Alila Purnama Review: Dragons, Diving and Luxury
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission (at no cost to you).
Scales glinting, this Komodo dragon looks, well… stoned.
We’re sailing Indonesia on the Alila Purnama.
Today we’re taking a break from diving Komodo National Park. Instead, we’re ashore in search of the island’s most famous – and most fearsome – resident.
And we’ve found one!
But… It looks like it’s sleeping off a late night.
Then, without warning, it lumbers to its feet, flicking its forked tongue and swaying its massive body from side to side.
Suddenly, this isn’t funny anymore…
This dragon encounter is just one of many unforgettable moments on our voyage.
Here’s our review of the Alila Purnama – from diving and snorkeling pristine reefs to life aboard this beautifully restored luxury phinisi yacht.
And, yes, we’ll finish our story about our Komodo dragon sighting too!
Spoiler alert! Our Alila Purnama review
Meeting the dragons on Komodo Island
We’ve flown half-way around the world to see Komodo dragons.
They’re the world’s largest and most lethal lizard.
Several years ago, two dragons attacked and killed a fisherman after he fell from a tree while picking wild apples. Formidable predators, they feast on goats, deer and wild boar – and, yes, on very rare occasions, humans. Their inch-long serrated teeth deliver venom that prevents blood from clotting.
“Dragons run fast, up to 12 mph,” warns Tasrif, our ranger-guide as he hustles us out of the path of the previously sleepy, now alert dragon.
Curiously, Tasrif has no gun, just a large forked stick which he holds at the ready.
No one fancies being the animal’s next meal. So we cautiously back up and give this reptile a very wide berth. Then we continue our search.
Komodo dragons are found only on Komodo and a handful of neighboring Indonesian islands, making every sighting feel special.
But as thrilling as the dragons are, they’re only the beginning.
The stylish Alila Purnama
Operated by Alila Hotels & Resorts as part of the Hyatt portfolio, the Alila Purnama herself is every bit as much a star of the journey.
Unlike many luxury yachts, you don’t have to charter the whole vessel. Several dates are available for booking an individual cabin, as we did. (Other dates are reserved for chartering the yacht exclusively for your own group.)
One of the biggest surprises for us was discovering just how luxurious – and intimate – a bespoke sailing experience can be (very different from other sailing cruises we’ve enjoyed).
Built as a phinisi
The Alila Purnama (translated, the “Full Moon”) was hand-built in the style of a traditional phinisi.
These two-masted ships were originally used by the Bugis seafarers plying Indonesian waters in days gone by, trading in bird-of-paradise feathers and other exotic goods.
All polished teak and rattan, with billowing camel-colored sails, the Alila Purnama is a 150-foot beauty.
Staterooms
Though nautical in feel, the yacht’s five staterooms could be mistaken for stylish hotel rooms.
They feature queen-size beds, 400-thread count linens, mother-of-pearl mosaic tiled showers and individually-controlled air-conditioning.
And oh the goodies!
We discover pillow-soft bathrobes and slippers, a wicker beach bag, sunhats and sarongs, a yoga mat and a huge wooden box filled with lemongrass body lotions, after-sun cooling gels and face mist.
Daybeds on deck
Up top, on the sweeping bow deck, there are cushioned double daybeds under parasols for each couple to lounge on. (Iced cappuccinos anyone?)
Library
There’s lots of space for privacy too, even a small library with books on the colorful local sea life.
Service
Most important, the service onboard is first-class.
In no time at all, the Indonesian waiters know each guest’s individual preferences for drinks, coffees (double shot? extra foam?) and teas, which magically appear at each meal before anyone can ask.
Flying to Komodo Island
Our six-night trip starts with a 95-minute prop flight from the island of Bali, giving us delightful views below of velvety green islands, ringed by different shades of turquoise ocean.
Indonesia is a vast archipelago of over 17,000 islands (1,000 inhabited), so we’ll only be sailing Komodo, Flores, Rinca and a few other select Indonesian islands.
In Labuan Bajo on Flores island – a tiny speck of a town with tin roof houses and feisty chickens scurrying across red dirt roads – we transfer to the Alila Purnama, anchored in the bay.
Barefoot luxury on our Indonesia yacht
Up first? Surrendering our shoes and sandals.
Going barefoot is the rule on this ultra-luxury yacht.
Over lunch around the massive dining table, we meet our six fellow guests – a Singapore-based couple celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary, two French women friends and a honeymoon couple from Mexico City.
Diving Komodo’s wonderland
Later, the certified scuba divers among us suit up for an easy reef dive, surfacing at sunset beneath an apricot sky.
The Alila Purnama has its own fully licensed PADI dive center onboard, catering to both beginner and expert divers.
All the diving in Komodo we could possibly want is included.
