Taka Makassar, Komodo: the sandbar that exists only at low tide

The island is a crescent of sand surrounded by shallow reef. At low tide it shows; at high tide it may be under water. A white beach you can walk across for an hour is the best tide, not the average one.

So the place is a sandbar when the tide allows and a snorkel stop when it does not. It is not a place to count on for a walk. If the tide is high, it may be underwater, and the captain will say so.

The reef around it is shallow, one to five metres, with a mild current. It is easy for most snorkellers, including beginners and children who can swim, and that is why the stop often follows the more demanding Manta Point on the same day.

Above the water, you see sand, clear shallows and other boats. Below it, reef fish, small corals and, on a good day, turtles; no animal is promised. The stop lasts 30 to 60 minutes, and the best window is the morning, although our route often reaches it in the afternoon.

Shade is minimal on the sand. A hat and reef-safe sunscreen matter more than a towel, and the glare from white sand is strong enough that sunglasses help. If you plan to photograph, the late light is the better light.

Crowd months are July and August. At low tide in those months, many boats put their guests on the same strip, and the sandbank can feel full.

Photographers like the sandbank because of its colour contrast: pale sand, bright shallows and the darker reef edge. Wear a hat, and keep your camera in a dry bag between landings.

Taka Makassar is on the 2D1N, 3D2N and 4D3N routes. On the 3D2N it closes day one, 20 to 30 minutes after Manta Point, and the guests then eat dinner aboard. On the 4D3N it follows Manta Point on the morning of day three, before lunch and Mawan. On the 2D1N it is an either-or with Manta Point for the last stop of day two.

The 3D2N has a consequence for day two. After Taka Makassar, the boat runs overnight toward Padar, a leg we estimate at two to three hours. The brochure does not name the anchorage, and the captain decides on the day.

The 1D day trip does not stop here. It stays with Padar, Pink Beach and Komodo.

Tide is the whole caveat. At low tide, the sandbank is above the surface and you step onto it from the tender. At high tide, you snorkel over it and enjoy the reef. The captain checks the tide and decides which of the two stops to do first.

Because the tide table differs every day, we cannot tell you months in advance which version you will get. We can tell you that the brochure itinerary lists Manta Point and Taka Makassar as swappable, and that a trip with only one of the two is still a complete trip.

Weather adds a second caveat. Wind lifts the surface and reduces the clarity over the shallow reef. In the wet months, December to March, rain flattens the colours. In calm months, April to June and October to November, the water over the sand is clear.