Akassa Collection
Akassa Collection (Akassa Cruise, Derya, Giona, Semesta Voyages)
Komodo photography and trip planning guides
Updated 26 October 2026
These four Komodo photography and trip planning guides cover the questions photographers ask before booking: the drone rules and permit, Padar at sunrise or sunset, how to photograph from a boat, and the best hour for each stop. Each guide carries the date it was checked, 26 October 2026.
Four reads, in a photographer's order
Four guides. Each answers one question a photographer asks before booking a boat, and each carries the date we checked it.
- Komodo National Park drone rules 2026. The permit, the daily ticket, the no-fly zones and what happens to a drone without a permit. Read it first if one is in your bag.
- Padar sunrise vs sunset. Light direction, park sessions, heat and the climb, with a plain verdict.
- How to photograph Komodo from a boat. Stills and reels, footing on deck, salt, sun and batteries, and a kit list.
- The Komodo light calendar. The best hour for each stop, and sunrise and sunset by month.
The hour, in one line each: Padar, first light, east. Kalong, dusk, west. The other stops, morning. The calendar guide holds the full table.
Komodo National Park drone rules 2026Komodo National Park drone rules 2026: SIMAKSI permit and a daily drone ticket at IDR 2,000,000 per drone per day. Where not to fly. Checked October 2026.
Padar sunrise vs sunset: which is betterPadar sunrise or sunset: light direction, crowds, heat and the climb, compared. Sunrise falls between 05:31 and 06:18. Read it, then plan your route.
How to photograph Komodo from a boatHow to photograph Komodo from a boat: stills, reels, salt, sun and battery care, with the light by stop. Local Wi-Fi on 3 boats. Read the kit list.
The Komodo light calendarThe Komodo light calendar: the best hour for each stop, with sunrise from 05:31 to 06:18 and sunset from 17:49 to 18:27. Plan your month with us.
Pick the guide that answers your question
Start from your situation, not from the list.
A drone in the bag and a permit still to apply for: read the drone rules guide. A drone needs a SIMAKSI permit and a daily ticket, applied for before you travel, and some stops are no-fly zones with or without one.
One sunrise only: read the Padar guide. It says what a sunrise at Padar asks of you and why our routes put it first on day 2.
A phone, a camera or both: read the photographing-from-a-boat guide. It covers the deck, the salt and the power you will not find on board.
Planning a month: read the light calendar. It lists sunrise and sunset by month, and it shows which stops work at which hour.
When the guides have answered what they can, plan the route on the 3D2N page, or price the whole boat on the charter page. For anything these pages do not cover, write to us, and we answer in writing.
How these guides are dated
Every guide carries the date we checked it, 26 October 2026.
Sunrise and sunset times are computed with the NOAA solar formula and are accurate to about 2 minutes. They are not an official table.
Park rules change. The rule that applies is the one SiORA shows on the day you apply, and we confirm it for your date in writing before you pay.
What the guides do not do is promise. We never promise drone footage, a clear sunrise or a manta sighting, in any guide or on any charter. Light is weather, and clouds and haze change the plan. The captain decides the order of stops and the anchorage on the day.
The guides are for the Akassa boats first, but the light and the rules apply to any boat in the park. We note where a fact is specific to one of the four.
FAQ
Are the guides written for the Akassa boats only?
They are written with the four Akassa boats in mind, so routes, hours and connectivity follow those boats. The light and the park rules apply to any boat in Komodo National Park. Where a fact is specific to Akassa Cruise, Derya, Giona or Semesta Voyages, the guide names the boat.
How often are the guides updated?
Each guide carries the date it was checked, 26 October 2026. Park rules and fees change, so a guide is rechecked when a rule changes. The rule that applies is the one SiORA shows on the day you apply.
How do you check the park rules?
Each guide carries the date it was checked. The rule that applies is the one SiORA shows on the day you apply, and we confirm it for your date in writing before you pay. Ask us before you fly a drone or buy a ticket.
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PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia is the booking partner for the four Akassa Project boats; we sell, answer and stand behind your booking.