Senada Phinisi
Senada Phinisi
The light at Padar and Kalong, and a boat that waits
Updated 26 October 2026
Komodo photo trip boat group sunrise Padar: the route has two light windows. In July the Padar sunrise is at 06:18 and the Kalong sunset at 17:57. Senada Phinisi gets the group to both, and photo and video documentation is included in a seat and quoted on a charter.
The two light windows: Padar and Kalong
The route is built around two fixed moments. The first is the Padar sunrise on the morning of day 2, from the ridge over three bays. The second is the Kalong sunset on day 1, when the bats leave the mangroves from the boat. Everything else on the route is flexible, and these two are the reason a photographer books.
Both move through the year. The tables give the sunrise at Padar and the sunset at Kalong for every month: 06:18 and 17:57 in July, 05:31 and 18:01 in November. The Padar start is before the sun, so the group walks up in the dark with a head torch and sets up on the ridge.
At Kalong the sun sets between 17:35 and 18:55 as the months pass, and the bats follow about 15 minutes after. A long lens goes in the bag, with a fully charged camera body beside it.
| 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.
| 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.
Water, shade and the sundeck as a studio
Between the two windows, the boat is the base. The sundeck is a large open deck with bean bags, and the covered parts give shade for screens and lenses. The indoor dining area is out of the sun, which is where a camera rests after the heat.
The outdoor chill area has a deck bench with a life ring beside it, and the foredeck has seating for a long look at the water. These are rooms for the group to sit in, and they are not a studio with a rig.
Water is plentiful: free-flow mineral water, tea, coffee and milk, with a dispenser and a refrigerator. Sunscreen that is reef-safe, a hat and a dry bag are the guests' own.
The morning light at the beach stops is softer, and the captain and the guide decide the hour of each stop on the day.
Cameras in the air and the park rules
Park rules cover cameras in the air and paid shoots. A camera drone carries a fee for each drone for each day and a permit, both the park's, so ask us before you fly one, and we answer in writing. We never name a camera model, and we promise no flight.
Personal photographs carry no separate fee in the park data we hold. A commercial shoot, a film crew or a paid shoot has its own charges, and that is a conversation to have with us first.
Charging is the practical question. Ask us about charging points before you fly, and bring power banks charged the night before. Mains in Indonesia is 230 volts with two-pin round plugs.
Underwater, a camera in a case is the guest's own, and the boat supplies snorkel gear and life jackets only.
Photo and video: part of a seat, a quote on a charter
Open-trip seats come with the tour guide and the photo and video documentation. The group does not buy the record of its own trip, and the documentation is part of the fare.
On a private charter, they are not included. The guide and the documentation are on request and quoted separately, and we confirm the quote in writing before you pay. Ask early if the record matters to the group.
We name no equipment, and we promise no particular shot. The sea, the light and the captain decide what is possible on the day, and the documentation shows what happened.
A photographer for the group is another request, confirmed to you in writing before payment. Park tickets are in no price, and the group's own cameras need nothing from us except a charged battery.
A 3-day plan set around the light
Day 1 is the afternoon one. Lunch on board, Kelor, the Rinca walk, then Kalong at sunset, the first light window. Dinner follows on board.
Day 2 is the early one. The alarm goes before the Padar sunrise, then breakfast, Pink Beach in the softer light of the morning, lunch, the Taka Makassar sandbank and the snorkel at Manta Point. Day 3 is the quiet morning, a snorkel and the return around midday.
The captain decides the order and the hour on the day, and the weather decides whether the sky does what the table says. We promise the stops, not the sky.
The group is up on the ridge together at dawn, and the photographers are free to wander from the boat afterwards.
Day 1
| What happens | Sailing time | Have ready | |
|---|---|---|---|
| · | Labuan Bajo: pickup from your hotel or the airport before an 11:00 start | — | passport or ID |
| · | Lunch | — | |
| · | Sail to Kelor Island | — | shoes with grip, water |
| · | Trek at Rinca Island | — | closed shoes, hat and water |
| · | Sunset at Kalong Island | — | a light layer |
| · | Dinner on board | — | |
| 🌙 | Night aboard. Where the boat spends the night depends on the weather and the captain's decision that day. | ||
Day 2
| What happens | Sailing time | Have ready | |
|---|---|---|---|
| · | Padar Island walk at sunrise | — | shoes with grip, hat and water |
| · | Breakfast | — | |
| · | Beach time at Pink Beach | — | reef-safe sunscreen |
| · | Lunch | — | |
| · | Snorkelling at Taka Makassar | — | mask and snorkel |
| · | Snorkelling at Manta Point | — | mask and snorkel |
| · | Dinner on board | — | |
| 🌙 | Night aboard. Where the boat spends the night depends on the weather and the captain's decision that day. | ||
Day 3
| What happens | Sailing time | Have ready | |
|---|---|---|---|
| · | Breakfast | — | |
| · | Snorkelling at Siaba or Sebayur Island | — | mask and snorkel |
| · | Sail back to Labuan Bajo around midday, then to your hotel or the airport | — |
Stops that can swap places on the day: Manta Point ⇄ Taka Makassar.
Pickup comes before the 11:00 start and is the one fixed hour. Every other time on this page is a planning guide, and the captain sets the stop order on the day.
FAQ
Can we fly a drone without a permit?
No. Ask us before you fly, because the park charges a fee for each drone for each day and requires a permit, and both are the park's, not ours. We promise no flight, and we confirm in writing what applies on your date.
Is documentation included?
Yes, on an open trip: the seat price covers the tour guide and the photo and video documentation. On a private charter they are not included, and they are on request and quoted separately, confirmed in writing before you pay.
Which stop has the best light?
The two built around light are the Padar sunrise on day 2 and the Kalong sunset on day 1. In July the first is at 06:18 and the second at 17:57. Pink Beach in the morning has softer light than at midday.
Is there power for chargers?
Ask us. Ask us about charging points; the written answer comes before you pay. Charge everything the night before and bring power banks. Mains electricity in Indonesia is 230 volts with two-pin round plugs, and power cuts happen in town.
Can we shoot underwater?
A camera in a case is the guest's own. The boat supplies snorkel gear and life jackets, and nothing for cameras. The sea and the captain decide the visibility, and we promise no sighting, so the frame is the guest's to find.
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.