Questions parents and grandparents send us first

The open trip is a 3D2N sailing on Friday & Monday, taken from the boat's calendar as of 8 November 2026. November 2026 is dock time, and the next date is Friday, 4 December 2026. Before you pay, we confirm availability for your date on WhatsApp.

Message us on WhatsApp with your dates and head count. A deposit of 50 percent confirms the booking. The balance is due 30 days before sailing, or in Labuan Bajo on departure day, in cash or by card on the EDC machine.

A card link costs 3 percent and PayPal 7.2 percent. EDC on departure day is 3 percent. Wise, Revolut, QRIS and bank transfer are accepted. So is Alipay, with its fee borne by the guest. WeChat Pay runs through a payment partner.

The deposit is 50 percent, and the balance is due 30 days before sailing. Cancel 60 or more days ahead and 50 percent is refunded; at 30 to 59 days it is 25 percent; later than that, nothing. A reschedule 30 or more days out is free, while later changes carry a fee or count as a cancellation.

Suppose Soe Besar Vanrei cannot sail because of a breakdown or a port or park order. Then we provide a boat of equal or higher class on the same date at no extra charge, or a full refund within 2 days.

Yes. The operator is PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia, NIB 1805260128363, based in Labuan Bajo. The reviews page shows sourced reviews only, and payment goes to the one bank account named on your invoice. Pay against the invoice.

The harbour authority and the captain decide whether the boat sails, after reading the forecast. Sailing is not promised regardless of weather. If the boat cannot sail, we supply a boat of equal or higher class on the same date at no extra charge, or a full refund within 2 days.

The boat carries a life raft, life jackets, life buoys, fire extinguishers, a first aid kit, AIS, radar and a compass. Counts are not published, and you can ask for the list. She is a traditional phinisi with a 5.76 m beam, not a catamaran, and no stability rating is published.

The Master Suite Ocean is on the upper deck, with a private terrace, a freestanding bathtub and an extra bed. The Master Ocean is the only cabin on the main deck. The two Deluxe cabins share the upper deck, without a balcony. Down on the lower deck, the two Superior cabins have porthole windows. The Sharing Cabin has four bunk berths.

The Master Ocean, the only cabin on the main deck. Inside are one double bed, wide windows and a private shower. Step-free access is not claimed anywhere on the boat, and boarding includes a transfer between boat and shore, so send us the mobility details first.

Yes: seven cabins, seven bathrooms. The Master Suite Ocean has a freestanding bathtub; the Master Ocean and the Deluxe cabins have a shower. Every cabin is air-conditioned.

Each double cabin has one double bed. In the Sharing Cabin there are two bunk beds, four single berths in all, and the Master Suite Ocean adds an extra bed. No twin setup in a double cabin is published, so ask us in writing.

Every cabin is air-conditioned. Hot water in the cabins is confirmed in writing before payment, so a guest who needs it asks us first. As for windows, the Master Ocean has wide ones, the Deluxe cabins sea-view windows and the Superior cabins portholes.

Yes, Starlink Wi-Fi is on board. Speed is not guaranteed and coverage is not promised. Download tickets, maps and anything else you need before sailing.

Yes: a bow jacuzzi, a sun deck with cushioned loungers, a foredeck chill area, a Smart TV in the saloon and a karaoke set. Each one is on board and photographed. The jacuzzi's depth is not published.

Access for a wheelchair is not claimed for this boat. What we can describe: the Master Ocean on the main deck, stairs to the other decks and a transfer between boat and shore. Write to us before booking and we confirm in writing, even if the answer is no.

Children aged 0 to 2 travel free with a parent or guardian, and from age 3 the full fare applies. We set no minimum age in advance. Send us the ages and we set out in writing what we would plan. Park fees for children are quoted for the exact ages.

Life jackets are on board. Neither their number nor their sizes are published, so we confirm child sizes in writing from each child's age and weight on the pre-departure form. The harbour authority requires a life jacket for every passenger and a safety demonstration.

Yes. Non-spicy dishes for children and older guests are no problem. Note it on the pre-departure form, and the menus are confirmed closer to the travel date. Vegetarian, halal and allergy needs are not promised by default: tell us at booking and we pass them to the kitchen in writing. Alcohol is billed separately and is not in the fare.

Pick April to June or October, sit in the open air, watch the horizon, and bring your own tablets or patches. Ask a doctor about the dose. A cabin on the main or lower deck sits lower in the hull. No stabilizer is listed for this boat, so we promise none.

The boat's crew gives first aid, and if needed the captain calls Basarnas, the search and rescue agency. A speedboat then takes the patient to Labuan Bajo, quoted at about 45 minutes from most park stops. In town there are Siloam Hospitals and the public RSUD Komodo. Carry insurance with evacuation cover.

Yes. Whoever skips Padar stays aboard and keeps the boat. Pink Beach, the Komodo ranger walk, Manta Point, Taka Makassar, Kalong and the snorkel stops all stay open. On Komodo the short route is the easy one, and wildlife is never guaranteed.

Yes, a child shares a parent's cabin. A third guest sleeps only in the Master Suite Ocean, on its extra bed. The Sharing Cabin sleeps four on two bunk beds. On the open trip it is sold by the bunk, so other guests can share it unless your party fills it.

In blocks: a landing or snorkel in the morning, a long lunch at the table, a slack afternoon on the loungers or in an air-conditioned cabin, and one short stop before dusk. Anyone who wants to skip a stop stays aboard. The captain sets the order.

