One of the best-untouched treasures of Indonesia, located between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores in the East Nusatenggara province, sits the vast and impressive Komodo National Park. The Komodo National Park encompasses a total of 29 volcanic islands

Komodo National Park, Komodo Islands, Indonesia

It is home to the world-famous Komodo Dragon, countless manta rays, sea turtles, dolphins, small sharks, world-class snorkeling and diving sites with millions of fish, stunning hiking paths, and pink beaches.

Komodo Islands: The Ultimate Travel Guide

(What To Do, Where To Go And The Best Weather To Visit)

What’s inside Komodo National Park

Exploring the Komodo Islands is done by a single or multi-day boat tour from Labuan Bajo. A small port town on the west-tip of Flores island. Depending on the weather conditions your route will be filled with the most stunning spots around the national park. You can expect these things to see around the Komodo Islands.

Best time to visit Komodo Island

It is possible to enjoy the Komodo marine reserve all year round.

- Dry season from April to December, an average temperature of 26°C.
- Rainy season from January to March, the average temperature of 28°C.

The best time to visit Komodo National Park is between April and December during the dry season. The weather is very nice, not too hot with very little to no rain. The rainy season sometimes starts early in December, so if you don’t like getting wet plan your trip before.

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From the top of Padar island, you can see an island cover by sunshine

You can spot the Komodo dragon all year round. However, the mating season runs from July to August, and the nesting season from September to November and spotting the dragons are not as easy during these periods.

How to get to the Komodo Islands

 Over the past few years, it has become much easier to visit the Komodo Islands, but now you will not be flying directly to Komodo Island because the island is in the national park

There are 4 ways to discover the park:

• Fly from Bali airport to Labuan Bajo located on Flores Island. Labuan Bajo is the best base to explore the Komodo National Park. From there you can go diving with one of the local dive centers during day trips in the marine reserve.

• From Labuan Bajo, you can get a diving Liveaboard to take a tour of the Komodo islands and the best diving sites.

• You can charter a boat in Labuan Bajo and make your own private cruise around the Komodo Islands, perfect for discovering the archipelago and for snorkeling.

• From Bali, you can take a Liveaboard which will take you to a splendid diving cruise around Lombok Island and the Komodo marine reserve.

Komodo Island: What to do

 There are loads of things to do here, but we have listed the best for your convenience so that you experience only the best on your holiday without facing any hassle.

-Milky Way

 The Komodo Islands and the town of Labuan Bajo are quiet and there is literally no pollution or much of lights to speak of here. If you are doing the two-day overnight tour of the islands by boat, the skies are definitely something that you will notice.

 Bali milkyway

A lot of city dwellers have never seen the Milky Way with their naked eyes, and it is quite a sight for them. Watching the brilliant unspoiled skies lit with a thousand stars is really one of the best things to do in Komodo Island.

-Pink Beach

A lot of beaches look kind of pink, with sprinkles here and there. Of course, people always tend to use filters to give the impression of pink beaches. However, some beaches in the Komodo islands have genuinely pink sand.

 Corals in the sand at Pink Beach, Komodo Nationalpark, Indonesia

This is because of a specific red coral that is common off the coast of the islands. When these break off and end up on the white sand beaches, you get pink sand beaches. Spending a day here sunbathing is just one of the things to do in Komodo Island

-Komodo Island National Park

If you’re anything like me, the mere mention of Komodo National Park immediately makes you think of Komodo Dragons, and so naturally, visiting the Komodo dragons will be at the top of your list of things to do! The Komodo dragon is the largest monitor lizard on the planet. They grow up to 8.5ft long, can weigh up to 200lb, and can run an impressive 12mph. (Humans can run up to 15mph) – so you definitely do not want to be chased by one unless you’re Usain Bolt! (Although on our visit, where we saw 5, they barely moved their heads to look left and right…)

Dive-boats moored at an isolated dive spot in Komodo

Komodo Island is included on most day trips/Komodo tours from Labuan Bajo and is home to over 3,000 dragons and offers 4 different trekking routes (short, medium, long & adventure) with the shortest taking less than an hour and the longest (adventure trek) up to 4 hours. You must follow and stay with the guide(s) at all times – and remember to take a bottle of water, as it can get very hot walking around the trails.

Attack Of a Komodo Dragon

The park rangers/guides will also recommend that you don’t go to the toilet alone, that you don’t look the dragons in the eye, keep your head down and girls on their period must take extra care as the dragons have a highly sensitive sense of smell and may attack if they smell blood. But as long as you follow the rules, you’ll hopefully get to have the unforgettable experience of seeing Komodo Dragons – but, as always with wild animals – there are no guarantees!

-Local Cuisine

Another must-have experience on the island is to indulge completely in the local Indonesian cuisines.

 From grilled squid to whole fried fish, there’s a lot of variety to gorge on. One great place to try the best and authentic local food is the Atlantic, near the town of Labuan Bajo. The restaurant has a perfect pirate ship ambiance and serves toothsome flavors like no one else

-Hiking

 The trail to the top of Padar Island is quite easy considering the views it affords. Often rated to be one of the best things to do in Komodo island, you can do this trek as part of most boat tours of the Komodo.

 Panoramic Scenic View of Padar Island Komodo National Park Indonesia

Once you get to the top, you can spot the pink, black, and white beaches of the island with brown-black ridges in between and surround by the azure blue waters. The point is extremely picture-worthy, and quite a few tourists stay back to click the point at sunset.

-Scuba Diving 

Komodo Island is a scuba diver’s paradise. The currents in the area attract some of the most incredible marine life including sharks, manta rays, octopus and turtles and Komodo National Park is the perfect spot for underwater photography, drift dives, and reef life.

 Big Pillow or Marshmallow Anyone? Komodo, Indonesia

Whilst there are a huge number of diving sites in the area, most are better suited to intermediate and advanced divers, but if you’re a newbie – don’t be put off! The dive centers in town are happy to talk you through the various options so that even relatively new divers will have a great time underwater and get to experience some of the most incredible diving in Komodo National Park.

Whiptail Stingray Dasyatis Pastinaca at Dive Komodo

Conclusion

And there you have it, everything you need to know to plan a trip of your life to Komodo Island. I hope I have provided you with enough information so that you can plan a trip of your own. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know in the comments below.