Elbark Cruises
Elbark Cruises
Which months suit a five-day charter, and which suit three
Updated 27 October 2026
Best months for a 5 day Komodo boat trip run from April to October for dry ground, with July and August the windiest. In July the sun rises over Padar at 06:18 and sets at Kalong at 17:57. A five-day plan on Elbark Cruises has room to wait for a better morning.
The twelve months laid in a grid for a five-day plan
The grid below reads the twelve months for a five-day plan, in one line each. It shows the sea, the visibility, the crowds and the rain, and it does not promise a sighting in any month. The captain decides each day, and no month cancels a stop.
A five-day charter moves the balance. A short trip takes the weather it gets, whatever the sea does on the morning of the walk, and has no day in hand. A long one can put Padar on the clear morning and Manta Point on the calm tide. That flexibility is the strongest argument for five days in any month.
Read it for the character of a month, not for a promise, since the sea and the light change from one week to the next. Then ask us.
| Month | Sea | Visibility | Mantas | Crowds | Rain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | rough | low | peak | low | wet | Wet season: heavy rain, and the choppiest sea you will meet in a year. The captain reads each morning and orders the stops by the sea, and the spare days of a long charter absorb a rough one. |
| February | rough | low | peak | low | wet | The wettest and roughest month, with the lowest visibility, though the water is quiet of other boats. The harbour authority decides when boats may sail, and the captain decides what the sea allows. |
| March | moderate | medium | good | low | wet | Last month of the wet season. Showers ease, the sea settles week by week and the captain moves the stops to suit the morning's water. |
| April | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Dry season starts here, with settled seas and water at its clearest for the year. Padar's sun is up at 06:04. |
| May | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Dry, calm and clear, with more boats than the wet months and far fewer than July. Walking days and swimming days both run well. |
| June | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Dry and clear. From now the south-east wind gathers towards July; mornings stay calm while afternoons grow livelier week by week. |
| July | rough | medium | peak | high | dry | Dry but windier, and one of the busiest months at the anchorages. The manta season is at its height, which is a season and not a sighting. Padar's sun is up at 06:18. |
| August | rough | medium | peak | high | dry | Peak wind for the dry months, and anchorages at their fullest. The captain picks the night's anchorage by the wind, and the sea decides what the mantas do. |
| September | moderate | high | peak | medium | dry | The wind eases and the water clears while the manta season continues: a strong month for a long charter, with fewer boats than August. |
| October | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Hot, clear and settled, with thinner crowds than July and August bring. Start the climbs at first light. |
| November | calm | high | fair | low | dry | Dry season winds down with flat seas, good visibility and quiet landings. Padar's sun is up at 05:31 and dusk over Kalong falls at 18:01. |
| December | moderate | medium | peak | medium | wet | The wet season begins and the water moves again, while the manta season returns. Late December is busy with holiday travellers, and dusk over Kalong falls at 18:14. |
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Dry weeks suit the longer charters
April to October is the dry season, and the ground on Padar and Rinca is firm. April to June are calm and clear, and the water is good for snorkelling. The south-east winds build towards July.
July and August are the windiest months and the busiest, with sea that is rougher and anchorages that are fuller. September and October ease again, with high visibility and fewer boats. In July the sun rises over Padar at 06:18, and in October at 05:39.
For a five-day party that wants walks and calm water, May, June, September and October suit best. For one that does not mind a lively sea, July to September bring the manta reports, though no sighting is promised.
Wet weeks, greener hills and a livelier sea
Wet season runs December to March, bringing showers, greener hills and a livelier sea. January and February are the roughest months, with lower visibility, and they are quiet on the water. Manta reports cluster again from December to February, though no sighting is promised.
November is the turning month: calm and clear, with quieter sites. March settles again as the showers ease.
Book in the wet season and you trade some comfort for space. The captain has more reason to move a stop, and a five-day plan has more days to move it to. Three days leave little room for that, because every stop already has its slot and a moved stop pushes the next one into the dusk.
Holidays, crowds and the weeks the boat fills
July, August and December carry the crowds. Anchorages fill and popular stops are busier. School holidays and public holidays raise demand, so ask us about a date that falls near one.
The boat itself fills early in those weeks, since every private charter takes the whole of it and every shared date sells by the cabin. If your week is fixed by school holidays, book early and write the head count in the first message.
A private charter starts on any day the boat is free, set with your date. Choose the start with the whole party's leave in mind.
Matching the month to a five-day party
Match the month to the party. A family with grandparents and toddlers gains most from May, June, September and October, when the sea is calmer. A group of friends who want manta rays and do not mind wind takes July to September. A company team with a quarter to fill takes November or April.
Five days in a month you like beat three days in the perfect one. The extra days hold the stops that weather moves.
Tell us the head count and the two months you prefer. We reply in writing with the dates that are free, and one price that you can read out to everyone at the table.
FAQ
What is the best month to visit Komodo Island?
Walks and snorkelling suit April to October, and April to June plus September to November are the calm, clear stretches. July and August are windier and busier. For a five-day plan the best month is the one the whole party can take. The captain decides on the day.
Which month is best for a Labuan Bajo trip?
For walks and snorkelling, April to October is the dry season. The calmest, clearest months are April to June and September to November; July and August bring more wind and more boats. For five days, the best month is the one the whole party can take.
When is Labuan Bajo least crowded?
Crowds are lowest from January to March and in November, when the sea is livelier or the dry season has just ended. Busiest of all are July, August and December. A quiet month trades some comfort for space, and a five-day plan gives room to move a stop.
Is Manta Point seasonal?
Tide and current decide sightings more than the calendar does. Reports of manta sightings cluster from July to September and December to February, though no sighting is promised. At Manta Point the current is strong; snorkelling there is supervised, and the advice is to wear a life jacket.
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.