[One of the many islands of Komodo National Park.]
Komodo National Park is a protected watery expanse that covers a group of islands and reefs to the east of the island of Flores, Indonesia. Komodo is famous for the giant lizards of the same name, but it’s also home to some of the best coral reefs in Indonesia.
To visit Komodo you have to go via Labuan Bajo, the major port city on the west coast of Flores. Komodo Island is too far from Labuan Bajo to make a worthwhile day trip. If you are pressed for time you can visit Rinca Island in one day. Rinca has more Komodo dragons than Komodo so this is a reasonable option. To blow through in a day just to see the dragons though would be a shame, as part of the attraction of the Komodo National Park is the park itself.
A two day/one night boat tour will get you to Komodo and Rinca, as well as stopping at some other islands on the way for snorkelling and beach activities.
Finding a Komodo tour in Labuan Bajo
Finding a tour can be a challenge in Labuan Bajo. If you there in low season there might not be enough people to fill a boat and you could end up having to charter a whole boat yourself. All of the agencies on the main road in Labuan Bajo had signs up advertising “passengers needed for tomorrow.” That they didn’t have passengers in the first place wasn’t mentioned. I walked around and was quoted between 2.5 to 3 million rupiah ($210-250 USD), many of which were just trying to get me to charter a boat on my own.
And the winner is…
After walking around I found a boat that was going out that had passengers and could split the cost, and I was offered the rate of 900,000 IDR ($76 USD). The company was Putri Komodo Tours. It was the first boat I found that had enough passengers to share the expense so I booked it without any other consideration. Prices seem to vary according to how many others are on the boat and negotiation, so the price indicated here was what I paid.
The price included 2 days/1 night on the boat, plus food and drink. Not included is the national park fees (paid at Rinca or Komodo Island) and I had to hire snorkel gear separately (around $3 a day from a shop in town).
The Boat
I didn’t know what to expect from the boat. I was thinking that it was going to be like the backpacker boats that ply between Lombok and Flores over 4 days where everyone sleeps on the deck. The thought of even spending one night on such a boat left me with dread, but it seemed there was no other option to see Komodo and experience some of the other islands.
[The Boat.]
Fortunately the boat was nothing like I expected. For a start there were cabins. The boat had two cabins and I got the front cabin to myself while the other two passengers took the second one. No sleeping on the roof with partying backpackers here, though there were mattresses for the top deck if you wanted to.
[My cabin bed.]
[My cabin view.]
My other concern was toilet situation. I’ve been on a boat with a squat toilet, and let me tell you, it wasn’t a pretty sight or smell. I sighed relief to see a clean western toilet and shower.
[A toilet. Yay!]
Food and Drink
I brought a bag of junk food snacks in a last minute shopping spree, just in case. I needn’t have worried about bringing food as we were well feed the whole time. The crew caught seafood as required and there was always more than enough.
[Lunch.]
Tea, coffee, and ice-cold water was available all day, and afternoon snacks and shakes were served.
[Watermelon Shake.]
[Fried Banana Snacks]
There was nothing for sale onboard the boat, which was part of its appeal. We were told to stock up on beer if anyone wanted to drink. I was happy with the Kopi Flores.
The Crew
Part of my pre trip dread was from previous boat tours where the crew feel compelled to entertain you all day. Stuck on a boat with crew of the “are we having fun yet?!” variety is not my kind of fun.
The crew were great. Entertaining but not in your face. There were two young deckhands, the chef, and the captain. The two young guys would come up to the front to talk and practice their english and make a joke or two.
[The captain…]
[…and the crew.]
In the evening when the boat was about to drop anchor the deckhands were on the bow. They turned around and yelled out “James! James!”, like kids yelling for their parents to watch as they are about to do something silly. In this case they re-enacted the Titanic “I’m Flying” scene for me. Hilarious.
[A Titanic Couple.]
Activities
Dragon Hunting (so to speak)
Seeing the Komodo Dragons is the main event of this trip, and if you are lucky you will see them twice. On the first day the boat stops at Rinca Island and there are Komodo’s lounging around nearby the rangers office.
[Komodo Dragon on Rinca Island.]
On the second day we visited Komodo Island. The boat docked at the island overnight so we got started first thing in the morning. Once again there were Komodos gathered around the main office. We were told that they aren’t being fed but they seem to be hanging around in hope for something (people, perhaps?)
[A Komodo on Komodo – the meta dragon experience.]
