Nuts and Bolts: Travel Tips for visiting Komodo National Park
- Rand Blimes
- May 26
- 13 min read
Updated: May 29
Nuts and Bolts posts give you the practical information you need, but without stripping away the humor, mishaps, and little victories that make real travel what it is. These aren’t just guides. They’re how we actually did it—mistakes, triumphs, and all.
This page has some travel tips for visiting Komodo National Park, to aid in planning your own trip. I travel mainly with my wife, and we love to simply wander and eat when we explore a new place, but we were in Komodo for the dragons and the diving We were in Komodo National Park in July, 2022. If your trip to Komodo National Park is significantly longer/shorter/with a different focus, you may have a very different experience.
Dragons vs. Diving: The Great Debate
The scene: two characters, Captain Scales and Deep Dive Donna stand in a room, a lonely table between them, gazes locked on one another. The mood is tense. An epic debate is taking place.
Captain Scales (slamming a Lonely Planet guidebook on the table): You go to Komodo for one reason, and one reason only—dragons. Literal, real-life, prehistoric, people-eating dragons! Nothing else on earth compares.
Deep Dive Donna (spitting out her snorkel): Oh please, you lizard-loving lunatic. Komodo is the crown jewel of diving in Southeast Asia. Manta rays, technicolor reefs, currents that make you question your life choices—it’s underwater magic!
Captain Scales: Magic? If I want magic, I’ll go to Disneyland. I came to Komodo to watch a Komodo dragon saunter through the scrub like it owns the place and maybe dismember a goat. You can keep your sea cucumbers.
Deep Dive Donna: You wouldn’t know a sea cucumber from a Caesar salad! Do you have any idea how many species of coral there are around these islands? Or how it feels to drift past a dozen manta rays, all gliding over a cleaning station? That’s the kind of thrill you never forget.
Scenic Stan (poking his head in): Hey guys, don’t forget the dramatic hills rising from turquoise water, the stunning viewpoints, or that incredible pink sand bea—
Captain Scales & Deep Dive Donna (in unison): GET OUT, STAN.
(awkward silence as Stan slowly backs away clutching his sunset tripod)
FADE OUT
Komodo National Park stirs strong opinions, and for good reason. Whether you go for dragons, diving, or (don’t tell Donna and Scales) breathtaking island views, Komodo packs a wild punch. Let’s break it all down.
Travel Tips for Visiting Komodo National Park: Weather
Komodo National Park lies within Indonesia’s tropical savannah climate zone, which means it’s hot, dry, and unlike much of lush, jungle-covered Indonesia. The park has two main seasons: the dry season (April to November) and the wet season (December to March).
The dry season is generally the best time to visit. From June to September, the skies are mostly clear, the sea is calm, and the visibility underwater is excellent—ideal for diving and snorkeling. This is also the best time to see the Komodo dragons at their most active, especially during the cooler mornings. However, this is also the most popular season, so expect more boats and more selfie sticks.
If you're coming primarily for scuba diving, April to June offers some of the most vibrant underwater scenes, with plankton-rich waters attracting manta rays and other large marine life. Visibility is slightly lower due to the plankton, but the wildlife activity can more than make up for it. We were there in July and there were still plenty of mantas, a scattering of sharks, and great vis.
The wet season (December to March) brings heavy rains and strong winds. Many liveaboards shut down, and some islands become inaccessible due to rough seas. While the dragons don’t mind the weather, most tourists do—so it’s not the ideal time unless you're an adventurous soul with a high tolerance for sogginess and limited transport options.
TL;DR:
· Best all-around time: June to September
· Best for diving with big stuff: April to June
· Avoid: December to March (unless you like being wet, seasick, and lonely)
Getting to Komodo: All Roads Lead to Labuan Bajo
Here’s the first thing to know about visiting Komodo National Park: you don’t actually stay in the park. There are no hotels nestled among the dragons, no cliffside bungalows with Komodo views (and honestly, that’s probably for the best). Instead, visitors base themselves in the small but rapidly growing port town of Labuan Bajo, located on the western tip of Flores Island.
Labuan Bajo is the launching point for all things Komodo—boat tours, dive trips, dragon sightings, and that one Italian restaurant every backpacker recommends for some reason.
