Getting to komodo

Scuba diving and visiting Komodo

Komodo National Park Facts

Komodo National Park is rugged, wild and packed with the promise of adventure – Komodo is one of Indonesia’s most famous Scuba Diving destinations. With an abundance of Marine Life ranging from Manta Rays, sharks, immense schools of fish and colourful reefs are just a few of the stars of Komodo. Komodo is a must see destination and the perfect way to experience this is onboard La Galigo, Labuan Bajo offers amazing sunsets night after night, as well as perfect underwater experiences. The area is well known for its strong currents and is often recommended for divers with experience.

Komodo is relatively remote but if you want an adventure and incredible diving it should be at the top of your bucket list. Expect to find an array of dive sits perfectly suited for drift diving. To get access to Labuan Bajo you can fly direct from Bali or Jakarta.

Water temperature can be chilly, sometimes dipping below 77°F (25°C), so bring extra layers of neoprene or a hood on top of a basic 3mm suit to stay warm. It is possible to dive year round due to the dry weather.

The north area of Komodo National Park is a good place for shark spotting at underwater seamounts. Visibility is usually quite good at 66-100ft (20-30m) and if the current is strong enough, a reef hook will come in handy, allowing you to relax and take in the action. This is also an area for exhilarating drift dives as there are several channels in-between the many islands with swift currents.

One of the most interesting dive sites is Karang Makassar Reef. This is a 1.2mile (2km) channel with a unique seascape featuring craters and dunes of small rocks which have been shaped by currents. It is often said that it looks like the surface of the moon. For macro lovers, Komodo National Park has plenty to offer as well. Sheltered dive sites boast a myriad of critters hiding amongst slopes and walls of healthy hard and soft corals.

About Komodo National Park

The Komodo National Park consists of 26 small islands and 3 large islands which are Komodo Island, Rinca Island and Padar Island. The park is located between, East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia.

Discovered by scientists in 1912, the park was founded in 1980 to create a conservation area for the Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard which is endemic to this area. The park was then declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1991.

Komodo National Park is one of the driest places in Indonesia and it gets extremely hot from May to October with a daily high temperature of 88°F (31°C). The dry climate suits the Komodo dragon, and also gives the park an interesting landscape of rugged islands and savannah type vegetation.

Nutrient rich currents from the South Pacific Ocean flow through Komodo National Park from the north, spilling into the Indian Ocean in the south. This has encouraged great marine biodiversity to develop, making the park one of the top places to scuba dive in Indonesia. Liveaboard diving is the best way to experience the many dive sites which span over a very large area of 669mi² (1,773km²). Manta rays and sharks are frequently sighted, and the coral reefs are healthy and teeming with marine life.

 

Getting to Komodo

⦿  General advice – The best way to access Komodo is via Bali, a simple 1 hour flight will drop you off in the cozy town of Labuan Bajo, which is the access point for all our Komodo trips. The flight from Bali can be made in relative comfort with Garuda Indonesia or Batik airlines. Cheaper alternatives are available with low costs local airlines such as Lion Air or Air Asia. If you are fortunate enough to land in Bali from your international flight before midday, it will be easy to catch a connecting flight to Labuan Bajo. At the time of composing this, the last flight from Bali to Labuan Bajo is at 3.30 p.m. Bali time.

⦿  From Europe – We would highly recommend finding a Singapore Airlines flight to Changi international airport or a similar Flight with Malaysian Airlines taking you to Kuala Lumpur. If you land early enough, you will able to transit the same day on to Bali. It will be likely that you will need to overnight in Bali unless you land and collect your luggage before 2 p.m.

⦿  From the Americas (West Coast) – At the time of writing, Cathay Pacific was offering a very reasonably priced flight from LAX to Bali via Hong Kong. It may be necessary to overnight in Bali, but there is a decent selection of hotels located around Denpasar (Bali) airport. From Bali, obtain a short flight to Labuan Bajo, with either Garuda Indonesia, Lion air, whereupon you may embark La Galigo.

⦿  From the Americas (East Coast) – At the time of researching, Qatar Airways were offering a time effective flight from JFK to Bali with a short layover in Doha (Qatar). After a short layover in Bali, simply hop on an early flight with one of the local airlines to Labuan Bajo in Flores, which is where all our trips depart from to Komodo.

⦿  From Australia – A flight from Perth to Bali is short and inexpensive, and when Jetstar land early, it often ties in nicely to enable you to transit onto Labuan Bajo – Komodo. Flights from the east coast should follow the advice for Perth flights, however, dependant on which carrier you choose will be dependant on whether or not a layover in Bali is necessary.

 

When to go?

graphic rainfall komodo
water temperature

Where to stay?

Laprima Hotel Flores is located on Pede Beach in Labuan Bajo, surrounded by the scenic hills of Komodo National Park Indonesia. this hotel is located close to the La Galigo anchorage point and offers sublime sunset views. 

 

Offering an outdoor pool and a specialized dive centre, Blue Marlin Komodo is located in the heart of Labuan Bajo. Free WiFi can be accessed throughout the property, but the fastest connection is at the restaurant.

