Elbark Cruises
Elbark Cruises
Five days of light: early Padar, a late lunch, Kalong at dusk
Updated 27 October 2026
A Komodo photography trip on a private phinisi for 5 days gives the light its own mornings: Padar's sun is up at 06:18 in July, and Kalong's dusk falls at 17:57. The whole of Elbark Cruises is IDR 200,000,000 (≈ USD 12,270) for 1 to 10 guests, and a photographer is not included.
Light by the day: Padar early, Pink Beach later
A shorter trip takes its light as it finds it. Five days let a party choose. On the sample route day one is Sebayur or Siaba, Taka Makassar and Manta Point, which are water days. Padar and Pink Beach share day two. Komodo, Pengah and Kalong share day three, Rinca and Manjarite take day four, and Kelor finishes the trip on day five.
Padar belongs to the early hours. Sunrise walkers step off roughly an hour ahead of sunrise; in July the sun is up at 06:18, and the table lists every month. Pink Beach belongs to the later morning, when the sun is higher and the sand takes its colour. Kalong belongs to dusk, and the bats leave about fifteen minutes after sunset.
This is the day off the clock. No hour is fixed for any stop, because the captain decides which stop comes first, and when, each morning, by the sea and the wind. What five days give a photographer is a second chance. A grey Padar can wait for another sunrise.
| 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 |
Computed for the location and accurate to a few minutes.
Where the cameras ride on the boat
Cameras live in the cabins. Each cabin is air-conditioned, which suits kit better than the deck does. The work desk in Misool, Selayar, Rote, Toraja and Alor gives somewhere to sort files at night. We give no figures on storage space, charging points or voltage, so ask us before you travel what your equipment needs.
On deck the best seats are the bow, with its relax area, and the sky deck and sunbathing areas on the main and upper decks. The dining room and lounge on the main deck make a base for the evening's editing. The boat's aluminium tender carries guests to a beach, and a camera bag goes in a dry bag.
Salt and spray get into everything. Pack a cloth, silica gel and a dry bag for every shoulder bag. Do not name a camera to us for approval; no model is required or banned. What matters is how much the party carries, and a phinisi has less room than a hotel.
A photography party of eight, cabin by cabin
Eight photographers are four pairs, and a pair shares a cabin. Four of the nine cabins are in use, and the whole-boat fare is the same as for ten guests. One workable plan follows. The lead photographer and a partner take Misool, with its work desk and the balcony for the morning coffee. A second pair takes Weh, with the big windows. A third pair takes Selayar, on the main deck near the dining room. A fourth pair takes Toraja, on the lower deck.
Misool sits on the upper deck, Weh beside it, Selayar below them, Toraja at the bottom. Four pairs, three decks, and nobody has to cross the boat before dawn to wake the others. The lower cabins are 8.75 sqm, so tripods go on deck.
The other five cabins stay free. Tell us the ages and the pairings. With an odd head count, ask how the cabins are shared; the plan comes to you in writing before payment.
| Cabin | Rooms | Beds | Sleeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Misool | 1 | 1 double bed | 2 |
| Weh | 1 | 1 double bed | 2 |
| Mentawai | 1 | 1 double bed | 2 |
| Selayar | 1 | 1 double bed | 2 |
| Rote | 1 | 1 double bed | 2 |
| Toraja | 1 | 1 double bed | 2 |
| Alor | 1 | 1 double bed | 2 |
| Banda Neira | 1 | 1 double bed | 2 |
| Savu | 1 | 1 double bed | 2 |
| Berths in total | 9 | 18 |
The sum for eight over five days
Eight guests pay the whole-boat fare for 1 to 10 guests, which for five days is IDR 200,000,000 (≈ USD 12,270). Divided by eight it is IDR 25,000,000 (≈ USD 1,534) each. If two more photographers join, the boat costs the same and the figure falls to IDR 20,000,000 (≈ USD 1,227) each. Each guest from the eleventh adds IDR 6,000,000 (≈ USD 368).
The price covers the boat, the cabins, onboard meals, snacks and drinks, snorkelling gear, the paddleboard and the canoe, and the pickup and drop-off in the city area. A photographer for the party is not included. A private charter has none unless you ask. A photographer is quoted as a separate line and confirmed in writing ahead of payment.
Park tickets are separate. Park tickets are IDR 250,000 for foreign guests, with domestic guests paying IDR 50,000 on weekdays. A drone needs its own park ticket and a permit, so ask us before you fly one.
| 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
Captain's calls that change a photographer's day
Four decisions are not yours. The captain chooses which stop comes first, and the anchorage, by the sea and the wind. The tide decides whether the sandbank at Taka Makassar shows. The current decides who gets into the water at Manta Point. The ranger decides how far the party walks on Komodo.
Ask the captain at breakfast what the day looks like. The answer changes with the morning, and the question is the most useful one a photographer can ask. A captain who says Padar waits until tomorrow has read the sky, not spoiled the plan.
We promise no sighting. Dragons, mantas and turtles belong to the park and the sea, and nobody on this site can book them for a lens. What we can do is give you five mornings, a boat that waits and the freedom to choose where the party stands.
FAQ
What time is sunrise at Padar?
Sunrise lands at 06:18 in July, 05:31 in November and 05:38 in December. The weather page gives every month. The captain confirms the evening before when walkers go ashore, about an hour ahead of sunrise.
Whom do we ask before flying a drone?
Ask us first, since a camera drone needs its own park ticket and a permit before it flies. The park decides. What the park requires on your dates is something we tell you, in writing, before payment.
Is there room to leave kit on board?
Each cabin is air-conditioned and holds the kit of its two guests. We have no storage sizes to quote, so tell us what the party carries and we say whether it fits. Large tripods and hard cases are best discussed with us before you pack.
Does the charter include a photographer?
No. A private charter carries neither a photographer nor photo and video documentation. Both are available on request, priced on their own line and confirmed in writing ahead of payment. An open-trip cabin fare does include a photographer.
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.