So, how do you get there?
By Air: The easiest way is to fly. Labuan Bajo Airport (LBJ)—officially Komodo International Airport—has regular flights from major hubs like Bali (Denpasar), Jakarta, and Surabaya. Bali to Labuan Bajo is the most common route, with multiple flights daily and a travel time of just over an hour. We had our international flights in and out of Bali, so we did a round trip flight between Denpasar and Labuan Bajo for our visit.
By Sea: Adventurous (and patient) travelers sometimes opt for multi-day boat trips from Lombok or even Bali, stopping at scenic islands along the way. This is more experience than transport—but if you have time, it can be a memorable (and occasionally seasick) way to arrive.
Getting Into the Park: Tours, Dragons, and Dive Boats
Once you’ve landed in Labuan Bajo, the real adventure begins—but you’ll need a boat to get to Komodo National Park. Since there’s no accommodation inside the park itself, all visits—whether to see dragons, hike scenic islands, or dive with manta rays—start from town.
There are two main ways to explore the park: day trips and liveaboards.
Day Trips are the most common, especially for visitors with limited time. These typically include Padar Island, the pink sand beach, a snorkeling stop, and of course, a walk with the Komodo dragons on either Komodo Island or Rinca. Most itineraries hit the same major spots; the biggest difference is how fast your boat moves. If you want to avoid wasting half your day puttering between islands, make sure you book a speed boat.
Also worth considering: dragons are more active in the cool morning hours, so if you want to see them on the move (rather than flopped in the shade like giant, scaly throw rugs), find a tour that heads to Komodo early. That said, I actually preferred a tour that visited Padar Island first—it meant better light for photos, and the dragons were easier to shoot when they were heat-lazy and slow.
In 2022, we showed up in Labuan Bajo with no bookings—just walked down the main drag and started popping into tour offices and dive shops. Global travel hadn’t fully bounced back post-COVID, so there were plenty of options and no pressure. I knew which dive sites I wanted to visit over three days, so I visited a few shops and found one running the itinerary I wanted. As for our dragon-and-beach tour, we booked it in person and saved a lot of money. Online tours with similar stops were going for $80+ USD, while in-person bookings were about half that—a pretty big win for a few minutes of walking and comparison shopping.
If you’re visiting during high season or if time is tight, you might want to book ahead. But if you’ve got a bit of flexibility and time, showing up and sorting it in person can save you money and let you fine-tune your trip.
And for the diving enthusiasts out there—yes, there are liveaboards, multi-day dive trips where you sleep on the boat and do up to four dives a day in remote sites unreachable on day trips. It’s pricier, but if you’re serious about diving, it’s the best way to experience the full range of Komodo’s underwater magic.
Logistics of Labuan Bajo: Where to Stay, How to Get Around, and What to Eat
Before you go island-hopping or dragon-spotting, the first decision you’ll make in Labuan Bajo is where to stay—in town or outside it.
We opted for Sylvia Hotel and Resort, located outside the city. The main draw? It sits on its own private beach, a rare luxury in Labuan Bajo. Since my wife doesn’t scuba dive, we thought the beach would give her a relaxing home base while I was off chasing mantas and sharks. It turned out a bit differently: she ended up joining me on the dive boats every day and had a blast snorkeling at the same sites. Most dive locations have excellent shallow coral gardens, and she spotted many of the same megafauna—sharks, manta rays, turtles—as I did below. The beach became more of an evening hangout spot than the daytime retreat we expected.
In hindsight, we probably would have preferred staying in town. That’s where the food is, where most tours depart, and where everything is just easier to access. Labuan Bajo’s main street runs along the harbor, and while the town isn’t large, it’s busy and central to everything.
Getting Around Labuan Bajo
Getting around Labuan Bajo is where things get quirky. Indonesia’s rideshare apps, Grab and GoJek, worked mostly well for us in Bali—but in Labuan Bajo, they were basically decorative. We could request cars or bikes, but no one ever accepted. Most days, we asked the hotel to call us a cab into town and flagged down motorbike taxis to get back. It worked—but it wasn’t efficient. If you're staying outside of town, just build in the expectation that transport might take a little extra effort and improvisation.
