Everything you need to know BEFORE going to Komodo National Park!
Table of Contents
How to Get There
There is no way to arrive directly in Komodo - instead you will need to fly or ferry into Labuan Bajo, a city on a nearby island. There are many flight options available, leaving from Jakarta, Bali, or Lombok, so pick whatever fits best with your itinerary. If you are up for more of an adventure, there are also ferries that take you from Bali or Lombok to Labuan Bajo, however, these can take anywhere from two to three nights! They do usually come in at a lower cost, but it depends how much you value your time (and potential for seasickness).
❕ Tip: Arrive in Labuan Bajo at least one day before with enough time to get everything you need sorted - no later than 2pm is our advice.
What to Look for in a Tour
Head down near the port and along the main street, and you will find many shops offering tours. Make sure you shop around and visit multiple stalls, as well as ask at your accommodation to find the best price. Prices in person are much better than online - just make sure you have enough cash. We ended up getting an overnight, semi-private tour for 1,600,000 IDR per person. Check online to make sure the company you are thinking of traveling with is reputable.
The entry fee to Komodo National Park helps preserve the environment and protect the Komodo Dragons, but is also quite steep at 600,000 IDR per person. Check to see if it is included in the price of your tour before booking.
If you can, try to book a tour that has your overnight accommodation on the boat. We arrived too late in the evening in Lauban Bajo and missed all the tours with this option, so we had to wake up at 3:30am to get on the boat. You will want to see Padar Island thanks to its beautiful lighting during the sunrise.
Here are some tours from GetYourGuide as a reference or if you like to plan ahead:
How Many Days
There are usually two options when choosing a length for the tour: one day or overnight. Ask for both prices - we found the price of a two day tour to be a better deal once we factored in the cost of staying another night in Labuan Bajo - but your mileage may vary.
- One day might feel more rushed, and you will miss out on sunset views.
- Overnight tours have stunning views of the milky way at night and bats!
- Depending on the departure time of a one day tour you may see the sunrise on Padar Island.
- You are guaranteed to see the sunrise on your second morning of the overnight tour.
❕ Tip: If you take a two day tour, ensure you are visiting the Rinca and Komodo Islands on the same day to avoid paying the National Park fee twice.
The Route
We booked a tour that took us to nine locations where we got to snorkel, swim with manta rays and turtles, see a large colony of bats, and of course, look for the Komodo Dragons.
Make sure your tour includes at least some of these locations!
- Rinca Island
- Komodo Island
- Padar Island
- Pink Beach
- Manta Point
- Pulau Kelor
- Pulau Kalong
What to Bring
- Clothes that layer (including, but not limited to):
- Sweater (it gets cold at night)
- Rain jacket
- Towel
- Bathing Suit
- Snorkel + Goggles: the boats will have these in case you forget
- Toiletries
- Motion Sickness Pills
- Pepto Bismol: better safe than sorry
- Sunscreen: ALWAYS! Even if it’s cloudy
- Camera: A zoom lense is helpful for getting up close
- Charger(s): don’t forget this
- Power Bank: not all boats and homestays have sockets
- Book/Kindle: the long boat rides can get boring
- Water Bottle with Filter: optional, but handy
The Komodo Dragon
Komodo Dragons are amazing creatures, but they are wild animals, and seeing one is never 100% guaranteed. They can be especially hard to find during the mating season, which runs from June to August.
If you do see a Komodo, keep your distance, and ALWAYS listen to the park rangers. Komodo Dragons are dangerous and can run up to 20km per hour!
Here are some other fun facts about the Komodo Dragon:
- They’re incredibly long-lived: Komodo dragons can live for 40-60 years. They have been around for millions of years and have adapted to their tropical environment.
- They’re apex predators: Komodo Dragons are considered the top predators in their region, and are incredibly powerful, able to take down large prey like deer, and water buffalo.
- They have a unique, complex tongue: Their tongue is incredibly long and muscular and helps detect prey hidden in the sand.
There you have it! Thanks for reading our guide to Komodo National Park. This is based on our personal experiences and observations, so feel free to message us on Instagram if you have any questions or comments!