Snorkel or dive in Komodo: what NK Jaya offers divers

Let's get this out of the way so nobody books on a wrong guess. The NK Jaya routes are snorkel and trek routes. Neither boat carries dive equipment, dive guides or tanks, and nobody checks a certification card.

If you dive, book a dive boat. We don't sell dives on NK Jaya 1 or NK Jaya 2.

Batu Bolong, the famous one, is dive-only. Its currents reach 3 to 5 knots at points, with down-currents on some tides. It's on none of the NK Jaya itineraries.

Dive shops in Labuan Bajo run day boats. That's where to book a dive.

Manta Point works as both a snorkel drift and a dive. Divers go down to the cleaning station on the reef. Snorkelers watch from the surface as the mantas feed, depending on the day.

The 3 days 2 nights and 4 days 3 nights routes stop there. A snorkeler sees the mantas from above. A diver sees them from the side. Both are real, and neither is better.

You don't need a certificate to snorkel. A confident swimmer with a mask that seals is enough, plus a life jacket if the current worries you.

Whatever turns up, you see it through a mask with the sea under you. For most people that's plenty. If it isn't for you, a dive boat is the right call.

A mixed pair has two options. The diver books a dive day with a dive shop while the snorkeler joins an NK Jaya trip, or you split the days of one visit between the two.

Either way, leave a rest day between your last dive and your flight. Your dive operator will tell you how long.

Check your insurance too. Standard travel cover doesn't always include diving. Ask us for NK Jaya 1 or NK Jaya 2 dates and we'll reply in writing.

When a mixed couple writes to us, we say the same thing every time. Pick the plan that keeps you both happy, and book it early.

Snorkel or dive, then. On these boats, snorkel. They carry snorkel gear and no dive equipment, and the routes are built around reef flats, sandbars and drift stops you swim from the surface with a mask and a tender close by.