Taking parents and grandparents on a Komodo phinisi: stairs, heat and pace

Elrora Liveaboard has 6 cabins on three decks, and all six have their own bathroom and air conditioning. The Master cabin is on the main deck, and it has a king bed and a balcony of its own. The two Deluxe cabins are on the upper deck with queen beds. The two Superior cabins are on the lower deck, each with a queen bed and a porthole.

The Family cabin sleeps four, on a double bed and two singles. Its deck is shown on your written cabin plan.

For a grandparent who dislikes stairs, the Master cabin is the first candidate, simply because it is the cabin on the main deck. Parents who like to be near the sundeck could choose a Deluxe cabin. A sea view from the bed matters to some people and not to others, and the Superior porthole is a window, not a view.

So the question to put to us is a count: how many stairs lie between each cabin, the table and the sundeck. The advisor confirms it, and we send the answer in writing before the cabins are fixed.

Labuan Bajo is hot by midmorning for most of the year, and the dry months from April to November bring strong sun with little cloud. For older guests, heat decides the rest of the day, more than distance or steps do. Plan for it.

On board, the cool place is certain: every cabin is air-conditioned. The boat also has an indoor dining room and outdoor dining on deck, and a sundeck on the upper deck. Ask the advisor whether the sundeck has an awning and the outdoor table a roof, and have the answer in writing before you count on shade.

On land, shade is thin. A dive operator's Padar guide says the top has little of it and puts the cooler sunrise session between 05:00 and 08:00. It advises 1 to 2 litres of water per person, because there are no shops on the trail.

Bring hats, long sleeves for sun rather than for warmth, and a plan for the hour after lunch. Midday is for the cabin or the table, and a rest there costs nothing.

Kelor opens the route on the first afternoon. It is short and steep, and it is the gentlest rehearsal for what follows.

Padar is the demanding one. A news report from June 2025 timed the walk to the viewpoint at about 30 minutes. It counted about 800 steps to the summit, with wooden stairs first and steeper rock after the first checkpoint. A dive operator's FAQ gives 30 to 45 minutes up at ordinary fitness and over an hour at a slow pace, with 20 to 30 minutes down. Guides told hikers in that report to stop at a checkpoint instead of pushing on. The same FAQ says the route is unsuitable for wheelchairs, and that a person with limited mobility can see the lower slopes from the boat.

Komodo Island is explored on foot with a ranger, on a trail the ranger sets. A 2026 trekking guide describes a medium route of about 3 km that takes around 2 hours, on uneven ground. Ask for the short route, and tell the ranger at the start who needs the slow pace.

The beach and sandbar stops need only a step from the boat to the shore. Ask how that step is made. It matters.

A standard 3D2N route holds a lot for one grandparent. Day 1 brings Kelor, a snorkel stop and the sunset at Kalong. Day 2 is the heavy one, with Padar, Pink Beach, Komodo Island and the reef stops. Day 3 closes with a snorkel stop at Sebayur or Kanawa before the return to Labuan Bajo. The route is a sample, the weather sets the order, and the captain decides each morning.

Nothing on it is compulsory. Treat each walk as a choice.

• Do Kelor together on the first afternoon, since the climb is short and the view from the top rewards anyone who reaches it slowly.
• Let the grandparent choose between Padar and a late breakfast. The viewpoint is not worth a bad knee.
• Take the short ranger route on Komodo, then rest on board before the beach.
• Keep the reef stops for those who swim well. Manta Point has a current, so a weaker swimmer stays aboard or keeps a vest on.

On a private charter the tempo is yours. A longer trip lets us ask for one walk per day, with the order agreed with the captain. That costs more days and so more money, and it is the only real way to buy slowness.

Start with what is on board. Life jackets are on board. The snorkelling gear includes life vests, and the captain decides each day which stops go ahead, with the weather and the sea in mind. The boat carries radar, GPS, an echo sounder, AIS Class A, and VHF and SSB radio. Nobody in the party is asked to push on against his judgement.

The harbour authority adds its own layer. In August 2026 it allowed tourist boats to Rinca only for three days, and the same notice told captains to give a safety briefing before departure.

Then ask, in writing, before you pay: what the first-aid kit holds, whether a stretcher is carried and who in the crew has first-aid training. Ask too what the boat does when a guest falls ill at sea. A plain answer, yes or no, is what you want.

For the guest, a few steps matter more than any equipment. See a doctor before booking if there is any heart, joint or balance issue. Carry medicines in their original packaging with a doctor's letter, and buy insurance with medical evacuation cover.

What follows is the list I put to any boat before older guests board. Ask the advisor for each answer on Elrora in writing, before you pay.

• The number of stairs between each cabin, the dining table and the sundeck, and whether the stairs have a handrail on both sides.
• The step down from the boat to the tender and onto the beach, and how crew help someone who needs a hand.
• Any awning on the sundeck or roof over the outdoor table.
• The bathroom fittings, including the threshold into the shower, and what water temperature the shower gives.
• The crew's first-aid training and the contents of the first-aid kit.

Send us the age of each parent, any walking aid they use, and the medicines they carry. Coffee and tea come with the fare. If a favourite tea matters, bring it, and ask how it can be brewed on board. We put every answer in writing before you pay the deposit.