Soe Besar Vanrei
Soe Besar Vanrei Phinisi
Flying foxes leave at dusk, watched from the rail
Updated 8 November 2026
Kalong bat flight at sunset is watched from the deck on day one of every Soe Besar Vanrei route. About 15 minutes after the sun is down, flying foxes leave the mangrove roost in a long line. Nobody lands and nobody climbs.
Kalong in numbers
Day 1, dusk, Kalong: the boat is at anchor and the roost is in view.
Kalong is a mangrove islet between Komodo and Rinca where thousands of flying foxes roost by day. The stop is built around dusk and lasts about an hour. The grade is easy. The bats leave about 15 minutes after sunset and keep leaving for about half an hour, so the sky changes slowly and nobody needs to hurry.
It is the closing stop of day one on the 2D1N, 3D2N and 4D3N, after Kelor and Manjarite. Dinner is aboard. The show is not a landing: it is watched from the boat.
The departure follows sunset by a short interval and runs for about half an hour.
The count of bats changes every evening.
Roost departure seen from the rail
Arrive early. The roost looks like dark leaves until it moves. Then the column forms: a long, loose line of wings that lifts out of the mangroves and thins as it crosses the water.
A child will count. A parent will lose count at forty. That is the right outcome, and nobody needs the number.
A long lens and a charged camera help, though a phone held steady on the rail will also record the line. The light is low, so a still hand matters more than the equipment.
Keep voices low. The captain sets the distance from the roost, not the guests, and the boat stays at anchor while the bats leave.
| 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
Dusk times, January to December
Sunset times differ by month, and the table gives them for every month of the year. In November sunset falls at 18:01, in July at 17:57, and the bats follow about a quarter of an hour behind. Plan to be on deck ten minutes before the time shown, with the youngest already fed if that matters to the evening.
The year runs between about 17:35 and 18:55. The span is small, yet it moves the dinner by an hour, which matters to a grandparent with a fixed supper time. Say so when you book and we pass it to the captain.
Caveat: cloud on the horizon can hide the sun, but the bats still leave on their own clock.
Watching from the boat is enough
Watching from the boat is enough. That is the plan, not a compromise. There is a seat for every age and nothing to climb, and a child can stand beside an adult and count.
Deck Log, Day 1, Kalong, dusk. The boat is at anchor. On the sun deck the loungers face the roost. A grandparent sits in the shade with a cold drink, and a child stands at the rail counting. The flying foxes leave after the sun is down. Nobody aboard has climbed anything today except a short hill.
That is a day-one evening for three generations: one short walk at Kelor, a snorkel at Manjarite, and a seat for the rest.
FAQ
Do we land on Kalong?
No. The bat flight is watched from the boat, which stays at anchor, and no one steps ashore. That makes it the easiest stop of the trip for older guests and young children, with no stairs or slope.
What time do the flying foxes leave?
About 15 minutes after sunset, and they keep leaving for about half an hour. Sunset falls between about 17:35 and 18:55 depending on the month, and the table on this page gives each month. Be on deck ten minutes before sunset.
Can young children stay up for the Kalong flight?
The flight happens at dusk, with dinner aboard afterward, and it is a seat-and-watch stop, which suits a tired child. A parent decides on the evening whether the child watches the whole half hour or only the first part.
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.