Since a lot of people seem to think that chasing Komodo dragons is the only thing to do at the Komodo national park, I created this Komodo travel guide with everything you need to know about these beautiful Indonesian islands. There is way more to see and do at this wonderful piece of earth.
If you want to hike and see one of the most incredible views in your life, relax on a pink beach, snorkle to find Nemo and sea turtles or dive with Manta Rays, then Komodo is your place to be! The good news is that all these things are doable in one day, even though I recommend staying longer.
Don’t let the news of the 2020 park closure scare you off; there are enough places at the national park to explore and see the dragons besides Komodo island.
Komodo Travel Guide: everything you need to know
Where is Komodo?
Komodo National Park is situated between the Indonesian islands Sumbawa and Flores. It consists of three bigger islands Komodo, Padar and Rinca and several tiny islands.
How to get there?
The fastest and safest way to get to Komodo is to take a flight to Labuan Bajo, a small fishing town in the west of the island Flores. It is the nearest coastal town to the park. I flew from Bali with Garuda Indonesia, but there are also flights from other Indonesian islands and other airlines who provide flights.
Make sure to book your flight in time and keep in mind flights often get cancelled/changed, so you’ll probably end up on another flight. (I booked an early morning flight back to Bali and was transferred to an afternoon flight, so I had to change my travel plans to Nusa Penida, since I was too late to catch the last fast boat)
Where to stay?
There are several options to stay at Komodo; you can stay at a hotel at Labuan Bajo, sleep on a boat during a multiple day tour or even stay at a private island!
I stayed at Le Pirate hotel at the harbour of Labuan Bajo. From there it was easy to book day trips, since it is located on the main street. The rooms look like beach cabins and are rather small, but super clean.
What makes this hotel so special and fun is the rooftop bar with its little swimming pool. There you have a fantastic view on the bay and the sunset. They serve the best drinks and delicious food with lounge music always playing in the background.
Every evening they organize something different like live music or movie night (including free popcorn!) which is perfect to enjoy the warm evenings on the rooftop.
I met other people who stayed at Golo Hilltop Hotel and they were very pleased with this hotel also. It is situated on the hill and has a great view on the bay and the sunset.
If you are looking for something a little more adventurous you can also book a three day trip on a boat. There are a lot of tour options. Le Pirate also has its own boat: Le Pirate Explorer. If you don’t want to spend the night on a boat, you can also sleep at a private island! I visited Le Pirate island for just one day, but the sleeping huts looked very comfortable! The only downside is that if you want to explore Komodo that you first have to go back to Labuan Bajo by boat (about an hour) to start your day trip on another boat.
How to visit Komodo National Park?
I booked a one day boat tour twice, because I stayed at Labuan Bajo for 4 nights. I wanted to be sure to see dragons and I just loved being able to experience the fantastic landscapes above and under water twice!
You can book these day trips easily at the main street of Labuan Bajo where you will find a lot of little tour agencies. Most companies will pick you up between 5.30 and 6.00 am at your hotel and drop you back off between 4.00 and 5.00 pm. They often offer the same program. But there are also more specialized diving companies that focus more on diving areas.
You can also book multiple day trips, so you will sleep on a boat. Next time I’ll definitely consider doing that!
Komodo Travel Guide: What to see and do?
Padar Island
This was the first stop of the boat tour, since you have to do a serious hike up the hill to a view point. Once the sun rises it gets really hot, so the earlier you arrive, the better.
Make sure to wear some decent shoes and bring a water bottle (often offered on the boat), because the hike is no joke! The view is definitely worth it! Never before did I see a black, a white and a pink beach, magnificent hills and clear blue water all at once. It is for sure one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen!
Pink Beach
DISCLAIMER: I found this (dead) coral on the beach. So no, I didn’t harm it. I would never do that. Just saying, because someone started a whole Twitter riot with my photo and blog name, claiming I had pulled it from the sea, which is a straight lie. I told him to get his facts straight. But some people just think it is OK to start some drama on someone else’s back.