Over the course of our cruise, divemaster Johnny and our cruise director Mario (also a master dive guide) take us out on up to three dives a day, even a night dive.
A kaleidoscope of marine life
Our eyes pop with the underwater sights we see diving Komodo National Park.
We explore garden upon garden of candy-colored corals in wonderful and weird shapes – lilac fingers, monster brain coral and yellow heart valves.
Bug-eyed garden eels peek out from their sand holes.
Blue-spotted stingrays coast by, and enormous sea cucumbers shaped like Styrofoam boxes rest on the sandy bottom.
Yellow-and-black striped Moorish Idols, their graceful dorsal fins fluttering behind them, nibble away.
Castle rock: The fish superhighway
One site we dive – Castle Rock – is a colossal coral-encrusted pinnacle rising to 13 feet underwater, rated one of the world’s 10 best dive sites.
Here, Mario expertly guides us during a lull between normally strong currents into a fish superhighway.
We’re engulfed by more sea life than we’ve ever gaped at in our lives – enormous schools of silvery jackfish, white-tipped reef sharks, slow-cruising turtles, lionfish, fat puffer fish, even a pair of lacy, superbly camouflaged, leaf scorpion fish.
The 5-star surface interval
Each time we clamber back into the Zodiac, we’re handed fluffy towels.
Minutes later on our luxurious Komodo liveaboard, we’re welcomed back with glacier-cold facecloths and fresh papaya-and-mango or orange-and-carrot juice.
One of the 16 staff always starts helping us off with our wetsuits.
“Sit, please sit!” we’re cajoled, and the neoprene is peeled off us while we snack on smoked salmon appies.
Diving has never been so pampered!
Non-dive activities on the Alila Purnama
Sometimes we join in the non-diving guest activities – like kayaking (the Alila Purnama carries its own sea kayaks), snorkeling and going for a spin on the “doughnut” inflatable, pulled behind a high-speed boat.
Indonesia beaches
On a couple of occasions, discreet hands set up cushions under umbrellas on deserted islands.
They haul over coolers of sodas (and face mist too) – so we can lie back and revel in the awesomeness of being the only ones on a strip of talc-white sand, with no other souls in sight.
Hiking
One afternoon, we all scramble up an islet’s rocky cliffs for a sunset view of the islands below and Mount Sangeang (“mountain of spirits” in Balinese) in the distance.
The volcanic mountain sits in Indonesia’s notorious Ring of Fire.
Thankfully, its spirits are feeling kindly toward us and the mountain slumbers in peace for us. (We hear later it blew its top shortly after our visit.)
Komodo Island “shopping”
And then, in the sweltering heat, we arrive at Komodo for our walk through the nature park.
After the initial excitement of our first dragon, we spy a couple more resting in the bush.
About 50 to 60 intrepid visitors set foot on the island each day to look for the dragons (over 1,800 call the island home).
Tasrif tells us one dragon is occasionally fed so it stays close to the ranger hut, guaranteeing expectant visitors at least one sighting.
Back at the landing site, the biggest danger we face is parting with our souvenir money.
Michael, the shrewd trader from Singapore, shows interest in the “real” black pearl necklaces going for $10 or less, and we’re all mobbed by a crowd of skinny young men hawking carved dragons and other local artifacts.
Of course, a two-foot wooden dragon finds its way into our suitcase.
Alila Purnama cruise farewell
Our last evening brings a special surprise.
Instead of dinner onboard, a motorboat takes everyone to a beach, where the staff have created a restaurant in the sand for us.
We’re escorted to our table along a sandy path lined by hand-placed seashells, past a freshly-built Komodo dragon sand sculpture.
Lanterns hang on sticks and candles glimmer in holes in driftwood and rocks.
Our meal is served, course after course – Greek salad, shrimp and barbecued beef, grilled calamari in a spicy tomatoey sauce, fresh fish, and finally chocolate mousse cake.
At the urging of his staff, Mario picks up a guitar and sings.
We join in too as best we can – we’ve all become like family over this week and can’t believe this sailing adventure must soon come to an end.
Need-to-know details
Itineraries
The Alila Purnama offers 5- to 11-night itineraries to some of Indonesia’s most spectacular corners, including:
Rates
Rates start at USD $3,100 per cabin per night. The price includes:
- Luxury accommodation
- All meals
- Unlimited scuba diving
- Snorkeling and other water activities
Alcoholic beverages are extra.
Getting there
International flights aren’t included.
From North America, we flew with EVA Air, an airline we’ve used several times for trips to Asia. We connected through Taipei before continuing to Bali. (See our reviews of flying EVA Air in Premium Economy and in Economy class.)
For our Komodo Islands cruise, we then took a 95-minute domestic flight from Bali to Flores, where we boarded the yacht.
