Princess Nabila
Princess Nabila Phinisi
When to sail in Komodo: the twelve months compared
Updated 12 October 2026
Calm seas and high visibility come in April, May, June, October and November. July and August are rough and crowded, and mantas peak from July to September and again from December to February. January and February are wet, with the roughest seas and low visibility. Choose the month by who is on board.
Calm months first, for the guests who set the pace
April, May, June, October and November are the five months with calm seas in the table. March, September and December sit in the middle. January, February, July and August are rough, each for a different reason: the wet season in the first two, the south-east wind in the last two.
Read the table one column at a time. Sea tells you how the boat moves. Visibility tells you what a snorkeller sees. Manta tells you how strong the manta season is, and Crowds tells you how many other boats share the anchorages. The last column is our own line for the month.
The table is general knowledge of the park, not a forecast and not a measurement, and no month removes the captain's decision on the day. Use it to rank dates, then ask us for the nearest open date.
If a guest in your group is elderly or dislikes motion, choose April to June or October to November. Our rule of thumb, not a measurement, is that the main deck moves less than the upper deck, and that Jawa, at the stern beside the galley, hears the most engine. Papua and Maluku, forward of the restaurant, are the main-deck cabins away from the galley.
| Month | Sea | Visibility | Mantas | Crowds | Rain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | rough | low | peak | low | wet | Wet season: the roughest sea of the year and low visibility. Mantas are at their peak, and the turf deck is open to the rain. |
| February | rough | low | peak | low | wet | Same weather as January, with few boats about. A month for mantas, not for a guest who dislikes motion. |
| March | moderate | medium | good | low | wet | March ends the wet season: showers ease, the sea settles to moderate and crowds stay low. |
| April | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | The dry season opens with a calm sea and high visibility. |
| May | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Dry, calm and clear: dependable conditions for snorkelling and for the Padar and Komodo walks. |
| June | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Dry and clear. Towards July the south-east wind begins to build. |
| July | rough | medium | peak | high | dry | Dry but windy: a rough sea, high crowds and mantas at their peak. |
| August | rough | medium | peak | high | dry | The windiest month of the dry season, with busy anchorages. Mantas are common. |
| September | moderate | high | peak | medium | dry | Winds ease and visibility improves. Mantas stay at their peak, which makes September a strong shoulder month. |
| October | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Quieter than July and August, with a calm sea, clear water and heat. |
| November | calm | high | fair | low | dry | The dry season ends: calm sea, clear water and quiet stops. |
| December | moderate | medium | peak | medium | wet | The wet season returns along with the mantas. The last week of the year is busy with holiday travellers. |
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Padar, the first stop of day two
Sunrise over Padar comes at 05:31 in November, the earliest of the year, and at 06:18 in July, the latest. The table prints a leave-the-boat time for every month, set 65 minutes before sunrise, so you can see whether the boat empties before half past four or after five. The climb to the main viewpoint is a walk of 25 to 45 minutes.
The brochure route puts Padar first on day 2 and prints no clock time. Read the table as planning information, because the captain sets the real wake-up on the day.
On the open trip Padar is either/or with Gili Lawa, and the park quota decides. On a private charter the stops are agreed in the quote.
Bring a head torch and shoes with grip. No dragons live on Padar, and the point of the stop is the ridge viewpoint, not a beach.
| Month | Sunrise | Leave the boat by | On the ridge by |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 05:54 | 04:49 | 05:34 |
| February | 06:05 | 05:00 | 05:45 |
| March | 06:06 | 05:01 | 05:46 |
| April | 06:04 | 04:59 | 05:44 |
| May | 06:07 | 05:02 | 05:47 |
| June | 06:14 | 05:09 | 05:54 |
| July | 06:18 | 05:13 | 05:58 |
| August | 06:12 | 05:07 | 05:52 |
| September | 05:56 | 04:51 | 05:36 |
| October | 05:39 | 04:34 | 05:19 |
| November | 05:31 | 04:26 | 05:11 |
| December | 05:38 | 04:33 | 05:18 |
Times are computed for the location and are accurate to within a few minutes.
Kalong at dusk
Sunset at Kalong falls at 17:49 in May, the earliest of the year, and at 18:27 in January, the latest. The flying foxes start from the mangrove 15 minutes after sunset, and the stream lasts about 30 minutes. The table gives the time the bats fly from, for every month.
Kalong is not a landing. The show is watched from the boat, from the deck or from the roof. For a large group that means all 25 guests see it at once and nobody waits for a tender.
