From Labuan Bajo on the western tip of Flores, boats head into Komodo National Park: the Komodo dragon — the world's largest lizard — the famous Padar Island viewpoint, a pink-sand beach and snorkelling with manta rays. A UNESCO World Heritage site. No direct flights from Ulaanbaatar — connect via Bali or Jakarta. Mongolian citizens get a visa on arrival (or e-VOA).
🛂 Visa: Visa on arrival · 30 days✈ Flight: 13h☀ Best months: May, June, July, August
Komodo National Park / Labuan Bajo, Indonesia · haashaa?
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: May, June, July, August, September, October.
Things to see (13)
📍🧸 for kids
Komodo Island (Loh Liang)★ 4.6 (3,000)
NaturePark fee for foreigners Rp250,000/day (covers all sites); booked through SIORA via a licensed boat operator≈6:00–18:00; dragons are most active early (6–8 am)
The dragons' main home: walk short, medium or long trails (1–2 hours) with a ranger to see wild dragons, deer and wild boar. Dragons are dangerous — don't fall behind the group and hold children by the hand. The village sells carved wooden dragons. Daily visitor numbers are capped from 2026.
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goGet the visa at the border or online, fill in the arrival card, and book your park trip in advance through a licensed operator.+
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Visa on arrival or e-VOA
Mongolian citizens with an ordinary passport get the B1 tourist visa at the border or in advance online at evisa.imigrasi.go.id (e-VOA): up to 30 days, fee Rp500,000, extendable once for 30 days. Your passport must be valid at least 6 months and you need a return or onward ticket.
Within 3 days before arrival, complete the immigration, customs and health declaration in one go on All Indonesia, free of charge, and keep the QR code. If you enter via Bali or Jakarta, fill it in for that airport. Beware of agent sites that charge a fee.
In 2026 foreigners pay Rp250,000 per day (PP 36/2024; trekking and snorkelling included). Since 1 April there is a quota of 1,000 visitors a day with time slots, booked in advance through the SIORA system via a licensed boat operator — no tickets are sold on the spot. A higher fee for foreigners is being discussed but has not been adopted.
🛬Landing and getting to your hotelKomodo International Airport (LBJ) is on the edge of Labuan Bajo; most visitors arrive on a domestic flight from Bali.+
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Domestic flight from Bali
Several flights a day connect Bali (Denpasar) and Labuan Bajo in ~1 hour. Direct from Jakarta ~2.5–3 hours. Domestic delays are common, so start your boat trip the day after you land.
The airport is ~2 km from the town centre, ~10 minutes by car. Take a taxi from arrivals or book your hotel's pickup; order Grab once outside the terminal.
If your phone supports eSIM, installing an Indonesia eSIM before you go is easiest. Otherwise buy a Telkomsel SIM in town, registered with your passport — it has the best coverage on Flores and in the park. Short trips need no phone IMEI registration.
Tip: Most of the boat trip has no signal — let family know in advance.
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Wi-Fi
Most hotels and cafés in town have free Wi-Fi. On liveaboard boats Wi-Fi is rare or very slow. Save tickets and bookings on your phone.
🚇Boats and getting around townThe park is reached only by boat: a shared day trip, a private speedboat or a multi-day liveaboard.+
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Day trip or private speedboat
A speedboat day trip covers Padar, Komodo, Pink Beach, Manta Point and Taka Makassar in one day. A private speedboat costs ~Rp7.5 million a day (raised in June 2026 with fuel prices) — cheaper split among a family or group. Shared trips suit solo travellers.
Sleeping 2–4 nights at sea on a traditional phinisi boat, reaching Padar at sunrise and Komodo early in the morning, is the best way to see the park. Choose a well-reviewed operator with safety certification, life jackets and a radio; avoid suspiciously cheap offers.
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In town: walk, Grab, scooter
Labuan Bajo's main street, the harbour and Kampung Ujung are within walking distance. Hire a car with driver for Cunca Wulang and Rangko Cave. If you rent a scooter, an International Driving Permit and helmet are compulsory; hill roads are steep.
The currency is the Indonesian rupiah (IDR, Rp). Labuan Bajo has plenty of ATMs, but there are none on the islands, in Rangko village or at the waterfall — take cash for boat trips and village fees. Use bank ATMs.
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Cards, QRIS and tips
Cards work at hotels, dive centres and larger restaurants, sometimes with a surcharge. QRIS QR payments usually don't work with foreign cards. Tipping the crew at the end of a liveaboard trip is customary.
🍜FoodFresh seafood, simple Flores cooking and international food on the tourist strip.+
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What to eat
Grilled fish, crab and prawns at the Kampung Ujung night market; ikan bakar (grilled fish), sambal matah and nasi goreng. Flores coffee is renowned. For children, fried rice, noodles and chicken are safe choices.
Tip: At the night market, ask the price of fish sold by weight before ordering.
