Bombana Sailing Komodo
Bombana Sailing Komodo
The best time to sail Komodo, month by month
Updated 23 October 2026
The best time to sail Komodo on Bombana 1 or Bombana 2 is April to June and October to November, when the sea is calm and the water clear. July and August are windier and busier. December to March is wet. Open sailings run every Monday & Friday.
Twelve months, four things to read
The table below gives each month four ratings: sea, visibility, mantas and crowds. Read across for a month you're considering, then down for the one next to it. Good trips happen in every month. The table is about what to expect, not what to skip, and about which month suits a nervous sailor, a keen snorkeller or someone who dislikes crowds on a narrow ridge at 5 in the morning.
These are monthly ratings for Komodo National Park, not measurements. Wind, rain and the manta calendar move from year to year.
Bombana 1 and Bombana 2 sail the same printed route on every date we list, on Monday & Friday. The season changes how the trip feels, not what the route is. Weather still decides the order of stops. If a month is rough, the plan bends before it breaks.
| Month | Sea | Visibility | Mantas | Crowds | Rain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | rough | low | peak | low | wet | Wet season: heavy showers and the roughest water of the year. Visibility is low and the boats are few. Mantas are at their best. |
| February | rough | low | peak | low | wet | Still wet and still rough. Quiet anchorages, lower visibility, and a good month for mantas. Pack a rain layer. |
| March | moderate | medium | good | low | wet | The last wet month. Showers ease and the sea settles as the dry season comes closer. |
| April | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | The dry season starts. Calm water and some of the best visibility of the year. |
| May | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Dry weather, flat water and long views. Easy for the Padar climb and for the reef stops. |
| June | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Dry and clear. The south-east wind starts to build towards July. |
| July | rough | medium | peak | high | dry | Dry but windy, with a rougher sea. Mantas are around, and so is every other boat. |
| August | rough | medium | peak | high | dry | The windiest dry month and the busiest anchorages. Mantas are common. |
| September | moderate | high | peak | medium | dry | The wind eases and visibility improves. Mantas are still around. A good month to pick. |
| October | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Calm, clear and hot, with fewer boats than in July and August. |
| November | calm | high | fair | low | dry | The dry season winds down. Calm sea, clear water and quiet stops. |
| December | moderate | medium | peak | medium | wet | The wet season starts and the mantas return. Late December is busy with holiday travellers. |
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Dry and calm: the five easiest months
These five months give the steadiest water and the clearest views. The dry season begins in April. Seas are calm and underwater visibility is high from April through June, then again in October and November. Padar is at its easiest, and the reef stops are at their best.
In June the south-east wind starts to build towards July. That's the edge of the calm. Treat June as the last easy month and plan around it.
October is hot and clear, with fewer boats than in July and August. November is the quietest of the five, with calm sea, clear water and low crowds. September sits between the two seasons, with the wind easing, visibility high and mantas still around. Anyone who wants clear water and fewer boats and can't pick the dates should start with October, because it combines hot, clear days and calm sea with fewer boats than the middle of the year.
July and August: wind, and every other boat
Dry weather and rough water arrive together. In July and August the south-east wind makes the sea rougher than in the months either side, and visibility drops to medium. August is the windiest dry month.
These are also the two busiest months. The popular stops fill up: Padar at sunrise, the Komodo ranger station, Pink Beach and Manta Point. Bombana 1 carries up to 15 guests and Bombana 2 up to 13, so the boat itself stays small, but the paths ashore don't.
On the plus side, mantas are common in both months, and the long dry days make the Padar climb and the reef stops easy to plan. If you get seasick, read the seasickness guide before you choose July. If you hate queues on a ridge, choose another month. Simple.
December to March: rain, swell and quieter water
The wet season starts in December. Showers come in, the sea is moderate, and visibility is medium. January and February are the roughest months of the year, with the lowest visibility and heavy showers. March is the last wet month, when the rain eases and the sea settles.
It sounds grim and isn't always. The stops are quiet from January to March, and mantas are at their best. The one exception is late December, when holiday travellers fill the park.
Pack a rain layer and keep your phone in a dry bag. The packing list has a full list. Dry days aren't guaranteed in these months. The boat runs the same route.
Mantas come on their own schedule
Manta rays are wild animals. They come to the reef when tide, current and food line up, and not otherwise. Even in a peak month a drift over Manta Point can end with no manta in sight.
Manta season runs December to February and July to September. Season ratings list them as peak in January, February, July, August, September and December. They're good in March and fair in April to June, October and November. Fair does not mean none, and peak does not mean guaranteed.
Manta Point is on day 2 of the 3-day route, and tide and current can swap it with Taka Makassar. It asks for a confident swimmer. See the snorkelling page for who it suits.
Choosing between a Monday and a Friday
Both days run the same route, so the choice is about your week. Pick the day that suits your flights.
Look at the dates for the next open sailing, which is Friday, 6 November 2026 right now. The dates for the rest of 2026 and for 2027 follow the same Monday and Friday pattern. The current rates apply to 2027 until 2027 rates are published. If a rate changes before your balance is due, we tell you first and you can cancel at no cost.
Fees are another reason to plan. Park tickets are paid separately, at IDR 250,000 per person per day for international visitors, and ranger and pier levies can change from month to month. The park fees page has the rest. Book the sailing first, and the exact day second.
FAQ
Which months give the calmest sea on a Komodo sailing trip?
The park's monthly ratings show 5 months as calm with high visibility: April, May, June, October and November. September, December and March are moderate, and the other 4 months, January, February, July and August, are the roughest. It isn't a measurement, and weather on the day decides the order of stops.
Is December a bad month to sail Komodo?
Not bad, but different. The wet season starts, the sea is moderate and visibility is medium. Mantas return, and late December is busy with holiday travellers. Both boats keep the same Monday & Friday route, and the itinerary is tentative if the weather turns.
Are July and August too crowded for a small boat?
The boat stays small: up to 15 guests on Bombana 1 and 13 on Bombana 2. The crowds are at the stops ashore, like Padar at sunrise and the Komodo ranger station. Those two months are the busiest of the year, and the sea is rougher.
When is manta season on the Komodo route?
December to February and July to September. The ratings list 6 months as peak: January, February, July, August, September and December. A peak month still doesn't guarantee a manta, since tide and current decide each drift at Manta Point.
Do the Monday and Friday sailings continue in 2027?
Yes. Dates for 2027 follow the same Monday and Friday pattern on both Bombana 1 and Bombana 2. The current rates apply until 2027 rates are published, and we tell you first if a rate changes before your balance is due, with a free cancellation.
Check availability — Bombana Sailing Komodo
Bombana Sailing Komodo is booked through PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia.