Princess Lala
Princess Lala Phinisi
The stops on a Princess Lala trip, day by day
Updated 11 October 2026
Nine stops have a page of their own: Kelor, Kalong, Padar, Komodo, Pink Beach, Manta Point, Taka Makassar, Kanawa and Sebayur, which only the private charter visits. On the open trip, day one is Kelor to Kalong, day two is Padar to Taka Makassar and day three is Kanawa. The park quota can swap Padar for Gili Lawa and Komodo for Rinca.
Nine stops, and the day each one falls on
Open any of the nine pages below and you get the stop in detail: how long the walk is, what the water does, what the place is not. This page tells you which day of the trip you reach it.
On the open trip, day one is Kelor, Manjarite, Strawberry Rock when the sea allows it, and the sunset off Kalong. Day two is Padar, the dragons on Komodo, Pink Beach, then Manta Point and the Taka Makassar sandbar. Day three, on the three-day fare, is breakfast and Kanawa, with the harbour reached at 10:00 to 11:00.
Guests on the two-day fare call at the same places on days one and two and go ashore in the evening, between 19:00 and 20:30, so Kanawa is the one stop they do not reach; dinner on day two is for the three-day guests. The ninth page, Sebayur, belongs to the private charter: it is called at on day three of the three-day charter, before Kanawa.
Start with Padar if you are choosing between trips, and with Kalong if you only have a camera and an evening.
Day one, from Kelor to Kalong
The first day is the gentle one. After the first lunch at the long table, you stop at Kelor for a short, steep climb to the viewpoint, and a swim off the beach. Shoes with grip help. Then Manjarite, where you snorkel off the jetty, and Strawberry Rock when the sea allows the stop.
Towards evening the boat waits off Kalong. You do not land there. You watch from the boat as the bats stream out, about fifteen minutes after sunset, in a stream that goes on for some time, and then it is dinner at the long table.
The map below shows the stops of the three-day route without an order, because the captain sets the sequence on the day. Where the boat spends the night is decided by the weather and the captain.
Day two, from Padar to Taka Makassar
Day two is the full one, and it begins early with the ridge walk on Padar, a torch in your hand for the first steps and breakfast on board when you come down. Then a park ranger leads you among the dragons on Komodo, you swim and snorkel at Pink Beach, lunch follows on board, and the afternoon goes to a drift snorkel at Manta Point and the sandbar at Taka Makassar.
The tide sets two of these. The sandbar at Taka Makassar shows only at low tide, and Manta Point is a guided drift in a current, for confident swimmers. Wear closed shoes on Komodo and bring a hat and reef-safe sunscreen for the sandbar.
The two-day fare ends this day: the boat docks in the evening and the transfer takes you to your hotel. A flight that evening will not work, so plan to stay the night in town. Three-day guests sit down to dinner at the long table and stay for a second night.
What the park quota can change
The park, not the boat, controls how many visitors go ashore at each place on a given day. On the open trip that has two effects, and we list both so that nothing surprises you.
- Padar or Gili Lawa. When the quota for Padar is full, Gili Lawa takes its place for the day.
- Komodo or Rinca. The dragon walk is on Komodo, or on Rinca when the quota says so. Either way a park ranger leads it.
Pink Beach has an alternative of its own, Namong beach, and Strawberry Rock is a stop the sea has to allow. The itinerary can change with sea conditions, weather, park quotas and agreement on board, and the harbour master can close the port. Dragons and manta rays are wild, and nobody can promise you either.
Park fees sit outside the fare: an international visitor pays IDR 250,000 each day, with the ranger fee added. On a private charter you agree the route with the cruise director and the captain, and the same limits apply.
Stops without a page of their own
Some stops are part of the trip but have no page, because there is little more to say than the name. We list them so that you recognise them when the cruise director says them out loud.
Manjarite is the snorkelling stop off the jetty on the first afternoon. Strawberry Rock comes after it, when the sea allows. Gili Lawa is the alternative to Padar on the open trip, and it is a stop on day three of the four-day charter. Siaba is a snorkelling stop on day three of the four-day charter, after the Manta Point drift and the Taka Makassar sandbar. Rinca and Namong are the alternatives to Komodo and Pink Beach.
The five-day charter adds Senator, Kanawa and Sabolon on day four and Rangko Cave and Seture on day five, and those are the names we use for the stops. We send the full day-by-day on request.
FAQ
Which stops does the two-day fare reach?
Everything on the first two days: Kelor, Manjarite, Strawberry Rock when the sea allows, the sunset off Kalong, then on day two Padar, Komodo, Pink Beach, then Manta Point and the Taka Makassar sandbar. Kanawa is on day three, so the two-day fare misses it. You are in Labuan Bajo by evening on day two.
What decides Padar or Gili Lawa, and Komodo or Rinca?
The park quota. On the open trip, when the quota for Padar is full for the day, Gili Lawa takes its place, and the dragon walk is on Rinca when the quota says so. A park ranger leads the walk either way. The park fee is IDR 250,000 daily for an international visitor, paid on top of the fare.
Do we land at Kalong?
No. Kalong is watched from the boat. The bats fly out at dusk, about 15 minutes after sunset, so the boat waits off Kalong on the evening of day one. Sunset falls at about 17:57 in July. Bring a charged camera and a light layer; dinner at the long table follows.
Is Sebayur part of the open trip?
No. Sebayur belongs to the private charter, where it is called at on day three of the three-day route, before Kanawa. The open trip does not stop there. On the open trip day three is breakfast on board, Kanawa and the run home, arriving by 10:00 to 11:00.
What happens if Pink Beach is not the stop on the day?
The crew takes you to Namong beach instead, which is the alternative we use. The swim and the snorkel stay, and so does the rest of day two. The itinerary can change with sea conditions, weather and park quotas, and the cruise director tells you what the day looks like at breakfast.
Check availability — Princess Lala
Princess Lala is sailed by her own crew; bookings and payments are handled by PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia.