A milestone birthday afloat: a plan for 12 to 16 guests on one phinisi

A milestone birthday has one moment that matters, and a boat gives you a choice of three. The first day closes with the sunset at Kalong, where the flying foxes cross the mangroves. Day two ends at anchor after the longest stretch of stops. Day three ends at the harbour, with the guests going home.

We would put the party on the evening of day two. By then the group has walked, swum and eaten together, the guest of honour is no longer the person who organised everything, and nobody has a flight in the morning. The stops that day are Padar, Pink Beach, Komodo Island, Taka Makassar and Manta Point, all tentative and dependent on the weather.

The boat stays at anchor overnight. The captain chooses the anchorage with the weather, so the exact bay is not known until the day, and we do not promise one. That is the limit of any plan made on land.

Twelve to sixteen is the range the boat suits. At twelve, the six cabins take two guests each. At sixteen, the two Sharing cabins take four each and share one bathroom, which is worth saying in the invitation.

The Master cabin (upper deck) has a queen bed plus a single, an ocean view and a private balcony. It is the natural cabin for the guest of honour and a partner. The Deluxe cabin has a queen bed and the second private balcony, a good fit for the next couple in line. The two Private cabins have a queen bed and a sofa bed, and a bathroom each.

Suits: a decade birthday for a parent, with adult children and partners filling the rest. Not every guest gets a balcony, though. Only two cabins have one, and the plan should say who has them before anyone asks.

The boat sells a trip. The celebration is a set of requests on top of it, and each is quoted separately in writing. Nothing is promised until the quote is in your inbox.

• A dinner set-up. An island dinner, a private island dinner, a seafood dinner or a special dinner. We list these as services on request, with no fixed menu.
• Decoration. Arranged on request. Describe what you want and you get a straight yes or no.
• A photographer. Quoted on request. Guide and documentation are not included on a private charter.

A cake, candles and gifts are not on the list of services. Ask us, and the reply comes in writing, before any money changes hands. Drinks beyond coffee, tea and water are the same: ask before the trip. Any drone flight over the park carries its own permit and fee, so drone footage is part of the quote and is not a surprise on the day.

• Day 1. Pick-up between 09:30 and 12:00, then Kelor, Manjarite and the sunset at Kalong. Keep this day quiet. Guests settle into their cabins and the group meets as a group.
• Day 2. Padar early, Pink Beach, the dragon walk, Taka Makassar and Manta Point. The celebration is the evening, at anchor, once the crew has the deck ready.
• Day 3. Sebayur or Siaba, then back in Labuan Bajo between 12:00 and 12:30. Book flights home after 13:00, or the next day.

A month ahead, tell us what you want on the evening of day two and we pass it to the crew. A request made at the last minute is one we cannot promise to meet.

The whole boat for 3D2N is IDR 78,000,000 (≈ USD 4,785), one fare for 1 to 16 guests. Shared among twelve it is IDR 6,500,000 (≈ USD 399) each; among fourteen, IDR 5,570,000 (≈ USD 342); among sixteen, IDR 4,880,000 (≈ USD 299). The park package sits beside the fare, and every extra above is quoted on top. Fuel is inside the rounded fare, which is all-in as quoted. Prices are the 2026 rates as of 4 November 2026.

Settle five things before you ask for a quote.

• The dates, with a second choice.
• The guest list, with ages. Children aged 0 to 2 travel free with a parent; from age 3 the full fare applies.
• The rooming list.
• Dietary needs, sent with the list. We pass them on and confirm in writing what can be done.
• Which of the extras you want to ask about.

A 50 percent deposit secures the booking; the balance is due 30 days before sailing.