No marble bathrooms, no scripted service, no air conditioning by design — just small groups, a crew who helped build the boats they sail, and some of the best value diving in Indonesia. Kira Kira and Akomo Isseki are on Coralbound.

This is a platform spotlight. If you're here to plan an Indonesia liveaboard trip, start with the Indonesia liveaboard guide.

Liquid Adventures Indonesia

Liquid Adventures runs two nearly identical traditional phinisi, Kira Kira and Akomo Isseki, both capped at a maximum of 8 guests by choice rather than necessity. If you're comparing this style of trip against other liveaboard categories in Indonesia, this sits firmly at the value end without cutting into what matters. The operator is upfront about what it isn't — not a luxury brand, not a floating hotel, not interested in five-star language it can't back up. What it delivers instead is honest value: solid diving, good food, and a small-group atmosphere where there's nowhere to hide and nothing to perform. Both boats book well ahead of departure, which tends to say more about an operator than any marketing copy can.

Both vessels were hand-built by Bugis craftsmen on the beaches of Ara and at the Bonto Bahari boatyards of Tanah Beru in South Sulawesi, using traditional Pinisi construction methods recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural tradition — no machines, no drawings, knowledge passed down rather than written down. Kira Kira launched in 2014, Akomo Isseki in 2018. Much of the crew helped build the boats themselves and have stayed on since day one, which shows up in the kind of local knowledge that isn't learned from a manual — where the current is running, which anchorage will be calm overnight, which site to switch to when conditions change.

Neither boat has air conditioning, and that's a deliberate choice rather than a cost-cutting one. Both boats are eco-friendly by design, running entirely on solar power for onboard electricity — keeping engine noise and fuel use down and giving guests quiet nights at anchor, with cabins designed around natural airflow and portholes rather than sealed, chilled rooms. The diving quality and the food don't change because of it — this is a comfort trade-off, not a corners-cut one, and it's a big part of why the boats keep the price down without sacrificing what actually matters on a dive trip.

Freshwater comes from onboard tanks rather than a desalination system running around the clock, and single-use plastics are kept to a minimum throughout — small, practical choices rather than a sustainability pitch layered on top of the trip.

Kira Kira

Kira Kira carries up to 8 guests across two double cabins and two twin cabins, each with a personal wardrobe, storage for dive gear and bags, and a traditional porthole to wake up to a sea view. Common areas include a recently refurbished sun lounge and dining area, with two shared bathrooms on board. Meals are cooked fresh throughout the trip, mixing Indonesian and Western dishes, with fresh bread and hot coffee a regular feature of the morning routine.

Akomo Isseki

Akomo Isseki is fitted out with four twin cabins, also for a maximum of 8 guests, and centres around a distinctive 360-degree panoramic saloon — a social space where guests tend to end up trading stories over a beer after the day's diving. Cabin storage and porthole views match Kira Kira, and the same solar-powered, low-noise operation applies throughout.

What's included

Both boats include full board, three freshly cooked meals a day plus snacks, drinking water, tea and coffee, weight belts and tanks (DIN and Yoke), a cruise director and dive guides, and shore excursions where conditions allow. National park fees, rental gear, alcohol, and crew gratuities are the main things charged separately. Guests are expected to make their own way to the harbour for departure and pickup at set times — this isn't a door-to-door operation, and knowing that in advance makes for a smoother start to the trip.

Where they sail

Liquid Adventures currently focuses on two destinations rather than spreading thin across the archipelago: 8-day Komodo liveaboard trips and 11-day Raja Ampat trips. Trips require Advanced Open Water certification or equivalent, though there's no minimum logged dive count — the operator is beginner-friendly for divers who've completed their training, backed by dive masters and a crew who consistently get singled out in guest feedback for how well they run the diving side of the trip.

What's available to book

Both vessels' upcoming departures are live on Coralbound with real-time availability and pricing direct from the operator. For what you get — solid diving, a crew who know the water, good food, and genuine small-group character — Liquid Adventures is hard to beat on value anywhere in Indonesia. Given how consistently the boats book out, it's worth checking dates well ahead if a particular window matters.

Questions? Reach us on WhatsApp or via the contact form. Bookings through Coralbound come at the same price as booking direct, with booking gifts including the option of a complimentary hotel night. Curious why divers book through us? Read why divers book with Coralbound.