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Water and hygiene
Don't drink tap water; drink bottled or hotel-filtered water. Check whether water and meals are included on your boat trip. Choose busy places that cook fresh.
🛡️Safety and health+
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Emergency numbers
Unified emergency number 112, police 110, ambulance 119, fire 113, search and rescue at sea 115. Operators may speak only Indonesian, so ask your hotel or boat crew to help.
On the islands walk only with a ranger and stay with your group; approaching or feeding dragons is strictly forbidden, and hold children by the hand. Tell the ranger beforehand if you have an open wound or are menstruating. Currents at the snorkel sites are very strong — wear a life jacket and stay close to your guide.
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Hospitals
Siloam Hospitals Labuan Bajo has an emergency department; the islands have no medical facilities. Serious cases are moved to Bali — call your insurer's assistance line first. Don't fly within 24 hours of diving.
Don't stand on or touch coral; taking sand, shells or coral is prohibited. Leave no plastic and refill your water bottle. Flying a drone in the park requires a separate permit.
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With local people
Most people on Flores are Catholic, and many coastal villages are Muslim. Cover shoulders and knees in town and villages, and ask before photographing people. Use your right hand to give money or things.
📱Useful apps+
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Official
All Indonesia — the arrival card (immigration, customs, health). Indonesia e-Visa — get and extend the e-VOA. Use only official sites ending in .go.id.
Grab and Gojek — rides and food delivery. Google Maps — offline maps. Download Indonesian in Google Translate for offline use. Book boat trips with a well-reviewed, licensed operator.
In rough rainy-season seas boats run late and domestic flights are delayed too. After a liveaboard spend a night in town, and leave a buffer before your international flight from Bali.
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Departure formalities
Before an international flight, check the customs part of All Indonesia and make sure you haven't overstayed your visa — overstaying means a fine for every day. Taking coral, turtle shell or other animal souvenirs out of the country is prohibited.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
6:00–18:00
The dragon island closest to Labuan Bajo (~1.5–2 hours by boat). Walk the renovated boardwalk through dry savannah to see dragons, macaques and water buffalo. Quicker to reach than Komodo Island, so it suits day trips and families.
NatureIncluded in the park feeSunrise (≈5:30) or late afternoon; time slots since 2026
Komodo's most famous view, from the ridge of a hilly island with three bays of different sand (white, black and pink). A 30–40 minute climb on steps and rocky path; it's hard in the heat, so go at sunrise with water and a hat. Tough for small children.
BeachIncluded in the park feeDaytime (on a boat trip)
Sand tinted pink by red coral fragments, with colourful reef for snorkelling straight off the beach. Most boat trips stop here for a swim. Weak current and shallow parts suit children; taking sand away is prohibited.
NatureIncluded in the park fee (divers +Rp25,000)Daytime; timed to the currents
Giant manta rays gather over a shallow reef — visible with just a snorkel from the surface. The current is very strong: you jump from the boat and drift, so you must swim well and wear a life jacket. Mantas are most common December–March.
A white sandbar that appears at low tide amid turquoise water — for photos and play in the shallows. It's close to Manta Point, so most trips combine them. There is no shade at all — sunscreen and a hat.
BeachSmall landing fee for non-guests (paid locally)5:00–22:00
A small white-sand island ~1 hour by boat from Labuan Bajo: starfish, turtles and colourful fish on the house reef. Simple bungalows let you stay a night and watch the sunset. Shallow water — good for families.
The closest island to town (~30–45 min by boat): white sand, snorkelling off the beach and island views from a steep hill (a short but slippery climb). Often the first or last stop of multi-day trips.
NaturePark fee + Rp25,000 for divers; dive centre prices separateDaytime; at slack current
Komodo's richest reef surrounds this holed rock poking out of the sea: turtles, sharks and schools of fish. Currents are very strong — experienced divers with a guide only. Snorkellers go in only on the sheltered side when the current is slack.
NatureTicket + compulsory local guide (paid on site)≈7:00–17:00
A waterfall and green pools in a canyon, ~1 hour's drive from Labuan Bajo plus a 30–40 minute jungle walk. Young people jump off the rocks. A guide is compulsory; in the rainy season the water is murky and fast. Slippery, so better without small children.
North of town, ~15 minutes by car. A 10-minute climb for sunset over Labuan Bajo bay, the islands and the boats. An easy outing on a non-boat day or on your arrival/departure evening.
NatureEntry ≈Rp50,000 + boat from Rangko village (negotiated); cash only6:30–18:00
A cave with a pool of blue salt water — late morning sun makes the water glow. 15–20 minutes by small boat from Rangko village. The cave rocks are slippery; put a life jacket on children. Combine with Cunca Wulang in one day.
FoodFish and prawns by weight — ask the price before ordering17:00–24:00
Every evening on the waterfront by the harbour: pick fresh fish, crab or shellfish, have it grilled and eat it with rice and sambal. Locals and visitors side by side; children enjoy it too. Agree the price first.