 

Trips to Komodo

Getting
to komodo

Scuba diving and visiting Komodo

Komodo National Park Facts

Komodo National Park is rugged, wild and packed with the promise of adventure – Komodo is one of Indonesia’s most famous Scuba Diving destinations. With an abundance of Marine Life ranging from Manta Rays, sharks, immense schools of fish and colourful reefs are just a few of the stars of Komodo. 

Komodo is a must see destination and the perfect way to experience this is onboard La Galigo, Labuan Bajo offers amazing sunsets night after night, as well as perfect underwater experiences. The area is well known for its strong currents and is often recommended for divers with experience.

Komodo is relatively remote but if you want an adventure and incredible diving it should be at the top of your bucket list. Expect to find an array of dive sits perfectly suited for drift diving. To get access to Labuan Bajo you can fly direct from Bali or Jakarta.

Water temperature can be chilly, sometimes dipping below 77°F (25°C), so bring extra layers of neoprene or a hood on top of a basic 3mm suit to stay warm. It is possible to dive year round due to the dry weather.

The north area of Komodo National Park is a good place for shark spotting at underwater seamounts. Visibility is usually quite good at 66-100ft (20-30m) and if the current is strong enough, a reef hook will come in handy, allowing you to relax and take in the action. This is also an area for exhilarating drift dives as there are several channels in-between the many islands with swift currents.

One of the most interesting dive sites is Karang Makassar Reef. This is a 1.2mile (2km) channel with a unique seascape featuring craters and dunes of small rocks which have been shaped by currents. It is often said that it looks like the surface of the moon. For macro lovers, Komodo National Park has plenty to offer as well. Sheltered dive sites boast a myriad of critters hiding amongst slopes and walls of healthy hard and soft corals.

 

About Komodo National Park

The Komodo National Park consists of 26 small islands and 3 large islands which are Komodo Island, Rinca Island and Padar Island. The park is located between, East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia.

Discovered by scientists in 1912, the park was founded in 1980 to create a conservation area for the Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard which is endemic to this area. The park was then declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1991.

Komodo National Park is one of the driest places in Indonesia and it gets extremely hot from May to October with a daily high temperature of 88°F (31°C). The dry climate suits the Komodo dragon, and also gives the park an interesting landscape of rugged islands and savannah type vegetation.

Nutrient rich currents from the South Pacific Ocean flow through Komodo National Park from the north, spilling into the Indian Ocean in the south. This has encouraged great marine biodiversity to develop, making the park one of the top places to scuba dive in Indonesia. Liveaboard diving is the best way to experience the many dive sites which span over a very large area of 669mi² (1,773km²). Manta rays and sharks are frequently sighted, and the coral reefs are healthy and teeming with marine life.

 

Getting to Komodo

⦿  General advice – The best way to access Komodo is via Bali, a simple 1-hour flight will drop you off in the cozy town of Labuan Bajo, which is the access point for all our Komodo trips. The flight from Bali can be made in relative comfort with Garuda Indonesia or Batik airlines. Cheaper alternatives are available with low costs local airlines such as Lion Air or Air Asia. If you are fortunate enough to land in Bali from your international flight before midday, it will be easy to catch a connecting flight to Labuan Bajo. At the time of composing this, the last flight from Bali to Labuan Bajo is at 3.30 p.m. Bali time.

⦿  From Europe – We would highly recommend finding a Singapore Airlines flight to Changi international airport or a similar Flight with Malaysian Airlines taking you to Kuala Lumpur. If you land early enough, you will able to transit the same day on to Bali. It will be likely that you will need to overnight in Bali unless you land and collect your luggage before 2 p.m.

⦿  From the Americas (West Coast) – At the time of writing, Cathay Pacific was offering a very reasonably priced flight from LAX to Bali via Hong Kong. It may be necessary to overnight in Bali, but there is a decent selection of hotels located around Denpasar (Bali) airport. From Bali, obtain a short flight to Labuan Bajo, with either Garuda Indonesia, Lion air, whereupon you may embark La Galigo.

⦿  From the Americas (East Coast) – At the time of researching, Qatar Airways were offering a time effective flight from JFK to Bali with a short layover in Doha (Qatar). After a short layover in Bali, simply hop on an early flight with one of the local airlines to Labuan Bajo in Flores, which is where all our trips depart from to Komodo.

⦿  From Australia – A flight from Perth to Bali is short and inexpensive, and when Jetstar land early, it often ties in nicely to enable you to transit onto Labuan Bajo – Komodo. Flights from the east coast should follow the advice for Perth flights, however, dependant on which carrier you choose will be dependent on whether or not a layover in Bali is necessary.

 

When to go?

graphic rainfall komodo
water temperature

Where to stay?

Laprima Hotel Flores is located on Pede Beach in Labuan Bajo, surrounded by the scenic hills of Komodo National Park Indonesia. this hotel is located close to the La Galigo anchorage point and offers sublime sunset views. 

 

Offering an outdoor pool and a specialized dive centre, Blue Marlin Komodo is located in the heart of Labuan Bajo. Free WiFi can be accessed throughout the property, but the fastest connection is at the restaurant.

 

Trips to Komodo