Komodo adventure cruise: what the legs, lungs and shoulders actually do

Adventure here is measured in sweat and salt, and it helps to see it as a ledger. Padar costs 25 to 45 minutes of climbing to the viewpoint, usually before dawn, on a path that is loose and steep in parts. Kelor is a shorter hill, 15 to 30 minutes, steep and dry. The Komodo walk runs 45 to 120 minutes on easy ground with little shade, and a ranger leads it.

Snorkelling is the other half. Pink Beach is an easy reef with a mild current and depths of one to eight metres. Taka Makassar is shallow and gentle. Manta Point is not. The current is strong, the depth is three to fifteen metres, and the guides drift snorkellers along the reef instead of anchoring. Confident swimmers only, with a life jacket if you are unsure.

Most days mix one climb, one snorkel and one walk. A 3D2N adds a Pimpe Island trek on day two. A 4D3N adds Gili Lawa on day two.

Footwear decides the trip. Sturdy shoes with a grip are better than sandals on Padar and Kelor; the brochure suggests shoes or sandals for trekking, and we would choose shoes. Closed shoes are needed on the Komodo trail. Bring a soft bag, not a hard suitcase, because there is no room to store one.

The boat helps with the water side. We carry snorkelling gear for every guest, life jackets, and two stand-up paddleboards used at Pink Beach and Kelor. The tender is a Yamaha 40 hp fibreglass speedboat for landings. There are no sea kayaks and no diving equipment on board.

A rule of thumb we use is the shoe rule: if the day has a hill in it, the shoes go on the deck the night before. A headtorch for Padar goes with them.

• Footwear: sturdy shoes, closed for the Komodo trail.
• Light: headtorch for the Padar start.
• Skin: reef-safe sunscreen and a hat.

The 1D day trip is the hardest per hour: Padar, Pink Beach and Komodo in one day, with drop-off at 20:00. The 2D1N has two big mornings and a first-night overnight leg. The 3D2N spreads the effort, with snorkelling on day one, the long day two, and an easy Kelor morning on day three.

The 4D3N is the one for people who want more. It adds Gili Lawa, Mawan reef and a beach dinner at Sebayur, with Manta Point and Taka Makassar on day three. It is also the longest time on a boat with no stabilisers.

Seasons change the work. Calm seas run April to June and October to November. July and August bring wind and crowds. In the wet months, from December to March, showers make paths slick.

This is a snorkel boat. There is no compressor, no tanks and no dive guide, and we say so plainly. If diving is the point, a dive liveaboard is the right booking.

It is also not an expedition. Stops can change for weather, currents and park or port decisions. A rough sea can remove a snorkel stop, and a closed trail can remove a trek. The captain decides, and the route notice says destinations may change without prior notice.

Fitness needs are modest but real. If you cannot manage stairs between three decks, or steep ground with loose stone, tell us. Moving you to a gentler route beats watching you turn back at the first rise.

Check the months too. Seas are roughest in January, February, July and August, and the overnight leg toward Padar on the 3D2N, estimated at two to three hours, is where that shows. A calm month turns the same route into a different trip.