Soe Besar Vanrei
Soe Besar Vanrei Phinisi
The family portrait, planned around the light
Updated 8 November 2026
Komodo family photos at Kalong sunset are planned around two lights: sunset at Kalong on day one and the morning at Padar on day two. In July the sun sets at 17:57 and rises at 06:18. Soe Besar Vanrei sleeps sixteen; four guests on 3D2N pay IDR 40,500,000 (≈ USD 2,485) each.
Planning the family portrait around the light
A family portrait of three generations is a scheduling problem before it is a photographic one. The grandparents tire in the afternoon, the toddler fails after the nap, and the best light lasts under an hour. We plan the portrait around those three limits.
The 3D2N hands you two good lights. Day one ends at Kalong at sunset, with the boat at anchor and everyone on board and fed. Day two begins at Padar, in the morning, for a guest who makes the climb. Day three offers a last snorkel and the return.
The portrait itself fits best on the boat. At Kalong everyone is already aboard, nobody has climbed anything but a short hill at Kelor, and the sun deck holds the whole party at once. Padar asks for a climb, so it is the portrait for those who go up.
Caveat: cloud and the captain's anchorage decide the sky, and no sunset is promised.
Light tables: Padar at dawn, Kalong at dusk
The tables below give the sunrise at Padar and the sunset at Kalong for every month. Read them as the earliest and latest light, not as the hour you arrive: this site gives no clock times for stops, and the captain sets the day.
Two readings as examples. In July the sun rises at Padar at 06:18 and sets at Kalong at 17:57. In December the sun rises at 05:38 and sets at 18:14.
The sailing calendar matters too. Open trips run on Friday & Monday and skip November, so the November row of each table is a reference for a private charter only.
The tables are computed for the place. The weather is not: dry months give clearer skies and wet months give more cloud, and neither is a promise.
| 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.
| 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.
Where sixteen people stand: the deck spaces
Sixteen guests need a surface wide enough for a row and a second row. The boat has three such places, and none has a published measurement.
- Sun deck: cushioned loungers and day beds, open to the sky. The widest surface, and the one we would use for a group portrait.
- Foredeck chill area: a canopy over cushions. Good for a sitting portrait out of the harsh light.
- Dining deck: covered and open-air, with the long table; good for a portrait with food in front of the party.
The saloon, with its wall TV, is for rain and for the quiet portrait. The jacuzzi at the bow is a third setting, with the islands behind it.
The seven cabins sit on three decks, so the party is not in one place; the portrait is the one hour when it is. We suggest the sun deck, a few minutes after the boat has anchored at Kalong, with the loungers pushed back.
| Cabin | Rooms | Beds | Sleeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Suite Ocean | 1 | 1 double bed, plus an extra bed for a third guest | 2 |
| Master Ocean | 1 | 1 double bed | 2 |
| Deluxe Ocean | 2 | 1 double bed | 4 |
| Superior | 2 | 1 double bed | 4 |
| Sharing Cabin | 1 | 2 bunk beds (4 single berths) | 4 |
| Berths in total | 7 | 16 |
The Master Suite extra bed brings the bed count to 17. Soe Besar Vanrei is sold for 16 guests overnight on a private charter.
Footage terms: bundled with a seat, billed apart on a charter
Photo and video documentation is inside an open-trip seat, so a family on the shared sailing already has it. Its format and delivery are confirmed in writing.
On a private charter the position is the opposite: a guide and documentation are not included, and they are quoted separately on request. Ask us before the deposit, because the price depends on what you want.
A drone permit is quoted through us and requested in advance, and we give no advice on where to fly, because the park sets that. We do not promise equipment models.
Documentation comes with an open-trip seat. Its length and delivery date are confirmed in writing.
A photo trip priced for four
Four guests, two parents and two children, on the 3D2N whole boat pay IDR 40,500,000 (≈ USD 2,485) each, from a boat price of IDR 162,000,000 (≈ USD 9,939). The price is per boat for 1 to 16 guests, so four guests pay a larger share than sixteen would, IDR 10,120,000 (≈ USD 621) each.
The shared sailing is the alternative. A Deluxe Ocean cabin is IDR 7,750,000 (≈ USD 475) per person, two sharing, and a Superior is IDR 5,500,000 (≈ USD 337). A seat carries documentation, which makes it the cheaper way to a photographed trip.
The park package is quoted per trip type and paid with the deposit. Drinks beyond free-flow water, tea and coffee, tips and card fees are extra.
| Group size | 2D1N | 3D2N | 4D3N |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | IDR 40,500,000 | IDR 81,000,000 | IDR 121,500,000 |
| 4 | IDR 20,250,000 | IDR 40,500,000 | IDR 60,750,000 |
| 6 | IDR 13,500,000 | IDR 27,000,000 | IDR 40,500,000 |
| 8 | IDR 10,120,000 | IDR 20,250,000 | IDR 30,380,000 |
| 10 | IDR 8,100,000 | IDR 16,200,000 | IDR 24,300,000 |
| 12 | IDR 6,750,000 | IDR 13,500,000 | IDR 20,250,000 |
| 14 | IDR 5,790,000 | IDR 11,570,000 | IDR 17,360,000 |
| 16 | IDR 5,060,000 | IDR 10,120,000 | IDR 15,190,000 |
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per person · Whole boat ÷ group size
FAQ
What time does the sun set at Kalong in July?
In July the sun sets at Kalong at 17:57, and it rises at Padar at 06:18. These are the astronomical times for the place, and the boat arrives on the captain's schedule, so we give no arrival hour. Day one of the 3D2N ends at Kalong, and the sunset is on that evening.
Is a drone permit quoted separately for family photos?
Yes. A drone permit is requested through the booking in advance and quoted separately. We do not advise on where to fly, because the park sets the rules. Ask us before the deposit so the permit is not left to the last week.
Will the sunset be clear for our portrait?
Nobody can promise the sky. Cloud and the captain's anchorage decide it, and the dry months give clearer evenings than the wet ones. The plan keeps the portrait on the sun deck at Kalong, with a second chance at Padar in the morning, so one cloudy evening does not end the idea.
Check availability — Soe Besar Vanrei
Bookings for Soe Besar Vanrei run through the Komodo Explorer team in Labuan Bajo. We plan the voyage, take payment and answer in writing before you board; the boat keeps its own captain and crew.