Flores Island is the land of the Komodo dragons; it is one of the most exciting destinations in Indonesia. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site that offers breathless landscapes, unique wildlife, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Bellow I will share a complete guide on how and why you should visit Komodo island.
Where is Komodo Island ?
Komodo Island is part of Indonesia’s archipelago which lies in the Pacific Ocean between Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores and the island of Lombok.
Click here to see the location of Komodo Island.
HOW TO GET TO KOMODO ISLAND INDONESIA?
Getting to Komodo Island in Indonesia is an exciting adventure in itself. Here are the primary transportation options available:
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By Air: The closest major airport to Komodo Island is Komodo Airport (also known as Labuan Bajo Airport), located on Flores Island. Several domestic airlines operate regular flights to Komodo Airport from major cities in Indonesia, including Bali, Jakarta, and Surabaya. From the airport, you can proceed to the harbor to catch a boat to Komodo Island.
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By Sea: Another popular option is to travel by sea. Many visitors opt for live-aboard cruises that depart from Bali or Labuan Bajo, offering a multi-day voyage through the stunning Komodo National Park. These cruises typically include accommodation, meals, and guided tours, allowing you to explore multiple islands, including Komodo Island, Rinca Island, and Padar Island.
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From Labuan Bajo: Labuan Bajo, a charming coastal town on Flores Island, serves as the gateway to Komodo Island. You can reach Labuan Bajo by air from various Indonesian cities or by ferry from Bali. Once in Labuan Bajo, you can hire a local boat or join an organized tour to travel to Komodo Island. The boat journey takes approximately 2 to 3 hours, depending on the weather conditions
Why Go To Flores and visit Komodo Island
The Komodo Island, the largest island in the East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia, lies between Sumbawa and Flores and has an area of . It is part of the Lesser Sunda Islands which together with the Greater Sunda Islands to the west, form the Maluku Islands. The Komodo National Park was founded in 1980 and protects of mainly tropical forest habitat and all its unique inhabitants, most notably the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis)
Flores is an amazing island known to be the only place in the world where you can see a real living dragon. One of the place were I left my tears because of its insanely gorgeous landscape, the stunning wildlife and the warm people. No matter how much you expect from Flores, you’ll always be positively surprised. Even my description and my excitement of this island is only a scratch on a surface of the wonders you’ll encounter if you take this journey.
Because of the portuguese and then the Dutch, Flores is a predominantly Roman Catholic Christians. I remember when we were on the road in Labunbajo heading to the countryside, the architecture of the church remind me of the old churchs in the unites states back in the 40s. You’ll see more churches than mosques.
Flores Island is a huge island and there is so much to see. The tri-colored volcanic, lakes of Kelimutu, the traditional villages of Bajawa and the spider web rice field in Ruteng. Back then in 2015 when I travelled to Flores, I didn’t have enough time to see these amazing places. So I will cover Rinca Island, Labuanbajo city, swimming in Cunca Wulang Waterfall and the amazing people of Flores.
Visit komodo Island : How To Get Around Flores
In Indonesia the best way to get the best out of your trip is to rend a motorbike for a day or couple day (from 70K to 100K per day) depends on your itinerary. If you can’t drive a motorbike, you can take an ojek, he will take you anywhere you want. In both situations make sure to negotiate the price. If you are planning to get to another town buses are available every day. In Indonesia there is no exact time for the bus to leave, the bus leaves when it is full.
When is the best time to visit komodo island, Indonesia?
Komodo is a huge island that can be accessed by air or sea. Its distance from Bali and its more remote nature make it less popular with tourists than some of Indonesia’s other islands, but that’s part of what makes it so appealing to adventurous types. It has all sorts of natural wonders including volcanoes, hot springs, waterfalls and beautiful beaches. If you like your trips off-the-beaten-path and want something a little bit different than Bali then Komodo Island is perfect for you. As it is such a large place there are no single ‘best times’ to visit because different areas offer different experiences.
Visit Komodo Island: How To Get To Rinca Island
One of the best ways to explore Komodo Island is by foot, whether that be on a walking tour or even a hike. This gives you plenty of time with your guide and fellow travelers and allows for plenty of time for questions, answers, and photo opportunities. A guided trek also allows for customized accommodations as well as access to various areas that would otherwise be off-limits. Another great way to experience Komodo Island is from above, preferably from an airplane. From up in the air you’ll be able to see much more of the archipelago than if you were on land or water-based transportation.
In order to get to Rinca Island, you’ll need to fly to the capital of Flores Island, Labuan Bajo. At that time, in 2015 I was living in Bali, so I flew with a group of friends directly from Bali to Labuan Bajo using Wings Air, the round-trip cost us around $120. If you are looking for cheap domestic flight, I would recommend you to use tiket.com or traveloka.com, you can find cheaper prices and sometimes interesting discounts.
