Raja Bintang 01
Raja Bintang 01
Light first: Padar at dawn, Kalong at dusk
Updated 4 November 2026
A Komodo photo trip by private boat is planned around light. Padar sunrise falls between 05:31 and 06:18 across the year, Kalong sunset between 17:49 and 18:27. Four photographers on the whole of Raja Bintang 01 pay IDR 19,500,000 (≈ USD 1,196) each for 3D2N. A drone needs a park permit.
Where the light comes from
Light is the product, and it has a timetable. Padar sunrise runs from 05:31 in the earliest month to 06:18 in the latest: 06:06 in March, 06:14 in June, 05:56 in September and 05:31 in November. The table below gives every month.
A photographer's day:
- Arrival: first light on the Padar ridge, before the three bays are lit.
- At the stop: hard midday light on water, best for Pink Beach, Taka Makassar and the reef.
- Leaving: the last light off Kalong, between 17:49 and 18:27, as the flying foxes leave the mangroves.
Plan on leaving the boat for Padar about 65 minutes before sunrise, so a headtorch helps. The weather decides the sky, and the crew confirms the hour the evening before.
| Month | Sunrise | Leave the boat by | On the ridge by |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 05:54 | 04:49 | 05:34 |
| February | 06:05 | 05:00 | 05:45 |
| March | 06:06 | 05:01 | 05:46 |
| April | 06:04 | 04:59 | 05:44 |
| May | 06:07 | 05:02 | 05:47 |
| June | 06:14 | 05:09 | 05:54 |
| July | 06:18 | 05:13 | 05:58 |
| August | 06:12 | 05:07 | 05:52 |
| September | 05:56 | 04:51 | 05:36 |
| October | 05:39 | 04:34 | 05:19 |
| November | 05:31 | 04:26 | 05:11 |
| December | 05:38 | 04:33 | 05:18 |
Computed for the location; accurate to a few minutes. The crew shifts wake-up with the actual swell.
What the open trip's documentation is
The open trip includes documentation by the boat: drone, camera and GoPro. You receive what the boat captures, in the quality it captures it, and no particular shot is promised. That is a service to the group, not a photographer working to your brief.
A private charter does not include the guide or the documentation. Both are available on request and quoted separately in writing. If you want a photographer to work to a shot list, ask us before booking.
A drone needs a park permit, arranged through our team and quoted in writing. Drone footage is never promised, and the rangers set the rules at each stop. Follow them even when the light is perfect.
Cabins for gear
Photographers need sockets, a place to lay out a bag and a door that opens onto the first light. Every cabin has plugs. The Master cabin sits on the upper deck. It and the Deluxe cabin both have an ocean view and a private balcony, which makes them the cabins for lenses and a long look at the morning.
The Private cabins have an ocean view, a queen bed, a single sofa bed and a sofa. The Sharing cabins have plugs and two double beds, and the bathroom is shared. No cabin sizes are published, so a large camera bag is a question for us before you book.
Salt, heat and damp are part of the trip. Keep equipment in dry bags. Ask us when the power runs, so you know when batteries can charge.
| Cabin | Rooms | Beds | Sleeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Cabin | 1 | 1 queen + 1 single | 2 |
| Deluxe Cabin | 1 | 1 queen bed | 2 |
| Private Cabins 01 and 02 | 2 | 1 queen + 1 sofa bed | 4 |
| Sharing Cabins 01 and 02 | 2 | 2 double beds | 8 |
| Berths in total | 6 | 16 |
Extra beds bring the open-trip cabin plan to 19; private charters are priced for up to 16 guests.
Four photographers, one boat
Four photographers on the whole boat pay IDR 19,500,000 (≈ USD 1,196) each for three days, which is the fare of IDR 78,000,000 (≈ USD 4,785) divided by four. They have the boat and the crew of 6 to themselves, and they decide the hour of departure for Padar with the captain.
Compare the same trip as a Master seat on an open trip, at IDR 8,750,000 (≈ USD 537) per person. The seat includes the guide and the documentation, and you share the boat with strangers on a Monday or Friday departure. The charter gives you the dates and the sunrise, and takes away the included documentation.
The park package is apart from both. So is any permit.
If the group is photographers first and tourists second, say so at booking. We pass the request to the crew in writing, and we tell you plainly when the weather, the tide or the park rules make a shot impossible, rather than promising it and failing on the day.
| Group size | 2D1N | 3D2N | 4D3N |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | IDR 34,500,000 | IDR 39,000,000 | IDR 42,500,000 |
| 4 | IDR 17,250,000 | IDR 19,500,000 | IDR 21,250,000 |
| 6 | IDR 11,500,000 | IDR 13,000,000 | IDR 14,170,000 |
| 8 | IDR 8,620,000 | IDR 9,750,000 | IDR 10,620,000 |
| 10 | IDR 6,900,000 | IDR 7,800,000 | IDR 8,500,000 |
| 12 | IDR 5,750,000 | IDR 6,500,000 | IDR 7,080,000 |
| 14 | IDR 4,930,000 | IDR 5,570,000 | IDR 6,070,000 |
| 16 | IDR 4,310,000 | IDR 4,880,000 | IDR 5,310,000 |
Swipe for more
per person · Whole boat ÷ group size
Rules at the stops
Rangers lead every walk on Komodo Island, Rinca and Padar, and their instructions override your plans. Stay on the paths and carry no food in your pockets on a dragon walk. No distance rule is quoted here because none is official; the ranger tells you where to stand.
Weather decides the light, and the captain decides the order of stops. If you are building a trip around one picture, ask us for a date range and we say plainly what the season gives.
The park package that covers the rangers is separate from the fare. Ask us for the written quote before you pay, so that the full cost of the shoot sits on one page.
FAQ
Is documentation (photographer, GoPro, drone) included?
On the open trip, yes: the boat includes documentation with drone, camera and GoPro. On a private charter, the guide and the documentation are not included, and both are available on request, quoted separately in writing. No shot or footage is promised.
Can I fly a drone in Komodo National Park?
Only with a park permit. We arrange it through our team on request and quote it in writing, because standard tickets do not cover drones. Footage is never promised, and the rangers set the rules at each stop. Ask us well before the trip.
What time is sunrise at Padar?
It falls between 05:31 and 06:18 across the year: 06:14 in June, 05:31 in November. Plan on leaving the boat about 65 minutes before sunrise; the crew confirms the hour the evening before. Weather decides the sky.
Which cabin is best for sunrise photos?
The Master cabin is on the upper deck. It and the Deluxe cabin both have an ocean view and a private balcony, so either gives you a place to shoot the morning. The Padar sunrise itself is a climb ashore, not a view from the cabin. No cabin sizes are published.
Check availability — Raja Bintang 01
Raja Bintang 01 sails with its own crew; Komodo Explorer sells the cabins and the whole boat, and arranges your booking, payment and pickup.