Komodo National Park is a beautiful collection of islands located in Indonesia – more specifically in Nusa Tenggara Timur, often abbreviated as “NTT”. Komodo National Park consists of three main islands and 26 small islands.
I first visited Komodo national park in 2016 for a liveaboard SCUBA diving trip. Back then, there was nothing much in Labuan Bajo. There were only a few backpacker hostels and small roads, so most visitors would fly in and immediately be on their way to the boat for liveaboard diving trips.
Fast forward nearly a decade later to 2025, I was shocked to find out how much it has progressed. There are now many accommodations here, including five-star luxury resorts!
- Tips for visiting Komodo National Park
- How to get to Komodo National Park
- Where should I stay in Komodo National Park?
- How can I get around Komodo National Park?
- Komodo National Park Extra Costs
- How long should I spend in Komodo National Park?
- What can you do in Komodo National Park?
- Visit Pulau Padar (Padar Island) in the morning
- See the Pink Beach
- Snorkel and relax at Taka Makassar
- See Komodo Dragons at Komodo Island
- Snorkeling with Mantas at Manta Point
- Snorkeling with Turtles at Pulau Siaba Besar
- See Kalong (Flying Foxes) at Sunset
Tips for visiting Komodo National Park
Bring cash for extra costs – The tours you book will not include these fees, as they must be paid to the government, so be sure to bring enough cash to cover everyone. On average, it will cost about Rp 400,000 per person but it depends on what you plan to do. I’ve provided a break down of the costs below.
Waterproof case for your phone – If you plan to snorkel, I recommend bringing a water proof case. One of those plastic zip bags should be enough, and you might be able to use that for taking photos while snorkeling.
Sun protection – It’s very hot in this part of the world. I highly recommend bringing SPF50 sunscreen for both face and body. For me, I wore a long sleeve rashguard so that I won’t get burnt while snorkeling and I’m very happy with that decision.
How to get to Komodo National Park
You’ll want to go to Labuan Bajo, the only city with international airport in NTT. More specifically, you need to fly to Komodo International Airport (Airport code: LBJ).
There’s a direct flight coming from Kuala Lumpur by Air Asia and another one coming from Singapore by Scoot starting in Dec 2025. These direct flights only operate a few times a week. If you have specific travel dates in mind, you’d likely have to transit in other cities in Indonesia, usually Bali (Airport code: DPS) or Jakarta (Airport code: CGK).
We flew from Singapore and transited in Bali since we wanted to arrive on a specific date. We flew Garuda Airlines on the way to Labuan Bajo (SIN – DPS – LBJ), then flew a combination of Garuda Airlines (LBJ – DPS) and Scoot (DPS – SIN) on the way back.
I am a little YOLO and rarely purchase travel insurance, but if you’re planning to transit like we did, I will share our experience that may make travel insurance more palatable:
Our SIN-DPS leg was delayed due to a heavy thunder storm in Singapore. Garuda managed to fly the SIN-DPS leg later that day, but we missed our DPS-LBJ leg and there are no more flights going in the late afternoon or at night. We had to stay overnight at a hotel in Bali (provided by Garuda) before flying to Labuan Bajo on the first flight available the next day.
In this case, a travel insurance would have helped to recoup some of the lost accommodation costs or activities costs you may have booked for the first day.
Where should I stay in Komodo National Park?
The obvious choice is to stay in Labuan Bajo. There are plenty of accommodations close to the airport. I will highlight a few options:
1. Saesta Komodo Hostel & Hotel ($ to $$) – A well run hostel and hotel combo for those of us who are budget-conscious. There is an 8-bed dormitory (Female only option available) or private hotel room.
2. Casa de Capulet ($$) – Boutique hotel close to the airport with excellent reviews. I think it’s the perfect balance between luxury and budget.
3. Ta’aktana Resort ($$$$) – We were there for a wedding that’s held at Ta’aktana, so we stayed in this resort. I have to say this is a really nice resort with great facilities, excellent service and amazing amenities.
4. Ayana Komodo Waecicu Beach ($$$$) – Ayana is a well established name in the resorts scene in Bali and Jakarta – it’s great to see that they’re operating in Labuan Bajo as well. I was considering to stay at Ayana, but due to the wedding events logistics I ended up picking Ta’aktana. I still think it’s a solid option!
Did you know? Another option is to stay overnight on sailing boats, which doubles as tours around Komodo National Park. I’ll elaborate more on this option in the next section below ⬇️
How can I get around Komodo National Park?
