Komodo National Park is located in the east of Bali, on the border of Sumbawa and Flores Island, Indonesia. The National Park is famous for the world’s largest lizard, Varanus Komodoensis or Komodo Dragons. If you are planning to go there, then follow some suggestions of the best ways to visit Komodo National Park.

Varanus Komodoensis are types of monitoring lizards. It is the world’s largest lizard with a length that can reach 3 meters and weigh can go to 100kg. Komodo can run 20km per hour and can smell the blood at 9.5km.

Komodo National Park was declared as the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. There are over 2000 inhabitants of Komodo Dragons which are most populated on Rinca and Komodo Island. Apart from the Komodo Dragons, the National Park also offers beautiful landscapes and world-class dive sites. There are more than 15 dive sites around Komodo National Park. If you are a diver and looking for perfect dive visibility, you can try it once you visit Komodo, Indonesia.

Follow the steps below for the best ways to get to Komodo National Park

1. Fly to Bali or Jakarta. Before you head to Komodo National Park, I recommend you fly to Bali or Jakarta. But the most preferred way is flying to Bali as it is a close island to Komodo National Park.
2. Bali to Labuan Bajo. If you are in Bali, you can book a local airplane to Labuan Bajo. There are several local airplanes from Bali to Labuan Bajo. A flight from Bali to Labuan Bajo can take approximately 1 1/2 hours or can be more.
3. Labuan Bajo to Komodo. Once you are in Labuan Bajo, all you need to do is book your Komodo tours. Tours to Komodo are what you can do to visit the Komodo National Park. You will have to do a boat tour.

Labuan Bajo is a small town in West Flores, East Nusa Tenggara. It used to be a fishing town for decades. Following the tourism development, the town has changed into one of Indonesia’s tourist destinations. Labuan Bajo is the main gateway to start your visit to Komodo National Park.

If you want to do Komodo tours on the same day you arrive in Labuan Bajo, I recommend booking an early flight from Bali. The earliest flight from Bali is at 07.30 am. This schedule will have the possibility for you to start a tour on the same day you arrive. So you will not stay overnight in Labuan Bajo (this is just an option).

There are a variety of Komodo island tour packages that you can book such as day tours or live boards. Day tours can use a high speedboat, while overnight tours or live boards will use a Phinisi boat.

Types of Komodo tours you can book

Below are the types of tours to Komodo that you can book from Labuan Bajo:

1. Full-Day tours. These tours are perfect if you don’t have enough time on your holiday. These are my recommendations for you. You will visit about 6 places in Komodo National Park.
2. 2 Days and 1 Night live on board. The tour is based on a private service and you will use a Phinisi boat.
3. 3 Days 2 Nights Komodo Island Tour from Labuan Bajo is one of the recommendations to book. These are probably the most popular tour packages to book. You can go in private or shared liveaboard.
4. 4 Days 3 Nights Komodo tour. The tour is based on a private service, you will have a full boat service during the tour.

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If you are looking for dive trips, I recommend you to rent one whole boat or join a day trip dive offered by some of the dive operators in Labuan Bajo. The ocean around Komodo National Park has a strong current. You have to be PADI dive certified level or an experienced diver.

Recommended Places to Visit in Komodo

Below are the recommended places you can visit:

1. Manjarite beach. It is one of the best spots if you are looking for perfect snorkeling. The island offers a rich underwater world with an untouched coral reef.
2. Rinca is an island where you can find Komodo Dragons. There are over 1000 Varanus Komodoensis on the island. You will also hike for a great view of the island.
3. Kalong Island. It is famous for the thousands of baths that fly over the island, especially at sunset. This island is also a mangrove island.
4. Komodo Island. It is an island where you can see Komodo Dragons, there are over 2000 Komodo Dragons on this island.
5. Pink Sandy Beach is located in the North of Komodo Island. It is a perfect beach if you are looking for a relaxing, swimming, and snorkeling.
6. Padar Island. It is an island where you can enjoy the beautiful formation of the island, and enjoy trekking. The best time to visit is when the sunsets.
7. Manta Point is the place where you can find schools of Manta rays. Enjoy snorkeling with Manta Rays here.
8. Gili Lawa Island. The island offers spectacular views, and some dive spots are also available here.
9. Kanawa Island is a close island to Labuan Bajo. The island offers spectacular views, white sandy beaches, and is perfect for snorkeling and swimming.
10. Taka Makasar is a sandy bar. It is perfect for taking pictures, beach walking, snorkeling, and swimming. It is close to Manta Point.
11. Kelor Island. It is a perfect island to hike for a beautiful view, the best underwater marine life, perfect for snorkeling and swimming. You can also enjoy the white sand beach on the island.
12. Sabolo Island is perfect for spending your day, you will enjoy the lounge on the white sandy beach. Snorkeling and swimming are also the best things you can do here.

These are the most recommended places to visit, you may choose to visit if you want to.