Grandparents on a phinisi in Komodo: the walks, the shade, the pace

A three-day Komodo programme packs the stops in tight. On the standard 3D2N, day 1 is three swim stops followed by the Padar climb, and day 2 piles on Pink Beach, Komodo Island and Kalong. For a grandparent, that's a great deal of climbing in and out of boats.

The five-day and six-day charters use the same stops as sample days, and the final order is agreed with the captain. In the 5D4N sample, Padar shares day 2 with Pink Beach, Komodo Island and Kalong fill day 3, and Rinca has day 4. Every walk gets its own day, with nothing beside it but a swim or a beach.

Pace is the one thing a grandparent can't buy on the day. It has to go into the plan from the start, and a private charter lets you put it there: the boat is yours, and so is the clock.

Padar

This is the steep one. A 2021 report describes one climbing path, 522 metres long on a slope of about 45 degrees. It times the walk from the landing to the top at about 30 minutes (Good News from Indonesia, 22 July 2021). Indonesia Travel puts the climb at 10 to 40 minutes depending on fitness and says the heat builds after 9 am, so an early start is the kind choice. I couldn't find a published count of the steps. Plan on a real effort, and on the viewpoint being worth missing if the climb is too much.

Komodo Island

On Komodo every visitor walks with a ranger carrying a forked pole. Lonely Planet lists a short walk of 1.5 km, a medium one of 2 km that climbs to a hilltop, and a long one of 4 km. Choose the short walk, and tell the ranger at the start who needs the slow pace.

Rinca

Indonesia Travel says each trek is led by a guide or a forest ranger, who meets you at a checkpoint near the Loh Buaya pier. Routes run from short to long. The page gives no distances, so ask us which route we plan before you choose.

Most of a grandparent's day is spent in Elbark's shade. On the main deck there's an indoor dining room and lounge, and outdoor dining under a canopy. The bow has a relax area with cushioned daybeds, and the after deck a lounge. The sky deck and sunbathing areas are on the main and upper decks, and a photograph shows sundeck loungers with teal cushions beside the wheelhouse.

All nine cabins are air-conditioned, each with its own bathroom and rainfall shower, so an afternoon rest always has a cool room waiting. A grandparent who skips the hike still has a proper day aboard, with the deck and the canopy to themselves.

Over water the sun is stronger than it looks. A hat, long sleeves and a full bottle matter as much as shoes with grip.

I'd put grandparents in Selayar and Rote first. They are 9.24 sqm, with windows and a work desk. Both sit on the main deck a few steps from the dining room and lounge, so bed and breakfast are close together.

Weh and Mentawai, upstairs, are bigger at 13.6 sqm, with big windows. They also have a bathtub, and the edge of a tub is one more step to climb; anyone who'd rather have a plain shower should say so.

Below, the cabins are the smallest, with a small round marine window instead of a view. Misool, the master, has the balcony with its jacuzzi, plus a bathtub, and suits a couple who want the most room.

We do not yet know how the decks are linked or how high the steps are. We ask the boat and send you the answer in writing before the cabin is fixed.

• Ask the doctor about heat and medicines before the date is fixed.
• Travel insurance is not in the fare. Choose cover that includes medical evacuation.
• The safety list covers a raft for 25, life buoys, a flare gun and a fire extinguisher. No medical kit is listed, so we ask what is aboard and send the answer.
• The boat carries an aluminium tender. Ask how guests step into it and which stops need it; we ask the captain.
• Wi-Fi on board is local only, so a doctor's call from the boat cannot be promised.

Park tickets are extra: IDR 250,000 for a foreign visitor and IDR 50,000 for an Indonesian on a weekday. A five-day charter for 15 guests costs IDR 230,000,000 (≈ USD 14,110).