Where to stay before or after
We spent a few nights at Alila Villas Uluwatu before our sailing – the fabulous clifftop resort was the perfect start to our Indonesian adventure. (See our review of Alila Villas Uluwatu.)
Learn more
For more information, visit Hyatt’s webpages on the Alila Purnama.
More sailing and niche-cruising inspo
- Sailing the Caribbean on the 170-Guest Star Flyer Tall Ship
- Cruising French Polynesia is So Romantic!
- Windstar Cruises: Boutique Ships, Big Experiences
- Blue Lagoon Cruises: Barefoot Bliss in Fiji
If you like this post, then save it on Pinterest!
Our top travel tips and resources
→ General trip planning: TripAdvisor is a helpful starting point, with loads of user reviews on hotels, restaurants and things to do.
→ Hotels: Booking.com is our go-to for scoring a “wow” hotel – or at least a decent one – often at lower rates than the hotel’s own website. (We especially like Booking.com’s flexible cancellation policy!) You can also find excellent discounted rates on Expedia, especially for hotels in the U.S. and Mexico.
→ Vacation homes, condos and rentals: We prefer and use Vrbo (Vacation Rentals by Owner).
→ Flights: For the best flights, we search on Google Flights first. Expedia and Kayak are then perfect for snagging the cheapest tickets. (They’re often non-refundable, though, so for more flexibility, we book directly with the airline, even if it costs more.)
→ Airport lounge access: We love (and have) Priority Pass for comfy lounge seats, free snacks and drinks, complimentary WiFi and sometimes even showers and spa services!
→ Tours: For the best local food, walking and other guided tours, plus skip-the-line tickets to attractions, check out Viator (a TripAdvisor company) and GetYourGuide.
→ Car rental: Renting a car can be a great way to explore off the beaten path. Discover Cars searches car rental companies for the lowest rates.
→ Travel insurance: SafetyWing is designed for frequent travelers, long-term adventurers and digital nomads. It covers medical expenses, lost checked luggage, trip interruption and more. We also have and recommend Medjet for global air medical transportation.
→ Travel gear: See our travel shop to find the best luggage, accessories and other travel gear. (We suggest these comfy travel sandals for city walking, the beach and kicking about.)
→ Need more help planning your trip? Check out our travel tips and resources guide for airline booking tips, ways to save money, how to find cool hotels and other useful trip planning info.
If you make a booking or purchase through our site, we may earn a small commission (at no cost to you). Thanks!
Photo credits: 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 to 16, 19, 20, 22, 23 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | Remaining photos Alila Purnama (except where noted)
We were hosted as media guests aboard the Alila Purnama. But all views and words are entirely our own.
About the authors
That looks stunning and you’d never know that your cabin was on board a boat. Not sure that I’d ever want to leave if I stepped aboard :)
We didn’t want to leave – very sad when our week came to an end…
Wow, after the top photo, I had no idea such luxury could be hidden inside! I had to laugh when I scrolled down to see the first pic of the Komodo dragon-he looked like a big sloth. Glad you kept your distance. For some reason I have a terrible fear of scuba diving. You guys appear to be pros. Was it hard to learn? I feel like i’m missing a whole environment under the sea. (and i’m all aboard for a boomer Alila Purnama cruise!)
We learned to dive many, many years ago. It’s not hard, and with the certification lessons you understand what to do and what not to do. (The only thing is if you have ear problems and can’t equalize, then you may not be able to dive.) But we’re dive wusses – we only like diving in warm water where the visibility is super clear.
This trip is incredible! We had looked into doing one of the cheaper trips to Komodo Island when we were in Bali last year, but nothing ended up working out with our schedule.
This post hast me looking for airfare deals as I’d love to do this trip aboard Alila Purnama. I think the dinner on your last night is such a special way to end the trip!
We feel a little guilty sharing details about that last night’s dinner, as it’s really a bit of a secret. Staff don’t tell you about it as they want to keep it a surprise. Hopefully we haven’t ruined it for anyone by spilling the beans!
This is an absolute luxury with a perfect mix of adventures while sailing! Cant wait to board this boat…
Crossing fingers for you then. We just learned that the “Alila Purnama” has now introduced a couple of new itineraries (still all in the Komodo, Raja Ampat area of Indonesia), so they might be fun to look at too.
Now this is a cruise I could drool over! Reminds me a lot of the Galapagos cruise I did last year.
It’s probably a little similar to the Galapagos (a very small ship Galapagos cruise), though instead of the wide variety of animals topside, the emphasis is on the sealife underwater – except for the Komodo dragons, of course!
Wow! What an amazing trip. The ship is beautiful and your adventures outstanding. Definitely going on my to-do list!
It would make for a perfect anniversary trip!
What a magical experience! I can’t believe this is real…lucky you! I so appreciate all of your lovely details. Absolutely breathtaking!