Food in Labuan Bajo
The food scene? Hit or miss, but there are some solid options. We had surprisingly good Italian food at La Cucina, and some solid Indonesian meals at Warung Brothers. Beyond that, most of our meals were in the “fine but forgettable” category—not bad, just nothing to write home about (though I suppose I’m writing here, so maybe a little to write home about?).
If food is a big part of your travel joy—or if you like wandering out for spontaneous dinners—staying near the main strip in town will make your life easier and tastier.
What to Do in Komodo National Park
Part 1: The Dragons, the Crowds, and the Unexpected Urban Hike
Let’s be honest up front: if you’re heading to Komodo for a remote, wilderness experience, you’re going to be disappointed. This is not some solitary David Attenborough moment with a dragon in the mist. This is a conveyor belt of tourists in quick-dry clothing, and you’re just another plastic sandal in the machine.
Most day tours bundle together several big-name stops: Padar Island, the pink sand beach, a bit of snorkeling, and of course, the dragons themselves—usually on Komodo Island or Rinca.
The Pink Sand Beach
It’s pretty. It’s pink. You get out. You stand there. Maybe you take a photo or two. You might buy an overpriced coconut from a floating snack boat if you’re feeling fancy. But don’t expect hours of lounging. This is a short, in-and-out stop, mostly to check the “pink beach” box.
Padar Island
The climb up Padar is often described as a hike. This is generous. It’s more of a pilgrimage, winding up a dusty stair-stepped trail shoulder-to-shoulder with half of Instagram’s influencer community. It’s not difficult terrain, but it is hot, crowded, and oddly urban in feel—like hiking through rush hour without the traffic lights.
Be courteous. Don’t block people’s photos. Know full well that no one will extend you the same grace. You can either get frustrated, or do what I did: take so many pictures you can stitch together a clean shot later in Photoshop. If you wait for the summit to clear, you will age out of travel.
The views, to be fair, are stunning—a layered swirl of blue water, dry hills, and beach coves that you’ve seen a hundred times in pictures but are still worth seeing in person.
Komodo Island
We saw a dragon within ten seconds of stepping off the dock—a small one, not doing much, just making the "welcome to Jurassic Park" moment official. Later on, we saw a couple of full-size dragons—big, lumbering, mellow things. Don’t expect action if you are there in the heat of the day. These aren’t fire-breathers. They’re more like prehistoric boulders with legs. Cool? Yes. Chase-you-down dramatic? No. That said, give them space. They are wild animals, and they are unpredictable.
You won’t be alone. Tours are staggered, but there’s a constant crush of people winding through the forest. If you’re imagining a tranquil stroll with a ranger and a lizard—reset expectations. This is more like Disney’s Animal Kingdom, minus the animatronics.
On our walk, we passed a group of about 50 people attempting to climb a moderately steep, shaded hill. The struggle was real. People were panting. A few were clinging to tree trunks like the forest was actively trying to eject them. My wife and I just…walked up. No scrambling, no hands, no drama. Just a reminder that if you’ve done any hiking in your life, you’ll be fine, but others may be less prepared.
Photography-wise, the dragons aren’t difficult to shoot—they don’t move much (again, assuming you are there in the heat of the day). The hard part is composing a photo that doesn’t include three tour groups and someone live-streaming their “raw, authentic experience.” Angle carefully. Crouch low. Wait for gaps. Or accept that your dragon may come with bonus strangers in board shorts.
Part 2: Diving Komodo – A Love Letter Written in Current
If Komodo’s dragons are its grumpy, prehistoric ambassadors on land, then its currents are the gatekeepers of the sea—and they don’t mess around.
Komodo National Park is divided into two main diving regions: the central zone and the north zone. Each has its own flavor of awe, adrenaline, and potential for equipment loss.
Central Zone Highlights: Batu Bolong, Mawan, and Tatawa Besar
The central area is home to some of the park’s most iconic dive sites. Batu Bolong is like diving inside a tropical aquarium... in a wind tunnel. The coral is unreal—exploding with color and life—but you’ll need to keep a grip. Mawan and Tatawa Besar offer similar reef beauty, but with more emphasis on drift.
