Vinca
Vinca Deluxe Phinisi
Your first day on a Komodo boat, hour by hour
Updated 10 October 2026
Pickup is at 09:30 from your hotel or the airport, and that is the only clock time the brochure fixes for day one. On the 3D2N the rest follows the legs: a 90 to 120 minute sail to Sebayur, then Manta Point and Taka Makassar. Times below are working estimates, not a timetable.
The night before, and the 09:30 rule
Arrive in Labuan Bajo the day before sailing. A cancelled or delayed flight is the commonest way to miss a morning pickup, and the brochure advises arriving a day early for that reason. Book a hotel near the harbour or the airport, and tell the desk its name.
Pickup is at 09:30 from the hotel or the airport, to the harbour. That is our promise, and it is a promise about the morning only. We call it pickup to pillow: lobby at 09:30, aboard, cabin allocated and bag down before the boat has done anything difficult. After that, the sea writes the timetable.
Pack a soft bag, not a hard suitcase, because the cabins have no room to store one. Keep a day bag with sunscreen, a hat, a swimsuit and a towel within reach. Put a motion tablet in the day bag too, since overnight legs start on the first evening.
Hour by hour on the 3D2N
Treat every time after 09:30 as an estimate built from typical legs. The captain moves the schedule for tide, wind and light.
- 09:30 Pickup from the hotel or airport to the harbour.
- About 10:00 to 10:30 Boarding, welcome and cabin allocation. We do not publish a casting-off time.
- About 10:30 to 12:30 Sail to Sebayur, 90 to 120 minutes. Sit on the sundeck; this is the settling-in stretch.
- About 12:30 to 14:00 Snorkel at Sebayur, then lunch aboard.
- About 14:00 to 15:30 Sail toward Manta Point, 60 to 90 minutes (an estimate).
- About 15:30 to 16:30 Manta Point drift snorkel, 30 to 60 minutes, then a snack.
- About 16:30 to 17:30 Taka Makassar, a 20 to 30 minute hop away, for the sandbank or the reef.
- Evening Dinner aboard, then the night leg or anchorage toward Padar.
The brochure's own list for day one is: pickup, snorkelling at Sebayur, lunch, snorkelling at Manta Point, snack, snorkelling at Taka Makassar, dinner.
Day 1
| What happens | Sailing from previous stop | Have ready | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:30 | Labuan Bajo — Hotel / airport pickup to harbour | — | soft bag, not a hard suitcase |
| · | Sebayur — Snorkelling at Sebayur | 90–120 min | reef-safe sunscreen |
| · | Lunch | — | |
| · | Manta Point — Snorkelling at Manta Point Tide | 60–90 min | reef-safe sunscreen |
| · | Snack | — | |
| · | Taka Makassar — Snorkelling at Taka Makassar Tide | 20–30 min | reef-safe sunscreen |
| · | Dinner | — | motion tablet before any overnight leg |
| 🌙 | Night aboard. Where the boat spends the night, at anchor or under way, depends on the weather and the captain's decision on the day. | ||
Day 2
| What happens | Sailing from previous stop | Have ready | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrise | Padar — Padar sunrise trek | 120–180 min | headtorch, sturdy shoes |
| · | Breakfast | — | |
| · | Pink Beach — Snorkelling or paddle boarding at Long Beach (Pink Beach) | 60–90 min | reef-safe sunscreen |
| · | Lunch | — | |
| · | Komodo — Komodo Island trek | 30–60 min | |
| · | Pimpe — Pimpe Island trek | — | |
| · | Snack | — | |
| · | Kalong — Sunset at Kalong Island | — | camera charged |
| · | Dinner | — | |
| 🌙 | Night aboard. Where the boat spends the night, at anchor or under way, depends on the weather and the captain's decision on the day. | ||
Day 3
| What happens | Sailing from previous stop | Have ready | |
|---|---|---|---|
| · | Breakfast | — | |
| · | Kelor — Free activity at Kelor Island: trek, swim, paddle board or relax | — | |
| · | Lunch | — | |
| 11:00 | Labuan Bajo — Back in Labuan Bajo, drop-off | 50–70 min |
These stops swap order with tide and wind: Manta Point ⇄ Taka Makassar.
Times are operating patterns, not a timetable. Pickup is the only promise we make by the clock.
| From | To | Minutes | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labuan Bajo | Kelor | 50–70 | Verified |
| Labuan Bajo | Kanawa | 60–90 | Operating range |
| Labuan Bajo | Sebayur | 90–120 | Operating range |
| Kelor | Manjarite | 30–60 | Operating range |
| Manjarite | Kalong | 50–70 | Operating range |
| Kalong | Padar | 180–240 · Overnight run | Operating range |
| Padar | Pink Beach | 60–90 | Operating range |
| Pink Beach | Komodo | 30–60 | Operating range |
| Komodo | Manta Point | 30–60 | Operating range |
| Manta Point | Taka Makassar | 20–30 | Operating range |
| Taka Makassar | Siaba | 60–90 | Operating range |
| Siaba | Kanawa | 60–90 | Operating range |
| Rinca | Kalong | 30–60 | Operating range |
| Taka Makassar | Padar | 120–180 · Overnight run | Estimate |
| Sebayur | Manta Point | 60–90 | Estimate |
| Kelor | Labuan Bajo | 50–70 | Operating range |
What can move the hours
Three things. The first is the tide: Manta Point and Taka Makassar swap order depending on it, and the sandbank at Taka Makassar only shows at low water. The second is light. A late arrival at Manta Point can shorten the drift, and a stop may lose minutes to keep the sunset appointment.
