for future visits. Dylan and Ann are very dedicated and go above and beyond what is required. I would certainly go on another trip with them with Adelaar. The crew as a whole is very friendly and delivers, the food is delicious and balanced, the rooms are top notch always clean and tidy, amenities are excellent this is a luxury liveaboard which does not feel like a hotel but a second home.