Once you arrive in Flores Island, book a small hostel (hotel were still developing at that time) 7$-10$ per night. And plan your trip from labuan bajo to Rinca Island. You’ll need to book either a private Boat Tour or Group Boat Tour. We chosen a private boat tour since we were a group of 6, the price is way cheaper. It cost us around 150$ that includes (lunch, snorkelling stops on the way). So approximately 25$ each person.
The entrance fee for Rinca Island is about 300IDR, approximately 20$ per person that includes (hiking fee, boat parking fee, tax fee and ranger fees).
The scenery of Rinca island
The scenery on the boat ride to the island is absolutely stunning. You can if you wish on the way to the island stop by for sometimes and swim with manta rays. To go around the Island, we must use local ranger. They’ll assist you and protect you from Komodo. Right on you arrival you will see bunch of Komodo laying almost everywhere. You’re pretty much guaranteed to see dragons on Rinca island because of the density of the population. One of the reason also why we choose to visit Rinca rather than Komodo island, simply because is closer to Labuan Bajo, so it is easy to manage the trip.
After meeting this incredible creature and taking some “selfies” with the dragon, our guide took us on a hike through the island. It was definitely a the top of the hill where I was contemplating the beauty I had in front of me that my tears started to fall.
Tip: Menstruating women or visitors with fresh wounds should notify the ranger. In fact the Komodo are very sensitive to blood smell. Attacks are rare, but stay precautious.
Is snorkeling in komodo lake worth it?
When most people think of Indonesia, they think of dense jungles and beaches filled with sunbathers. If a pair of Komodo dragons sound like something out of Jurassic Park, then we’re sorry to say that not even Steven Spielberg would go that far. The national park is home to more than 3,000 Komodos (as well as thousands of other animals) and takes up about half of Rinca Island’s total area. While visitors are free to roam around on foot or by car in some parts of Kalimantan and Papua, Rinca is so overrun with dangerous wildlife that visitors are only allowed on guided tours.
Explore the hidden blue gem of Flores Island: Cuna Wulang Waterfall
Flores Island has everything you want, if you are looking for a great escape in blue turquoise water, I definitely recommend you to visit the Cunca Wulang Waterfall. The Cunca Wulang is about 30 km to the east of Labuan Bajo, about an hour drive.
Once you arrive in the Cekondo area, you need to spend around 1 hour trekking to get to the waterfall. You’ll cross authentic village, when we were passing these village we met warm and unforgettable people, I could hear them screaming “ “Hello, misterrrrrrr… (with lots of curious staring at me) come sleep in my place”, a great opportunity to get to know more about the community and the culture. The waterfall is located at an altitude of 200 meters, which makes the atmosphere of the spot very cool.
While crossing the village and penetrating the dense forest you can notice along the way a clear river valley. And hear the charming music of the water flowing, surrounded by stunning rock.
After this exciting trek you will arrive at the waterfall and discover this amazing scenery, you can enjoy the beauty of the surrounding, swim, relax, and if you like adrenaline you can also jump from up a 3 meters high rock.
Fun things to do in Labuan bajo
Labunbajo is a port town on Flores best known as the jump off to visit Komodo island National Park. Here my backpacking Labuan bajo trip itinerary.
Enjoy sunset in Labuan Bajo
Sunsets in Labuan Bajo are very special because of the uniqueness of the landscape, the many boats standing all over the horizons. I recommend you different spots where you can catch the sunset from. Here are a few recommendations:
- The Harbour
- Hills in Bukit Amelia Sea
- Le Pirate
- Bajo Taco
Sip a coffee in Cafe In Hit
Cafe In Hit, Labuan Bajo is a stylish place to hang out, located just next to Le Pirate. They serves great coffees and healthy organic breakfasts.
Labuan bajo : heaven for seafood lovers
One of the place we had one of the most delicious fish is called Kampung Ujung. In Indonesian, ‘kampung’ means “village” and ‘ujung’ means “corner”. They serve a variety of seafood from octopus the shrimps. It was my first time seeing fishs with every color you can ever possibly imagine. They are located just next to the Fish Market in Labuabajo, so the fresh is always fresh. I recommend you to go there by night the ambiance is pretty nice.
FINAL THOUGHTS – KOMODO ISLAND NATIONAL PARK
Now you know a lit bit more about Flores : fresh air, beaches, hotels and hostels, tourist attractions. Wait no more. Go visit flores and komodo island. Time to book a ticket to Flores, and stay safe !