Why Komodo National Park Should Be Your Top Priority When Visiting Indonesia

I know you’re thinking, but what about Bali? What about all those places I’ve seen on Instagram? I want to take a bath in flower petals and ride a giant swing over rice paddies.

To that I counter, what about snorkeling with manta rays at the place where the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean meet? What about climbing to the top of one of the most spectacular views in Indonesia at golden hour? What about seeing Komodo Dragons in the only place in the world where you can see them in the wild?

Don’t get me wrong, Bali is, and forever will be one of my favorite places on Earth. It should be on your list. In fact, in order to get to Labuan Bajo (where you need to fly into to access Komodo National Park), you will likely need to fly through Bali anyways. So add it to your trip…Bali I mean…I know you’ve already changed all your plans to make Komodo National Park your top priority.

And if you haven’t yet, continue reading this post. People seem to like lists these days, so here’s a list of Ten reasons why you should make Komodo National Park your priority.

1) It’s still “off the beaten path”

With the rise of social media has come the rise of tourism in so many places which used to be almost unknown to most of the world. Indonesia is one of the biggest culprits. When I was in Bali two months ago I saw advertisements everywhere for “Instagram hotspot tours”.

Now I won’t go into a tangent here about how Instagram has changed travel, and I will admit that I often use inspiration from Instagram to plan my own travel, but there is something to be said for originality and for experiencing a place for the sake of experience. With your next Insta post being a secondary priority.

Yes, like everywhere else, Komodo National Park is becoming more well known, but it is still, in comparison to most other places, very off the beaten path. Most people you meet who have been to Indonesia probably have not been to this ultra-special archipelago of islands just off Flores.

2) You have options

You’ll have a few options when it comes to planning your Komodo adventure, and there are a lot of questions you’ll be asking yourself when you start doing your research… being the planner that I am, I know I was.

The first question you need to ask yourself is; should I book my tour ahead of time, or upon arrival in Labuan Bajo?

It really depends on how much money you’re looking to spend, and how nice you want your boat to be. The pros of booking your tour ahead of time are that you can base your arrival in Labuan Bajo around the dates of your tour, and you’ll have everything planned ahead of time. Sometimes, depending on what company you book the tour with, especially if you book a private tour with a group of friends, the boats tend to be nicer.

The cons of booking your tour ahead of time is that the cost can be almost double, and you lose your chance to barter the price (which some might see as a pro). It also is more difficult to book shared tours ahead of time, most of the sites online only offer private tours, which range from $200 to $500 depending on how many people are in your group, and how nice the boat is.

After doing extensive research, I opted to overcome the stress that comes with not having everything planned ahead of time, and to book my tour upon arrival to Labuan Bajo. Everything I had read online said that it would be cheaper and very doable, I just would have to be patient. I planned to do a 1N/2D tour just for the sake of time for the rest of my trip. So when I booked my flights from Denpasar to Labuan Bajo, I gave myself an extra day in Labuan Bajo before the tour so that I would have a day to book my tour.

This ended up working out perfectly. I spent my first morning in Labuan Bajo walking down the main street (there really aren’t that many streets), and walking into the various tour company’s offices to ask for prices. I started out by telling the guides exactly what I was looking for and then asking the price. I learned the best way to get the best price, is to ask the cost, and then say “okay, I’m going to go check some other places, and maybe I’ll come back.” In most cases, immediately, the guides would offer a lower price.

Keep in mind that Indonesian weather can be finicky during some parts of the year, and that if the weather is bad, your tour will have to be postponed.

The next questions you’ll be asking yourself is; which tour should I go on, and for how long?

You have a couple of options here. The main difference between the tours, is the longer your tour is, the more you get to see. The tours through the national park range from 1 day to 4 days and 3 nights. You can add on a couple extra nights if you want to also tour around the island of Flores which would take you to the Kelimutu Volcanic Crater, and Mbaru Niang Village among other places.

Whatever your choice is, you will want to decide this ahead of time because it will determine what days you buy your flights to Labuan Bajo.

I opted to sign up for a 2 day, 1 night tour due to time constraints and because it hit all the highlights that I really wanted to see. We got to swim with starfish on Kanawa Island, swim with manta rays at Manta Point, hike up to the Padar Island lookout for sunset, see Komodo dragons on both Komodo Island and Rinca Island, and lounge on the Pink Sand Beach.

Your next option will be what kind of boat you want to take your tour on.

Personally, I recommend a slow boat tour just because of the comfortability it holds, and it tends to be cheaper. It really is up to personal preference though, in how much you are willing to spend, how many people you have, and how much time you have.

If you choose to do a 1 day tour, you will most likely have to take a fast boat unless you are only going to one island.

Our tour was on a slow boat and it was very comfortable during the longer rides between islands. Most of our group (there were 8 of us) just hung out, or read books during these periods. The boat wasn’t necessarily the nicest boat I’ve been on, but it had ample space, and I never felt unsafe. There is a place below deck for those who haven’t booked a private cabin to sleep, but in the end all of us (even the people who booked private cabins) ended up dragging our mattresses up to the top deck to sleep under the stars.

3. It’s cheap

If you book your tour ahead of time, expect to pay about $150/person for a shared tour and $250/person for a private tour. If you book on site, the guides usually start by offering about $90/person for a shared tour and $200/person for a private tour. I was able to get mine down to $60 for a 2D/1N slow boat tour, all meals included. Longer tours will cost more, and fast boat tours will cost more, but you can kind of gauge your budget off of that.

Entrance fees to the national park are not included in the price of the tour. Expect to pay between $5-$10 extra for this. The rangers change the price depending on how they are feeling that day, and how many people are on your boat. This is Asia, and it’s all part of the experience (shrugs).

Flights to Labuan Bajo from Denpasar generally cost between $100 and $150.

Hotels in Labuan Bajo are also very reasonable, we decided to stay at the Le Pirate Beach Club, which was one of the more expensive places and it was $35/night for 2 people.

4. It’s a real adventure

The whole experience is a dream come true for any adventurer. From bartering with the tour guide just to get your perfect tour, to snorkeling with all the fishes (and mantas), to seeing Komodo dragons in their natural habitat, and flying foxes skimming the water after the sun goes down, to sleeping under the stars on a boat that would most likely not pass all the safety inspections in the US (though I never felt unsafe)…it’s truly the adventure of a lifetime.

5. Labuan Bajo

Labuan Bajo isn’t a town that I would recommend spending more than an extra day at. It’s really just a port town for the Komodo archipelago, and so there really isn’t all that much to do there. If you stay in the main center of the town, you can walk everywhere as well, and won’t require a motorbike rental.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the restaurants. The meals I ate in Labuan Bajo were some of my favorites, and many of the restaurants have gorgeous views overlooking the harbor. Some of my favorites were La Cucina, Bajo Tacos, and for breakfast, Bajo Bakery.

Once you have booked your tour, even if you don’t stay the night at Le Pirate Beach Club, I recommend spending an afternoon there. It has an incredibly chill atmosphere with a small infinity pool overlooking the harbor. They even have movie nights on Mondays!

6. Mantas, Starfish, and other fish, oh my!

There is an area in Komodo National Park where the Pacific and the Indian oceans meet. The two tidal directions come together and create a place where, due to the churning waters, plankton and other microscopic creatures are abundant. This creates a feeding ground for manta rays, and also a perfect place to swim with and observe these gentle creatures.

There’s really nothing like swimming next to an eight-foot manta!

After you’ve done that, you can shoot for the star…fish.

And definitely swim with some other fish…even extra friendly ones.

7. Food

The food served on the boat tours is incredible! I never tried Indonesian food before visiting Indonesia, and I found that the traditional stuff is by far the best. It’s healthy too, and very friendly to vegetarians!

8. Sunrises and Sunsets

Spending your night on a boat means you get the best views for incredible sunsets and sunrises.

9. Pulau Padar and other islands

Due to it’s proximity to the place where the two oceans meet, Pulau Padar, or Padar Island, is one of the most unique places I have ever been. Carved out by the directions of the tides, it sprawls out as if it has arms, each arm made out of either a black or white sand beach. A short hike to the top viewing area will give you one of the most incredible views.

Another unique place in the national park is the Pink Sand Beach. Red coral has been grated down over the years to make the sand appear pink. It is also an incredible place to snorkel.

10. Obviously…Komodo Dragons

I remember the first time I saw a Komodo dragon…it was at the Honolulu Zoo. My dad pointed at it and said; “that lizard could eat you”. He wasn’t lying. Komodo Dragons can get up to nine feet long, and can run up to twelve miles per hour. This may not seem all that impressive, but they are deadly.

Komodo dragons have poisonous bacterial enzymes in their mouths, which makes their bites poisonous. They have been known to take down water buffalos by biting them, waiting a few days for the animal to die, and then eating them almost whole.

Komodo dragon’s poop is white from the bones of the animals that they crunch through.

So now you’re asking me why you should ever visit this place to see these hellish lizards in the wild, aren’t you?

Well, I say, BECAUSE IT’S COOL. Also, because since they are lizards, they only eat every three months or so, and the rest of the time, they lay around digesting their food. Also, no tourist has ever been bitten at the national park. You are required to tour the islands with a guide, who is trained to keep the Komodo dragons at a distance. The dragons will not attack if they think it will be difficult, it is much easier for them to catch a monkey or goat than it is a human.

Though the guides are trained to ward them off, they also are trained to use optical illusions to make it look like you are close to the dragons in photos.

So, you see, it’s perfectly safe to visit them, as long as you follow the rules. And after all, they’re not that different than us. They like long walks on the beach, and laying out in the sun.

All in all, I am big on adventure, and this is one of my most favorite adventures that I have ever done! So go, experience the wonders that these islands have to offer, and when you’re done, hold onto the memories forever.