Komodo Island, Indonesia, is famous for being the home of the Komodo beast dragons (the world’s largest lizard) and it is also an incredibly picturesque place with many other travel experiences on the to-do list.
Komodo National Park is designated by UNESCO, with dozens of exotic islands, white and pink sandy beaches, coral reefs for diving and it is the only place in the world where you can see Komodo dragons up close in the wild and have yourself photographed with them!
Since Indonesia is my second home, I have visited the Komodo Islands a few times over the years and it is always a pleasure. One of the advantages of the gate city of Labuan Bajo is that it is not far from Bali and is easily accessible from there by a short flight.
This Komodo travel guide will tell you how to get there, where to stay, what to do on the islands and what you need to know before you go!
Where Is Komodo Island Located?
Komodo Island is part of the Komodo National Park, a group of tropical islands just off the coast of Flores in eastern Indonesia.
The three main islands of the park are Komodo, Rinca and Padar, but there are also many smaller ones, so this is the perfect place for island hopping!
The nearest town is the fishing village of Labuan Bajo in Flores, which has its own airport and many hotels and restaurants that you can enjoy between visits to the park.
How To Get To Komodo National Park
The only way to visit Komodo Island and the rest of the national park is to take a boat trip from Labuan Bajo, where the airport is located. You can not get to Komodo Island directly.
There are a number of daily flights from Bali to Labuan Bajo Airport (LBJ) with a flight time of 1 hour and several airlines offering ticket prices as low as 1 juta.
Getting from Bali to the island of Komodo is now easier than ever, as AirAsia flies between them several times a week. There are also flights to Labuan Bajo Airport from Jakarta, Surabaya, Ende or Kuala Lumpur. You can buy flights on Skyscanner.
Once you have reached Labuan Bajo, you can book a boat trip to Komodo Island in the port or book a day trip online (more on that after).
The Komodo Islands are located about 40 kilometers as the crow flies from Labuan Bajo, and the trip usually takes 3 hours on a slow boat or less than half on a speedboat.
It is possible to experience all the main sights of Komodo National Park (including dragons) in one whole day, or you can stay on a cruise ship and spend several days sightseeing!
How To Get Around The Komodo Islands
The three types of boats to explore the Komodo Islands are slow boat, speed boat or cruise ship.
Slow boat is the lowest option and is often used for day trips, but you waste a lot of time in transit because it is so slow. The outboard motor is much faster and more efficient, but a little more expensive.
Diving cruises can also be expensive, but it’s a unique experience where you sleep in a cabin and spend several days visiting the sights of the park and enjoying more.
Where to Stay In Komodo
There are no hotels on Komodo Island. All hotels and accommodation are located in the nearby Labuan Bajo.
Here you will find hotels and accommodation for every budget, from backpackers to luxury. However, it is on average a little more expensive than Bali, since the development of Labuan Bajo has not quite caught up with the number of tourists coming here.
We have listed some of our hotel recommendations below.
* Padar Island
One of the most picturesque places in Indonesia is located on the small island of Padar. It’s a short 30-minute hike to the summit and you’ll be rewarded with probably one of the best views in all of Southeast Asia.
It’s like a Jurassic Park landscape. The island has a huge X-shape with three bays, where you can see a white beach, a black beach and a pink beach.
Each of these sand colors is very special in itself, but it’s crazy to see them all in one place. This is probably the only place in the world where you can experience it!
Although Padar is one of the smallest islands in the Komodo National Park, this viewpoint has become a famous natural monument of Indonesia and is even on the 50,000 rupee bill.
* Pink Beach
The Komodo Islands are home to several pink sandy beaches! The color comes from tiny coral organisms called foraminifera.
Pink beaches are very rare and there are only a handful in the world. The one with the brightest color is hidden in a bay on the northwest side of Padar Island.
* Komodo Dragon Trek
The main attraction of Komodo, of course, is to see the dragons themselves in the wild! Komodo National Park is the only place in the world where you can do this.
For this part of the tour, you will land on one of the two main islands where dragons live in Indonesia (Rinca or Komodo Island) and go on a short hike in search of dragons accompanied by a ranger. The hiking trail is flat and suitable for all fitness levels.
For tourist purposes, there is not much difference between Rinca Island and Komodo Island, and many excursions use these places interchangeably. Many Komodo dragons live on both islands.
You are almost guaranteed to see at least a few dragons (after all, Komodo is your home), and with the help of the guide you can even take pictures with them! It is an awesome experience to see these animals up close in the wild.
