Komodo · Month comparison

November vs May

May ranks #1 overall vs November at #10. Excellent conditions across the board — manta rays, dragons and world-class diving all on offer

Komodo Island bay with cloudy wet season sky in November

November

#10 of 12 months

Worth considering

Wet season returns — possible but conditions increasingly unreliable

  • Affordable rates; operators willing to deal on multi-day liveaboards
  • Komodo dragons still visible year-round; November dragon encounters feasible
Komodo National Park pristine beach and turquoise bay in dry season

May

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Excellent conditions across the board — manta rays, dragons and world-class diving all on offer

  • Manta ray season in full swing at Manta Point and Cauldron dive sites
  • Crystal visibility (25-30m) at top dive sites; Batu Bolong a technicolour reef wall
FactorNovemberMay
Weather score
5
9
Value score
7
6
Crowd score
3
6
Events score
3
6
Atmosphere
5
9
Avg high temp33°C33°C
Monthly rain105mm28mm
Daily sunshine7.5hrs9.5hrs

November trade-offs

  • Rain and rough seas increasingly common; some boat trips cancelled or rerouted
  • Diving visibility reducing; plankton blooms affecting some sites

May trade-offs

  • Season well underway; book liveaboards minimum 2 months in advance
  • Labuan Bajo increasingly busy; accommodation in the town at moderate-season prices
Scores compare months within Komodo. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →