You may have already seen hundreds of videos of the beautiful Pink Beach, or of the Komodo dragons, which are a reminder of the time when dinosaurs roamed our Earth. Or you may have seen images of the stunning underwater life where manta rays seem to dance gracefully in the water. That, along with much more, is the reason why a tour of Komodo National Park should not be missing from your journey through Indonesia.
We were fortunate to spend seven weeks in Indonesia.
How to get to Komodo National Park?
Tours to Komodo National Park are usually organized from Labuan Bajo (Flores). However, there are increasingly more options to take this tour from Lombok as well.
Direct flights from Denpasar (Bali) to Labuan Bajo are available. The flight takes only 1 hour and 10 to 1 hour and 20 minutes. You can easily book flights through AirAsia. Prices range from €65 to €130 (Checked in 2024).
Direct flights from Jakarta (Java) to Labuan Bajo are available. A flight from Soekarna-Hatta International Airport takes 2 hours and 20 minutes. Prices range from €130 to €270.
If you are coming from Belgium or the Netherlands, you will likely pass through one of these two airports. However, as of September 2024, there are also direct flights from Kuala Lumpur.
In Labuan Bajo, there are several organizations that offer multi-day tours in the Komodo National Park. We chose the Papiton Lopi boat from Travass Life. This organization was recommended to us by my brother, who did this trip a few years ago. And rightly so.
There are, however, various organizations to be found for every price range and for every audience.
What does a multi-day boat trip involve?
I can of course only speak from our personal experience; other companies may possibly have different departure times, stops, and services.
Most multi-day boat trips are three days and two nights. You choose one of the cabins on board. All meals are included, as well as water, coffee, and tea. Additionally, you will be accompanied during your adventure by a guide and a photographer/drone pilot.
The ticket for Komodo NP, flights, land accommodation, and drinks are exclusive.
Day 1: Siaba Island, Manta Point, Taka Makassar, Padar Island
Departure and snorkeling at Siaba Island
In the morning, we are picked up from our hotel at eight o’clock. Just fifteen minutes later, we arrive at the harbor of Labuan Bajo. We are the first ones there. Not long after, three couples arrive as well. Two couples from the Netherlands, and one from Germany. The children are already excited that they will be able to speak Dutch in the coming days, although their English is also quite good by now.
The first meeting is still a bit awkward. Our luggage goes onto the boat, and we sail in a small boat to the Papiton Lopi, our base for the coming days. We are accompanied by an enthusiastic crew: Emanuel will be our guide, and Syafa our personal photographer.
Soon, the ice is broken, and the group starts to get to know each other a little. Most of them have already been traveling for several days, combining multiple countries.
After a good two hours of sailing, it’s time for our first snorkeling stop. By now, we have left the bad weather behind, and we are all starting to see a nice shade of red. Despite the clouds, we’ve still managed to get some color. This bodes well for the coming days of applying sunscreen and using a lot of aftersun!
Manta Point
After that, we have lunch and stop at Manta Point. A place where – as you can guess – many mantas are often spotted. We jump into the water and are lucky right away because within a minute we already see some manta rays and turtles. The water is full of jellyfish, so we are stung from all sides. Luckily, it will later turn out that the little wounds will be completely gone after a few hours.
With a small group, we also go into the water a second time, but unfortunately, this time we’re less lucky. Afterwards, we return to the boat. In the meantime, we’ve gotten to know the three couples a little better, and we really click.
Taka Makassar
We sail for a little hour to a paradise island. The island is shaped like a moon and is surrounded by beautiful coral. The sand has a rosy hue from the red coral that washes ashore here.
It is so beautiful here! Speechless.
Padar Island
We sail a little further to Padar Island. Here we hike to a viewpoint and hope for a beautiful sunset. Unfortunately, due to the cloud cover, we can’t see a beautiful, colorful sky, but the view is breathtaking nonetheless.
The mountains are rough and green. That, combined with the clear water and both the white and pink beaches, truly makes it an incredible place.
