Discover how to explore Komodo National Park with my quick travel guide. From dragon encounters to snorkeling with manta rays, here’s everything you need to know.
Komodo is one of those places almost everyone has heard about, thanks to its famous dragons. But the National Park is about much more than that. Its tropical islands and crystal-clear waters are among the most pristine in the world. The park covers nearly 2,000 square kilometers and includes three main islands: Padar, Komodo, Rinca, and 26 smaller ones.
As you can imagine, a boat tour is the best way to explore it. I’ll explain what you can experience and whether it’s worth your money.
When is the best time to visit Komodo
The best time to visit Komodo is during the dry season, from April to November, when the weather is generally clear and visibility is excellent. Between December and March, heavy rains can make the sea rough and cause some tours to be canceled. Still, this is when the islands turn a vibrant green, making it the most photogenic season and the best time to spot manta rays.
In any case, I don’t recommend visiting in the first months of the year unless you have several days to spare and can wait for better weather.
Before sharing my experience, here’s something important to keep in mind. In early 2019, there were rumors that Komodo National Park would be closed entirely to visitors in 2020. In reality, only Komodo Island was briefly proposed for a temporary closure, and the plan was later canceled due to a heavy backlash from the local communities, who rely almost entirely on tourism.
New conservation measures are now being discussed. Authorities have confirmed that periodic or partial closures will occur to help the ecosystem recover from heavy tourism, but these closures haven’t happened yet. In addition to closures, there are plans to limit the number of visitors allowed into the park at any given time. For this reason, I recommend checking the official website to see if the park will be fully open when planning your visit.
How to get to Komodo
To explore Komodo, you first have to get to Labuan Bajo, a small town on the western tip of Flores Island. I wrote a travel guide about another incredibly beautiful place in Flores: the Kelimutu Volcano, which I recommend visiting if you have time, after Komodo.
There are daily flights from Bali (here is my Ubud photography guide), which is probably the starting point of your trip. As always in Asia, I recommend booking your flights and hotels using Trip. Since most tours begin early in the morning, you will most likely spend one night in Labuan Bajo.
There are many options for all budgets, but if you want something nice without spending a fortune, check out this resort with a private beach, where I stayed.
Day Trip VS Multi-Day Tour
Many people ask if it’s possible to see Komodo in just one day. The short answer is yes, but I don’t think it’s worth it. Day tours from Labuan Bajo usually start early in the morning, rush through two or three stops, and return by late afternoon. You spend more time sitting on the boat than actually enjoying the park.
Staying overnight at sea completely changes the experience. You will watch the sunrise at Padar and have enough time to stop in some beautiful and quiet bays when the water is still calm, and you will get to watch the bats leaving Kalong Island at sunset. The pace is slower, you don’t feel pressured to move on quickly, and there’s more time to enjoy each stop.
Another advantage is distance. Some of the best snorkeling spots, like Manta Point or Taka Makassar, are too far to include in a one-day tour. With a two or three-day trip, you reach them without stress.
Of course, overnight trips cost more, but I think the extra time and freedom make Komodo memorable. I booked my tour with this website, which was a good choice, and I opted for the 2-day/1-night cruise.
One word of caution when booking a tour: if you see a multi-day tour during high season that looks very cheap, avoid it. I’ve read horror stories of people booking a four-day tour for only $200 to end up in a boat without AC, with insufficient beds, and with a broken engine after a few miles on the sea.
How does the tour work?
The company will contact you and arrange the pickup from your hotel. You’ll then board the boat and start the tour. There’s no need to bring snorkeling equipment since the tour company usually provides it. The food is generally okay, but not great, with the exception of the luxury cruise. Unless you opted for a private room, you will share yours with someone else.
There is an “entrance fee” and a “snorkeling fee” to pay before boarding the boat. You’ll have to pay these fees in cash when you get to the marina.
Day 1: Kelor Island
Kelor is usually the first stop when leaving Labuan Bajo, and it’s a good warm-up for the rest of the trip. The island is tiny, with a short but steep trail leading up to a viewpoint. The beach is famous for the baby sharks swimming in the warm waters.
Day 1: Manjarite Island
Manjarite is an excellent snorkeling point. The water here is calm and shallow, making it one of the easiest places to explore, even if you’re not very experienced. You’ll see plenty of corals, even some turtles if you are lucky.
Day 1: Kalong Island
Kalong means “bat” in Indonesian, and the name it’s fitting. At sunset, thousands of giant fruit bats leave the mangrove forests of this small island and fly out in search of food. The scene is incredible: the sky fills with dark silhouettes moving in waves over the orange horizon while your boat rocks gently on the water. It only lasts about 20 minutes, but it’s one of those natural spectacles that make Komodo memorable.
