Twenty-plus guests on one phinisi

Rate note. Every rupiah figure on this page is the operator’s published rate read on 31 July 2026. Komodo National Park fees are set by government regulation, are not included, and change without notice. Ask the booking desk to confirm the current total in writing before you pay a deposit.

Cost per head: the real reason groups charter

Buy cabins individually on an open trip and you pay per person at grade rates. Charter the boat and you pay once, then divide. The crossover point sits somewhere around eight to ten guests, and past that the charter wins decisively.

Compare that with the open-trip cabin rates: a Deluxe cabin on the 3D2N is IDR 5,750,000 per person and a Suite is IDR 8,500,000. A twenty-guest charter of the same itinerary lands at about IDR 6,450,000 per head – between the two grades, but with every cabin, the sundeck and the schedule belonging to your group.

Cabin allocation for a mixed group

Ten cabins in five grades gives a group real flexibility. A workable pattern for an extended family or a company trip:

One honest caveat. The operator’s published specification lists a single bunk-bed Superior cabin while the cabin section lists two. If Superior berths matter to your group, ask the booking desk to confirm the exact count for your departure before you commit.

Every cabin has a private bathroom and air conditioning, which matters more with twenty people on board than with six – nobody is queueing. Grade detail is on the cabin options page and the bunk-bed grade specifically on the Superior cabin page.

Children, treks and the practical bits

• Padar is a stepped climb of roughly 30-45 minutes starting at 06:00. Most children over about eight manage it; younger ones can stay on board with an adult, which is easier on a charter because nobody else is waiting.
• Komodo Island dragon trekking is ranger-led and rangers set group sizes and distance rules. The ranger fee is charged per group of up to five, so a large party is split into several ranger groups.
• Snorkelling ranges from sheltered (Manjarite, Sebayur, Siaba) to current-driven (Manta Point). Life vests are provided for everyone. With a mixed-ability group the crew can run the tender alongside so weaker swimmers stay near the boat.
• Meals are all prepared on board and included. Give the desk dietary requirements at booking, not on the morning of departure.

Park fees for a group

Park charges are per person and per group depending on the item, and they are collected outside your charter price.

The ranger trekking fees are the ones groups misread: they are charged per group of up to five, not per person, so a party of twenty pays four ranger groups on Komodo and four on Padar. A realistic all-in park budget for a foreign guest on a 3D2N itinerary is IDR 550,000 to IDR 900,000. Amounts are government-set and change without notice.

What is included

What the rate includes

• Accommodation on board for the full itinerary
• All meals prepared on board
• Mineral water, coffee and tea
• English-speaking guide
• Snorkelling gear and life vests
• Premium photo and video coverage with drone, GoPro and mirrorless camera (raw footage handed over)
• Hotel or airport pickup and drop-off within the Labuan Bajo mainland area near the harbour

What it does not include

• Komodo National Park entrance and conservation fees (government-regulated, subject to change)
• Flights to and from Komodo Airport, Labuan Bajo
• Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages beyond water, coffee and tea
• Personal snacks
• Drone ticket, quoted by the operator at approximately IDR 2,100,000, with the permit requested seven days ahead
• Crew gratuities

Which duration for a group

Groups almost always do better on the longer itineraries – the boat price rises less than proportionally with each night, and larger parties move more slowly through every landing. The four-day route with Rangko Cave is on the 4D3N page; the compressed one-night version, which suits corporate groups on a tight agenda, is on the 2D1N charter page; and the standard route with the full hour-by-hour timetable is on the 3D2N itinerary page. General charter mechanics sit on the private phinisi charter page. Groups too large for one hull are handled by the operator’s Labuan Bajo booking team, who can run two boats in convoy.