King Cirox 2
King Cirox 2 Phinisi
Komodo photography boat: three decks to shoot from and a crew that films you
Updated 11 October 2026
For photographers, King Cirox 2 Phinisi has bow nets over the water, a roof deck and a wheelhouse with an orange ship's wheel. Open-trip fares, from IDR 3,350,000 (≈ USD 206) per person, include a documentation crew with GoPro, mirrorless and drone. On a private charter that crew is quoted separately. A sunrise climb at Padar is something you ask for when you book.
Where you shoot from
Three places on King Cirox 2 earn their space on a memory card. The bow nets come first: two rope platforms slung over the water on either side of the bow, with blue cushions on them, white frames and blue lashings. From a drone they read as two pale rectangles flanking the bow.
The roof deck is the second. It has bean bags in five colours on artificial grass, a low table and the mast with its rigging, and it is the highest point a guest can stand on. Two white air-conditioner units sit near its bow end; frame around them.
The third is smaller and easy to miss. The wheelhouse has an orange wooden ship's wheel, a Garmin unit and a chart plotter. Ask the captain before you step in. Then there is the hull itself, red with white decks, which photographs well from the tender or the paddle board on calm water.
Light at Padar and Kalong
The route has two light windows. Kalong comes first, at the end of day one: sunset at about 17:50 in June and 18:01 in November, with the flying foxes leaving the mangroves roughly 15 minutes after the sun goes and streaming out for around half an hour. You shoot from the deck. Nobody lands.
Padar opens day two on the overnight routes, and the main viewpoint sits 25 to 45 minutes above the landing.
There is one limit. The boat's booklet prints Padar as the first stop of day two but prints no clock time, and the park quota can swap Padar for Gili Lawa on an open trip. A sunrise climb at Padar is something you ask for when you book, and we confirm it in writing. On a whole-boat charter you can make it part of your brief. Plan your shot list from the Kalong figures above and tell us your month.
The camera crew, and when it costs extra
On the open trip, documentation is in the fare. The booklet lists three cameras, a GoPro, a mirrorless and a drone, and adds tenun ikat cloth that guests wrap for pictures at the viewpoints. You do not pay anything extra to be filmed at Padar or on the nets.
On a private charter the rule is the opposite, at every length from a full day to 5D4N. The photo and video crew and the guide are not included. We add either on request, quoted in writing before you pay. We hold every boat we sell to that rule.
Flying your own drone is a separate question. Drone permits and levies inside the national park are charged on top of park entry and the figures change, so we do not print one here; tell us you are bringing a drone and we give you the current rule with your booking. Park entry itself costs a foreign visitor IDR 250,000 a day. The inclusions table below splits the two versions line by line.
Included
- Free hotel / airport pickup in Labuan Bajo
- Liveaboard on a 24.8 m phinisi with 6 air-conditioned cabins
- All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Free-flow mineral water, tea and coffee
- Snacks and soft drinks (open trip)
- Linen and bath towel
- Cruise director, chef and boat crew
- Snorkelling mask and snorkel (no fins on board)
- Canoe / kayak
- Paddle board (open trip)
- Karaoke and sound system
- Starlink Wi-Fi on board
- Life jackets and basic first aid
- Tenun ikat cloth for photos (open trip)
- Local guide (open trip: included; private charter: on request, quoted separately)
- Documentation by GoPro, mirrorless & drone (open trip: included; private charter: on request, quoted separately)
Not included
- Airfare
- Personal expenses
- Travel insurance
- Crew gratuities / tipping
- Komodo National Park entrance fees (open trip: ranger fee also paid separately)
- Fins (not carried on board)
- Private charter: tour guide and photo/video documentation (available on request)
Kit, power and salt
Every cabin lists power sockets, and the dining room has more on the wall. The socket type is not printed, so bring a universal adapter; Indonesia's mains standard is 230 V with two round pins. Charge at lunch and overnight, and carry a power bank on the treks.
Starlink Wi-Fi is on board, listed in the boat's booklet, and you can see the dish in the photos. We make no promise about speed, so do not plan to upload a day of raw files from the anchorage. Back up to a card or a drive.
For underwater work, two notes. Visibility is at its best from April to June and from September to November, and lowest in January and February. And a camera that has been in salt water wants a fresh-water rinse the same evening; the hand shower on the wall rail in each private bathroom does the job. Write your shot list against the route, then book the date.
Who this boat suits
- Solo travellers who want to pay for one bed: a Gresik bunk is sold on its own at IDR 3,350,000 (≈ USD 206), with no empty second place to cover.
- Couples who want a balcony: Malang has one, and Madiun adds a wooden bathtub in the open air.
- Families of four: Malang, Kediri and Madiun each take a double bed plus extra beds, and children under 3 travel free.
- Groups of up to 23 who take all 6 cabins of a 24.8 m phinisi with 6 crew as a private charter.
- Guests who need to stay reachable: Starlink Wi-Fi on board is printed in the boat's booklets, with no promise of speed.
Who it does not suit
- Divers who need tanks and a compressor aboard: this is a snorkel boat.
- Snorkellers who expect fins in the kit: the boat carries a mask and a snorkel only.
- Charter groups who need a private bathroom for every guest: Gresik's four bunks share one.
- Guests who need a lift or stabilisers: stairs join the two decks and the roof, and no stabilisers are listed.
Who this boat does not suit
- You book Gresik expecting a private cabin: it is a four-bunk room with a shared bathroom.
- You travel alone and want a private cabin at a one-person fare: private cabins are sold for two paying guests at least; your per-bed option is a Gresik bunk.
- You need an open-trip start on a day other than Monday or Friday: open-trip starts are Mondays and Fridays; sailings outside Monday and Friday run on request, so ask us on WhatsApp; and a few dates are taken by private charters.
FAQ
Can I ask for a sunrise climb at Padar?
Yes. You ask for it when you book, and we confirm it in writing. The booklet puts Padar first on day two without printing a time, and the open trip can swap it for Gili Lawa when the park quota is full. On a whole-boat charter you can make it part of the written brief before you pay.
Which cabin has the most window for photographs?
Malang, Kediri, Jember and Madiun all have near-continuous window walls; Surabaya has one small window. Madiun and Malang add a balcony to shoot from.
Can I fly my own drone in Komodo National Park?
Yes, with a permit. The drone levy is paid on top of park entry and changes, so we confirm the current figure with your booking rather than printing one that may be out of date.
Is the tenun ikat cloth in the guests' photos included?
Yes, on the open trip. The open-trip booklet lists tenun ikat cloth for photographs among the inclusions, along with the documentation crew.
Which month gives the clearest water for underwater shots?
April to June and September to November rate high for visibility in the park's season data; January and February rate low, even though those are peak manta months.
Check availability — King Cirox 2
King Cirox 2 is owner-held, and this booking desk handles every enquiry for her.