Elbark Cruises
Elbark Cruises
Twelve months, read by someone planning a long week
Updated 27 October 2026
Komodo weather by month, with sunrise and sunset, decides how easy a long charter feels. Padar's sun is up at 06:18 in July and dusk over Kalong falls at 17:57. On Elbark Cruises the captain sets each day's stops by the sea, whatever the month.
Twelve months of Komodo, read for a long stay afloat
The matrix below gives every month a line for sea, visibility, mantas, crowds and rain. Read it the way a long charter reads it. A three-day trip has no room to wait. A five- or six-day charter has spare mornings, so a rough Tuesday costs a stop moved to Wednesday, not a stop lost.
Komodo has two seasons. April to October are the dry months, mostly calm on the water apart from a windy spell in July and August. The wet months run from December to March: short, heavy downpours, February the heaviest, and a livelier sea. Neither season is a reason to stay home. Each asks for a different plan.
No month comes with a promise of a sighting. Mantas have a season, and the dragons live in the park all year, but the sea and the ranger decide what you see on the day. The captain decides which stop comes first each morning.
| 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. |
Swipe for more
April to October: hard ground, long walks, high sun
From April the ground is hard, the paths are dry and the walking days run long. Padar's ridge has no shade, so the sun does half the work on you. Mornings are cool enough to climb. By eleven nobody wants to.
Sunrise at Padar moves through these months: 06:04 in April, 06:18 in July, 05:39 in October. The table lists every month. On a five-day charter the climb can take the second morning, with the afternoon left for a swim at Pink Beach, where a shorter trip would squeeze both into one hot day.
July and August bring wind and the busiest anchorages of the year. June and September sit either side of them, with calmer water, clearer days and fewer boats. October is calm, clear and hot, and quieter than the peak.
| 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.
November to March: green hillsides and moving water
November is the turning month, still calm on the water and quiet at the sites. The green arrives with the rain in December and January, when the hillsides change colour and the sea moves more. Showers come hard and short, so a bright morning can be followed by a grey afternoon.
Dusk over Kalong falls at 18:01 in November and 18:14 in December, and the sunset table lists every month so you can set the evening to the bats. Padar's sun comes early in these months, at 05:31 in November.
In the wet months the harbour authority decides when boats may sail, and the captain decides what the sea allows. A long charter gives slack: a stop that cannot be made on Monday can be made on Tuesday. If the boat cannot sail at all, a phinisi of equal or higher class takes over your dates at no added cost, or you take a full refund inside 14 days.
| Month | Sunset | Bats fly from about |
|---|---|---|
| January | 18:27 | 18:42 |
| February | 18:26 | 18:41 |
| March | 18:15 | 18:30 |
| April | 17:58 | 18:13 |
| May | 17:49 | 18:04 |
| June | 17:50 | 18:05 |
| July | 17:57 | 18:12 |
| August | 18:00 | 18:15 |
| September | 17:58 | 18:13 |
| October | 17:55 | 18:10 |
| November | 18:01 | 18:16 |
| December | 18:14 | 18:29 |
Computed for the location and accurate to a few minutes.
Holiday weeks and the weekends that book out
July, August and late December are the weeks everyone wants. The anchorages fill and the Padar path queues. The open-trip calendar shows it too, with some Friday starts marked full. Every date is in the calendar with its status, and the first is Friday, 6 November 2026.
A flag on a date means a few cabins are left or the date is full, and we confirm the cabin before you pay. A private charter works differently. The boat starts on any day it is free, and the date is set with you. For a party of fourteen in the school holidays, ask early and we confirm in writing which dates are open.
Weekends matter to the park, not to the boat. A domestic guest pays IDR 75,000 on a weekend against IDR 50,000 on a weekday, and a foreign guest pays IDR 250,000 every day. Park tickets are paid separately and are never inside a boat price.
Heat, shade and when to start a climb
Heat is the one constant. At sea there is a breeze. On Padar's ridge and Komodo's trails there is almost no shade. Padar walkers set off about an hour ahead of sunrise with a headtorch, so the climb gets the cool end of the day. Sturdy shoes suit the loose, steep sections of the 25 to 45 minute path up to the main viewpoint.
Kelor on the last morning is short and steep. Komodo's trail goes where the ranger takes you, and the ranger decides how far. On a long charter these walks sit at the cool end of separate days, and the middle of the day belongs to the shade of the deck, a second swim and a late lunch. Three days cannot do that.
Pack a hat, a bottle each, closed shoes and sunscreen that suits a reef.
Settling on a month with everyone who is coming
Start with three questions. Who is hardest to move, a grandparent or a toddler? Whose leave or school dates are fixed? And what does the party want most: calm water, the manta season or quiet anchorages?
The matrix answers the second half. For calm water and clear days it points to April, May, June, October and November. For the manta season it points to July to September and December to February. For the quietest sites it points to the wet months and to November.
Send the months that work for you and the number of days. We reply with the free dates of the boat, a cabin plan and one price, and we confirm everything in writing before you pay.
FAQ
What is the best month for children?
May, June, October and November give calm seas and clear water, which is what small swimmers need. Pick the length by the youngest: four or five days leave room for naps and a quiet beach. The full fare begins at 3; a child of 0 to 2 is not charged when a parent or guardian travels too.
Is September too hot?
Heat is part of every dry month, and September is no exception, but it is also one of the clearer months, with the wind easing after August. Start the Padar climb at first light, keep the middle of the day for the shade of the deck, and bring a hat and a bottle each.
Can we sail in the wet season?
Yes. The boat sails through the wet months, with livelier water and short, heavy showers. The harbour authority decides when boats may sail and the captain decides each day's stops. If the boat is unable to sail, your booking passes to a phinisi that is the same class or higher, or the whole amount is refunded within 14 days.
Is there a month with less wind?
The season data marks April, May, June, October and November as the calm months. July and August are the windiest, and the south-east wind builds from June. The captain reads the wind each morning, and a long charter has spare days to wait for a calmer one.
Which months are quietest in Labuan Bajo?
The quietest months are the wet ones, January to March, and November, the turning month. July, August and late December are the busiest. A quiet month means fewer boats at the anchorages, and the sea still decides what each day allows.
What budget does a Labuan Bajo holiday need?
For a party of 14 on a five-day charter, the whole boat is IDR 224,000,000 (≈ USD 13,742), which is IDR 16,000,000 (≈ USD 982) each. Park tickets start at IDR 50,000 per domestic guest and IDR 250,000 per foreign guest. Flights and hotels come on top, and a 3-day cabin seat starts at IDR 6,500,000 (≈ USD 399).
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.