Five days, four nights: the full Komodo route for a company group

Day two pairs the Padar walk with Long Beach and the Komodo Island ranger walk, which makes it the only day of the run with two walks and a beach. On Zada Ulla and Zada Nara the paddle boards and kayaks give a group something to do at a beach stop.

Day three moves the snorkel stops to a day of their own: Pink Beach, Manta Point and Taka Makassar. Manta sightings depend on tide and current and are never guaranteed, and the order of Manta Point and Taka Makassar often swaps.

Day four takes in Gili Lawa Darat, Turtle Point and Kanawa. Turtle Point is a snorkel stop, and turtles are wild animals; a sighting cannot be guaranteed. Where the boat anchors for the night is decided by the captain and the weather; the group sleeps aboard.

The final day lists Rangko Cave, Bird Island and a swim and snorkel at Bidadari before the return to Labuan Bajo. The captain's plan for each stop is confirmed in writing before you pay.

The return time on the last day is confirmed in writing; book flights only after that confirmation. On a five-day charter the last day matters more than on a short one, because the group is tired, the luggage has spread across the cabins and the flight home is the one fixed point left. Settle the return flight after the confirmation, not before it.

The hand-off is the same list as on the shorter routes: luggage counted off the boat, the manifest closed, extras settled and the PIC's thanks to the crew. The producer closes the file in writing.

Per boat, the 5D4N rate is IDR 105,000,000 · about USD 6,442 on both Zada Mega and Zada Zen. Against the 4D3N rate of IDR 95,000,000 · about USD 5,828 on Zada Mega, the fifth day adds a moderate step. On Zada Nara the step from IDR 160,000,000 · about USD 9,816 to IDR 210,000,000 · about USD 12,883 is large, which is why a party of 14 pays far less per person on Zada Ulla's first band, IDR 8,210,000 · about USD 504, than on Zada Nara, IDR 15,000,000 · about USD 920.

At 20 guests Zada Ulla's cost per head is IDR 6,250,000 · about USD 383. 2026 rates, IDR, per boat, guide and documentation extra.

Five days is a long absence for a company group, and it deserves a sober question: who covers the office? Name a deputy for every manager on the list, and agree what happens if a client call cannot wait. There is no signal promise at sea, and Zada Ulla and Zada Nara list local Wi-Fi, with no speed promised.

Producer's checklist, short form. Leave approvals; flights booked after the written return time; insurance for every guest; a named PIC on the boat and a named contact at the office; the manifest, rooming list and dietary list before the cut-off.

Who should choose 3D2N instead? A group where one in five cannot take a week away, a group whose budget per head is set by the three-day rate, and a first-time organiser who has not yet seen how the group behaves on a boat. For those, the 3D2N page is the better start; the five-day route can follow a year later.