Maheswari
Maheswari Phinisi
Komodo photo trip: Padar and the Kalong bats
Updated 20 October 2026
For a party of four photographers, a private Komodo photography trip on the Maheswari 3D2N costs IDR 14,500,000 (≈ USD 890) each when you share the whole boat. It puts you on Padar before breakfast on day 2 and at Kalong for the flying foxes at dusk on day 1. The park ticket, a guide and documentation are separate.
For the photographer: two light windows a day
Two parts of the day decide a photograph on this route: first light on the ridge at Padar, and the last light over Kalong. The hours between are bright sky and flat water, good for a snorkel and poor for a lens.
This page speaks to your party of four, and it is built around those two windows. Padar comes before breakfast on day 2, and sunrise there falls at 06:18 in July and 05:31 in November. The table below gives every month. Kalong comes on the evening of day 1, where sunset falls at 17:57 in July and 18:01 in November.
Choose the month by the light you want. July starts the Padar morning later, which is kinder to a party that dislikes an early alarm. November brings an earlier sun. Both times are computed for the place; the sky is the sky's.
The flying foxes leave the mangroves about 15 minutes after sunset, in a stream that lasts about 30 minutes. That is the whole show, and it is watched from the boat.
| 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.
Padar first, breakfast second
Day 2 of the 3D2N runs in a fixed order: the Padar trek, then breakfast. The order suits a photographer, because the climb to the main viewpoint takes 25 to 45 minutes and the light is best before the sun is high.
Parts of the path are loose and steep, and the park notes put the start from the boat about 65 minutes before sunrise. That means a head torch, trekking shoes and one hand free for the path. A camera on a short strap rides better than a bag swinging at your hip.
Breakfast waits for you when you come down, so there is no reason to carry food up. The crew set the hour of the climb that morning, the captain decides the order of the stops, and the park's daily cap at Padar applies.
Four guests, three days, one boat
The order of the day, as a photographer would live it. At 10:00 you are collected, a welcome drink is served, and the boat sails at 10:30. Kelor and Manjarite fill the middle of the day in hard light; keep the lens capped. From the snack onwards, set up for Kalong, sunset and then the flying foxes, before dinner.
Day 2 opens on Padar before breakfast. Pink Beach comes next, while the light is still soft, then the Komodo trek with a ranger, lunch, Taka Makassar, a snack and Manta Point. On day 3 Siaba comes before breakfast and an early lunch, and Labuan Bajo by late morning.
For four guests the whole boat costs IDR 58,000,000 (≈ USD 3,558) for up to 10 guests, which is IDR 14,500,000 (≈ USD 890) each. Four guests sleep in two cabins on queen beds.
The sun deck and the balcony as a hide
Between the two windows, a photographer needs somewhere to wait. The sun deck has bean bags and lazy chairs. Four cabins have a private balcony: two Signature Ocean on the main deck and two Master Ocean on the upper deck.
A balcony is a place to stand with a camera away from the deck, with your own door behind you. The cabins page sets out which class has which.
Charging, shade and a place for a tripod are the three things a photographer asks about first, so tell us your kit when you book and we confirm with the crew what can be arranged.
What the route gives a photographer
A route gives you the places and the hours, and the rest belongs to the animals, the cloud and the swell. Dragons on Komodo are wild. Manta rays at Manta Point follow the tide. The flying foxes keep to their habit, if not to the minute.
A drone needs a permit, and national park rules apply, so tell us before you fly. A photographer or a drone operator for hire is a separate service, on request and quoted separately, as are the guide and the photo or video documentation on a private charter.
Park tickets are bought online, one per visitor, at IDR 250,000 for a foreign visitor. If your party is more than photographers, the occasions page lists the other shapes a trip can take.
FAQ
Can I fly a drone at Padar?
National park rules apply to drones, and a permit is needed. Tell us which stops you have in mind before you fly, and we say what the park requires; a drone stays in its case until the permit is in hand.
Is there cover from the sun on the sun deck?
The sun deck has bean bags and lazy chairs. Let us know how long you plan to sit out between the two light windows, and we confirm with the crew how the deck is set up for a long sit.
Can I charge camera batteries on board?
Bring spare batteries and a power bank for the walks. List your kit when you book, and we confirm with the crew where charging can be arranged on board.
Can the crew arrange a photographer?
A photographer or a drone operator is a separate service, on request and quoted separately. The chef and boat crew sail with the boat and do not take photographs as part of the fare. A drone also needs a park permit.
What lens suits the Komodo walk?
One that lets you stay back. Dragons are wild, and the ranger sets the distance you keep. A zoom covers both the trail and the viewpoint at Padar, and a long lens suits the flying foxes at Kalong.
Check availability — Maheswari
Maheswari is booked through PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia. We arrange the pickup, take the payment and keep your booking in order. The boat sails with its own crew.