Elbark Cruises
Elbark Cruises
Three days, two nights: the standard route with ten stops
Updated 27 October 2026
Komodo 3 days 2 nights private phinisi with 9 cabins: the one route Elbark Cruises runs in full. Hire the whole boat for IDR 140,000,000 (≈ USD 8,589) with up to ten guests, or take a cabin on a Friday sailing from IDR 6,500,000 (≈ USD 399) a head. Either way you are ashore before midday on day 3.
First day on the water: from Sebayur to the Padar ridge
Pickup is at 08:30, and day 1 is the busiest of the three: Sebayur or Siaba, Taka Makassar, Manta Point and Padar. The route names the stops but sets no clock, so the captain orders them, and a tide can put Manta Point ahead of Taka Makassar.
Sebayur gives the first swim, off a beach with reef. Taka Makassar is the sandbar that appears only at low water. Manta Point is a drift: a crew member leads, the current does the work, and anyone less than confident wears a life jacket. Mantas are never promised.
Padar closes the day. Give it 25 to 45 minutes; the path turns loose and steep in places, so wear proper shoes; the reward is the view across three bays. There are no dragons on Padar. Dinner and the night are on board, in a bay the captain settles on once the evening weather is clear.
Day 1
| What happens | Sailing time | Have ready | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08:30 | Pickup from your hotel or any place in the Labuan Bajo city area | — | passport or ID |
| · | Sebayur or Siaba Island | — | mask and snorkel |
| · | Taka Makassar | — | mask and snorkel |
| · | Manta Point | — | mask and snorkel |
| · | Padar Island | — | shoes with grip, hat and water |
| 🌙 | Night aboard. Where the boat spends the night depends on the weather and the captain's decision that day. | ||
Day 2
| What happens | Sailing time | Have ready | |
|---|---|---|---|
| · | Pink Beach | — | reef-safe sunscreen |
| · | Komodo Island | — | closed shoes, park ticket |
| · | Pengah Island | — | mask and snorkel |
| · | Kalong Island | — | a light layer |
| 🌙 | Night aboard | ||
Day 3
| What happens | Sailing time | Have ready | |
|---|---|---|---|
| · | Kelor Island | — | shoes with grip, water |
| · | Manjarite | — | mask and snorkel |
| · | Back in Labuan Bajo between 11:00 and 12:00 at the latest, then to your hotel, the airport or any place in the city area | — |
Stops that can swap places on the day: Manta Point ⇄ Taka Makassar.
Pickup at 08:30 on day 1 is the one fixed hour of an open trip; a private charter's pickup time is set with your date. Every other time on this page is a planning guide, and the captain sets the stop order on the day.
Second day: pink sand, dragons, Pengah and the bat flight
Day 2 is the full one. Pink Beach comes first, its blush coming from red coral ground into the sand. Then Komodo Island and the walk from Loh Liang with a park ranger, who picks the trail that morning. The dragons are wild animals and keep their own hours.
Pengah follows, a swim stop with no page of its own here. Evening means Kalong, a mangrove islet that thousands of flying foxes use as a roost. At dusk they rise together, and you watch from the deck. July sunset there is 17:57, so the boat gets in position early.
Four stops is a lot to ask of one day, and this is precisely the day the longer charters pull apart. On the 4-day and 5-day pages Komodo, Pengah and Kalong get more room.
The last morning, Kelor and Manjarite, then the quay before noon
Day 3 is short, and it starts early. Kelor is a small, hilly island, and 15 to 30 minutes of steep path lead to a view over the bay. Manjarite comes next, and then Labuan Bajo.
The return is around 11:00 to 12:00 at the latest, so you step onto the quay before noon. From there the drop-off takes you to your hotel, the airport or anywhere in the city area.
If day 3 looks thin to you, four days is the remedy: Rinca comes back, lunch stretches out, and Kelor gets a morning with time to spare.
Hiring the vessel outright, or one cabin among other guests
This route is sold two ways. As a private charter the whole vessel is IDR 140,000,000 (≈ USD 8,589) for up to 10 guests. Every guest from the eleventh to the 18th adds IDR 4,500,000 (≈ USD 276). As a shared trip you buy a cabin and sail with other parties, at a fare set by the cabin you pick.
On the shared trip, which leaves on Fridays and some Mondays, Misool is IDR 11,500,000 (≈ USD 706) per person with two sharing. The lowest cabin, Banda Neira or Savu, is IDR 6,500,000 (≈ USD 399). The cruise director guide and a photographer come with each cabin fare. A private charter includes neither; we quote them separately when asked.