On both islands we went for a walking tour through the forest for an hour or so, spotting deer and water buffalo (both dragon food). It wasn’t until we were near the end of the walk that our guide took out his phone and showed some photos of gruesome injuries of a park ranger who was bitten by a Komodo the month before. He was flown to hospital in Bali and the wounds were so severe that he was still recovering in hospital. Yikes!
After seeing the dragons there isn’t much else to see on the islands in terms of exotic wildlife, but it was good to walk around for a while on solid ground before getting back on the boat.
[Fellow passengers and our Komodo guide with his dragon stick.]
Snorkelling
I’m not a diver but I do like snorkelling, and it turns out that Komodo is an ideal place to snorkel. Being a national park has protected a lot of the reef from destructive dynamite fishing, which is a stupidly popular method of fishing across Indonesia.
One of the highlights was at the reef at Pink Sand Beach. I saw a number of giant turtles and countless colourful fish.
[Reef at Pink Sand Beach]
We also went to a spot known for manta rays, of which there were several.
[Manta Ray]
I was told dolphins were spotted in the area but I didn’t see them.
Island Hopping
At the reef at Pink Sand Beach the beach from a distance looks like a regular tropical paradise white sandy beach, but if you swim ashore the beach reveals it true colour. The sand is speckled with red coral, giving the illusion that it is pink.
On the way back we visited Kanawa island. The island has a private resort but because we weren’t staying the boat wasn’t allowed to dock, so we had to swim in. If they had allowed us to dock I would have taken photos of this lovely beach and spent money in their micro-economy at their little cafe. Instead I just swam in without out my camera (or money).
[As close as my camera got to Kanawa.]
Not quite going off the grid, but going off it anyway
I brought my laptop with me only because I didn’t have a secure place to store it, but I didn’t open my laptop on the trip. I was mentally prepared to be off the grid for 2 days and I gave advance warning to those that would notice where I was going. Turns out though that much of the area we were in was still emitting 3G mobile coverage so I was still on mobile internet. Apart from sneaking a few emails I used the time to read and meditate while watching the sea.
[Coffee Time]
This boat trip was a real surprise for me. I got lucky with picking a boat company has been highly recommended online (which I didn’t know when booking). And while I came to Komodo to see the dragons I was not expecting Komodo to be more than just the dragons. For me I place this trip as one of my highlights of Indonesia. The boat trip would be great with a group of friends to hire out the whole boat and it is certainly a feasible short side trip from Bali.
Photo Galleries: Putri Komodo Tours and Komodo National Park.
Hey James,
Great post! I will definitely put Komodo National Park on our bucket list. Would love to see a Komodo Dragon. 🙂
Since Justin and I are planning to go to Bali early next year to live for 6 months or so this is something that we can check out while we’re there.
Great! You should definitely check it out while you are in Bali 🙂
Hi James
I do want to make exactly this trip in September 2017. We are 2 women, travelling alone . Would you suggest that with no fears to be on a boat with some guys alone?
Hi Astrid, I don’t feel qualified to answer that so probably best to ask in a womans travel forum.
Brilliant write up! Komodo is on the list (the very long, long list) but I think I may go on a dive boat instead of the one that you went on. The sealife looks fantastic, and I can’t believe you saw a manta while snorkelling! How big was it?! I had my first manta experience in the Similan Islands and It. Blew. My. Mind. Here’s the video, in case it can help convince you to get your PADI on and get scuba certified:
Thanks Peggy. I have tried diving but it but it is not really my thing. I was lucky that Komodo is so good for snorkellers!
Hi James – I did the whole ‘backpacker boats that ply between Lombok and Flores over 4 days where everyone sleeps on the deck’ thing about 20 years ago, only from Flores to Lombok – had an awesome time and it’s one of my most enduring memories of a 2 year Asian trip. Did Indo from one end to the other and its one of my favourite countries – half you luck mate!
Thanks Ian. Indonesia is one of my favourite countries as well and one that I continually return to. I think I would have enjoyed the deck travel as a backpacker as well, though those days are behind me!
We did the Komodo bat trip from Flores to Lombok this year. Our boat was a bacpacker style with no cabins and a strange looking toilet. Although it was an amazing experience and we saw so many beautiful places, we didn’t like the boat. At the time that we made reservation, we weren’t aware that it’s possible to book a boat liek yours. It looks so much better than ours – we ate on the floor and there were no cabins. The crew was nice though. I’m sorry that I haven’t read your post before our departure 🙂 We would definetly check out the company you took.
