Planning a backpacking trip to the famous Komodo Island soon? You might have many questions hanging in your mind. How many nights you need to spend for the trip? Which islands worth to visit? What you need to bring and is there any special preparation to do beforehand? Worry not, wanderers. Given to its remote situation and rugged islands, Komodo tour Flores might looks like a rough trip straight from the Nat Geo wild. But here we will help you prepare everything easily.
Transportation You Need for Komodo Tour Flores
Here’s one thing to know; the Komodo island alone doesn’t have any airport. This island is part of the Komodo National Park, which is part of Flores, Eastern Nusa Province. To get into Komodo Island, you’ll need to fly to Komodo International Airport (codename: LBJ—Labuan Bajo). There’s only two flight route to Labuan Bajo. You can either fly from Denpasar (Bali) or Jakarta. Choose one that’s most convenient for you.
From there, you will continue the journey with a Komodo boat, which will take you to a sailing trip around the national park. If you wish to explore the Flores island itself, you might need to rent a motorbike.
Tips on Booking A Liveaboard
Booking a liveaboard for Komodo tour Flores could be quite tricky, especially if you are in budget. If you go too cheap, you will get poor boats with low-quality of facilities. These boats usually has no cabins—only an open deck made into a make-shift sleeping quarters. If they do, the cabins are usually very small with double-deck beds made from thin foam. The best way to book a liveaboard is by browsing on the internet, pick the ones that you like, and visit the physical boat in Labuan Bajo. Always try to negotiate to get the best price.
Read More: Bringing Hammock to Komodo Boat Trip: Incredible!
What’s Included in the Boat’s Price?
You need to know what the price of the boat cover. Some of the cheap boats don’t cover the entrance fee to Komodo National Park and onboard diving equipments. This fee is required to enter the Rinca and Komodo Island. When booking a boat for Labuan Bajo trip be sure that they put Rinca and Komodo Island in one day. Both of the islands have Komodo dragons, so you could just choose one between the two. If you visit them in separate days, you will need to pay twice and this is certainly not an ideal situation for budget backpacker.
Also, you want the price to cover the snorkelling/ basic dive gears, because Komodo’s underwater is definitely a killer! The national park has one of the clearest, brightest, and richest marine ecosystem in the world. You don’t want to miss it. Make sure that they have dive gears for everyone, because some of the cheapest boat only have one or two snorkel gears onboard.
Stay in Labuan Bajo
Labuan Bajo is dubbed as a rising backpacker town not without reasons. This small charming city is abundant in backpacker hostels and most of them are particularly newly-build! You could easily find a hostel with clean and air-conditioned rooms, kitchen, and even rooftop lounges. Our best budget recommendations are the Le Pirate, Dorme Tree, Ciao Hostel, and Dragon Dive.