The places to visit in Komodo National Park requires a boat to get to, so you definitely have to either hire a speed boat or join a tour. Here are some options:
**Private Speedboat Tour** – This is the one I personally booked for my family (3 of us). Since I was bringing my 5-year-old, I wanted to some flexibility on our itinerary. It is not the most cost-effective way, but it worked for us! The boat can take up to 6 people, so if you’re traveling as a family or friends, you might want to consider this option too for greater flexibility. Here is how our boat looks like:
Group Speedboat Tour – If you don’t mind being joined by others, there are group tours. They cost a lot less than the private tours but you’ll have to leave at the set time and you can’t customize the itinerary.
Sailing Boat Tour – If you have 3 days 2 night to spare, you might want to look into the sailing boat. This allows you to visit all spots of the park, including some spots that the day tours won’t take you to. You’ll also be staying onboard the whole time so you’ll save on costs of accommodation. A friend of mine did this with his two kids and had a great experience.
Luxury Sail Boat – Another option is 3 days 2 night tour on this Phinisi (Indonesian wooden boat) if you want a little extra special.
PS: There are plenty more other tours in Komodo, so make sure you browse around for all the options and see the reviews!
Komodo National Park Extra Costs
There are extra costs for visiting Komodo National Park. These costs will help locals maintain the island and also ensure safety of visitors. You can check out the costs here, but I’ll sum it up for you:
| National Park Entrance Fee | Rp 250,000/person per day (foreigner) Rp 50,000 for Indonesian citizens |
| Conservation Fee | Rp 100,000/person per day |
| Boat entrance fee | Rp 100,000 / boat |
| Komodo Island Ranger fee | Rp 250,000 for every 5 people |
| Padar Island Ranger fee | Rp 250,000 for every 5 people |
As you can see, the costs can add up quick. Make sure to prepare cash for these since they don’t take credit card. In average, you’ll pay an extra Rp 400,000 per person, depending where you are visiting and what you plan to do on the island.
How long should I spend in Komodo National Park?
Touring the popular spots in Komodo National Park itself takes only one day, so you actually don’t have to spend too much time here. I would say about 2 days 1 night should be enough for most people
But if you’re planning to dive here, you can stay as long as you want! Diving in Komodo is truly world class. I went on a 6 days live-aboard diving trip back in 2016 and it was such an amazing experience that I still treasure a decade later.
What can you do in Komodo National Park?
Now that you’ve got all the travel logistics out, let’s see what you can actually do on the island.
1. Visit Pulau Padar (Padar Island) in the morning
One of the most visited islands in Komodo is Pulau Padar, especially popular for sunrise and hiking in the morning. Pulau Padar is one of the three big islands in Komodo National Park. The island has a beautiful landscape features that makes it unique and very photogenic.
Most group tours leave Labuan Bajo at 7AM, which means they won’t make it to Padar for sunrise. However, if you do decide to do a Sailing Boat Tour or the Private Speedboat Tour, you might be able to request early departure so that you can be on the island on time by sunrise.
Sadly, I had to give this island skip due to the disruption on my travel plan. We arrived to Labuan Bajo one day late due to our flight being canceled. Thankfully the Private Speedboat Tour I booked was able to accommodate my request to leave later (at 10AM) so that I didn’t have to miss the entire tour, which was non-refundable at that point. I had to choose two places to skip and chose to skip Padar Island and Pink Beach since we wanted to focus on more snorkeling.
2. See the Pink Beach
The sand around Komodo National Park is special, because it has a slightly pink hue to it thanks to the presence of foraminifera, coral fragments with vibrant red color that looks pink when mixed with the white sand on the beach.
I have to say that it’s not as pink as social media makes it out to be, but the pink is noticeable in real life. This photo is probably the closest to real life that I can find, although even this is still too edited to be more pink than it really is.
Pink Beach is another spot that I sadly had to skip due to the disruption on my travel plan. I skipped it because I really wasn’t interested in just playing by the beach. Also, I knew we would still see the pink beach at the next spot: Taka Makassar.
3. Snorkel and relax at Taka Makassar
Taka Makassar is a special spot – I think it’s a must visit. Taka Makassar a small island made from fine pinkish sand in the middle of the ocean. As your boat approaches the island, the water will change color to light blue, indicating the absence of coral around the area.
But don’t expect to be the only one on the island. There will be plenty of other visitors because Taka Makassar is a popular spot in Komodo National Park. That said, most people won’t stay very long here (there is nothing much you can do on the island itself) so you’ll still be able to find pockets of peacefulness here.
