How to get to Komodo Island
One of the must-visit places in Indonesia is Komodo, and having been there three times, I have come up with this article on how to get to Komodo Island for you.
This information is also essential for anyone planning to visit this amazing destination, part of the Lesser Sunda Islands in East Indonesia.
Most of you may already know that this island is world renowned for the Komodo Dragon, the largest living lizard in the world, and can be seen easily here.
Labuan Bajo is The closest town, where the main Komodo Airport is located. You can find all the hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars, convenience shops, and ATM machines here.
 |
| Wings Air flies daily from Denpasar to Labuan Bajo, Flores. |
 |
| Labuan Bajo Airport was renovated in mid-2015. |
The Labuan Bajo Airport or Komodo Airport (LBJ) is also an eye-opener as they recently renovated it to a modern airport with two main gates.
Note that all flights here are via turboprop ATR72-500 planes, which take about ninety minutes. Look out the window before arriving, as the scenery before landing is absolutely breathtaking.
The airport is simple and not as complicated as when you exit; you are already at the main entrance of the building. A taxi and information counter is available here.
An alternate or budget way to travel to Labuan Bajo from Bali is by using a ferry and bus, a two-day journey one way.
The benefit of this is seeing the many beautiful islands along the way, and you can also make stops at other islands.
However, booking this service from a reputable travel company that will arrange your bus and ferry tickets is highly recommended. Do this if you love the sea and have time to spend.
 |
| Taxi prices at Labuan Bajo Airport. |
When you arrive at Labuan Bajo, local taxis will take you to your desired hotel. The prices are laid out on a general notice board with the prices in Indonesian Rupiah or IDR.
You can tell the taxi counter or taxi man where you want to go. There is no local bus service in Labuan Bajo either.
For those who prefer this option, you can do so at the airport, where you can negotiate with the operators, and it costs about IDR500,000 to 600,000 per day, plus-minus.
Alternatively, you can ask your hotel or homestay to book one for you and driving around the island is relatively easy.
 |
| Labuan Bajo jetty is the main gateway to Komodo Island. |
This is the common question: getting to Komodo Island from Labuan Bajo. The best way is to book a tour from any company in Labuan Bajo town.
The Komodo Island packages usually include visiting three islands and seeing the Komodo Dragon.
The islands are Rinca, Komodo and Padar Islands, which are all about 40 minutes boat ride apart. However, on Padar Island, there are no more Komodo, but worth the hike up. Read further below about this.
You will arrive at Loh Buaya, the main jetty to Rinca, and walk about 10 minutes to the park centre.
From here, park rangers will explain the do’s and don’ts on the island before they take you on your guided walk to see the dragons.
Note there will be quite a bit of walking and hiking uphill, but the rewards are stunning when you reach the top.
So please come in walking shoes or sports shoes. Overall, you can spend about 2 to 3 hours on this island.
 |
| The entrance at Komodo Island. |
Below are some random photos taken during my trip to Komodo Island using my Samsung Galaxy smartphone and my Nikon DSLR camera.
 |
| Komodo Dragon close-up, photo taken with Samsung Galaxy Note 5. |
 |
| A Komodo is seen walking along the beach at Komodo Island. |
 |
| Trekking at Rinca Island. The photo was taken with Samsung Galaxy Note 5. |
 |
| Map of Labuan Bajo, Flores. |
 |
| Komodo and Labuan Bajo Map. |
This trip to Labuan Bajo and Komodo Island was part of the #INAtopbucketlist organized by Indonesia Tourism with other media, photographers and social media influences from 14 countries worldwide.
In total, we spent a good two weeks exploring Indonesia, which includes Komodo Island and Flores. For more information, you can visit the Indonesia Tourism Website.
For the best deals on flights and hotels to Komodo Island, I recommend you check the AirAsia MOVE app, as they currently connect with several other airlines and offer some of the best deals around.
If you have any comments, questions or feedback, please leave them in the comment form below. I hope this article on how to get to Komodo Island was helpful, and have a great trip there.
Share this content:
0 comments