The secrets of Komodo National Park
Maybe you’ve heard of the Komodo dragons before? They are the largest species of lizard and can only be found on a few Indonesian islands. It turns out these creatures live in a place that also has so much more to offer. From crystal clear waters to amazing wildlife, pink sand beaches and deserted islands, you should definitely check it out. It is quite easy to add it to any Bali or Lombok trip as there are flights leaving daily from both destinations to go to Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores.
Explore Komodo
A few travel tips
How to get there?
While it can be accessed by boat, I would recommend flying to Komodo as it is a much faster and safer option. The boat ride is 36 hours long, therefore it wasn’t an option for my sister and I. There are a few flights a day, but those can be a bit expensive, so I would recommend booking your tickets in advance. There are three airlines offering this itinerary: Wings Air, Sriwijaya Air and NAM Air. We booked our tickets with Wings Air and it costed approximately €120 for a return ticket from Denpasar to Labuan Bajo. What we didn’t expect is to pay almost the same price for our checked-in luggage when we got to the airport. Wings Air recently changed their baggage policy and now charges 25,000IDR per kilo. Please take this into consideration when booking your flight. Another option would be to leave your stuff in a locker in Denpasar, and only take the most important stuff with you.
Where to stay?
We weren’t very happy with the place we booked in Labuan Bajo, so I’m simply not going to talk about it. It wasn’t bad, but it just wasn’t what we expected and we didn’t get the best service compared to everywhere else we’ve been on this trip. There are many hostels along the main road in Labuan Bajo, nothing fancy. The town is under construction, and very soon there will be a lot of hotels and resorts, so I think it’s best to visit now. When we got to Labuan Bajo around 2pm, we decided to treat ourselves and go chill at AYANA Resort, which recently opened. If you have the opportunity, I definitely recommend getting there to watch the sunset. You will need to stay in Labuan Bajo at least 48 hours if you want to go visit the National Park. I’d even recommend staying longer and go for a multi-day boat trip with companies like Le Pirate to enjoy the park even more and avoid crowds.
What to do?
The main attraction is to take a day-trip to Komodo Island and make a few stops around the National Park. When you get to the airport, many people will try to sell you boat tours. My advice is to just take their documentation and say you’ll contact them if you need to make a reservation. Once you get to Labuan Bajo, you will see tons of companies that sell various tours, all located on the main road. We were looking for the cheapest option on a fast boat, with as few people onboard as possible. The best alternative we found was to book with King Komodo Tour. We paid approximately 1,200K IDR per person and had to make a 200K deposit when making the reservation. You will have to give them your passport information in order to confirm your booking. Note that there is a National Park entrance fee when you get to your first stop. This one varies depending on what day you visit (250K to 450K). Now without further due, here are the 6 stops you’ll discover during this amazing excursion.
Padar island
You’ll probably be picked up at your hotel between 6 and 7am. Once on the boat, you’ll head to Padar Island first. This place is actually one of the best views I have ever had the chance to witness. To go all the way up to the viewpoint, you’ll need to hike a bit. It’s fairly short (20-30 min) but it is very steep and it gets really hot. That’s why it’s best to do it first in the morning when the sun isn’t too high. Don’t forget water + sunscreen!
pink beach
This one is located on the opposite side of Padar Island and the sand is pink for real!! It’s absolutely gorgeous, however the beach isn’t well maintained and there was a bit of plastic pollution when we went, which was really sad to see. Please be cautious with whatever you bring to these islands, and never leave any trash behind.
Komodo island
This is where you will find the Komodo dragons. Once you get to Komodo island, you will have to wait to be paired with a park ranger. They will tell you about the island and the dragons, and they will ensure you are safe during the hike. There are three options for the hike (short, medium or long trail). Typically the dragons all hang around an artificial pond that they have created for them close to the park entrance. Indeed, it tends to get really hot and they struggle to find water to drink therefore they all chill there, which means you can do the short hike. The whole experience might seem a bit staged, but otherwise it would be very hard to spot them around the island as it is really big.
taka makassar
You’ll stop there for about an hour, and get the opportunity to do some snorkeling. I found this spot so picture perfect that I took the opportunity to fly my drone from the boat. I think the pictures speak for themselves.
manta point
This place isn’t very far from Taka Makassar, and if you get lucky you’ll see plenty of manta rays elegantly swimming around. I was a bit scared to jump in the water, but it was all good. The mantas are actually much more scared than you are, so they will not get that close to you.
Kanawa island
Last stop of the day was Kanawa Island where you can just chill, or do more snorkeling if you feel like it. Personally, we weren’t in the mood to do more swimming so we just chilled on the beach. They have a beautiful swing by the beach that obviously makes for good Instagram pictures.
You’ll get back to Labuan Bajo around 5pm, and probably feel tired after a big day cruising around Komodo National Park. There are a few restaurants/bars on the main street where you can go get a beer and local food. Right next to the port, there is also the fish market where they cook fresh fish in front of you. Otherwise, if you’re flying out the next morning, you can just go to bed early and make sure you feel rested for your next adventure :)
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