Komodo places guide: nine stops, the day King Cirox 2 reaches each, and what to pack

Lay the nine places on the 3D2N and they fall into three days.

• Day one: Kelor, a short, steep climb 50 to 70 minutes from the harbour, then the snorkel at Manjarite, Strawberry Rock if the sea allows, and Kalong, where the flying foxes leave the mangroves at dusk while you watch from the roof deck's bean bags.
• Day two: Padar's ridge, the dragons on Komodo, Pink Beach, the drift at Manta Point and the sandbar at Taka Makassar. The long day.
• Day three: on the open trip, Seture and back to Labuan Bajo between 10:00 and 11:00. On the private charter, Sebayur and Kanawa instead.

The longer charters spread the same places over more days and add Gili Lawa, Siaba, Sabolon and Rangko Cave. Each of the nine guides below says what the place is, the one thing it is not, how hard it is, and on which day of which route King Cirox 2 calls there. Start with the stop that worries you most, then work outwards.

Several stops can change on the day, and the open-trip booklet prints every one of them.

• Padar or Gili Lawa: choose one, subject to quota availability.
• Komodo village or Rinca, chosen the same way at booking.
• Pink Beach or Namong, printed as alternatives.
• Manta Point and Taka Makassar, swapped in order with the tide and the current.

Strawberry Rock on day one is printed as conditional. Above all of these sits the booklet's general note: the itinerary may change with the sea condition, the weather and agreement on board. Port and park authorities can also close sites, as they did for some days in August 2026.

None of this is unusual for Komodo. What matters is that you read the swaps before you book, so a Gili Lawa morning is a known alternative and not a surprise. Weather decisions belong to the captain. Check the compass below for the next departures and plan around the fixed points, which are the pickup and the return.

Three walks, five reefs and one show you watch from the deck:

• Kelor: 15 to 30 minutes up, steep.
• Padar: the main viewpoint is a 25-to-45-minute climb, loose underfoot in places.
• Komodo: 45 to 120 minutes with a ranger, easy ground, little shade.
• Pink Beach: reef at 1 to 8 metres, mild current.
• Manta Point: 3 to 15 metres, strong current, confident swimmers.
• Taka Makassar: 1 to 5 metres, sandbar at low tide.
• Sebayur: 2 to 10 metres, mild.
• Kanawa: 1 to 6 metres, mild.
• Kalong: watched from the deck.

The same note applies to all five reefs: the boat supplies masks and snorkels, and you supply the fins. These figures come from general park knowledge, not from measurements on King Cirox 2. Read the leg table below for the time spent moving between them.