KEXI quotes the park as one package per guest: 3D2N: IDR 650,000 per foreign guest, IDR 350,000 per Indonesian guest; 4D3N: IDR 750,000 per foreign guest, IDR 350,000 per Indonesian guest. It bundles the government entrance ticket (IDR 250,000 per foreign visitor per day, PP 36/2024) with the ranger fee and local levies, and is paid on top of the boat price unless your quote says it is included.

Three days is the standard route and the length we suggest for grandparents. The 2D1N is a shorter example route with less slack; the 4D3N is a slower example route with extra stops.

Yes, the 3D2N starts and ends in Labuan Bajo. Day 1 takes in Kelor, Manjarite and Kalong. Day 2 covers Padar, Pink Beach, Komodo Island, Manta Point and Taka Makassar. Day 3 is Sebayur or Kanawa. There is no leg to Lombok.

As an example route it works, fitting Padar, Pink Beach and the Komodo walk into one long day with about an hour to spare. For grandparents the 3D2N is easier, because day 2 is not rushed.

Slower stops. On the 4D3N example route, day 3 adds Kanawa, Gili Lawa and Sebayur and day 4 adds Bidadari, all at an easier pace. The final order is agreed with the captain.

A driver picks you up at your Labuan Bajo hotel or Komodo Airport and takes you to the harbour; the transfer is part of the trip. We confirm the pickup time in writing when you book, and the driver's contact reaches you on WhatsApp before sailing.

The 3D2N ends in Labuan Bajo after the morning snorkel and lunch on day 3. We confirm the return time in writing before you book a flight home. Pick an afternoon or evening flight, and ask us before you pay for any ticket.

Fly in the day before you sail. Bali is about 1 h 10 to 1 h 20 away and Jakarta about 2 h 30 to 3 h; Lombok has a small-aircraft link a few days a week. Check days and times with the airline. We quote no fares or flight numbers.

IDR 81,000,000 (≈ USD 4,969) for 2D1N, IDR 162,000,000 (≈ USD 9,939) for 3D2N and IDR 243,000,000 (≈ USD 14,908) for 4D3N. Each is the price of the boat for 1 to 16 guests, and it does not drop when fewer people come. Rates are the 2026 card, dated 8 November 2026.

Per person, two sharing a cabin: IDR 9,500,000 (≈ USD 583) in the Master Suite Ocean and IDR 8,500,000 (≈ USD 521) in the Master Ocean. A Deluxe cabin is IDR 7,750,000 (≈ USD 475) and a Superior cabin IDR 5,500,000 (≈ USD 337). A bunk in the Sharing Cabin is IDR 3,850,000 (≈ USD 236), and the extra bed in the Master Suite is IDR 3,750,000 (≈ USD 230). A solo guest takes one bunk and shares with other guests on that sailing; who they are is not known in advance.

The boat and its crew, meals, free-flow mineral water, tea and coffee, snorkel gear, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and life jackets, plus the transfer between your hotel or Komodo Airport and the harbour. Fuel and tax are folded into the price.

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, extra drinks, tips, flights, hotels, or travel and medical insurance. On the open trip, a local guide and documentation come with the seat.

No. The park package is never inside a fare. We quote it per guest for the trip type and collect it in full with the deposit, so no park cash is due on the day. Bring rupiah for tips and the town; the islands have no ATMs.

On the 3D2N, each of 8 guests pays a share of IDR 20,250,000 (≈ USD 1,242), and each of 16 pays IDR 10,120,000 (≈ USD 621). Those shares divide the boat price only. The park package, the guide and the documentation are separate.

Yes, 2027 is open for reservations. Rates for 2027 are on request, with the 2026 list as the reference. If the card changes before your final payment, we tell you first, and you can cancel free.

Yes. The standard terms stay the same: a 50% deposit confirms the date and the balance is due 30 days before departure, but you may also pay the balance in Labuan Bajo on the departure day, in cash or by card on the EDC machine. Card payment link 3%, PayPal 7.2%, EDC 3%; your issuing bank may add its own charges.

Charter the whole boat if the family wants its own dates, a 2D1N to 4D3N route and no other guests: the price is per boat for 1 to 16 guests, IDR 162,000,000 (≈ USD 9,939) for the 3D2N. Book cabins if fixed Friday or Monday dates suit you, from IDR 3,850,000 (≈ USD 236) per person, with other guests aboard. A seat includes a local guide and photo documentation. A charter does not, and we quote both on request.

She is a traditional ironwood phinisi, about 31 m long and 5.76 m wide, with 3 decks, seven cabins and 16 guests overnight. Crew size is not published and no quiet-engine claim is made, so we promise no particular noise level.

Sixteen guests sleep in the seven cabins. The seventeenth bed is the extra bed in the Master Suite Ocean, for a third guest in that cabin. A larger party needs a second boat.

Yes. The boat price covers the whole boat for 1 to 16 guests, from IDR 81,000,000 (≈ USD 4,969) for 2D1N, so only your party and the boat's crew are aboard. Book a cabin on the open trip and you share the boat with other guests.

Across the five types of cabin: 2 in the Master Suite Ocean, 2 in the Master Ocean, 4 in the two Deluxe cabins, 4 in the two Superior cabins and 4 in the Sharing Cabin. Children take the bunks. A grandparent takes the Master Ocean, the only cabin on the main deck.

Snorkel only. The operator lists snorkel gear, kayaks and stand-up paddle boards, and no dive equipment. Soe Besar Vanrei is not a dive boat, so a family that wants to dive should ask us before choosing her.

Yes, by arrangement. A cake, a decoration and a dinner are each quoted in writing before they are added, and we ask for 30 days' notice. Dinner is served at anchor, or ashore where the captain, the rangers and the tide allow it.