Navila Liveaboard
Navila Liveaboard
Light first, then the boat: a voyage timetabled around sunrise and dusk
Updated 3 November 2026
A Padar sunrise private boat voyage begins in the dark, and the timetable does most of the work. The sunrise table gives the light for every month of the year. On the 3D2N whole boat, four photographers aboard Navila pay IDR 18,250,000 (≈ USD 1,120) each. Photo and video documentation is quoted separately.
Dawn and dusk timetabled around the sun
Photographers work back from the light, and the boat's plan follows theirs. In November the sun rises over Padar at 05:31 and sets at Kalong at 18:01. Over the year, sunrise at Padar moves between 05:31 and 06:18; the table below gives each month.
Those are the sun's times. They say nothing about a clear sky, and the sea, the cloud and the haze are beyond anyone's arranging. Pick the month for the light you want, then check the month-by-month page for the sea.
The climb to the Padar ridge is timed back from first light. Settle the tender time with the cruise director the evening before, and leave walking shoes, a hat and water by the cabin door. If anything else would help with the early start, ask what can be prepared.
| 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.
Padar ahead of the tour groups, Kalong after them
On the three-day route Padar comes on day two, at first light. The ridge is at its quietest at the earliest hour the day allows, although we cannot promise it empty. After the climb the day carries on to Pink Beach and Komodo Island, and closes at Taka Makassar, with Manta Point last of all.
Kalong is day one, at dusk. The boat anchors, and some 15 minutes after sunset the flying foxes rise from the mangroves as you look on from the deck. How many will fly is something nobody can tell you.
The captain picks each anchorage with the weather, and the sea settles the order of the stops, so keep a second subject in mind for each session. For a party that wants another sunrise or another dusk, the four-day route adds Gili Lawa on day three.
On a private charter, boarding is timed around your flights.
Beds and deck space for a party with equipment cases
Equipment cases need room. Four photographers who are not couples can use four of the six cabins and give the other two over to cases; with the whole boat chartered, every cabin is yours. Each has one double bed, its own bathroom with a hot shower, air conditioning and a safety box.
On deck, the spaces to work from are the relax areas at the bow, middle and stern, and the indoor dining room. Bring your own camera kit, spare batteries and cards.
Starlink internet is fitted, though reception rises and falls with the boat's position. Plan to back up your files ashore.
| Cabin | Rooms | Beds | Sleeps | with extra bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master Cabin 1 | 1 | 1 double bed (queen size) | 2 | 3 |
| Master Cabin 2 | 1 | 1 double bed (queen size) | 2 | 3 |
| Private Cabin 3 | 1 | 1 double bed (queen size) | 2 | 2 |
| Private Cabin 4 | 1 | 1 double bed (queen size) | 2 | 2 |
| Private Cabin 5 | 1 | 1 double bed (queen size) | 2 | 2 |
| Private Cabin 6 | 1 | 1 double bed (queen size) | 2 | 2 |
| Berths in total | 6 | 12 | 14 |
Stills, film and a drone permit are never inside the boat price
A charter price covers the boat, the crew of six, three meals a day, free-flow coffee, tea and water, snacks and fruit, and the harbour transfer in Labuan Bajo. Each item below is a separate line.
- Stills and film for you. Photo and video documentation, by camera, GoPro or drone, is not in a charter price. We quote it on request.
- Drone permit, on request. The park requires one. We arrange it and give you the amount before it is added.
- The guide. Likewise outside the charter price, and likewise on request.
- The park package. The government ticket is inside it, with the ranger and local levies; it is settled apart from Navila's price unless your written quote includes it.
An open-trip seat does include the guide and the documentation, but you would share the boat with other guests and keep to a shared timetable.
| Group size | 1D | 2D1N | 3D2N | 4D3N |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | IDR 24,250,000 | IDR 29,000,000 | IDR 36,500,000 | IDR 48,500,000 |
| 4 | IDR 12,120,000 | IDR 14,500,000 | IDR 18,250,000 | IDR 24,250,000 |
| 6 | IDR 8,080,000 | IDR 10,420,000 | IDR 12,830,000 | IDR 16,920,000 |
| 8 | IDR 6,060,000 | IDR 7,810,000 | IDR 9,620,000 | IDR 12,690,000 |
| 10 | IDR 4,850,000 | IDR 6,700,000 | IDR 8,200,000 | IDR 10,600,000 |
| 12 | IDR 4,040,000 | IDR 5,580,000 | IDR 6,830,000 | IDR 8,830,000 |
| 14 | IDR 3,460,000 | IDR 5,210,000 | IDR 6,430,000 | IDR 8,290,000 |
Swipe for more
per person · Whole boat ÷ group size
Cost for a small photography party
Say four photographers take the three-day route. The whole boat costs IDR 73,000,000 (≈ USD 4,479) for up to four guests, so each share is IDR 18,250,000 (≈ USD 1,120). With six in the party the five-to-eight band applies, and each pays IDR 12,830,000 (≈ USD 787).
Paying 50 percent keeps the date for you; the remainder is settled 30 days ahead of departure. Tell us the month you have in mind, and we reply with the dates Navila has free and that month's sunrise times.
To be clear about the limits: the camera kit, spare batteries and cards are yours to bring. The captain and the rangers decide where the party lands, and the weather decides what the sky does. We plan the morning around the light; the sea still has the last word.
FAQ
What time does the boat leave Labuan Bajo, and when is it back?
On the open-trip timetable you meet at 09:00 to 09:30, board between 10:00 and 11:00, and reach the harbour on the last day between 12:00 and 13:00. A private charter times pickup and boarding around your flights. Book your flight home for after 15:00 on the last day.
Can a photographer shoot in the wet season?
From January to March the sea is rougher, the rain heavier and visibility lower, though the cloud can give dramatic light. Calmer, clearer water comes in April and lasts through June, then returns in October and November. These are general seasonal patterns rather than guarantees, and the captain sets each day's route with the weather.
When is manta ray season in Komodo?
Going by the general seasonal pattern, mantas are seen most in the December to February stretch, and a second time in July, August and September. Mantas are wild, and a sighting at Manta Point is never promised. The month page describes the sea for each month, so you can weigh mantas against calm water.
Check availability — Navila Liveaboard
Navila Liveaboard belongs to Navila Group; Komodo Explorer arranges your booking, your payment and every message before you sail.