Is Komodo worth visiting from Bali?

Komodo National Park sits between Sumbawa and Flores, and Labuan Bajo on Flores is the gateway. It is a 90-minute flight from Bali and an entirely different landscape: dry savannah hills, turquoise water and islands that look like nowhere else in Indonesia.

What you go for

Komodo dragons. Up to three metres long, on Komodo and Rinca islands, seen on short guided walks with rangers. They are wild animals and the rangers carry forked sticks for a reason.

Padar Island. The viewpoint over three bays with three different coloured sands, reached by a 30 to 45-minute climb. It is the photograph everyone brings back and it earns its reputation.

Pink Beach. Sand tinted by red coral fragments, best seen in bright light.

Manta Point. Reef mantas at cleaning stations, snorkelled or dived, with good chances year-round.

The diving. Among the best in Indonesia: Batu Bolong, Castle Rock, Crystal Rock and Shotgun, with strong currents, dense fish life and excellent coral. Experienced divers rate it above Bali by a wide margin.

Kelor, Kanawa and Sebayur for snorkelling and easy beach stops.

How people do it

Day trips from Labuan Bajo. A boat leaves early, does three or four stops, back by late afternoon. Shared trips are cheap; private charters cost more and set their own schedule.

Two or three-day liveaboards, sleeping on the boat, which reaches the further sites and gives you sunrise at Padar with no one else there. See Komodo boat trips.

Land-based with day boats, staying in Labuan Bajo, which has grown from a fishing town into a proper tourism hub with good hotels and restaurants.

Costs and permits

This is the part that surprises people. Komodo National Park charges entry and activity fees, and they have been revised repeatedly in recent years, with proposals for much higher conservation levies debated publicly.

Budget for a park entry fee, ranger fees, separate fees for each island, diving or snorkelling surcharges, and the boat itself. A shared day trip typically runs 1,500,000 to 3,000,000 rupiah per person all in; private charters and liveaboards are several times that.

Check current fees before you travel. They change, they are charged per person per day in some cases, and cash is often required at the park office.

When to go

April to October, the dry season, with calm seas and the best visibility. July to September is peak.

January and February are wet, rough, and many boats do not run.

Manta sightings are good year-round. Water is cooler and richer from roughly July to September, which improves the diving and reduces visibility slightly.

Practical notes

Labuan Bajo has an airport with several daily flights from Bali and Jakarta, a decent range of hotels, and a hillside of restaurants with sunset views.

Heat. This is one of the driest, hottest parts of Indonesia. The Padar climb at midday is genuinely dangerous for the unprepared. Go at dawn.

Dragons. Follow the ranger, stay in the group, and do not wander off. Attacks are rare and have happened.

Medical facilities are limited and the nearest hyperbaric chamber for diving accidents is a serious consideration; ask your dive operator about their evacuation plan.

How long

Three nights minimum: one to arrive, one full day on the water, one for diving or a second boat day. Five nights if you want to dive properly or take a liveaboard.