Patungan Pinisi
Patungan Pinisi
Kalong Island: the bat flight from the deck
Updated 27 October 2026
Kalong Island bats at sunset on a 3 day trip are watched from the deck, not from the shore. In June sunset at Kalong is 17:50, the flying foxes leave about 15 minutes later, and the stream lasts about 30 minutes. Dinner is on board.
Bat flight timing against the sunset table
Kalong is a mangrove islet between Komodo and Rinca where thousands of flying foxes roost. At dusk they leave the mangroves in one long stream. The bats leave about 15 minutes after sunset, so arrive early.
Sunset there falls between 17:49 and 18:27 depending on the month. In June it is 17:50, and in November it is 18:01. Add 15 minutes for the first bats, and the flight lasts about 30 minutes.
This table gives every month. Nobody can promise the time or the count, since the flight is natural, and cloud and weather change the light.
A long lens and a charged camera help. Charge phones and cameras before the day starts, since the best minutes come after dark has begun to settle.
| Month | Sunset | Bats fly from about |
|---|---|---|
| January | 18:27 | 18:42 |
| February | 18:26 | 18:41 |
| March | 18:15 | 18:30 |
| April | 17:58 | 18:13 |
| May | 17:49 | 18:04 |
| June | 17:50 | 18:05 |
| July | 17:57 | 18:12 |
| August | 18:00 | 18:15 |
| September | 17:58 | 18:13 |
| October | 17:55 | 18:10 |
| November | 18:01 | 18:16 |
| December | 18:14 | 18:29 |
Computed for the location.
Which part of the deck to watch from
Stay in the open, on the upper deck or the sundeck, and not in the dining room. The bats fly over the water, so you want open sky and a clear view.
On Arham Jaya 2 that means the sundeck with its loungers and bean bags. On Nusantara Karya it is the sundeck and chill area, with lazy chairs and a daybed. On Segara Liveaboard it is the upper social deck, with 8 bean bags under a shade net.
None of these is a front-row seat. The boat anchors where the captain judges best, and the bats fly where they fly. Expect to turn your head.
A group of 14 fits on any of these decks, though the bean bags go fast. Decide the seating by who arrives first, or draw straws.
Why Kalong ends day one
On the example route Kalong closes day one. The group climbs Kelor in the morning, lunches on board, swims at Manjarite Beach in the afternoon and reaches Kalong for the sunset. The bats are the finale.
On the 4D3N route Kalong moves to day three, after Padar, Pink Beach and Strawberry Rock. The 2D1N route keeps it on day one as the 3D2N route does.
After the flight the boat is at anchor for dinner. Where the boat spends the night depends on the weather and the captain's decision that day, and nothing else about the night belongs in a plan.
Nobody lands at Kalong. It is a stop of the water and not of the land, and the whole show is watched from the boat.
Cost: nothing extra, and what is
There is no charge for the bat flight itself. Watching from the deck is free. What you pay for is the trip, and the park entry ticket applies to the trip as a whole.
Per person, a domestic guest pays IDR 50,000 on a weekday and IDR 75,000 on a weekend, and an international guest pays IDR 250,000. None of it is in the boat fare.
Personal spending, such as drinks you order, is also outside the fare. Documentation by the crew is quoted separately.
For the group chat, keep two lines. One is the boat share, the whole boat divided by the head count. The other is each guest's park ticket, which depends on the guest type and on whether the sail falls on a weekday or a weekend. Adding them gives the real figure per person.
| International visitors | IDR 250,000 per person per day |
| Indonesian visitors | IDR 50,000 per person per day · IDR 75,000 weekends & holidays |
Paid separately in cash or e-ticket; ranger and pier levies are extra and can change. Regulation: PP 36/2024 · Verified 27 October 2026.
Bat watching with kids and a big group
It is an easy stop. Anyone can join, and there is nothing to climb. Children aged 0 to 2 travel free on the boat, and from age 3 the full fare applies.
Noise matters. A group of 14 chatting scares nobody on the shore, but a quiet deck hears the wings. Ask the youngest guests to whisper for the first ten minutes.
Bring repellent for the evening and a light layer, since the deck cools as the light goes.
Seat the children first. They are shorter, and a bean bag at the rail beats a standing view over adult shoulders.
FAQ
What time do the bats fly?
The bats leave the mangroves about 15 minutes after sunset. Sunset at Kalong is 17:50 in June and 18:01 in November. The stream lasts about 30 minutes. The flight is natural, so no time and no count is promised.
Do we land on Kalong?
No. Kalong is not a landing stop, and the show is watched from the boat. The group sits on the deck while the flying foxes leave the mangroves. The boat is at anchor for dinner after the flight.
Are there mosquitoes?
Bring repellent for the evening and a light layer, because the boat anchors beside the mangroves at dusk. The mangroves are close to the anchorage, and the deck is open air.
Is Kalong on 2D1N?
Yes. The 2D1N route runs Kelor, Manjarite Beach and Kalong on day one, with dinner on board. Day two then runs Padar, Pink Beach and Komodo Island. The same Kalong stop closes day one on the 3D2N route.
Can we photograph the bats?
Yes, from the deck. A long lens and a charged camera help, because the bats fly in a long stream at dusk. A phone gets the glow of the sunset but little detail of the bats. Documentation by the crew is quoted separately.
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