Oh, and I’m jelous that you saw many manta rays, we only saw one on the boat trip and even that one briefly…
Ahh nevermind, at least you got out on the water. Seems like I got lucky with the manta rays as well as they can be elusive!
I just did this and paid a little less (750,000 rp) but had to sleep on the deck of the boat, which was actually pretty cool. I also got dropped off at Kanawa and spent a couple of days there – amazing place!
Hi! Can you please let me know the name of the company with which you booked the tour? Thanks!! =)
Thanks for this post…it has been really useful in my research of what tour company to take for our Komodo trip and what to expect. Cheers!!!
Hi! Thanks for sharing! Have you heard about Padar Island? I really want to trek on this island but It’s hard to find any info on internet. Did you see any 1-day-tour to this island? I appreciate any information! Greetings from Brazil! 🙂
Great pictures and super helpful post! We just arrived in LB and planning to go check out some tour operators/boats tomorrow morning. Great to get a sense for what to look for and ballpark prices (obviously accounting for inflation…). Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences!!
Thanks Karen, enjoy your trip!
Hi ! Do they rent the snorkelling gears there?
The boat tour I was on took us to a place to rent snorkelling gear. There are places all along the main street of Labuan Bajo.
Hi James,
I just got back from Labuan Bajo. We have done one day trip to Padar Island, Komodo National Park, and Pink Beach. Yes, Komodo Island was quite far, may be 3-4 hours. We take from 7am-10.30pm arrived in Labuan Bajo port because the boat was so slowly. Better take living on board minimum 2 night.
Hi Bobby, thanks for the comment. Good to know that you can technically do it in a day, but yes, sounds like it is too long of a day!
Why does no one here was commenting about Gili Laba? i was interested on that place and trying to get any tips if there is a tour that it was already included? Thanks
Last year I and my girlfriend used guide help and komodo tour was just amazing. So if you like to make your own adventure I suggest Jhuna Guide. It was cheap because his family owns the boat and can provide homestay on Komodo island village. If someone interested his Indonesian number is 081337782881.
Hi,
Please could you let me know what you paid, Please? I’d appreciate a guide in that respect, before contacting.
Many thanks
Hi everyone.. so glad I read all this.. okay so I need help. Been in Indonesia for 5 yeas but my parents are coming in May… really wanna impress them. We will be 5 adults. I would love the boat over night, but prefer cabins… the are in their 60’s. Also we all have Diving licenses. What would you suggest?
Amazing post James. My mom wants to see Komodo dragon, so definitely this articles of yours is very much helpful. Kudos.
Hi James,
Thanks a lot for that post. Sounds amazing and thinking of doing it. My partner gets quite sea-sick. Is the water rough and choppy or very calm and still?
Great post. Well written, with valuable information. Cheers
Great post. I finally find somthing that i am looking for. There ara 3 of us, one man and two women, all over sixty. We are interested in a going by boat around Komodo islands, 4 days , 3 nights. Mostly interested in snorkeling. Maybe we could see those dragons but that could be an option. We are planning to do that around 30. 10. 2017. Do you recomend us that company and the boat ? 2 cabins and that western toilet with a shower looks ok. Could we come maybe a day earlie and organise a trip. Any sugestion for accomodation at Lubuan Bajo. Our plan is come from Bali by plain. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi Gojko, the boat I used was pretty good (details in the article) but yes I would come a day early and look around at the boats in person and then negotiate a deal while you are there. If you are doing a 4 day trip you will definitely have time to visit the dragon sanctuary. Have a good trip!
Hi James. Thanks heaps for your article! Do you think its possible to fly in from denpasar on the morning of going on a boat trip for the night? I am trying to avoid staying one night either side in Labuan Bajo as I am pushing on to do the whole of Flores after Komodo Island. Do you think it is reasonable for me to expect to land in Labuan Bajo at 9am and be able to board a boat that day for an overnight tour? Thanks heaps for your help.
You would have better luck if you prearranged it rather than turning up and hoping for a boat. Good luck with it!
Hi, thank you so much for this article, it helped tons.
I can’t seem to find the contact of Putri Komodo, any tips?
Also, any of the other travelers have gone lately and can give me some tips?
I heard of the Samara Liveaboard, but found it reallyexpensive (around 5.000.000 IDR) and need a more affordable option.
Thank you!
Looks like their domain expired. Maybe try Facebook.
Hi! Thanks for sharing!
Great pictures and super helpful post!
This is awesome. Great article.