And by “drift,” I mean fly-like-a-human-kite.
At many sites, you’ll be handed a reef hook, which is basically a leash you stab into the reef (carefully and responsibly) to keep you from being launched into the Indian Ocean like a plastic bag in a monsoon. Once hooked in, you’ll hang there, arms tucked, watching the ocean traffic speed by while your BCD flutters like a carnival flag.
The currents are no joke. On one dive, I turned my head to look at my buddy and the current peeled my mask straight off my face. If you're lucky, the mask ends up strapped to the side of your head like a misplaced monocle. If not, you’re surfacing early, squinting.
North Zone Highlights: The Cauldron (a.k.a. Shotgun), Castle Rock, Crystal Rock
The Cauldron—also called Shotgun—lulls you into a false sense of mellow drifting before it drops you into a swirling bowl of water and spits you out through a reef gap at high speed. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be shot out of a cannon into a cleaning station full of manta rays, this is your moment.
Castle Rock and Crystal Rock are other legendary sites, both known for swirling schools of fish, shark encounters, and that special kind of dive where you hold onto the reef and feel like you're in a music video set to heavy metal.
A Word to the Wise (and the Novice)
Let’s be clear: Komodo diving is not for beginners. These are advanced sites with real current, variable visibility, and plenty of ways to get yourself into trouble if you’re underprepared. Ideally, you should arrive with an Advanced Open Water certification and a good number of dives in your logbook—especially drift dives.
That said, it’s possible to get certified here. We saw people doing their Advanced courses on-site, and they survived—some even looked like they were having fun. But if your last dive was in a hotel pool or a gentle reef off Koh Tao, you might want to level up before tackling Komodo’s underwater roller coasters.
Entry Requirements for Indonesia: Read the Fine Print. Count Your Days.
Most travelers visiting Indonesia for tourism can enter visa-free or with a visa on arrival (VOA)—but as I learned the hard way, you’ll want to pay attention to the exact number of days you’re staying.
Visa-Free Entry
Citizens of a select group of countries can enter visa-free for up to 30 days. This is completely free, but it cannot be extended. If you plan to stay longer than 30 days—even just by a few hours—you’ll need a different option.
Visa on Arrival (VOA)
Many nationalities (including the U.S., Canada, most of Europe, Australia, and others) are eligible for a Visa on Arrival. This costs around 500,000 IDR (about $35 USD) and is good for 30 days, but unlike the free visa, it can be extended once, giving you a total of 60 days.
You can purchase the VOA at major entry points, like Jakarta, Bali, or Labuan Bajo, or apply for it online before you arrive via the Indonesian immigration site (very convenient and highly recommended if you like skipping queues).
Pro Tip: Count Your Days Like a Customs Officer Would
Indonesia doesn’t go by hours—they go by calendar days. That means if you land at 11:50 p.m., you’ve just used Day 1 of your visa. Don’t round down. Don’t wing it. And definitely don’t do what I did and plan a 33-day trip. It’ll cost you money, time, and potentially an entire beach day waiting in a plastic chair at the Denpasar immigration office.
Extensions
If you arrive on a VOA and decide to extend your stay, you can do so once for another 30 days. The extension involves visiting an immigration office (twice), getting your photo and fingerprints taken, and paying another fee. It's not difficult, but it can take time—and it’s rarely efficient.
TL;DR:
Staying ≤30 days? Go visa-free or get the VOA.
Want to stay 31–60 days? Get the VOA, and extend it.
Planning more than 60 days? You’ll need to apply for a longer visa ahead of time.
Planning exactly 30 days? Double-check your calendar. Then check it again.
Komodo National Park isn’t a secret, and it’s certainly not untouched—but it’s still spectacular. Between the dragons that laze like fallen kings, the reefs that hum with life and current, and the surreal landscapes that rise straight from the sea, it’s a place where wonder is still easy to find—if not always easy to reach. You’ll share it with crowds. You’ll wrestle with logistics. You might even donate a dive mask to the ocean gods. But that’s all part of the bargain we accept—the joyful mess, the marvels, the minor disasters we collect—because travel isn't meant to be perfect. It's meant to be unforgettable.
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