Park tickets sit outside both. For the charter set against every cabin fare, see the comparison page.
| Guests | per boat | per person |
|---|---|---|
| 1–10 | IDR 140,000,000 (≈ USD 8,589) | IDR 14,000,000 |
| Extra guest · max guests 18 | IDR 4,500,000 (≈ USD 276) |
| Cabins | Deck | per person |
|---|---|---|
| Misool | Upper deck | IDR 11,500,000 (≈ USD 706) |
| Weh | Upper deck | IDR 9,350,000 (≈ USD 574) |
| Mentawai | Upper deck | IDR 9,350,000 (≈ USD 574) |
| Selayar | Main deck | IDR 8,350,000 (≈ USD 512) |
| Rote | Main deck | IDR 8,350,000 (≈ USD 512) |
| Toraja | Lower deck | IDR 7,000,000 (≈ USD 429) |
| Alor | Lower deck | IDR 7,000,000 (≈ USD 429) |
| Banda Neira | Lower deck | IDR 6,500,000 (≈ USD 399) |
| Savu | Lower deck | IDR 6,500,000 (≈ USD 399) |
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Open-trip departures: 3 days, on Fridays and on some Mondays, sold by the cabin. A date without a flag is open for enquiry, and we confirm your cabin on WhatsApp before you pay. Next departures: 6 November 2026, 9 November 2026, 13 November 2026, 20 November 2026
Checked 27 October 2026 · 2026 rate card
Eighteen aboard for three days, shared out
Put eighteen guests on the whole boat for three days and the total is IDR 176,000,000 (≈ USD 10,798), or IDR 9,780,000 (≈ USD 600) a head. Every cabin is taken: Misool, Weh and Mentawai upstairs, Selayar and Rote beside the dining room, four more below.
Split like that, the bill fits in one sentence on the group chat. Each person has one figure to send, and the organiser handles a single booking and a single 50% deposit, with the rest due 30 days before sailing.
Booked cabin by cabin, eighteen people would pay less in total than the charter. That only works if all nine are free on one listed sailing, and you would then be on the shared trip, with its fixed route and its fixed weekday.
| Group size | 2D1N | 3D2N | 4D3N | 5D4N | 6D5N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | IDR 60,000,000 | IDR 70,000,000 | IDR 85,000,000 | IDR 100,000,000 | IDR 115,000,000 |
| 4 | IDR 30,000,000 | IDR 35,000,000 | IDR 42,500,000 | IDR 50,000,000 | IDR 57,500,000 |
| 6 | IDR 20,000,000 | IDR 23,330,000 | IDR 28,330,000 | IDR 33,330,000 | IDR 38,330,000 |
| 8 | IDR 15,000,000 | IDR 17,500,000 | IDR 21,250,000 | IDR 25,000,000 | IDR 28,750,000 |
| 10 | IDR 12,000,000 | IDR 14,000,000 | IDR 17,000,000 | IDR 20,000,000 | IDR 23,000,000 |
| 12 | IDR 10,670,000 | IDR 12,420,000 | IDR 15,080,000 | IDR 17,670,000 | IDR 20,170,000 |
| 14 | IDR 9,710,000 | IDR 11,290,000 | IDR 13,710,000 | IDR 16,000,000 | IDR 18,140,000 |
| 16 | IDR 9,000,000 | IDR 10,440,000 | IDR 12,690,000 | IDR 14,750,000 | IDR 16,620,000 |
| 18 | IDR 8,440,000 | IDR 9,780,000 | IDR 11,890,000 | IDR 13,780,000 | IDR 15,440,000 |
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per person · Whole boat ÷ group size
Landing, sleeping ashore and flying out
Sleep in town the night before. With an 08:30 pickup, eighteen people spread over several hotels make for a late start. The hotels page lists places near the harbour.
On the last day, 14:00 is the earliest flight worth booking. The boat ties up between 11:00 and 12:00, then come the bags and the drive. Anything earlier gambles on a connection for everyone.
The drop-off is included, to your hotel, the airport or any address in the city area. Staying on in Labuan Bajo after the trip? Mention it when you first write, and the last morning is planned around it.
FAQ
When does the boat reach Labuan Bajo on day 3?
Around 11:00 to 12:00 at the latest. Weather and tide can shift that, and the captain judges it that morning. The drop-off follows, to your hotel, the airport or any place in the city area.
What is the earliest safe flight home?
Anything from 14:00. The boat is in by 11:00 to 12:00, and the party still needs to collect luggage, drive and check in. If someone has to leave earlier, say so at the start and we shape the final morning around that flight.
Is dinner on board on both nights?
Yes. Both nights are aboard, and onboard meals are in the fare. Neither a menu nor a dining time is published, and we will not invent either; ask us what is planned for your dates, and we answer in writing. A beach dinner setup is free only on charters of three nights or more.
Does the 3-day trip only start on set weekdays?
Only the shared trip does: it leaves on Fridays and some Mondays, and the departures page lists each date. A private 3-day charter can start on any day of the week the boat is free, fixed with your date and confirmed in writing.
Check availability for Elbark Cruises
Elbark Cruises is booked through PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia. We confirm your cabins, take the payment and arrange the pickup. The boat sails with its own crew.