Zada Liveaboard Fleet
Zada Liveaboard Fleet
When to take a group to Komodo: the calendar from an event producer's side
Updated 28 October 2026
The best time for a group trip to Komodo is the dry season, about April to November, when the sea is calm and visibility is high. Sunrise at Padar falls near 06:18 in July and 05:31 in November. Pick the month your team's calendar allows, then ask PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia whether a boat is free.
Twelve months as a planner reads them
The table below sets the twelve months side by side: sea state, underwater visibility, manta season, crowds and rain. Read it as a planning aid for Komodo National Park, not as a guarantee. Nobody can promise a calm sea on a named morning, and we do not.
The pattern is simple. April to November is dry. April, May, June, October and November have the calmest water, and October and November are also quieter on the anchorages than July and August. July and August bring stronger wind and the busiest sites. September is a shoulder month: the wind eases, visibility is high and mantas are still around.
December to March is the wet season. Showers are heavy in January and February, the sea is at its roughest and visibility is lower, but sites are quiet and manta sightings are at their best. A company that books these months is choosing quiet water over comfort, and should say so to the team before the invitation goes out.
The whole-boat rate comes from one 2026 price list for each boat, and the figure for your date is confirmed when we quote. What the month changes most is the chance that your boat is free.
| Month | Sea | Visibility | Mantas | Crowds | Rain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | rough | low | peak | low | wet | January is wet, with heavy showers, the roughest sea of the year and low visibility, but the sites are quiet and mantas are at their best. A team that books it accepts a lively sea in exchange for empty anchorages. |
| February | rough | low | peak | low | wet | February stays wet and rough, with low visibility, few visitors and good odds for mantas. It suits a flexible team that can move the date if the weather turns, not a group tied to a fixed event. |
| March | moderate | medium | good | low | wet | March is the last wet month: showers ease, the sea settles to moderate, visibility reaches medium and the sites are still quiet. Mantas are rated good. A quarter-end team can fit it in before the dry season brings the crowds. |
| April | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | April opens the dry season with a calm sea, high visibility and a medium crowd. For a group of 10 to 28, it is one of the easiest months to plan an incentive trip around. |
| May | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | May is dry, calm and clear, which makes it reliable for snorkelling and walking with a mixed team. Crowds are medium, so boats are easier to hold than in July. |
| June | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | June is dry and clear, and the south-east winds begin to build towards July. It is a good last calm month for a mid-year offsite before the windy weeks. |
| July | rough | medium | peak | high | dry | July is dry but windier, mantas pick up and the sites are busy. A team that books it should expect a livelier sea and ask for the date early. |
| August | rough | medium | peak | high | dry | August is the windiest dry-season month, with busy anchorages and mantas common. Choose it if the team can only leave the office then, and keep the programme flexible. |
| September | moderate | high | peak | medium | dry | September eases the wind, brings high visibility and keeps mantas around, with a medium crowd. It is a strong shoulder month for a team that missed the calm of May. |
| October | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | October is calm, clear and hot, with fewer visitors than July and August. It suits an incentive trip or a client group planning ahead of the year-end calendar. |
| November | calm | high | fair | low | dry | November closes the dry season with a calm sea, clear water and low crowds. Sunrise at Padar is early, so tell the team the wake-up call in advance. |
| December | moderate | medium | peak | medium | wet | December starts the wet season and brings mantas back; late December is busy with holiday travellers. A company that wants a year-end trip should ask early and keep the route flexible. |
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Planning the team photo around monthly sun times
Two sun times matter to a group. The first is Padar at sunrise, because the whole programme for day two is built around it. Guests leave the boat about 65 minutes before sunrise and climb for 25 to 45 minutes, so the sunrise table is also your wake-up table. In July the sun comes up at 06:18; in November it is up at 05:31.
The second is the Kalong bat flight, which starts about 15 minutes after sunset. Sunset at Kalong is 17:57 in July and 18:01 in November, which sets the hour for dinner on board on day one.
Across the year sunrise runs from 05:31 to 06:18, and sunset from 17:49 to 18:27. The whole swing is under an hour, so no month forces a different shape of day. Use the tables to fix the call time of the Padar group photo, tell the team the night before, and leave the exact minute to the captain.
| 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; accurate to a few minutes. The captain sets the call time on the day.
Which month suits which kind of group
A month fits a group when its sea, its crowd level and your own calendar agree. Four typical briefs show how the choice is made.
- Incentive trip or leadership offsite. April to June, or October and November. Calm water, clear visibility and room on the anchorages. A boat for 10 to 28 guests is easier to hold in these months than in July.
- Family or large gathering. Pick the month your school and office calendars share. July and August are windy and crowded; late December is busy with holiday travellers and falls in the wet season. If grandparents come, a calm month matters more than a long weekend.
- Team-building day. A 1D or 2D1N charter works best on a calm morning, which the dry months give most often. Snorkelling and paddle boards on Zada Ulla and Zada Nara are pleasant when the sea is flat.
- Celebration at sea. October and November are calm, clear and quieter, and the Kalong evening is the same in every month.
If you need two, three or four boats on the same dates, ask for the date first and the boat second. Fewer weeks of free calendar are left in July and August, and one occupied boat changes the combination.
Does the day of the week move the price?
We publish one 2026 price list for each boat; weekday and weekend rates are confirmed per date on request. The written quote shows the rate that applies to the date you ask for.
The one weekday and weekend difference that is published is the park entry fee for Indonesian visitors: IDR 50,000 on a weekday and IDR 75,000 at a weekend, per person. Foreign visitors pay IDR 250,000. Park tickets are never in the fare, so the group pays them on its own list.
The open trips follow a calendar pattern, too: Monday and Friday starts at the same cabin fares. For a private charter the practical difference is availability. Weekday dates are easier to block, above all when the plan needs more than one boat.
How early a full-boat booking has to start
Ask early when the date is a holiday, a long weekend or any date in July or August, and to ask for the exact boat and date in writing.
The 2026 list runs to 31 December 2026. 2027 rates are on request in writing, before any deposit, and the written quote fixes the figure. A date is held only when we confirm it in writing; the deposit is 50 percent and the balance falls due 30 days before sailing.
Producer's checklist for the first message:
- the head count, or the range if it is not fixed
- two or three possible dates, in order of preference
- one boat or several, or the words help us choose
- the month the team can leave the office, and any date it cannot
FAQ
What is the best month to visit Komodo?
For a calm sea and clear water, April, May, June, October and November are the safest picks. July and August are drier but windier and busier, and December to March is wet and rough. No month is guaranteed; the captain adjusts the route to the weather on the day.
Is Komodo good in the rainy season?
It can be, for a group that wants quiet sites and manta season. January and February bring heavy showers, the roughest sea and lower visibility. The wet months suit a flexible team that accepts a lively sea, and not a group with elderly guests or a fixed programme.
When is the best time for a team to see Padar?
Sunrise is the best time, and the month decides when. Sunrise at Padar is 06:18 in July and 05:31 in November, with guests leaving the boat about 65 minutes earlier. October and November also bring a calm sea and fewer visitors than July.
Does the price change in high season?
No. We publish one 2026 price list for each boat, and weekday and weekend rates are confirmed per date on request. What changes in July, August and late December is how many boats are free, so ask for the date early.
When do the bats leave Kalong?
About 15 minutes after sunset. Sunset at Kalong is 17:57 in July and 18:01 in November, so dinner on board on day one is timed around it. The captain chooses where the boat lies for the evening.
Does the Komodo sea get rough for a mixed team?
In the wet season and in July and August it can. April to June and October to November are calmer. The captain sets the route by weather; guests who worry should read our seasickness and cabin guide before choosing cabins.
Check availability — Zada Liveaboard Fleet
PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia is the booking partner for Zada Liveaboard Fleet: it handles the booking, the payment and the pickup, and the boat's own operator runs the sailing.