How to get to Komodo Island

One of the must-visit places in Indonesia is Komodo and having been there three times, I have come up with this article on how to get to Komodo Island for you.

This information is also important for anyone who is planning to visit this amazing destination which is part of the Lesser Sunda Islands in East Indonesia.

Most of you may already know that this island is world renown for the Komodo Dragon, the largest living lizard in the world and can be seen easily here. 

Komodo is actually made up of three islands which are Komodo, Rinca, and Padar and is all part of the Komodo National Park and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

In total, 26 islands are surrounding the area and the main island of Flores is your gateway to Komodo.

The closest town is also Labuan Bajo which is where the main Komodo Airport is located. It is here where you can find all the hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars, convenient shops, and ATM machines.

How to go to Komodo Island?

Wings Air that flies from Denpasar to Labuan Bajo, Flores

The best possible way to get to Komodo Island is to fly in from Bali by using Wings Air, a subsidiary of Lion Air.

You also need to book your flights from the Lion Air Website because there are no Wings Air website.

If you google it, you will see other 3rd party airline ticket websites selling the flight tickets. There are also three Wings Air flights daily from Denpasar to Labuan Bajo which are;

DENPASAR (BALI) (DPS) to LABUAN BAJO (LBJ)

Flight	Details	Depart	Arrive		Economy
IW 1888 Wings Air	0 Stops 1h 20m	Denpasar (Bali) (DPS) Mon 08:15	Labuan Bajo (LBJ) Mon 09:35		IDR 1,279,000
IW 1830 Wings Air	0 Stops 1h 30m	Denpasar (Bali) (DPS) Mon 11:55	Labuan Bajo (LBJ) Mon 13:25		IDR 872,000
IW 1898 Wings Air	0 Stops 1h 20m	Denpasar (Bali) (DPS) Mon 14:00	Labuan Bajo (LBJ) Mon 15:20		IDR 1,279,000
All Timings Are Local Time

Labuan Bajo Airport, newly renovated in mid-2015

The Labuan Bajo Airport or Komodo Airport (LBJ) is also an eye-opener as they recently renovated it to a modern airport with two main gates.

Note that all flights here are via turboprop ATR72-500 planes and the flights take about ninety minutes.

You may also want to look out the window just before arriving as the scenery before landing is absolutely breathtaking.

The airport is simple and not as complicated as when you exit, you are already at the main entrance of the building. A taxi and information counter is available here.

An alternate or budget way to travel to Labuan Bajo from Bali is by using a ferry and bus which is a two-day journey one way.

The benefit of this is seeing the many beautiful islands along the way and you can also make stops at other islands.

However, it is highly recommended you book this service from a reputable travel company that will arrange your bus and ferry tickets. Do this is you love the sea and have time to spend. 

Taxi prices at Labuan Bajo Airport

Taxis at Labuan Bajo

When you arrive at Labuan Bajo, there are local taxis available to take you to your desired hotel. The prices are laid out on a general notice board with the prices in Indonesian Rupiah or IDR.

You can simply tell the taxi counter or taxi man where you want to go. There is no local bus service in Labuan Bajo too. 

Renting a Car at Labuan Bajo, Flores

For those who prefer this option, you can do so at the airport where you can negotiate with the operators and it costs about IDR500,000 to 600,000 per day, plus-minus.

Alternatively, you can also ask your hotel or homestay to book one for you and driving around the island is relatively quite easy.

Labuan Bajo jetty, the main gateway to Komodo Island

How to go to Komodo and Rinca Island?

This is the main question - getting to Komodo Island from Labuan Bajo. The best way is to book a tour from any of the tour companies in Labuan Bajo town.

The Komodo Island packages usually include visiting three islands and seeing the Komodo Dragon.

The islands are Rinca, Komodo and Padar Islands which are all about 40 minutes boat ride apart. However, on Padar Island, there are no more Komodo's there but worth the hike up. Read further below about this. 

From the main jetty in Labuan Bajo town, the boat journey takes about 1 hour to the first island which is Rinca Island (Pronounced Rincha).

Here you will arrive at Loh Buaya, the main jetty to Rinca, and then walk about 10 minutes to the park centre.

From here, park rangers will explain the do's and don'ts on the island before they take you on your guided walk to see the dragons.

Note there will be quite a bit of walking and hiking uphill, but the rewards are stunning when you reach the top.

So please come in walking shoes or sports shoes. Overall, you can spend about 2 to 3 hours on this island.

The entrance at Komodo Island

Photos of Komodo Island and the Komodo Dragon

Below are some random photos that were taken during my trip to Komodo Island.

Komodo Dragon close up, photo taken with Samsung Galaxy Note 5

A Komodo is seen walking along the beach at Komodo Island

Trekking at Rinca Island. The photo was taken with Samsung Galaxy Note 5

Map of Labuan Bajo, Flores

Komodo and Labuan Bajo Map

Conclusion

This trip to Labuan Bajo and Komodo Island was part of the #INAtopbucketlist organized by Indonesia Tourism together with other media, photographers and social media influences from 14 countries around the world.

In total, we spent a good two weeks exploring Indonesia which includes Komodo Island and Flores. For more information, you can visit the Indonesia Tourism Website.

You can also follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook under the name @MalaysiaAsia for more photos of Komodo Island and my other travels.

If you have any comments, questions or feedback, please feel free to leave them in the comment form below. I hope this article on how to get to Komodo Island was helpful and have a great trip there.