There are several pink beaches at the Komodo National Park and most tours go to a bigger pink beach, but the ones I did took me to a smaller more private one. There were no other boats so the beach was ours! And yes the beach is really pink! It gets its color from a million pieces of shattered coral that wash ashore. The dry sand isn’t that pink, but the wet sand surely is. Especially when the waves hit the sand. The contrast of the pink sand with the sparkling blue water makes it even more magical.
It is also a wonderful place to snorkle. The corals are super pretty and there are hundreds of cute little fish.
Komodo dragons
This Komodo travel guide wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the Komodo dragons, since they are the main reason for most people to visit the national park. You can only spot these giant lizards on several islands; Komodo, Rinca, Gili Motang and Flores. They are the biggest species of lizard (max. 3m) in the world.
Most tours will bring you to Komodo island. Your group will be guided by two rangers with a massive stick; one in the front and one in the back, to protect you from the dragons. They will take you along a path through the park to look for the dragons. On the way they share a lot of dragon facts and they are happy to answer all your questions. Once they find a Komodo dragon they will offer to take a photo of you with the dragon.
I swear they look creepy as hell and yes, they are dangerous even though they look super lazy. Apparently they can run 40 km per hour. So they advised us, if a dragon runs towards you, start running zig zag to slow them down. They are also venomous so if you get bitten, you are in serious trouble. I don’t know if those sticks are enough to protect you. I am just glad the rangers didn’t have to use them!
If you are there, just stay with the group, because the tourists that got bitten in the past are the ones that went venturing out on their own.
On my first tour I only saw one big dragon. On the second tour I saw three big ones and two baby dragons, so I was very lucky!
Taka Makassar
Taka Makassar is a dreamy crescent beach in the middle of the sea where you can snorkle and find Nemo, triangle fish, sea turtles and many other sea creatures. I loved this spot!
Manta Point
On the way to the last island of the boat tour you will stop somewhere in the middle of the sea to dive with black manta rays. I was a little scared to jump into the dark blue water on the first tour since the boat was constantly on the move, leaving people alone in the water. On the second tour the manta rays decided to stay hidden, so I didn’t see them.
Kanawa Island
This island wasn’t very special, but it was another spot where you can snorkle. I found a lot of star fish here.
What to take with you?
- You will be in the sun all day, in and out of the water, so you’ll definitely need a lot of sunscreen!
- hiking shoes/sneakers to hike at Padar and Komodo island.
- cash for Komodo’s entrance fee and souvenirs
- underwater camera to take photos while snorkling
- towel
- flipflops
- sunglasses
- breakfast box (most hotels offer these)
Where to eat and drink?
Le Pirate
Apparently the rooftop bar of the hotel I stayed at was a very popular hang out place. I am not surprised because both the drinks and the food were delicious and fresh. I loved the quesadillas and the Rusty Anchor cocktail! Having dinner here while watching the sun set was magical!
Bajo Taco
This Mexican restaurant is situated on the main road of Labuan Bajo and it serves large portions of tasty Mexican food. The top floor has big open windows where you also have a great view on the harbour.
Komodo Travel Guide: extra information
- Take into account that domestic flights often allow less luggage. My flight allowed 20 kilos of checked luggage.
- Fast boats are way quicker, so if you want to be one of the first at Padar, take a fast boat. Tours with a fast boat also do more stops in one day.
- Do not harm/touch the corals. It will destroy them and they are very important to the marine ecosystem.
- If you don’t feel comfortable in the water or you get tired easily, but you don’t want to miss out on snorkling; ask for a life jacket. (I wore it most of the time)
- Water and soft drinks are often included in the price of your boat trip
- I booked my first boat tour online and the others I booked on the day of arrival at the tour agencies on the main street of Labuan Bajo.
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