Soe Besar Vanrei
Soe Besar Vanrei Phinisi
Arrangements around the voyage, each quoted before it is added
Updated 8 November 2026
Extras and arrangements aboard Soe Besar Vanrei cover transfers in Labuan Bajo, meals and dietary notes, drinks, celebrations and a guide or photographer on request. Nothing is priced on this page, and nothing is added to the fare without a written quote.
Arrangements, listed
The cards below list what we arrange around the voyage. One is free: the transfer between your hotel or Komodo Airport and the harbour. The others are arrangements on request, from a meeting on the dining deck to a seafood dinner and a photographer.
None carries a price here, because each depends on head count, island and season. You send the request on WhatsApp, and a written figure follows within hours. If you decline the figure, nothing is added. That is the whole mechanism, and it is the same for a cake as for a private dinner on an island.
A promise that an island will be free on your date is not part of the list. A menu and a price list are confirmed in writing.
Pickup in Labuan Bajo
Included in Labuan Bajo: a driver takes you from the airport or your hotel to the harbour and back after the voyage. The pickup time is confirmed in writing when you book, and a private charter can be set around your flights.
A party of up to sixteen may need more than one vehicle. A van or a coach is available on request and quoted before it is added.
Meals, drinks and dietary notes
Meals are breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, with a welcome drink, fruit, fresh coconut, and mineral water, tea and coffee free-flow. These items are part of the open trip. A barbecue is on the list too. Alcohol and other extra drinks are not in the fare and are billed separately; ask us whether you can bring your own.
Mild dishes for the youngest and oldest guests are easy for the kitchen. Put the request on the pre-departure form; menus are fixed closer to the travel date. Vegetarian, halal and allergy needs are not promised by default: tell us at booking, and we pass each need to the kitchen in writing. For a severe allergy, confirm the answer in writing and carry your own medication.
Tap water in Labuan Bajo is not safe to drink, and mineral water is part of the trip. A published menu does not exist, and we do not invent one. If the children love one dish, tell us and we pass it on.
Transfers in Labuan Bajo
A driver takes you from your hotel or the airport to the harbour and back after the voyage. The transfer is part of the trip, and the time is confirmed in writing when you book. A private charter can be set around your flights. On the open trip you ride in a shared car or minibus.
A party of 16 needs more than one vehicle. A Toyota HiAce with up to 12 seats, or a larger coach, is available on request and quoted before it is added. The airport sits about 2 km from town, a drive of about 10 minutes, so a transfer is short even with a full party.
We offer pickups in Labuan Bajo only. Meeting points elsewhere on Flores, or on Lombok, are not part of this boat's service. If your flight lands after the boat leaves, tell us before you book; we answer in writing.
Celebrations aboard, on request
A birthday, a golden anniversary or a gathering of three generations is the kind of occasion the boat suits. A dinner can be served at anchor or ashore where the captain, the rangers and the tide allow it. A cake, a decoration for a cabin or the deck, and a dinner for a special request are all quoted before they are added.
Give us 30 days' notice for a cake or a decoration. For a dietary need on the day, tell us at booking. A meeting or a team outing for up to 16 overnight guests can use the saloon table or the open-air dining deck, with the cabin plan and the invoice agreed in writing.
A photographer or a drone is arranged on request. A drone needs a park permit, and footage is not promised. On a private charter the guide and the documentation are not in the fare; both are quoted separately on request.
Request, reply and a written figure
Send the date, the head count and the arrangement on WhatsApp. We reply with a written figure and any limit that applies: a permit, a lead time or a date that cannot be met. Accepting the figure confirms the item, and nothing else changes.
Payment follows the booking terms. A deposit of 50 percent confirms the date and the balance is due 30 days before sailing, or in Labuan Bajo on departure day in cash or by card on the EDC machine. Fees are 3 percent on the card link, 7.2 percent on PayPal and 3 percent on EDC; your own bank can add charges.
Hot water in the cabins and wheelchair access are confirmed in writing before payment, so a guest who needs either asks us first.
FAQ
Can the kitchen cook non-spicy food for the youngest and the oldest guests?
Yes, non-spicy dishes for children and older guests are no problem. Write it on the pre-departure form and we pass it to the kitchen. Menus are confirmed closer to the travel date, and a published menu does not exist. Other dietary needs go to the kitchen in writing too.
Which items stay outside a private charter fare?
The guide and the photo and video documentation are quoted separately on request. The fare does not include the Komodo park package, a drone permit, alcohol and extra drinks, tips, flights, hotels or travel and medical insurance. Fuel and tax are already folded into the boat price.
Do you confirm vegetarian, halal or allergy needs, and is alcohol sold separately?
None of these is promised by default. Tell us at booking and we pass each need to the kitchen in writing; confirm severe allergies in writing and carry your own medication. Alcohol and extra drinks are billed separately and are not in the fare. Ask us whether you can bring your own.
Is the pickup free, and can sixteen of us ride together?
The transfer between your Labuan Bajo hotel or Komodo Airport and the harbour is part of the trip. A party of 16 needs more than one vehicle. A Toyota HiAce with up to 12 seats or a larger coach is available on request and quoted before it is added.
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.