The third is the weather. The route notice says destinations may change without prior notice for weather, currents and park or port decisions. In January and February, or July and August, the longer open legs are rougher. April to June and October to November are the calm months.
The hour that is truly fixed is the first one, 09:30. Everything after it bends. A guest who asks for a minute-by-minute timetable will be disappointed, and a guest who asks what the day tends to look like will be told.
If your flight home is early on day three, read the Kelor page now. Drop-off is planned for late morning.
Fixed dates, mostly Mondays and Fridays. Not every Monday or Friday runs.
Day one on the other routes
The 2D1N opens differently. After the 09:30 pickup, it sails 50 to 70 minutes to Kelor for the short hill, lunch, a snorkel at Manjarite, and Kalong at sunset. Dinner follows, and then the overnight leg of roughly three to four hours toward Padar. That is the route with the longest night sail relative to its length.
The 4D3N opens with Manjarite, lunch, Kelor, a snack and Kalong at sunset, and then dinner. It is gentler on day one than the 3D2N because the first sail is shorter.
The 1D is a long single day with a different shape: breakfast aboard, Padar, lunch, Pink Beach, a snack, the Komodo walk and dinner. Drop-off is at 20:00.
Pick the route by the first day you can live with. If a 90 to 120 minute opening sail will bother you, the 2D1N and 4D3N both open with shorter ones.
Day 1
| What happens | Sailing from previous stop | Have ready | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:30 | Labuan Bajo — Hotel / airport pickup to harbour | — | soft bag, not a hard suitcase |
| · | Kelor — Kelor Island trek | 50–70 min | reef-safe sunscreen |
| · | Lunch | — | |
| · | Manjarite — Snorkelling at Manjarite | 30–60 min | reef-safe sunscreen |
| · | Snack | — | |
| · | Kalong — Sunset at Kalong Island | 50–70 min | camera charged |
| · | Dinner | — | motion tablet before any overnight leg |
| 🌙 | Night aboard. Where the boat spends the night, at anchor or under way, depends on the weather and the captain's decision on the day. | ||
Day 2
| What happens | Sailing from previous stop | Have ready | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrise | Padar — Padar sunrise trek | — | headtorch, sturdy shoes |
| · | Breakfast | — | |
| · | Lunch | — | |
| · | Pink Beach — Snorkelling at Pink Beach | 60–90 min | reef-safe sunscreen |
| · | Snack | — | |
| · | Komodo — Komodo Island trek | 30–60 min | |
| · | Taka Makassar — Sandy beach at Taka Makassar OR snorkelling at Manta Point (either/or) Tide | — | reef-safe sunscreen |
| 18:00 | Labuan Bajo — Back in Labuan Bajo, drop-off | — |
These stops swap order with tide and wind: Manta Point ⇄ Taka Makassar.
Times are operating patterns, not a timetable. Pickup is the only promise we make by the clock.
FAQ
What time is pickup on the first day?
09:30 from your Labuan Bajo hotel or the airport to the harbour. It is the only clock time fixed for day one. Be ready in the lobby by 09:15 with a soft bag. The 3D2N then runs to Sebayur, Manta Point and Taka Makassar.
How long is the first sail on the 3D2N?
The sail to Sebayur takes 90 to 120 minutes after boarding. The next leg to Manta Point is estimated at 60 to 90 minutes. Both are norms rather than measured distances, and the boat cruises at 8 to 12 knots, so they can run shorter.
When do we eat on the first day?
Lunch is aboard after the Sebayur snorkel, usually in the early afternoon, and a snack follows the Manta Point stop. Dinner is aboard in the evening. Daily meals and afternoon coffee or tea are in the fare, with 3 meals a day. Tell us dietary needs at booking.
Can I arrive in Labuan Bajo on the morning of sailing?
You can, but we do not advise it. A delayed flight can cost you the 09:30 pickup, and the brochure advises arriving a day early for exactly that reason. Arrive the day before and book a hotel near the harbour.
Do I need to take a motion tablet on day one?
If you are prone to seasickness, take one before the evening. The itinerary advises a motion tablet before any overnight leg, and the 3D2N leg from Taka Makassar toward Padar is estimated at 120 to 180 minutes. Ask a pharmacist, since some tablets cause drowsiness.
Check availability — Vinca
Vinca is owner-held and run by its own dedicated charter desk.