Raffles Cruise
Raffles Cruise
Twelve months, matched to the water you want to be in
Updated 24 October 2026
The best month to snorkel Komodo is one of the calm, clear stretches: April to June, or October and November. Raffles Cruise sails the 3-day route in every month, and the Padar sunrise in July falls at 06:18.
Twelve months, one line each
Komodo has two seasons, and the first thing a snorkeller wants from either is a calm sea. April to November is the dry season. The wet season spans December to March. Downpours are short and heavy, and from December to February the water is rougher.
Inside the dry months the calmest, clearest stretch is April to June, followed by October and November. Wind and chop on the crossings mark July and August, along with the crowds. September sits between the seasons. Wind eases, visibility is high and the manta season continues.
The table carries one line for every month, so this page does not repeat them. Read it for sea state first. Mantas come second, because Manta Point is on the 3-day route and the sea decides on the day whether mantas are there. No month turns that into a promise.
In the wet season, or when the south-east wind blows hard, the harbour authority can suspend sailings at one day's notice. The section on wet months below says who decides what then.
| Month | Sea | Visibility | Mantas | Crowds | Rain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | rough | low | in season | low | wet | Heavy showers, lower visibility and the roughest sea of the year. Few boats are out, and it falls in the manta season. |
| February | rough | low | in season | low | wet | Rain still falls, the water runs rough and visibility is lower. The park is quiet, and the manta season carries on. |
| March | moderate | medium | good | low | wet | The last wet month. Showers ease, the swell settles to moderate and the manta season is still good. |
| April | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | The dry season starts. The sea is calm and the water is among the clearest of the year. |
| May | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Dry, calm and clear. Snorkelling and the walks both run in steady conditions. |
| June | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Clear water and a calm sea, with the south-east wind beginning to build towards July. |
| July | rough | medium | in season | high | dry | Dry, windy and busy. The sea is rougher, visibility is medium and it falls in the manta season. |
| August | rough | medium | in season | high | dry | The windiest dry month, with the busiest anchorages. Mantas are in season, and the sea decides each day whether they show. |
| September | moderate | high | in season | medium | dry | The wind eases and visibility is high again. A strong shoulder month, with medium crowds and the manta season still on. |
| October | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Calm, clear and hot, and the anchorages hold fewer boats than July and August bring. |
| November | calm | high | fair | low | dry | The dry season ends. The sea is calm, the water clear and the sites quiet. |
| December | moderate | medium | in season | medium | wet | The wet season begins and the manta season returns. Late December is busy with holiday travellers. |
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Padar before breakfast, month by month
The second day of every overnight route on Raffles Cruise opens with the Padar walk at sunrise, before breakfast. The table gives the computed sunrise for each month at the Padar viewpoint, accurate to a few minutes.
In July the sun rises at 06:18. In November it rises at 05:31, so the wake-up call moves with the calendar and the light on the bays moves with it.
Two planning ranges come from the park data. Sunrise is preceded by the tender's departure by about 65 minutes, then 25 to 45 minutes of climbing end at the main viewpoint. A headtorch helps on the way up. The captain and the crew set the call on the day, and nothing on this page promises the minute you reach the top.
| 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.
Dusk at Kalong, month by month
Sunset at Kalong falls between 17:35 and 18:55 depending on the month. In July it is 17:57. The table gives every month, computed for the mangrove islet between Komodo and Rinca.
Fifteen minutes after sunset the flying foxes leave the mangroves, and the stream lasts about half an hour. Be on deck early, since the boat is the viewing place and nobody goes ashore. A long lens and a charged battery both help.
On the 3-day route this is the evening of day two, after the Komodo walk and Pimpe. On the 2-day and 4-day routes it closes the first day. Dinner follows aboard. The night's anchorage is the captain's decision, made that day from the weather.
| 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.
Why July and August cost more on the 2027 card
Two cards sit on the table. The 2026 card covers sailings up to 31 December 2026 and prices the whole boat by head count with no season. For 3 days that is IDR 115,000,000 (≈ USD 7,055) for 1 to 4 guests, IDR 120,000,000 (≈ USD 7,362) for 5 to 9 and IDR 125,000,000 (≈ USD 7,669) for 10 to 12.
The 2027 card covers sailings from 1 January 2027 and sets one price for 1 to 12 guests: IDR 125,000,000 (≈ USD 7,669) for 3 days, from March to May and from October to December. The 2-day, 3-day and 4-day trips rise from June to September, and the full day does not. Crowds peak in July and August, and the higher tier brackets them. For a sailing between June and September 2027 the higher card applies, and we send you the figure on WhatsApp.
January and February 2027 are quoted on request, because no card exists for them yet.
Open-trip seats follow the same seasons. Seat prices for March to May and October to December 2027 start from the cabin prices in the table; June to September carries higher seat prices, confirmed in writing before you pay.
Sailing the wet months if motion bothers you
December to February is the roughest water of the year, and January and February are the quietest months in the park. A phinisi in a short chop is still a moving floor. If motion bothers you, plan around April to June or October and November.
If you sail in the wet months anyway, say so when you write. We allocate the cabins and pass your note to the captain, who sets the stop order and the shelter on the day. Bring your own medicine: the bring list includes personal medicines, and the boat does not supply them.
Weather, currents, and rulings by the National Park or the port can change a destination. In the wet season that sentence is not boilerplate. A stop can move or drop, and the captain decides. The harbour master can also close sailings with a day's notice, and the booking rules say what follows.
A month to suit your party
Match the month to the person in your party who is least at ease in the water.
- Not confident swimmers: weak swimmers do best in April to June, or October and November, with calm sea and clear water.
- Manta season first: July to September or December to February, with more wind or more rain, and no promise that mantas appear.
- Budget: March to May and October to December sit on the lower 2027 card.
- Photographers: the clear months for the reef, and the long evening light at Kalong in any month.
Send your date range on WhatsApp with the head count, and we check the card and the open-trip dates in one reply.
FAQ
What is the best month to snorkel in Komodo?
Calmest and clearest are April to June and again October to November, while September is a strong shoulder month. If mantas matter more to you than a flat sea, July to September and December to February are the manta seasons, with rougher water. No month promises a sighting; the sea decides on the day.
Is October a good month to visit?
Yes. October is calm, clear and hot, and fewer boats share it than July and August. It sits on the lower 2027 card, and Raffles Cruise runs the 3-day open trip on Mondays and Fridays. Manta sightings are fair rather than peak that month, and the sea decides each day.
When is the water clearest?
Visibility is high in April, May, June, September, October and November. It is medium in March, July, August and December, and low in January and February. Current and tide also change the water from one day to the next, so read the months as a guide, not a forecast.
Is the sea rough in July and August?
The wind builds and the sea is rougher, with chop on the crossings. Snorkelling still runs. The captain sets the stop order and picks the shelter on the day. Guests prone to seasickness should tell us when they book, so the cabin and the plan are made with that in mind.
Is Komodo water too cold to snorkel?
We give no water temperature, because the park data we use carries none. If you chill easily, pack a thin long-sleeved top to wear in the water and tell the crew at the first snorkel. The sea is not the reason to move a booking to another month.
Does the price change by month?
Not on the 2026 card, which has one price per head-count band for every sailing up to 31 December 2026. The 2027 card has a low tier at IDR 125,000,000 (≈ USD 7,669) for 3 days. Dates from June to September 2027 sit on the higher card; we send you the figure on WhatsApp.
Check availability — Raffles Cruise
Raffles Cruise is booked through PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia. We arrange the pickup, take the payment and keep your booking in order. The boat sails with its own crew of 8.