Akassa Collection
Akassa Collection (Akassa Cruise, Derya, Giona, Semesta Voyages)
Best time for photography in Komodo, month by month
Updated 26 October 2026
The best time for photography in Komodo is the dry season, April to November, when skies are clearer and the sea calmer. Sunrise runs from 05:31 to 06:18 and sunset from 17:49 to 18:27 across the year. January to March is wet, July and August are windy, and July, August and December are the busiest months.
Month by month: sky, haze and swell
Read this as a pattern, not a forecast. Light is weather, and no month promises a clear horizon. The pattern still sorts the year into five parts.
January to March. The wet season. Showers are heavy, the sea is rough in January and February and settles in March, and water visibility is low. Crowds are thin. Manta sightings are at their best.
April to June. Dry, calm and clear. The sea is calm and water visibility is high. Crowds are medium. In June the south-east winds start to build toward July.
July and August. Dry but windy. The sea is rough, August is the windiest month, and anchorages are busy. Manta season peaks.
September to November. The shoulder. Winds ease in September, and October and November are calm, clear and hot. November is the quietest of the three.
December. The wet season returns. The sea is moderate, mantas are back, and late December is busy with holiday travelers.
Haze flattens a sunrise in any month.
| Month | Sea | Visibility | Mantas | Crowds | Rain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | rough | low | peak | low | wet | Wet season. Heavy showers, the roughest seas of the year and low visibility, with manta sightings at their best. |
| February | rough | low | peak | low | wet | Wet season. Rough seas and low visibility, quiet water, and manta sightings at their best. |
| March | moderate | medium | good | low | wet | Last wet-season month. Showers ease, seas settle to moderate and visibility is medium. |
| April | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Dry season begins. Calm seas and high visibility, with crowds at a medium level. |
| May | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Dry, calm and clear. Seas are calm and visibility is high for snorkeling and trekking. |
| June | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Dry and clear with calm seas. The south-east winds start to build toward July. |
| July | rough | medium | peak | high | dry | Dry but windier. Seas are rough, visibility is medium, manta season peaks and crowds are high. |
| August | rough | medium | peak | high | dry | The windiest dry-season month. Seas are rough, anchorages are busy and mantas are common. |
| September | moderate | high | peak | medium | dry | Winds ease and visibility is high. Seas are moderate, mantas are still around and crowds are medium. |
| October | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Calm, clear and hot. Seas are calm and crowds are lighter than in July and August. |
| November | calm | high | fair | low | dry | End of the dry season. Seas are calm, the water is clear and the sites are quieter. |
| December | moderate | medium | peak | medium | wet | Wet season starts and mantas return. Seas are moderate, and late December is busy with holiday travelers. |
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Sunrise and sunset times by month
Sunrise at Padar and sunset at Kalong, month by month. We calculated them with the NOAA solar formula, so read them as local time (WITA) within 2 minutes, not as an official table.
| Month | Sunrise at Padar | Sunset at Kalong |
|---|---|---|
| January | 05:54 | 18:27 |
| February | 06:05 | 18:26 |
| March | 06:06 | 18:15 |
| April | 06:04 | 17:58 |
| May | 06:07 | 17:49 |
| June | 06:14 | 17:50 |
| July | 06:18 | 17:57 |
| August | 06:12 | 18:00 |
| September | 05:56 | 17:58 |
| October | 05:39 | 17:55 |
| November | 05:31 | 18:01 |
| December | 05:38 | 18:14 |
Sunrise runs from about 05:31 in November to about 06:18 in July. The call time on the boat moves with it, since you leave for the Padar climb about an hour before the sun.
Sunset is the opposite curve. It is earliest in May, at about 17:49, and latest in January, at about 18:27. The bats at Kalong leave about 15 minutes after the sun. Dusk comes quickly after that.
Low season: what you gain and lose
January to March is the low season, and it carries a trade. You lose calm water and clear skies. You gain quiet.
The sea is rough in January and February. Showers are heavy, and water visibility is low. The route holds on paper, but the captain decides the order of stops and the anchorage on the day, and a rough day moves stops.
What you gain is fewer boats at each stop. Crowds are low, the water is quiet, and manta sightings are at their best in these months. Sightings are never guaranteed, and the current decides whether Manta Point is safe.
For a photographer it comes down to one trade. The dry months give you calm sea and clear mornings, the wet months quiet stops and mantas. In either season, the weather and the captain decide where the boat spends the night.
Windy months and crowded months
July and August are windy. The south-east winds build from June, the sea is rough, and anchorages are busy. July, August and December are also the three months with the most boats on the trails at Padar and Komodo.
The windy months still sail. The captain moves stops around the wind. A rough sea changes the order, not the number of days.
June to August has its own higher card, which we quote in writing rather than show here. Giona's private band is smaller for those months, so we confirm your party size in writing for June to August.
In the busy months, book early. Parties of up to 10 choose from Akassa Cruise, Derya and Giona, and 11 to 18 need Semesta Voyages. Send the dates and the party, and we answer with the boat that is free.
Park dates and holidays to check
Before you pay, we confirm in writing that the park and your stops are open on your dates.
Check the Nyepi week on the Bali calendar if you fly through Bali. The date moves each year. Ask us on WhatsApp for your month.
National holiday weekends change the park ticket for Indonesian guests: IDR 75,000 against IDR 50,000 on weekdays. International guests pay IDR 250,000. None of it, ranger fees included, is in the fare.
Plan a flight into Labuan Bajo one day before sailing. A canceled or late flight then costs you an evening, not a sunrise.
FAQ
Is Komodo Island open on my dates?
Before you pay, we confirm in writing that the park and your stops are open on your dates. If a harbor or park order stops the boat, we offer a phinisi of equal or higher standard on the same date, or a full refund within 14 days. Ask us on WhatsApp with the month and the party size.
How many days do you need in Komodo?
Three days cover the core. The 3D2N route holds Kelor, Kalong, Padar, Komodo, Pink Beach, Manta Point, Taka Makassar and Kanawa. Two days give one sunset and one sunrise. Four days add a day with no timetable.
Is the dry season the only time to photograph Komodo?
No. The wet months, January to March, bring heavy showers, a rough sea and low water visibility, but also quiet stops and the best manta sightings. Dry months give calmer water and clearer mornings. Choose by what you want in the frame.
Which month has the clearest sunrise at Padar?
No month promises a clear horizon. The dry months, April to November, give the best odds of a clear sky, and October and November are calm and quiet. Haze and cloud flatten a sunrise in any month, and the captain decides the plan on the day.
Is Komodo too windy in July and August?
July and August are the windy months, with a rough sea and busy anchorages. The routes still run. The captain moves stops around the wind and decides the order on the day. June to August is quoted in writing from the higher card.
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