Senada Phinisi
Senada Phinisi
Twelve months, read by a group with children
Updated 26 October 2026
Best month for a Komodo boat trip with family: the calm, clear ones, April to June and October to November. Senada Phinisi sails all twelve months. In July, sunrise on Padar is at 06:18 and sunset at Kalong at 17:57.
A year of Komodo in a single table
Begin with the table, then ask the group which column matters most to them. In Komodo the dry months are April to November, and the wet ones December to March. Month by month, the table gives the state of the sea, the visibility, the manta season and how busy the park gets.
Read it with the youngest in mind. A calm sea means more to a seven-year-old than a manta does, and clear water makes a nervous swimmer's first snorkel easier.
Senada Phinisi sails in all twelve months. On the day the captain chooses where the boat goes, and the harbour authority decides when tourist boats may leave port. That decision is not ours to plan around, so no month on this page comes with a guaranteed route or sighting.
The cabin plan is what we can promise. Whichever month you choose, we confirm the cabins in writing before anyone pays.
| Month | Sea | Visibility | Mantas | Crowds | Rain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | rough | low | peak | low | wet | This is wet-season water: the showers are heavy and the sea is at its roughest. Underwater visibility is low, other boats are few, and manta sightings are at their best. The captain decides each day where the boat goes. |
| February | rough | low | peak | low | wet | The roughest water and the lowest visibility of the year, and the quietest month on the water. The manta season is at its peak. Anyone prone to seasickness should say so before booking. |
| March | moderate | medium | good | low | wet | Last of the wet months. Showers thin out, the water calms, and the dry months are next. Visibility sits in the middle, the park has room, and the mantas are still around. |
| April | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | The dry season begins. Calm water, some of the clearest visibility you will see all year, and a park with a fair number of boats. A good month for a group with children. |
| May | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Dry, calm and clear. The sea is flat enough for the whole group to snorkel together, and the paths are firm for the hikes. |
| June | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Dry and clear, though the south-east wind begins gathering strength on its way to July. The sea is still calm, and the manta season is fair. |
| July | rough | medium | peak | high | dry | Dry but windier, with a rougher sea and medium visibility. The manta season picks up and the park is at its busiest, so the group books early. |
| August | rough | medium | peak | high | dry | Peak wind for the dry season, which means a rough sea and a crowded park. Mantas turn up often. Where the boat goes each day is the captain's call. |
| September | moderate | high | peak | medium | dry | The wind eases and the visibility is high again. The manta season continues and the park is moderately busy, which makes September a strong shoulder month. |
| October | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Hot, calm and clear, and quieter on the water than July or August. The mornings are the hour for the hikes, and the sea suits a group of mixed swimmers. |
| November | calm | high | fair | low | dry | The end of the dry season: a calm sea, clear water and a quiet park. The Padar sunrise comes early, so the group sets alarms the night before. |
| December | moderate | medium | peak | medium | wet | Rain arrives with the new wet season, and so do the mantas. Expect a middling sea and middling visibility; the last days of December fill up with people on holiday. |
Swipe for more
Dry months: firm paths, long hikes, strong sun
April to November is dry. On Padar, Rinca and Kelor the paths are firm and the hikes go their full length. By mid-morning the sun is fierce, so the group walks early and retreats to the shade on deck by noon.
April, May and June bring calm, clear water. In July and August the south-east wind builds, and with it come a rougher sea, middling visibility and the year's biggest crowds. September is the shoulder month: the wind eases off, visibility comes back and the mantas are still about. October and November are hot and calm, with less traffic on the water than in high summer.
The Padar walk starts before sunrise, and the hour shifts through the year. The table has the sunrise for every month: 06:18 in July, 05:31 in November. The group sets alarms the night before, and the guide or the captain names the exact time that morning.
| 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.
Rainy months: green islands and a changing sea
December to March is the wet season. The islands go green, the showers are heavy but short, and the sea is roughest in January and February, with lower visibility and the quietest park of the year.
It is manta season too. The mantas come back between December and February, and the sea that makes the crossings livelier is the same sea that brings them in. We promise no sighting in any month, because the sea decides, so a group booking for mantas is booking for the chance of seeing them.
In short, choppy water a phinisi moves more than in a calm month. Does anyone in your group get seasick? If so, mention it when you message us, talk to a doctor about remedies before you fly, and think twice about January and February. By March the wet season is ending: the showers ease and the sea settles.
The Kalong sunset moves through the year as well, from 18:27 in January to 17:57 in July, and the table gives every 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 and accurate to a few minutes.
School holidays and when the boat fills
July and August are the park's busiest months, and holidaymakers fill late December. If your group can only travel in the school holidays, plan for those months and book early.
We don't list school calendars, because every country and region sets its own. Check yours, then send us the weeks that work for the whole group. It's the father who can only get away in the first week, or the cousin flying in on the Saturday, who causes the snags, so a long message is better than a short one.
Shared departures keep a fixed rhythm: Fridays for 3 days, Mondays and Wednesdays for 2. The page lists 25 start dates, beginning Wednesday, 4 November 2026. The whole boat can go on any day it's free, so a group with fixed dates should ask about that.
2027 is already open for booking. The October 2026 prices apply until the 2027 ones are issued, we confirm the figure in writing before you pay, and 2027 open-trip dates are on request.
Heat, sun and the hours to hike
Komodo is hot in every dry month, and there is little shade on the islands. That's why the hikes sit at the cooler ends of the day: Padar at sunrise, Kelor and Rinca in the morning, the sandbank and the snorkel stops before the sun gets high.
The hikes are short, but they are real. Reaching the main Padar viewpoint takes 25 to 45 minutes of steps and loose path, and the Kelor hill 15 to 30. A ranger walk on Komodo lasts anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours. Closed shoes with grip, a hat, a litre of water each and sunscreen for the sandbank are all the kit you need.
Once the morning walk is done, the deck is where the group finds shade. Everyone can sit under cover on the sundeck or in the indoor dining area, and the cabins have air conditioning. Grandparents and small children decide on the day how far they climb, and nobody has to explain why they stopped halfway.
Choosing a month with the group, not for it
Put four questions to the group before anyone opens a calendar.
- Does anyone get seasick, or dread a lively sea? Then go for April to June, or October and November.
- Does anyone care more about mantas than a flat sea? July to September and December to February fall outside the calm windows, and the water is rougher in both.
- Does anyone hate crowds? Then avoid July, August and late December.
- Do the children all share a school calendar? Then the holiday weeks decide, and you book first.
For a family of three generations, the calm months suit the grandparents' hikes and the children's first snorkel equally well. For friends with a karaoke set, the month matters less than the dates everyone can make.
Send us your group size and the weeks you can manage. We reply with the cabin plan and the price for each month you mention, in writing, before anyone pays.
FAQ
What is the best month for children?
April to June, and October and November. The sea is calm, the visibility is good and the paths are firm, which makes a child's first snorkel and first hike easier. July and August are busier and rougher. No month comes with a promised sighting, and the captain chooses where the boat heads each day.
Is it too hot in September?
September is dry, the wind drops and the visibility is good, which makes it a strong month for a mixed group. Komodo is hot in every dry month, so the hikes start early and the group rests in the shade on deck at midday. Bring hats, water and sunscreen for everyone.
Can we sail in the wet season?
Yes. Senada Phinisi sails in all twelve months. From December to March the sea is rougher, the showers are heavy, the visibility is lower and the harbour authority can suspend sailings. If the boat is stopped, our terms move the group to a phinisi in the same class or above on your dates with nothing extra to pay, or a full refund within 14 days.
When are the school holidays?
Every country and region sets its own, so we don't list them. Check your calendar and send us the weeks. July, August and late December are the park's busiest months, so a group tied to holiday dates should book early.
Is Manta Point seasonal?
Manta numbers peak twice, December to February and July to September, but we promise no sighting in any month. The current, the tide and the sea decide, and on the day the captain and the guide decide whether the group goes in, and in what order.
Is there a month with less wind?
April, May and June are calm, and so are October and November. August has the strongest wind of the dry season, after the south-east wind has built through July. If someone in the group is a nervous sailor, choose April to June, or October and November.
Check availability for Senada Phinisi
Senada Phinisi 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 of 7.