In the evening, we enjoyed playing Uno on board and a cozy meal with our new friends.
Day 2: Pink Beach, Komodo Island, Kalong Island
Pink Beach
We get up early for a small breakfast on board. Today we’re heading to Pink Beach, which has been on my bucket list for years. At half past six, we’re the first on the beach. Wow!
The pink sand is caused by the combination of white sand with small fragments of red coral, shells, and other organisms that are ground down by waves and tides.
We are enjoying the beautiful view here.
Komodo Island
And than the most exciting part of our adventure starts. We sail to Komodo Island to find the Komodo dragons, one of the largest lizzards in the world. They can reach three meters in length and weigh 70 kg. They are carnivors, and even eat their own species. Luckily, they mostly eat deer, water bison or dead animals.
What makes it truly exciting, is the specific way in which a komodo dragon attacks. They are very fast and aim for the legs of the victim. They bite the victim and deadly bacteria in the saliva will make the victim blead to death. The komodo dragon will follow the victim for days, or even weeks, until it’s dead.
Of course, we don’t want to be the next victim. We’ve heard that only three days ago a local man was bitten while looking for honey, and there are multiple incidents that have happened on these islands.
Together with two rangers, our guide, photographer, and our group of ten, we set out. With each step, we anxiously look around, hoping that the komodo dragon does not suddenly cross our path.
We see a total of ten, including the largest one named Rambo. We buy a few souvenirs in the village before returning to the boat. For Marloes, this was the highlight of our trip.
We’re going to do a bit of snorkeling before we head to our last stop of the day. We’re still enjoying the beautiful underwater life.
Kalong Island
We continue sailing to Kalong Island, known for the thousands of fruit bats that fly out of the mangroves at sunset. They head to the mainland to eat fruit before returning to the mangroves at sunrise to sleep.
We all gather on the deck and enjoy the unique view! It reminded us of the many fruit bats we saw in Sri Lanka. They are giant and fly for hours out of the mangrove.
We stay seated until it’s long dark outside, and then we go to the table for our last dinner together. Tonight, Marloes has planned a karaoke night. We sing at the top of our lungs along with the many songs and then crawl into our cabin.
Tomorrow is already our last (half) day on the boat.
Day 3: Kelor Island
Kelor Island and back home
The next morning we sail to Kelor Island. On the way, we stop for a bit to snorkel, and then we arrive. Kelor Island is mainly known for its breathtaking views from the top and the many blacktip reef sharks that inhabit the area.
The climb doesn’t take too long, and from the top, we can already see the blacktip sharks swimming. Of course, we’re also going to take a look down below. They are very small and really cute to see. Cedric is also going to jump into the water for a bit.
Afterward, we sail back to Labuan Bajo where we say goodbye to the group. However, we arranged to meet in the beach bar of Seaesta in the afternoon. It promises to be a peaceful, relaxing afternoon. The children are swimming freely, and then unfortunately it’s time to say goodbye.
This gives us some time to work on school before we go eat pizza in a cozy restaurant down the street.
Where to stay in Labuan Bajo?
In Labuan Bajo, there are various accommodation options ranging from luxury five-star hotels to more boutique choices. Three options that we have tested:
- AYANA Komodo Resort Waecicu Beach: This is a five-star resort on Waecicu Beach. It is known for its luxurious facilities, beautiful swimming pools, and breathtaking views of the sea and islands. Additionally, they have an extensive kids club offering pizza making classes, glass bottom boat tours, t-shirt dyeing classes, and more. They also have a project where they partner with a marine biologist to plant coral in the sea.
- Green Hill Boutique Hotel: This is a more budget-friendly option, yet still stylish. It is located in the center of Labuan Bajo, within walking distance of restaurants, bars, and the harbor.
- Seaesta Komodo Hostel & Hotel: This is a modern accommodation featuring both private rooms and dormitories. The hostel has a beautiful pool, a restaurant, and a rooftop bar. Its central location makes it easy to access the city and the harbor.
Have any questions about our tour in Komodo NP? Feel free to drop me a message.