Labuan Bajo & Komodo

Home of the Komodo dragon, with Padar Island's three-colored bays, Pink Beach and manta ray dive sites; multi-day liveaboard trips are the standard way to explore this World Heritage area.

Labuan Bajo sits at the far western end of Flores, in West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara province. It is the only gateway to Komodo National Park and has recently been designated a "super-priority destination" by the Indonesian government, growing from a fishing village into a resort town with an international airport, a harbor and boutique hotels. The national park lies offshore to the west of town and is made up of three large islands, Komodo, Rinca and Padar, and more than 20 smaller ones, covering about 1,730 sq km. It was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1991 and is the only wild habitat of the Komodo dragon (about 3,000 individuals). It is also one of Indonesia's dive areas with the strongest currents and richest marine life, with dense concentrations of manta rays, sea turtles and coral reefs.

There are two ways to do it: stay in town and take a speedboat day trip each day (8–10 hours, linking Padar, Pink Beach, Komodo Island and the manta point, about Rp 1,200,000–2,000,000 per person), or join a 2-day/1-night or 3-day/2-night liveaboard (on a wooden phinisi boat, meals and lodging included, from Rp 1,500,000 to 5,000,000 per person, with luxury boats costing tens of millions). A liveaboard lets you watch sunrise and sunset at sea and reach farther places such as Gili Lawa and Kalong Island, home to flying foxes.

Climate: Apr–Oct is the dry season with clear skies and calm seas, and the grassy slopes turn from fresh green in April to golden in August; Jul–Aug is peak season. Nov–Mar is the rainy season; in Jan–Feb the seas are rough and some boat operators stop running, and the dragons are less active as the post-mating period sets in.

Getting there and around: Komodo Airport (LBJ) has direct flights from Jakarta, Bali (1 hour) and Surabaya, and it is only 10 minutes from the town center. The main street in town is walkable, and you can rent a motorbike or take a taxi to nearby viewpoints. We suggest 3–4 days: a 1-day liveaboard or 2 day trips, plus 1 day in town to rest and watch the sunset.

Good to know: national park entry for foreigners is about Rp 150,000–250,000 per day (more on weekends), plus fees for guides, snorkeling and landing on each island, and these are usually not included in the boat price. To see the dragons you must follow a ranger carrying a stick, and women who are menstruating should tell the rangers. There is no hospital on the islands, and you should not fly within 18 hours after diving. In peak season, boat places and hotels should be booked 1–2 months ahead.

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