Navila Liveaboard
Navila Liveaboard
Kalong at dusk: the flying foxes cross the water, and you watch from the rail
Updated 3 November 2026
A Kalong Island bat flight at dusk is watched from the deck of a boat at anchor, not from the shore. About 15 minutes after the sun sets the flying foxes begin to leave their mangroves, and the departure lasts around half an hour. Sunset is 18:01 in November and 17:50 in June.
Kalong's flying foxes and their sunset commute
Mangroves cover Kalong, an islet lying between Komodo and Rinca. Thousands of flying foxes roost in the trees by day, and at dusk they leave in a long, dark ribbon to feed.
Nobody lands. No landing is made on the islet; the sight is taken from the boat, so you stand on deck with the evening around you. The table lists Kalong as easy, and a guest needs nothing but a place to stand.
Routes with a night aboard call here on the first evening: the 2D1N after Rinca, the 3D2N after Manjarite and the 4D3N the same. The full day does not reach it. If the bats are the reason you are reading this page, choose a route with a night aboard, and arrive at the islet early.
Watching from the stern with the light going copper
The boat anchors with the islet in view, and the guests gather on the deck as the sun gets low. Across the year, sunset in the park lands anywhere from about 17:35 to 18:55. The table gives each month, for instance 18:27 in January, 17:50 in June and 18:01 in November.
Bats depart some 15 minutes after sunset, so the first wait is for the light and the second is for the animals. They come low at first, a few and then many, crossing the water in a dark thread that grows. The flight lasts around 30 minutes.
On the deck of Navila the evening has been prepared before you arrive. The jacuzzi is filled, two dry towels are rolled on the cushion beside it, and the tea you asked for at breakfast arrives without being asked again. The mangroves darken, the flying foxes begin to cross, and the light turns copper.
| 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.
Real photo from a KEXI trip · 5 photos
Capturing the exodus without a long lens
A long lens is useful, and a charged battery more useful still. You do not need either to enjoy the flight, and a phone held steady will record the shape of it.
- Photograph the flight against the sky and not against the dark trees.
- Rest your elbows on the rail, and breathe out as you press.
- Take a few seconds of video early, when the first bats are low, because the light fades fast.
- Then put the phone down. The crossing lasts about half an hour, and it is worth watching with both eyes.
The sky changes minute by minute, so a picture from the first five minutes will not look like one from the last. Do not chase a perfect frame. Choose the angle you like, and wait for the animals to come into it.
The evening that follows, still at anchor
When the last bats have gone, the boat stays where it is. Navila spends the night at anchor, and the captain chooses the anchorage with the weather, so the dinner and the evening take place on a still boat.
Dinner is served in the indoor dining room, at the long table. Afterwards the deck is yours: the jacuzzi, the relax areas at the bow, the middle and the stern, and the home theatre and karaoke for those who want them. In your cabin you have a private bathroom, a hot shower and air conditioning.
The next morning on the 3D2N begins early, with the Padar climb. Go to bed knowing the tender leaves at the time the crew has given you.
The host's note. A light layer is useful on deck after the sun goes, because the breeze off the water cools quickly. Keep it by the cushion before the bats begin, so that you need not leave the rail.
FAQ
What time do the bats leave Kalong?
About 15 minutes after sunset. Sunset moves through the year between about 17:35 and 18:55, and the table on this page gives each month. The first bats come low and few, then many, and the flight lasts around half an hour, so arrive early and watch from the deck.
Where does the boat sleep after the Kalong sunset?
At anchor. The captain picks the spot that day to suit the weather, and the boat holds it until morning. Guests sleep in their cabins, each with its own bathroom, hot shower and air conditioning, and the next morning begins with the day's first stop.
Which routes reach Kalong for the evening flight?
The 2D1N, the 3D2N and the 4D3N all stop at Kalong on the first evening. The full day does not, since nobody sleeps aboard. The captain times the stop for sunset, and the weather can change the plan.
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