After dinner on board, until first light

The flying foxes leave Kalong at dusk, and dinner follows when the light is gone. The table is on deck, with sofa benches and a shade roof over it, so the meal is eaten in the open air.

Dinner is one of the three meals in the fare. Coffee, tea and water are free-flow, and fruit and snacks are in the fare too. Diet is settled before sailing: tell us any vegetarian, halal or allergy need when you book.

A special dinner, with a cake or lanterns in a circle on the sand, is a service on request. The quote is written before anything is added, and the place for it depends on route, weather and captain.

After dinner the day winds down. The boat has three sundecks with sofas, a large outdoor area, and an indoor lounge and bar with a 65-inch screen and karaoke. The screen and the karaoke run only when the guests on board want them.

Quiet hours are not fixed in advance. On a private charter the evening is yours to set. On the open trip, agree it with the other guests on the first evening, and tell the cruise director if you want the lounge quiet. Every cabin is air-conditioned and ensuite, so you can close the door on the party.

On a clear night the sundecks are the place for the sky. Take a layer, because the air cools after the sun has gone.

You spend the night on board. The sky and the captain's call on the day settle where the boat rests, so we name no anchorage in advance. The route on this site is a sample, and it can change with traffic, weather and tides.

This is the one part of the plan we leave open on purpose. The captain reads the wind, the tide and the park rules on the day, and a good choice for one night is a poor one for the next. Ask the cruise director about the plan for the next morning, and expect the answer to depend on the same wind.

If you want a certain view from the window at dawn, tell us when you book, and we pass the wish on. We cannot promise it.

On the three-day route the second day starts with Padar. The climb is made before the sun is up, so the alarm comes early. Sunrise over Padar is 06:06 in March and 06:18 in July, and you want to be at the top before it.

Coffee and tea are free-flow, so a hot cup is in your hand while you put your shoes on. We confirm the wake-up time in writing once the captain has the plan.

First light is the quietest hour of the trip. The deck is wet, the water is still, and nobody is talking. Take one frame of it before you leave for the ridge, then put the camera away and walk.

Do it before you sleep. Set the trekking shoes by the cabin door. Fill the water bottle. Put the head torch, a cleared memory card and a charged battery in the small backpack. Lay out a thin layer and a hat.

The Padar path is loose underfoot, and you will walk it in the dark for the first part. Leave the tripod on board if you can; a small one is fine. Keep one hand free for the rail.

Light check. At this hour the sky behind the ridge pales first, and the water turns grey and then gold. Dress for a cool start and a warm finish, and take the layer off once you reach the top.