Happy you like our story :-)
Oh, I have to do this even though I am not a diver (but my husband is). I can snorkel though. What an amazing trip, I envy you. Such a great ship and service! That Komodo dragon looks pretty scary… I’m going to bookmark this post for future reference. Who knows, I may convince my husband to take me to Indonesia.
My sister and I MUST do this – I bookmarked your article! We have been in some of the beautiful waters off of Indonesia and wanted to return and, as avid snorkelers and besotted (but useless) sailors this is just the ticket! I don’t think I’d mess with one of the Komodo dragons but can’t figure out why a fisherman was up in a tree picking apples. Just goes to show that people should stick with what they know (well maybe it does)! I”m going to also share this on our FB fan page. Thanks so much!
Sounds like you’d love to go snorkeling (and diving?) there. The good thing is you don’t have to know anything about sailing on this trip – you just get to watch and feel the swells under the hull. Thanks for sharing on your FB page!
How spectacular is the Alila Purnama sailing ship! So beautiful and luxurious! Coincidentally, I just visited the Komodo dragons about a week ago but did the opposite trip. I spent the night in a barebones, but pleasant, backpackers hotel on Flores Island. The dragons weren’t breathing fire during my visit. In fact, they barely moved, all 5 of them. But what a thrill to be there and see them on their own turf.
So you know what we mean when we say the dragons didn’t look too scary! And then you hear all these very nasty stories about the poor people who have been killed or injured by them. Ugh! Can’t wait to read about your Indonesia adventures now :-).
Wow, what a stunning ship and service, I would love to do something like this. I have visited Komodo island and wondered what some of these ships look like and this one is spectacular and beautiful.
Oh, so you’ve visited Komodo Island too! Then you likely saw the Komodo dragons as well. That was a big reason for us wanting to visit this part of the world – and, of course, the chance to sail on the Alila Purnama :-).
Alila Purnama. Alila Purnama. Alila Purnama. Pardon me but I am trying to burn this place into my memory, it looks so amazing. Wonderful article.
Burn away – you’re allowed :-). Glad you like the article :-).
The Alila Purnama sounds like absolute heaven, with just the right combination of action (scuba!) and rest. Some day… some day . ..
Even though I’m not a diver, I think I would have loved to be on this cruise. The juxtaposition of otherworldly reptiles and seaboard luxury is really intriguing. What a fabulous assignment. So nice you made the most of it!
We had a couple who were non-divers on this trip celebrating their anniversary. They loved it too. (The husband got quite interested in diving and half-way through wanted to start learning.)
After seeing your photo of the komodo dragon, I feel like I can stop wondering what dinosaurs must have looked like. Your hike looking for the dragons reminds me of a nature hike in Costa Rica behind a very nervous seeming guide who warned us about venomous flying fer de lance snakes, but who didn’t have any suggestions about what to do to avoid them.
Okay, flying venomous snakes sound a LOT more worrisome than sleepy Komodo dragons. We’ve heard there are all sorts of dangerous creatures you have to watch out for in Costa Rica. Wonder if that’s why we haven’t visited yet? No, just kidding – we’d love to visit there some day too.
Sounds like an incredible sailing experience! Great looking in your diving suits, too:-)
I didn’t realize that the Komodo Dragon was so deadly, or that Alila Hotels had a ship! Having visited the aquarium in Monaco today, I’d love to see more fish up close, what an amazing experience.
It was interesting to see the Komodo dragons (even though they were sleepy most of the time) – probably just as well we didn’t have a more exciting encounter! And could there be a more luxurious way to visit Komodo Island than with the “Alila Purnama”? Just the way we love to travel: soft adventure combined with unapologetic luxury :-).
What an amazing experience! I love the look of that boat. I went diving near Bali once and will always remember the beauty of the water and nearby islands.
If you loved the beauty of diving near Bali, you’d love diving with the “Alila Purnama” :-). It took us to some of the best dive spots we’ve experienced (and we’re no strangers to great dive spots, having dived in the Red Sea, Similan Islands in Thailand, French Polynesia, etc.)
Great boat, looks like a pirate ship with the luxuries of a 5 star hotel. How the heck do you guys get these gigs?
I recently saw a National Geographic show on Komodo dragons and those things are scary, they’ll run out of the forest and hunt you down. The place is a National Park and they’re the biggest predator and everything else is prey to them.
Komodo is a place I really want to visit…Spanky is always nervous about nature though (especially when it wants to eat you). You mention they also viist Raja Ampat: I’ve seen photos and it looks spectacular.. Pricey though, especially if no booze included :)
Frank (bbqboy)
Yes, we were pretty tickled when we got this assignment :-). We want to go to Raja Ampat too now. The scuba diving is supposed to be even more amazing there. Maybe we should charter the “Alila Purnama” for a cruise there! We could invite our friends and… Well, we can dream, right?