Carnaby
Carnaby Phinisi
A celebration dinner on deck at anchor
Updated 26 October 2026
A celebration dinner on a boat in Labuan Bajo is served at anchor on the deck. Dinner is one of the daily meals on both Carnaby boats, and Kalong at dusk gives the toast its moment; sunset falls between 17:49 and 18:27 through the year. Decoration and a special dinner are quoted separately.
Where the table goes
The anchorage is decided by the weather and the captain, and where the boat spends the night depends on the weather and the captain's decision that day. The table goes where the boat is, not where the plan says.
Carnaby 1 lists an outdoor dining table and Carnaby 2 an outdoor dining area. In the Carnaby 2 photos the deck table is laid with white linen under a canopy, with a batik runner and flower arrangements in some frames. The flowers are staging and are not in the fare.
For 14 guests on Carnaby 1 or 21 on Carnaby 2, ask us how the table is laid and we confirm it in writing.
Timing the toast at Kalong
Kalong is a mangrove islet where thousands of flying foxes roost. They leave in a long stream at dusk, about 15 minutes after sunset, and the stream lasts around 30 minutes. The stop is watched from the boat; nobody lands.
Run of show for the evening: the boat arrives before sunset, the cake comes up as the sun drops, and the toast waits for the first bats. Dinner follows once the stream thins. Sunset falls between 17:49 and 18:27, depending on the month, and the table below gives each month.
Arrive early and charge the phones. A long lens helps, but no promise is made about the number of bats on your evening.
| 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 |
Snorkel first, toast after
The daylight before the toast is for swimming. Manjarite is the first snorkel on day 1 of both boats' routes. On day 2 Pink Beach has reef close to shore, and on Carnaby 1's route Kanawa is the shallow, easy swim of day 3.
Manta Point is a drift snorkel with a current, and no crew can promise manta sightings. Life jackets are on board for nervous swimmers, and a confident swimmer in each small group helps at Manta Point.
Swim early in the day and be on deck for the sunset. The 3D2N page shows where each swim falls.
Cake, music and decoration
Decoration and a special dinner for a birthday or proposal are services we arrange. A cake and music are arranged on request. Each is quoted separately, and none is in the fare.
Both boats have karaoke and a TV in the indoor lounge. A guest's own speaker is confirmed for your boat and date. Alcohol is not included in the fare.
The dinner itself is in the fare. For 14 guests on Carnaby 1 the 3D2N whole boat is IDR 75,000,000 (≈ USD 4,601), or IDR 5,360,000 (≈ USD 329) each. For 21 on Carnaby 2 it is IDR 6,670,000 (≈ USD 409) each.
Who pays for what: the fare covers the boat, the crew, meals, coffee, tea, water, snacks and fruit. You pay the park fees, flights, hotel, insurance and gratuities. Decoration, a cake, music, a photographer and the guide are on request, quoted separately.
A dinner ashore instead
A dinner ashore is a different service. A dinner on an island, a private island dinner and a seafood dinner are services we arrange, each priced by headcount and location and quoted separately. The standard fare does not include them.
Choose the shore dinner when the group wants a change of scene, and the deck table when the sunset is the point. Both can be requested in the first message. The services page lists the options, and the Kalong page covers the stop.
FAQ
Can we have a dinner on deck at sunset?
Yes. Dinner is one of the daily meals on both boats and is served on the deck once the boat is at anchor. Day 1 ends at Kalong, so dinner follows the bats. The exact anchorage is the captain's call.
What does the kitchen serve?
Daily meals are breakfast, lunch and dinner on both boats. There is no set menu, and the Carnaby 2 photos show grilled fish, stir-fried vegetables and spiced chicken on banana leaf. Tell us about diets and we confirm.
Can we bring a speaker?
Both boats have karaoke and a TV in the indoor lounge. We confirm a guest's own speaker for your boat and date. Keep the volume considerate once the boat is at anchor.
Can the crew cater for allergies?
Tell us before sailing, and we confirm what the kitchen can do for each guest. The boats publish no allergy policy and no menu, so we promise nothing until the written answer arrives, and we ask for the diets together with the guest names.
Is dinner ashore possible?
Yes, on request. A dinner on an island, a private island dinner and a seafood dinner are services we arrange. They are quoted separately by headcount and place, and none is part of the standard fare on Carnaby 1 or Carnaby 2.
Check availability — Carnaby
Carnaby is published and booked by PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia, a booking partner for Carnaby 1 and Carnaby 2. The boats belong to their owner.