Day 2: Padar Island
Padar Island is one of the highlights of the Komodo National Park. If you join a multi-day boat tour, you’ll probably wake up around 4:00 am to reach Padar in time for sunrise. The hike is short but steep, and even in the dark, you’ll notice a steady line of flashlights moving up the path. When you reach the top, hundreds of other tourists will probably be there already.
It is crowded, there’s no way around it, but when the first light spreads over the three bays of Padar, the view is so beautiful that you almost forget about the people around you and the effort to wake up so early.
Day 2: Pink Beach
For good reason, Pink Beach is probably the most famous shoreline in Komodo. The sand here has a pink hue, caused by tiny fragments of red coral mixed with the white grains. It’s not as bright pink as Instagram often makes it look, but it’s still quite impressive. What makes it special is not only the color, but also the coral gardens that lie just a few meters from shore.
Day 2: Komodo Island
Komodo dragons live on several islands in the park, but the two main places where you can see them are Komodo Island itself and Rinca Island. Both require you to join a guided trek with a ranger, and while sightings are common, don’t expect them to be dramatic hunts in the wild. Most of the dragons are used to human presence and spend a lot of time lounging near shaded areas or close to ranger posts. Still, when you stand a few meters away from a two-meter lizard with a forked tongue flicking in the air, you realize how prehistoric they are.
There are only a few thousand Komodo dragons left in the wild. Estimates put the total population between 4,000 and 5,000, with fewer than 1,400 mature adults. The species is now listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, mainly due to habitat loss.
Day 2: Manta Point
Manta Point is probably the last stop. The currents can be strong, so your guide will usually drop you in at one point and let you drift along with the current until the boat picks you up again. The chances of spotting a manta vary greatly depending on the season. If you go in the summer, as I mentioned earlier, there are fewer chances of seeing them.
How to fly a drone in the Komodo National Park
As you might have noticed, I took most of the pictures in this article with a drone. Drones are strictly prohibited in Komodo National Park unless you apply for an official permit (which I obviously did). Rangers are very serious about enforcing this rule, and if you try to fly without permission, they will confiscate your drone and fine you. I went through the application process myself, and while it takes some time, it’s doable. Here’s how to do it:
- Before your trip, you must send a written request to the Komodo National Park Office in Labuan Bajo. The permit application includes your full name, a copy of your passport, planned dates, and the purpose of filming. They will send you a PDF file to fill out with all the info mentioned above, and maybe some more (laws change all the time).
- Once approved, you’ll receive an alphanumeric code to add to the Siora app (downloadable from the Komodo National Park Website). This code will be used to finalize the application process and pay the drone fee. The fee varies depending on whether the drone is used for commercial or private purposes. It was recently increased from 1 to 2 million IDR for recreational use (about 100$), and the price is for one day only.
- After creating your account on the Siora app and adding all the required info, you’ll have to pay using the bank account info provided in the application process. This last step has to be done in Indonesia since, at the time of writing this article, the app didn’t accept international payments, which means you’ll have to ask a local to help you pay.
My advice is to start this process at least a month in advance. Having the permit lets you capture aerial shots legally and avoids any unnecessary stress during your trip (yes, people will report you, as it happened to me, but I had a permit, so it was all good). In this article, you can find more information about drone regulations worldwide.
Final Thoughts
If you’re wondering whether the cruise is worth it, my answer is yes. Spending a night or two on the boat lets you slow down and enjoy Komodo, and it’s the only way to reach the best spots without feeling rushed. That said, you shouldn’t expect to have the place to yourself. Komodo has become one of Indonesia’s top attractions, and even at sunrise on Padar, you’ll find yourself surrounded by other travelers. It doesn’t ruin the experience, but it’s better to go prepared than to be disappointed.
As mentioned earlier, there are ongoing discussions about limiting the number of visitors allowed into the park in the future, so it’s a good idea to always check the latest news before planning your trip. At the same time, remember that Komodo is a protected area. You are a guest here, and small actions, like not touching coral, avoiding plastic, and respecting the rules, help keep the park intact for the next person who comes after you.
Despite the crowds and the rules, I think Komodo is still one of the most remarkable trips you can do in Indonesia. Few places offer the chance to see prehistoric dragons, snorkel with manta rays, and sleep under a sky full of stars in the same trip. That mix makes Komodo unforgettable.
As always, when I travel in Asia, I recommend using Trip to book flights and hotels, Holafly for an eSIM, and SafetyWing for travel insurance. Don’t miss my travel guide to Palawan, another incredibly beautiful island.
Here you can find some more pictures I took in Indonesia. Here you can read my Bromo Travel Guide, another incredible place in Indonesia.
