How to plan a Komodo boat trip for 15 to 18 people

Eighteen people move slowly. Boarding takes a morning, every swim stop ends with a head-count, and a hike goes at the pace of its slowest walker. That's why I'd settle the number of days before anyone argues about cabins.

The only itinerary with a fixed stop list is the 3D2N. Day 1 takes in Sebayur or Siaba, Taka Makassar, Manta Point and Padar; day 2, Pink Beach, Komodo Island, Pengah and Kalong. Day 3 is Kelor and Manjarite, with Labuan Bajo reached between 11:00 and 12:00. It's a full programme, and a party of 18 feels every stop.

Longer charters are sample days made from those same stops. The 4D3N adds Rinca Island on day 3, and the 5D4N and 6D5N spread everything over more days, so no swim gets squeezed between two landings. Because only the 3D2N has a fixed stop list, a longer trip's final order is agreed with the captain, and the weather has its say.

For 15 to 18 people, my advice is four days at the very least. Make it five if grandparents or small children are coming, and six when the whole point is to be in no hurry at all.

On a private charter you pay one fare for the boat with up to 10 guests, then a fixed sum for each guest from the 11th to the 18th. Boat, cabins and days stay the same; only the head-count moves the figure.

• 4D3N: IDR 170,000,000 (≈ USD 10,429) for up to 10 guests, then IDR 5,500,000 (≈ USD 337) per extra guest. That is IDR 197,500,000 (≈ USD 12,117) for 15 guests and IDR 214,000,000 (≈ USD 13,129) for 18.
• 5D4N: IDR 200,000,000 (≈ USD 12,270), then IDR 6,000,000 (≈ USD 368) per extra guest. Fifteen guests pay IDR 230,000,000 (≈ USD 14,110), eighteen pay IDR 248,000,000 (≈ USD 15,215).
• 6D5N: IDR 230,000,000 (≈ USD 14,110), then IDR 6,000,000 (≈ USD 368) per extra guest. Fifteen guests pay IDR 260,000,000 (≈ USD 15,951), eighteen pay IDR 278,000,000 (≈ USD 17,055).

Per head, the pattern is easy to see. On 5D4N a party of 15 pays IDR 15,330,000 (≈ USD 940) each for the whole stay, and a party of 18 pays IDR 13,780,000 (≈ USD 845) each. Each guest after the tenth adds far less than the first ten cost, so a full boat is the cheapest way to share the same trip.

These figures leave out park tickets, flights and travel insurance, as well as the cruise guide and any photo or video documentation, which we quote separately if asked. They're the 2026 fares. Should a 2027 fare appear before your balance falls due, you hear from us first and can cancel without charge.

Elbark has 9 cabins, each sleeping 2 on a double bed, which sets the ceiling at 18. Eighteen puts a pair in every cabin. With 17, one cabin goes to someone on their own; with 16, two; with 15, three. The fare follows the guests, not the cabins in use.

No two cabin types are alike. Misool, the upper-deck master, is 34 sqm with a private balcony, sofa and jacuzzi. Weh and Mentawai, also upstairs, are 13.6 sqm with a bathtub. Selayar and Rote on the main deck are 9.24 sqm, beside the dining room. Toraja, Alor, Banda Neira and Savu, on the lower deck, are 8.75 sqm, each with a small round marine window.

Which person goes in which cabin deserves a page of its own, and it has one: Nine cabins, eighteen guests, who fits where on Elbark. Read it once you know your head-count and everyone's age.

Park tickets are per person and sit outside every charter fare. Under PP 36/2024 the foreign rate is IDR 250,000. An Indonesian ticket is IDR 50,000 on a weekday and IDR 75,000 at a weekend or on a holiday. Trekking, wildlife viewing and snorkelling all come under the one ticket (ANTARA, 26 October 2024).

Entry is capped as well. From 1 April 2026 the park agency allowed one thousand visitors a day. Once the yearly quota of 365 thousand was used up, it cut that to 500 a day for September to December 2026 (CNN Indonesia, 29 September 2026). Reservations run through the park's SiOra online system, and visitors without one can be turned away on a full day (Floresa, 7 April 2026). No 2027 limit has been published yet.

Then there's the sea. When waves have risen, the harbour authority has paused sailing approvals to Komodo and Padar for days at a time. On board, the captain decides stop order and anchorage each day. If the boat itself can't sail your dates, the replacement-boat guarantee in the booking terms applies.

Six days is a long time on one boat, and I won't pretend every party wants it. Three kinds of group are happier with fewer.

• A party in which one household has to fly home on day 4. Book 4D3N, and don't stretch the plan just to chase a lower price per day.
• Guests who want a night ashore, a pool or a hotel bed. The boat offers local Wi-Fi, a sundeck, and movie and karaoke entertainment, but no dry land.
• Anyone who needs dependable internet at sea for work. Wi-Fi on board is local and not promised.

Everyone else gains from the extra days, because the stops stay put and the room around each one grows. We price all five lengths side by side, so comparing them takes a minute.