A Komodo adventure trip by private phinisi

People who like to be moving should choose the 4D3N. Count the treks: Rangko Cave on day 1, Komodo on day 2, Padar and Strawberry Rock on day 3, and Kelor on the last morning. That makes five walks in four days, and five water stops in between.

This page speaks to your group of six, and to the person who has to say whether it is fit enough. The route is not a race. Each walk is a short outing from the boat, and each is followed by a meal, a swim or a rest on deck.

Here is the order of the day for walkers on day 1. The car comes at 10:00, the welcome drink is poured, and the boat sails at 10:30. Boots go on for Rangko Cave before lunch; Burung Island and a snack follow, and the Kanawa sunset is the reward, with dinner after. The 4D3N itinerary page gives the other three days in full.

Day 3 is the heaviest. It opens with the Padar trek, then breakfast, a snorkel at Pink Beach and lunch. In the afternoon comes the Strawberry Rock trek, a snack and sunset at Kalong. That is two climbs and a swim between two meals, and it is the day to tell your group about in advance.

Padar takes 25 to 45 minutes to the main viewpoint on a path that is loose and steep in places. Strawberry Rock is the second climb of the day, so pace the first.

For six guests, the whole boat costs IDR 67,000,000 (≈ USD 4,110), which is IDR 11,170,000 (≈ USD 685) each. Six guests use three cabins on queen beds, with the extra bed unused. The charter price list shows the other lengths, and the cabins page lists the four classes.

The water gives the legs a rest. Day 2 begins with a snorkel at Siaba, then breakfast, then Manta Point, where a strong current carries confident swimmers along the reef. A snack and Taka Makassar come next, a sandbar with easy shallow reef, before the Komodo trek with a ranger.

On day 3 the Pink Beach reef is close to shore with a mild current. On the last morning, Manjarite Beach follows the Kelor trek, and an early lunch comes before the boat returns to Labuan Bajo in the late morning.

Not everyone in a group of six swims with equal confidence. Manta Point asks for confident swimmers. Non-swimmers stay aboard with the crew while the others go in. Describe the mix when you write.

The fare includes snorkelling gear and life jackets, mineral water, coffee and tea, snacks and a tender. If you swim with fins, bring your own pair; tell us if anyone has a mask they prefer to bring as well.

For this route, pack trekking shoes rather than sandals, because Padar and Kelor have loose or steep ground. Add a backpack, sunblock, sunglasses, personal medicines and emergency cash.

Walks inside the park are with rangers where the park requires it. Komodo needs one for every walk. The ranger fee and local levies are not charged on their own: they sit in KEXI's park package with the government ticket (IDR 250,000 per foreign visitor per day, PP 36/2024); the package is paid on top of the boat price unless the quote marks it as included. A guide and documentation are on request and quoted separately.

Weather can change the itinerary, and on an active route that matters. The captain decides the order of the stops on the day. A stop can swap with another, a walk can move to the other side of lunch, and a closure of a park island can remove a stop altogether.

Heat is the other variable. A climb at midday in the dry months is harder than the same climb in the morning. Take the early starts, and take water.

If you want the same stops with fewer climbs, the 3D2N has three walks, and the occasions page lists routes for other parties. If you want more time on each, tell us, and we write your request into the booking and confirm it with the boat.