On day 1 of the 3D2N route the open trip picks guests up between 10:30 and 11:55, lunches on board and still reaches Kelor, Manjarite and Kalong the same day. In May and June, when the sun sets earliest, that afternoon is the shortest of the year. Bring a light layer, a charged camera and, if you own one, a long lens.
| Month | Sunset | Bats fly from about |
|---|---|---|
| January | 18:27 | 18:42 |
| February | 18:26 | 18:41 |
| March | 18:15 | 18:30 |
| April | 17:58 | 18:13 |
| May | 17:49 | 18:04 |
| June | 17:50 | 18:05 |
| July | 17:57 | 18:12 |
| August | 18:00 | 18:15 |
| September | 17:58 | 18:13 |
| October | 17:55 | 18:10 |
| November | 18:01 | 18:16 |
| December | 18:14 | 18:29 |
Times are computed for the location and are accurate to within a few minutes.
School holidays, year-end and the dates that fill
July and August are the high-crowd months in the table, and the sea is rougher in the same two. Late December is busy too, with holiday travellers, and the wet season has begun by then. A family reunion tied to school dates in those months gets the dates it needs and a rougher sea. That is the trade.
A company year-end has more room. November is calm, clear and low on crowds, and mantas are fair. December is moderate at sea and wet, and late December is the hard week. A company that can hold its outing in November meets calm seas and low crowds.
The open trip leaves every Monday and Friday. The calendar shows each sailing still ahead, and Few cabins left marks the ones that were close to full when we last read the boat's sheet. Some Mondays and Fridays are missing because they have passed, filled, or gone to a private charter or to docking. Send the dates you can move, not one date, and we check both doors against the boat.
The wet months, and the roof that has no roof
December to March make up the wet season. January and February bring the roughest seas of the year and low visibility, and March settles to moderate seas and medium visibility. Mantas are at peak in December, January and February, which is the reason to accept the sea in them.
Green artificial turf covers the sun deck on the roof, with around a dozen bean bags, a low rail and no shade. It is open to the sky. In a shower nobody stays on it, and in a dry month the midday sun is the problem instead. The only roofed open space is the small deck at the front of the upper deck, under a white canvas awning.
That changes the evening. The restaurant seats about 20 at its counters, so a dinner for 25 in the rain means two sittings, not the roof. Choose a dry month if the roof is the point of your trip.
The harbour authority can close sailings at short notice, in dry months as well as wet ones. If it orders the boat to stay in port, or if the park closes, we put you on a phinisi of equal or higher class on your dates and charge nothing extra, or we refund in full within 14 days.
Choosing a month by who is on board
- Older guests, or anyone prone to seasickness. April to June and October to November, with the main-deck cabins.
- Snorkellers. Visibility is rated high in April, May and June, and again in September, October and November.
- Anyone who has come for mantas. The peak months are July to September and December to February. Currents are strong at Manta Point, and sightings are never guaranteed.
- Photographers. Padar as the first stop of the day, in any dry month, and Kalong at dusk. A drone needs a park permit.
- A quiet boat. Crowds are low in November and from January to March, and the sea is rough in January and February.
Send us the head count and the months you can live with, and the reply lists the dates that are free for each door, the open trip and the private charter.
FAQ
Which months are calmest for guests who dislike rough water?
April, May, June, October and November are the calm months in the table, with high visibility in all five. March, September and December are moderate. Put anyone prone to motion in a main-deck cabin, where our rule of thumb, not a measurement, says the boat moves less than upstairs.
Is the dry season the only time mantas appear at Manta Point?
No. The table marks mantas as peak in January, February, July, August, September and December, so the wet months count. Currents are strong at Manta Point. Sightings depend on tide and current, and they are never guaranteed.
How early is the Padar start in November and in July?
Sunrise at Padar is 05:31 in November and 06:18 in July. The table sets the leave-the-boat time 65 minutes earlier, which is before half past four in November and after five in July. The captain sets the wake-up call on the day.
When do the flying foxes leave Kalong in May?
Sunset at Kalong, the mangrove islet between Komodo and Rinca, is 17:49 in May, and the bats begin to fly about 15 minutes later, streaming out over about 30 minutes. The show is watched from the boat. Arrive early and bring a light layer.
Does the boat sail in the wet season?
Yes. Open-trip dates in the wet months stay on the calendar, and private charters are sold for 2026 and 2027. Expect the roughest sea of the year in January and February. If the harbour or the park closes on the day, the substitution guarantee in our booking terms applies.
Can we use the sun deck in the rain?
Not in a shower. The roof is turf, open to the sky, with a low rail and no shade. In rain the group moves to the restaurant, which seats about 20 at counters, or to the small awning-covered deck at the front of the upper deck.
Check availability — Princess Nabila
Princess Nabila sails with its own crew, and PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia handles the booking, the payment and the trip file.