By La Galigo
From Labuan Bajo to Komodo Island,
How Do You Get to Komodo Diving?
The Komodo season is just about to start, and everyone is excited to jump in the water. But if this is your first time in the area you may be asking, how do you get to Komodo National Park to go diving? Well from the port town of Labuan Bajo to Komodo Island and everywhere in between we’ll let you know how.
The first step in getting into Komodo diving is to get from your home country to Indonesia. There are several ways you can do this depending on where you are coming from. Obviously, you need to fly into one of Indonesia’s international airports, and you want the one that’s going to work best from your destination to then transfer onto Labuan Bajo. 4 flights a day go from Bali (Denpasar) Airport to Labuan Bajo, 3 flights a day go from Jakarta to Labuan Bajo and there are no direct flights from Manado or Makassar. So, Bali gives you the most options to search for best prices and best availability, but also consider where you can get flights into from.
Now if you are coming from Europe or North America then you need a stop over on the way. From Europe you will have to either stop in Singapore or Maylasia so consider this when deciding your landing point in Indonesia. The western seaboard of North America generally works best stopping through Hong Kong, and the eastern seaboard through Qatar. In the Asia Pacific region, you can generally fly direct to Jakarta or Bali, these lucky countries include Australia, South Korea, Maylasia, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, and China.
So, let’s loop back around again to Labuan Bajo. The primary airport serving the Flores region and the entry point to Komodo National Park is Komodo Airport, also known as Labuan Bajo Airport. It is situated in the little hamlet of Labuan Bajo, which lies on Flores island’s westernmost point. It is the entry point to the well-known Komodo National Park and an increasingly popular getaway for tourists who wish to explore the park and the nearby islands.
To get to your destination from Komodo Airport, you can use a shuttle bus or a cab. Labuan Bajo town is approximately fifteen minutes from the airport. To prevent any difficulties upon arrival, it is essential to make reservations in advance with your diving operator. Most liveaboards like La Galigo Liveaboard will arrange a pickup for you from the airport and have one of the friendly dive guides there to meet you with a smile. Alternatively, taxis and shuttle buses are easily located at the airport also.
Even though Labuan Bajo is a tiny town, it offers a variety of tourist amenities, such as eateries, cafés, pubs, gift stores, and tour companies. The town has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, with the construction of new infrastructure and lodging to accommodate the growing number of visitors. This was escalated leading up to the 42nd ASEAN Summit which was held in town on the 9th of May 2023. Leading up to the event the town saw a transformation from a sleepy little place with dirt sidewalks, to a nice spot with some high-end hotels and palm lined streets. Luckily it also keeps its small-town charm and character as well.
Apart from being the hub to get to Komodo National Park, Labuan Bajo is also well-known for its stunning sunsets, drawing throngs of visitors to the shoreline to witness the sun set. Additionally, the town features a typical Indonesian market where guests may sample the cuisine and culture of the area.
But you want to get to Komodo diving right, so now you’re in Labuan Bajo lets get you there. The best way to explore the amazing dive sites and stunning above water landscapes of Komodo Island and surrounds is by liveaboard dive boat. Most will leave from Labuan Bajo port, though some do a trip from Bali, through Komodo diving and then drop you at Labuan Bajo at the end of your trip. Labuan Bajo departing liveaboards will cruise around 2 hours from port till you get to the first calm spot for a check dive. From there day to day, you will move about, so you get to explore the whole national park.
The other alternative to a liveaboard is one of the many dive shops located in town. They all run daily trips out to the islands to go diving. Generally, people take this option if they want 1 – 3 days diving, as the operators skip check dives and go straight for the highlight dive sites. This is good for the time poor traveller but unfortunately you won’t get the same experience as being fully immersed, living on a boat and moving around diving sites all over the park.
If you are day tripping, then you will need to get to the dive shop each morning if you are housing yourself somewhere other than the dive lodges. The best way to do this is to rent a scooter for about $8 a day, giving you freedom to get about to a decent restaurant in town and see some great sunsets from the top of town viewpoint as well. If you are not that confident on a scooter then you can flag down a taxi for cheap on the street, just make sure to negotiate the price first so they don’t think you are “straight off the boat” and over charge you. A good alternative to avoid this is to use the “Grab” app on your phone as rides are on a fixed price like Uber.
Well, that should be just about all you need to know to get yourself about and into the water diving in Komodo. Stay tuned to our blogs if you are keen for Komodo, as with the season approaching fast, we will be putting out plenty more content every couple of days to help you out with everything you need to know about diving this special part of the world.
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