King Cirox 2
King Cirox 2 Phinisi
The best time for a Komodo boat trip, month by month, and which deck of King Cirox 2 to book in each
Updated 11 October 2026
For calm water and clear visibility, sail in April, May, June, October or November. For mantas, December to February or July to September, accepting rougher seas. July and August are the busiest months. King Cirox 2 sails every Monday & Friday all year; in a windy month, the main-deck cabins move least.
Two seasons, four kinds of month
Komodo has a wet season, December to March, and a dry season from April to November. That split is too coarse to book by, so the chart below breaks the year into sea state, visibility, mantas, crowds and rain for each of the twelve months.
Read it as four kinds of month. Calm and clear: April, May, June, October and November. Windy and busy: July and August, when the south-east wind builds and the anchorages fill. Shoulder: September, when the wind drops, the water clears and the mantas stay. Wet: December to March, with the roughest sea and the heaviest showers in January and February, and the mantas at their peak from December to February.
No month is closed to this boat on the calendar, but an order from the harbour master or the park can stop sailings or close sites, most often in the wet season and in spells of strong south-east wind. What changes from month to month is the comfort of the passages, the crowd at Padar and the odds at Manta Point. The open trip sails every Monday & Friday through all of them, and the calendar lists every date.
The general data behind the chart covers the park, not this boat in particular. It is a guide to odds, not a forecast. Check the chart, then the calendar.
| Month | Sea | Visibility | Mantas | Crowds | Rain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | rough | low | peak | low | wet | Heavy showers and low visibility, but mantas at their best and few boats about. Book a main-deck cabin. |
| February | rough | low | peak | low | wet | Rough and wet, like January; quiet sites and peak manta odds for those who can take the sea. |
| March | moderate | medium | good | low | wet | The last wet month: showers ease, the sea settles and the mantas are still good. |
| April | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | The dry season opens with calm passages and some of the year's clearest water. |
| May | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | A dependable month: settled sea and clear water for snorkelling and the climbs at Kelor and Padar. |
| June | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Calm and clear, with the south-east wind starting to build towards July. |
| July | rough | medium | peak | high | dry | Dry but windier, mantas picking up, and one of the two busiest months at Padar and Pink Beach. |
| August | rough | medium | peak | high | dry | Peak wind for the dry season and the fullest anchorages; book early and choose the main deck if motion bothers you. |
| September | moderate | high | peak | medium | dry | The wind eases, the water clears and the mantas stay: the strongest shoulder month on the chart. |
| October | calm | high | fair | medium | dry | Hot, with calm water and good visibility, and fewer boats than in July and August. |
| November | calm | high | fair | low | dry | Last month of the dry season: the sea calm, the water clear and the sites at their emptiest. |
| December | moderate | medium | peak | medium | wet | The rain returns with the mantas, and the last fortnight fills with holiday travellers. |
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The five steady months
Five months give the steadiest sea and the clearest water. April opens the dry season with calm passages and some of the year's best visibility; May is dependable for snorkelling and the climbs; June stays clear while the wind starts to build towards July.
October and November repeat the pattern at the other end of the dry season. October is hot, with calm water and fewer boats than in July and August. November is quiet on the water before the rain returns, and the sites are at their emptiest.
These are the months to book if seasickness worries you, if you have children aboard, or if Kelor's 360-degree view and Padar's three bays are the reason you came.
Mantas are rated fair in these months, not absent. You may still meet them at Manta Point, with lower odds than in the peak months.
On King Cirox 2 in a calm month, any of the 6 cabins will do. Pick by the bunk price or the balcony, not by the deck.
Mantas and wind
Six months carry the best manta odds, December to February and July to September, so the best odds of a manta come with the windier or wetter weeks. July and August are dry but blowy, with busy anchorages and crowds at Padar and Pink Beach. December to February bring rain, and January and February bring the roughest sea of the year and the fewest boats.
September is the exception worth knowing. The wind eases, visibility returns, the crowds thin, and the mantas are still listed at their peak.
In a windy month your deck matters. By the general rule for any boat, the upper deck moves more than the main deck. On King Cirox 2 that puts Kediri, Jember and Madiun higher up, and Malang, Surabaya and the Gresik bunks lower down. If your stomach is the deciding vote in July or January, book below.
Wind also moves the plan. The booklet states that the itinerary can change with the sea and the weather, and a rough day may swap a stop. The captain decides that on the day, not the brochure.
Pack seasickness tablets for a manta month, and a light rain shell from December to March.
Padar: the climb and the crowds
Padar is the first stop of day two on the overnight routes. A sunrise climb is something you ask for when you book, and we confirm it in writing. The boat's booklets print no hour for the Padar climb on any route, and the open trip's quota rule can send you to Gili Lawa instead.
The climb is moderate: the main viewpoint is 25 to 45 minutes up, the upper ridge further, with loose, steep stretches on the way. Wear shoes with grip and carry water; in July, August and December you share the path with more people.
Padar has no dragons. It is a viewpoint, and the walk is the whole visit.
Kalong at dusk
Every overnight route on King Cirox 2 ends its first day at Kalong, and the show there runs on the sunset clock: 18:27 in January, 17:57 in July. The bats start to leave their roost about fifteen minutes after sunset.
Between Komodo and Rinca lies Kalong, a small mangrove island where thousands of flying foxes spend the day asleep. At dusk they lift out of the trees and cross the water in a long stream that lasts around half an hour. Nobody lands; you watch from the boat.
The table below lists sunset and the expected start of the flight for each month. The roof deck, with its bean bags and its view over the bow, is the obvious seat for it. Bring a charged camera and a lens that copes with low light, because by the time the stream is thickest the sky is dimming fast.
A cloudy evening still has bats. A rainy one can cut the view short, which is a December-to-March risk more than a dry-season one.
| Month | Sunset | Bats fly from about |
|---|---|---|
| January | 18:27 | 18:42 |
| February | 18:26 | 18:41 |
| March | 18:15 | 18:30 |
| April | 17:58 | 18:13 |
| May | 17:49 | 18:04 |
| June | 17:50 | 18:05 |
| July | 17:57 | 18:12 |
| August | 18:00 | 18:15 |
| September | 17:58 | 18:13 |
| October | 17:55 | 18:10 |
| November | 18:01 | 18:16 |
| December | 18:14 | 18:29 |
Calculated for this location, to within a few minutes.
FAQ
What is the calmest month to sail in Komodo?
April, May, June, October and November share the top of the chart, each with a calm sea and clear water.
When are manta rays most likely in Komodo?
December to February, and again July to September. Mantas are wild, so even in those months a sighting is likely rather than certain.
Can I sail with King Cirox 2 in the wet season?
Yes. The open trip runs every Monday & Friday through the wet months too, and the 2027 calendar shows January and February dates. Expect showers, the roughest sea of the year and fewer boats at each stop. Choose a main-deck cabin if you feel motion, keep a waterproof bag for the camera, and accept that the captain may change the order of stops on a rough day. The trade is fewer people at Padar and Pink Beach, and mantas at their peak.
Is December a busy month?
The last fortnight is, with holiday travellers, and the wet season begins. Book Christmas and New Year sailings early; ask us which dates are filling.
Which cabin is best in a windy month like August?
A main-deck cabin: Malang, Surabaya or a Gresik bunk. The upper deck moves more, by the general rule for any boat, though nobody has measured it on this one.
Check availability — King Cirox 2
King Cirox 2 is owner-held, and this booking desk handles every enquiry for her.