It may not be noticeable at first, but the sand on Taka Makassar is pink. I find it was more noticeable after I had been snorkeling for awhile. I guess my eyes adjusted to the light and the pink became more vibrant. However, when I first arrived on the island, I thought it just looked white.
When you look closely on the sand, you’ll see the red foraminifera that makes the sand color pink.
It’s also possible to snorkel at Taka Makassar. You have to swim a little further from the island, but the corals are beautiful here too. I also found it to be easier than the other snorkeling spots, there weren’t as much current here.
4. See Komodo Dragons at Komodo Island
One of the reasons why Komodo National Park is so popular among locals is because of… well, Komodo dragons. Growing up in Indonesia, Komodo dragon is one of the animals we learned about in school. I did not know about the beautiful under water and nature at the national park, but I knew about Komodo dragons.
Komodo dragons are large monitor lizards that exists only in this area. They can grow to be very large, around 3 meter long for male adults. They are not a tame animal. Their bites are venomous, which aids in killing preys.
And yes, they do occasionally attack humans too, and there have been cases where tourists were injured from an attack. This is why there are now required ranger fees for most islands on Komodo National Park where the dragons can be seen. These rangers will keep an eye on tourists and make sure they don’t become prey for the Komodo dragons.
There are a few islands you can visit to see the Komodo dragons. For us, we went to Komodo island itself and was able to see many dragons (I think the count was about 9 dragons that day) not too far from the village near the jetty. We even saw some baby ones around the village.
I have to warn you that the village on Komodo island is very commercialized – they sell Komodo dragon t-shirts and souvenirs right around the area where Komodo dragons are commonly found to be resting. But the good thing is, they’re not very pushy and don’t try to get you to buy their stuff.
5. Snorkeling with Mantas at Manta Point
I have to preface by saying that a Manta sighting is never guaranteed. It is actually really difficult to spot them, especially when it’s not the right season. But if you’re lucky, you might see them at Manta Point, which is known as their favorite cleaning station.
Here are some screenshots from my diving trip back in 2016, where I was lucky to spot so many mantas in one of the dives
I wrote about my encounter with a rare black manta in Komodo from my 2016 diving trip here, if you’re interested to read them.
6. Snorkeling with Turtles at Pulau Siaba Besar
I also have to preface that sea turtles sighting is not guaranteed, but they’re sometimes seen at Pulau Siaba Besar (Large Siaba Island). That said, because the snorkeling around here is so good, I wouldn’t have minded even if I didn’t see any turtles!
On our trip, we did see one sea turtle although I didn’t get a photo of it.
7. See Kalong (Flying Foxes) at Sunset
At sunset, you might be able to see a large colony of kalong (flying foxes) who are coming out of their mangrove homes to hunt for food. This happens almost everyday, and the large size of the colony makes them quite a spectacle.
Again, seeing kalong is also not guaranteed. I was able to see them in my 2016 trip, but when we went in 2025, there was no Kalong that day. The sunset was beautiful though!
Conclusion: What I think about Komodo National Park
Hands down, Komodo still offers one of the best under water experience I’ve ever had. I’ve dived in places like Raja Ampat and Bunaken, and I still hold Komodo highly in comparison. You don’t even have to go diving in Komodo – even snorkeling here is world-class: the visibility is amazing, the corals are vibrant and healthy, and there are so many colorful fish.
I do have to say that the current around Komodo is very strong, so it is not for beginners. If it’s your first time snorkeling or driving, I would strongly advise to go with another person who is more experienced. Don’t do this alone.
The strong current in Komodo has been a known fact among divers, but even when snorkeling you can feel how strong the current is. The temperature difference in the water is very noticeable – it would be very cold in one spot, and you swim 1m over and get hit by a warm current.
Will Komodo ever become like Bali? Hmmm it’s hard to say. I actually had a conversation about this with a local when I was in Komodo. Bali was able to achieve and sustain the massive growth in tourism due to a few factors: a landscape that can support international airport, a unique culture that you won’t find anywhere else, and acceptance of foreign tourism.
In Komodo, there are not many places that can accommodate long run ways for bigger airplanes. That’s why in the past, the only way to reach Labuan Bajo is using a small propeller plane, which is what I did back in 2016. At least we get to take larger planes now.
And that’s my guide for visiting Komodo National Park! I hope it helps you, and as usual, please leave a comment if you have any questions.
Note: I paid for the tour and other costs on this entire trip out of my own pocket. As always, all thoughts and opinions are honest and remain my own.