Day one, hour by hour, for the person holding the list

The standard 3D2N starts with pickup between 10:00 and 11:00 from the hotel lobby or the airport in Labuan Bajo. Expect the pickup time in writing first, then the driver's number a day before sailing. Save it in your phone and in the group chat.

Meeting point: the lobby, at the time written, with bags packed and by the door, passports in a soft bag and breakfast already eaten, and no hungry teenager at the port.

Count heads at the lobby, out loud, and write the number down. Count them again when the vehicle moves and when you reach the port. Headcount: write the number in your phone, so that you can say it without thinking at 11:00 when the tender is waiting.

The boat sails at 11:00. Before that, one thing must be done: hand us the name list as it appears on passports or ID, if you have not already. It should have been in our hands a week ago.

Expect the briefing soon after boarding. Listen to it as a leader, not as a guest. Life jackets, a life raft, lifebuoys, a fire extinguisher and a first-aid kit are on board. Ask the captain to point out where each one lives, and tell the group.

Hand out cabins now. You decided the split in advance: two Master Cabins, and Sharing Rooms for 4, 6 and 4. Write the cabin letters on a sheet and stick it somewhere everyone passes. A group of 20 loses an hour on cabin arguments if the sheet is missing.

Quiet hours are yours to set. The leader sets them, the captain's rules sit above them. Agree a time, and tell the group it applies to the deck above the cabins too.

Show the group the tender, the saloon and the sun deck. Then let them unpack, find their beds and stand at the rail looking pleased with themselves. Lunch is served on board, cooked by the chef.

First landing: Kelor. A short walk, steep near the end, with a view over the bay. Pace: slow, with a water break halfway. Count heads at the foot and at the top. The tender runs the group ashore in turns, so expect a wait, and keep the quick ones busy.

Next comes the Manjarite snorkel. Snorkel gear is on board. Check who is a weak swimmer before anyone enters the water, and send them in with a life jacket.

Then Kalong at sunset. In September the sun sets at 17:58; the when-to-go page lists every month. Keep everyone on deck for the bat flight, which leaves the roost in long streams as the light fades.

Dinner follows at anchor. Eat first, then take the photographs.

The chef cooks every meal on the boat. The kitchen works from your notes, so send them in advance rather than on the pier. Tell us about vegetarian, halal, gluten-free, lactose-free or allergy needs. The boat team's confirmation reaches you before payment.

Be specific, because a kitchen cooking for 20 cannot guess. Name the person and the food, and say how serious it is. "Peanuts: one guest, severe" is a useful line. "A few of us avoid some things" is not. Repeat the list to the captain at the briefing, in person.

Ask us about alcohol. We get the boat's policy in writing before you buy anything. Do not stock up on the pier and hope for the best.

Tea, coffee and drinking water are on board all day. Remind the group to drink before the Padar climb, which is the next morning.

Tips are not included, and they are optional. Many groups pool one tip for the crew at the end of the trip. There is no fixed amount per day, and nobody will ask for one.

Bring small notes, in a dry bag, and keep them with the leader. Large notes cause trouble at a small landing, where nobody has change and the tender is waiting. Keep another few small notes for any purchase ashore.

Do not collect tips on day one. Collect them on the last evening, when the group knows what it wants to say. One person hands over the envelope, in front of everybody.

The park package per head is separate. The park package is extra, and the park fee page shows how and when to pay it. Do not mix the two cash piles.

Walk the boat once before dinner is cleared. Count the heads by cabin, not by face: every bed has a name, and every name is somewhere. A missing person after dinner is a small problem. A missing person before dawn is a big one.

Check the phones. Sockets are not listed for this boat, so charge what you can with power banks and turn off what you do not need. Tomorrow is the Padar sunrise, and the alarm must work, because a group that oversleeps by twenty minutes loses the best light and the quiet ridge it came for.

Check the shoes. Padar punishes sandals, so put grip shoes, a hat and a water bottle by the door of each cabin before anyone falls asleep, and the morning goes quietly.

Last, agree the wake-up time with the captain and tell the group. Then stop being the leader. Sit on the deck and look up. You earned that.