Neptune Phinisi

Komodo month by month

Updated 4 November 2026

The best month for a private phinisi in Labuan Bajo is a dry one. April to November gives calm sea and clear water for Neptune's 14 guests, with Padar sunrise between 05:31 and 06:18. December to March is quieter and rougher, and closures happen. No month guarantees mantas.

Pick your month

The sea by month: dry and wet seasons off Flores

Flores has two seasons: dry from April to November, wet from December to March. The table above sums up each month in a line, and this section explains the pattern behind it.

April to June is calm and clear, with high visibility and moderate crowds. July and August stay dry but turn windy, the open crossings get rougher, and the anchorages fill up. In September and October the wind eases while visibility stays high, and November closes the dry season with calm water and quiet sites.

Mantas do not follow a calendar. They are seen through the year at different sites, and no month guarantees one. For snorkelling, the best visibility, from April to June and September to November, counts for more than any manta rumour.

Month by month
Month	Sea	Visibility	Mantas	Crowds	Rain
January	rough	low	peak	low	wet	Wet season and the roughest sea of the year, with low visibility and quiet sites. Padar sunrise 05:54.
February	rough	low	peak	low	wet	The heaviest month of the wet season: rough sea, rain and the most route closures. Padar sunrise 06:05.
March	moderate	medium	good	low	wet	The last wet month. Showers ease and the sea starts to settle. Padar sunrise 06:06.
April	calm	high	fair	medium	dry	The dry season opens with calm sea and clear water, and moderate crowds. Padar sunrise 06:04.
May	calm	high	fair	medium	dry	Dry, calm and clear, a dependable month for both the snorkel stops and the walks. Padar sunrise 06:07.
June	calm	high	fair	medium	dry	Dry and clear, with the south-east wind starting to build towards July. Padar sunrise 06:14.
July	rough	medium	peak	high	dry	Dry but windy, with a rougher open sea and busy anchorages. Padar sunrise 06:18, the latest of the year.
August	rough	medium	peak	high	dry	The windiest dry month, with the busiest anchorages of the year. Padar sunrise 06:12.
September	moderate	high	peak	medium	dry	The wind eases and visibility improves. A strong month between the peak and the quiet. Padar sunrise 05:56.
October	calm	high	fair	medium	dry	Calm, clear and hot, with fewer boats than in July and August. Padar sunrise 05:39.
November	calm	high	fair	low	dry	The last calm month of the dry season, with clear water and quiet sites. Padar sunrise 05:31, the earliest of the year.
December	moderate	medium	peak	medium	wet	The wet season begins. Showers return, the sea turns rougher and late December fills with holiday travellers. Padar sunrise 05:38.

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Twelve months of Padar sunrises and Kalong sunsets

The sun sets the day's schedule, and it shifts by 47 minutes over the year. Sunrise at Padar comes earliest in November, at 05:31, and latest in July, at 06:18. Sunset at Kalong falls between 17:49 and 18:27: 17:57 in July, 18:01 in November.

Each of the two tables gives all twelve months for its place. Use them to judge when the Padar climb starts, when the Kalong stop comes, and which month has the longest evening.

They are times for the place, not times for a stop. The captain plans the stops around the weather and the park sells entry in sessions, so read the tables as a planning aid rather than a timetable.

Padar sunrise, month by month
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 crew shifts wake-up with the actual swell.

Kalong sunset, month by month
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; accurate to a few minutes. The crew shifts wake-up with the actual swell.

November to March: fewer boats, rougher water

Here is the wet stretch without gloss. November is the last calm month. December starts the wet season with showers and rougher water, and late December is busy with holiday travellers. January and February are the roughest months and see the most closures, and March settles as the showers fade.

What you gain is room: fewer boats, quieter anchorages, an emptier park. What you risk is weather. Routes change, stops close, and a day can be lost to the sea, which we tell you when we quote rather than at the pier.

A longer voyage is the best insurance. The spare day in a 4D3N or 5D4N soaks up a lost afternoon. If your dates fall in January or February, choose the longer plan and reach Labuan Bajo two days early.

When weather closes a route

Whether a boat sails is decided by the captain and the harbour authority. The authority issues the sailing permit after checking the BMKG forecast and the boat's fitness, and it can close routes. During the 2025 to 2026 wet season it closed Komodo and Padar to tourist boats on several dates, and on some of them only Rinca stayed open.

Nothing sails regardless of the weather. When a stop closes, the captain substitutes another and we tell you what changed. When a boat cannot sail at all, the replacement rule applies: the same or a higher class on the same date at no extra charge, or a full refund within 2 days.

In the week before you fly, keep an eye on the forecast yourself. The BMKG app and its social accounts post updates for the Komodo waters, and we pass on what we see.

Reserving early for the peak months

July to September is the most requested stretch, booked four to six months ahead, and because the park caps daily visitors, high-season slots go first. Late December is the second peak. For either, ask for dates as soon as your plans are firm.

Dates on the shared 3D2N are checked live on WhatsApp, so in a peak month one can close without warning. A whole-boat date is held with a 50 percent deposit, with the balance due 30 days before sailing.

You can reserve 2027 dates now. Rates are on request, with the 2026 list dated 4 November 2026 as the reference, and if the 2027 card differs we tell you before the final payment so you decide.

FAQ

Is it safe after weather warnings or earthquakes, and what if sailing is closed?

The captain and the harbour authority decide whether a boat sails, and nothing departs regardless of the weather. If a closure stops your trip, we supply a boat of the same or higher class on the same date, or a full refund within 2 days. In the week before, we tell you what we see.

Which months are best for manta rays?

None guarantees them. Mantas turn up through the year at different sites, though no month guarantees them. Plan around the snorkelling and the walks and count a manta as a bonus. Visibility is at its best from April to June and from September to November.

When is Komodo least crowded?

November to March, with September and October and April to June as shoulder months. July to September is the busiest period, and Christmas week fills too. Fewer boats mean quieter sites but rougher water from December, so decide how much weather you are willing to meet.

Can I sail in January or February?

Yes, with a longer plan and a spare day. These are the roughest months and see the most closures, with the captain and the harbour authority deciding each day. A 4D3N or 5D4N absorbs a lost afternoon better than a 2D1N, and our quote tells you what a closure would change.

Check availability — Neptune

Neptune sails with its own crew and captain; Komodo Explorer plans the voyage, takes your payment and answers every message before you board.

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