Looking for a guide to visiting Komodo? You’ve come to the right place. Throughout my trips in Indonesia and East Java, more specifically, Komodo had passed on my favourite discoveries. Arriving only by a long trip day, slightly isolated, Komodo is made up of three major islands to explore. Komodo Island, Linka Island and Padal Island. Each island has its own drawcards and we visited together. This is the perfect itinerary for adventure travelers.
Despite the beauty of Komodo National Park and the surrounding islands, this part of Indonesia is somewhat off the beaten path. Definitely this won’t remain a case forever, so add komodo to you List of destinations in Indonesia!
A guide to visiting Komodo
Arrivals at Komodo are a simple journey of fairies, despite feeling it’s apart from the world Bali. First, we will travel by plane from Baliden Pasar Airport (about 1 hour flight time). Labuan Bajo This is the point of your entry for an adventure filled with dragon spotting and diving, which is in front of you. The city is located on Flores Island, and is the gateway to the paradise of Komodo and surrounding islands. Labuan Bajo is the perfect place to take root yourself for a day trip to the incredible island, with great hotels and guesthouses with new developments in the pipeline staying here.
Padal Island’s Perspective
Our first destination on our adventure was to take a speedboat to Padal Island and hike up the harsh stairs to the peak for the best views of Indonesia. I had heard this was one of the most beautiful observation decks in the country, so as I explored the area it was naturally the first stop. We took a speedboat because we were short, but if you have a few days in Labuan Bajo, you’ll have to go on a full day trip to Padal Island, Pink Beach, Rinka Island or Komodo Island and see the Komodo Dragon.
The view at the top of Padal Island’s viewpoint was absolutely breathtaking. It is recommended to trek before sunset. Make the most of the golden lights and at this time you have almost completely self-placed. The trek to the summit takes about 20 minutes without a stop. The track itself is very good, but sometimes you have to navigate some rocks towards the peak and there are no barriers. Wear sneakers for a safe and fun hike!
Pink beach
At the next stop we took a boat to walk around the bay towards Pink Beach. As the name suggests, this is an idyllic oasis with pink sand, turquoise water and, to my surprise, no one else! As this beach is isolated, the only way to reach is by boat from Labuanbajo. Most of the day’s tours arrive early in the day, so when we arrived an hour before sunset we had a beach to ourselves. This was the perfect time to stock up and remember previous Indonesian adventures. We both agreed that this day (Padal Island and Pink Beach) was our favorite from the trip.
If you can visit one hour before sunset, you can fully enjoy the pink beach. It’s still an hour on a fast boat back to Labuan Bajo, so if you prefer to come back before the darkness, make sure you leave when the sun starts to set. This was another great opportunity to visit the boat to the shore by the sunset!
Komodo National Park
The next day we wanted to see one of Komodo’s most popular activities, the Komodo Dragons. This is also one of the reasons why many travelers go down the road here. The Komodo Dragon is the largest monitor lizard on the planet and can grow to 8.5 feet long. In the park you need to have a ranger to show to those around you (highly recommended, these things are dangerous!)
Rangers will walk you through the national park and explain the terrain. It is recommended that you do not go to the bathroom alone and not see the dragon in your eyes. Suddenly it becomes very real!
We had the most incredible time on Komodo National Park and the surrounding islands. This was definitely our favorite destination in Indonesia. It is also considered one of the best regions for diving in Indonesia.