Komodo Island has so much to explore, and even more so when you start to think about the Komodo island’s incorporating the satellite islands surrounding it. Lets take a look at some of the most popular activities and things to do in the area. From the beautiful waters to trekking for dragons and stunning views on land, will cover it all and even let you know about some great nearby spots to Labuan Bajo town.
The first activity that we will talk about are the cruise around the beautiful waters of Komodo island. The marine life and coral around Komodo is some of the most spectacular in the world. If you come to this part of the world then diving or snorkelling in the pristine waters is a must do activity of Komodo Island.
Scuba Diving and Snorkeling: See The Manta Rays
On a Liveaboard
The first activity that we will talk about are the cruise around the beautiful waters of Komodo island. The marine life and coral around Komodo is some of the most spectacular in the world. If you come to this part of the world then diving or snorkelling in the pristine waters is a must do activity of Komodo Island.
There are several options for cruises in Komodo. If you are a diver then the best way to explore it is on board a Komodo liveaboard. Operators like La Galigo will take you on trips where you dive up to 4 times a day and also do all the land tours that make the area famous. You will also have the privilege of waking up every morning to a sun rise over the ocean on board a beautiful traditional wooden boat.
On a Shorter Duration Boat
Another diving related cruising option is to get on one of the day boats that leave from the nearby town of Labuan Bajo to head out to the Komodo islands. As the name suggests, you will just spend the day out on one of these boats to do anywhere between 1 to 3 dives in the chosen part of the National Park. Not as comfortable and large as a liveaboard, but a good option for those who only want a day or two of diving as opposed to the 6 to 8 day liveaboard itineraries.
Just a note too, that liveaboard and day dive boats will have snorkelling options too if you are not a diver. One disadvantage of the day dive boats however is that they typically do not include any land tours.
On a Day Tour Boat
The third cruise option to see the activities of Komodo island are the day tour boats, that typically consist of a combination of snorkelling and land tour activities. Depending on the operator and the price, these typically consist of between 3 to 6 activities in a combination of snorkelling and land tours, but never diving.
We won’t go into detail about the land tours here as we will cover that in the next section. But almost all in water activities for all cruise types will endeavour to take you to at least one spot to see Manta Rays, famous in Komodo National Park
Land Tours: See The Komodo Dragon
Ok so onto the land tours, and of course we have to start with the most famous resident of Komodo Islands, the Komodo Dragon. Your Komodo Dragon encounters will take place either on Komodo island itself, or on the second largest island Padar. It is true that the dragons inhabit a few more islands including Gili Motang Island, Padar Island, Nusa Kode Island, Nusa Besar Island and even a very rare few on the Flores mainland.
There has been roughly 2450 individuals recorded between Komodo Island and Rinca island out of an estimated 3000 to 5000 individuals that exist in the wild, so Komodo island and Rinca island are where the ranger stations have been established that will allow you a safe experience viewing these animals. Both islands offer you a (mandatory) guided tour if you wish to see them with an expert ranger. Seeing one of these dramatic lizards in the wild is truly one of the spectacles that should be on everyone’s bucket list.
ALSO READ : From Labuan Bajo to Komodo Island, How Do You Get to Komodo Diving?
Viewpoint of Padar Island
If the Komodo Dragon and the Manta Ray are the top two iconic images of Komodo, then number 3 has to be the viewpoint from the top of Padar island. This activity requires a short but medium intensity trek of around 20 to 30 minutes up a steep path to reach the summit. From here the views are breathtaking looking out across the rugged dry grassland mountains and sweeping seascape of the land. Well worth the reward of the view at the top and the Instagram photos that will make your friends green with envy.
Going to Pink Beach, Kanawa Island & Kalong Island
Next on the list of activities in Komodo island is pink beach. This amazing beach is made up of pink sand due to the nearby coral under the water opposite the beach which grows in a brilliant red colour. When the coral breaks off it gets broken down into tiny pieces which wash up onshore to make a pink beach. And in fact there are actually 2 pink beaches you can visit, one on Komodo Island and the other on Padar island.
If lounging on a beach, maybe laying back on a sunchair and sipping on a beer, occasionally taking a dip in the water to cool off is your type of activity, then a visit to Kanawa island is right for you. There is a hotel on the small island but most people just visit on a day trip. Chilling out on the nice sandy beach or checking out the coral that is close into shore. There is a good little jetty too that you can stand on and see plenty of tropical reef fish below you.
A nice activity to top off the end of your day in the Komodo Islands a a stop at Kalong island. If you time it right and get here for sunset you are in for quite a show. Thousands of fruit bats use the mangroves of this island as their day roost. At sunset they start their daily migration to their feeding grounds on mass.
This breathtaking display sees the sky clouded out in a blanket of the animals against one of Komodo’s world famous sunsets. This activity is really a great way to top off a fantastic day of activities in the Komodo islands
ALSO READ : Komodo resort, Komodo island hotels? Are the Komodo islands worth it?
Around Labuan Bajo
So that’s our top picks for the activities in the Komodo islands, but as promised here’s a bit of extra content for some activities to do around Labuan Bajo. If you are not staying on a liveaboard, then you will most likely be staying in Labuan Bajo, and even those on liveaboards will be flying in and out of Labuan Bajo airport. These two great activities are actually on the Flores mainland where Labuan Bajo is located and are easily accessible day trips.
Rangko Cave/ Goa Rangko
The first is a trip to Rangko cave. Rangko cave, or Goa Rangko as it’s known to the locals is a stunning cave north of Labuan Bajo. The main attraction of this cave is the amazing turquoise water lake that is located at the base of the cave below massive stringy thin stalactites. You want to visit this cave at noon for the best effect of the light shining in on the turquoise water lake.
This stunning turquoise water is actually due to the salt content of the water in the lake, owing to an invisible underground connection to the ocean. You can’t get directly to the cave by car, so you will need to take a 45 minute drive to Rangko village, and from there get onto a boat for another 20 minutes to visit the cave.
Waterfall: Cunca Wulang
Another great activity near Labuan Bajo is a trip to one of the waterfalls, our favourite is Cunca Wulang. A bit further to go at 2 hours from Labuan Bajo, this impressive waterfall gets it’s name from the nearby village. It’s a great place to swim and cool off in the area.
With this list of diverse activities to see and do around the Komodo islands we think there is something for everyone. There are many operators that will take you to all of them so look about for the combination of ones that you want to do and hunt around for the best price. It really is up to you based on your likes and there are a lot of ways to combine the right package for you.
