Labuan Bajo is a town located on the westernmost side of Flores Island. Labuan Bajo is a peaceful, rather amazing town with many wonders waiting to be seen. Labuan Bajo was a small fishing site that has turned into a gateway for areas such as Komodo. There are more than 17000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago, making it an exciting place to navigate by sea Komodo Island is one of them. It is a fascinating island that has so much to offer in terms of tourism activities.
Labuan Bajo and the surrounding environments have various activities to do there, such as diving, among other things. Diving here is simply phenomenal. You get to see the diverse marine life. But before we get to diving, we first need to understand how to get to the Town of Labuan Bajo.
Traveling to Labuan Bajo
By Air
If you opt to travel by air, there are some local airlines that fly to Bali then to Flores Island, where Labuan Bajo is located. Flores Island is an ideal point due to its proximity to Komodo Island. There are daily flights to Flores Island.
A ticket will cost you 80 dollars one way, and about 150 dollars return ticket. The flight duration is one hour. You can also fly from the capital Jakarta to Flores Island directly.
By Road
You take a bus and ferry combination that will set you back about 40 dollars on the regular, and this is the cheapest means of transport to get to Labuan Bajo. Booking is relatively easy, and you don’t need any assistance.
By Sea
Budget travellers will be thrilled by the possibility of travelling by sea as it is cheaper. Take note that the ferries take 36 hours to get to Flores Island, which is a long time and such a problem taking to account the food and accommodation charges. Food is not in abundance meaning the charges are inflated. Also, these ferries travel to Bali from Flores only twice a week.
Popular Areas to Visit around Labuan Bajo
Gil Rawat
The bay of unknown to many, it is an island situated in the northeast of the Komodo National Park. Holidaymakers, who set sail for the bay, will have the liberty of exploring the expansive savanna that takes different colours upon each season.
Gili Lawa Darat has a sheltered area where you can watch dusk closing in as you take a sunset trek. The neighbouring waters are very calm and are a favourite for tourists who take delight in scuba diving.
Komodo Island
While in Komodo island, get to visit the world-renowned Komodo National Park, where you get to enjoy the nutrient-rich water, brightly coloured coral reefs, critters galore, and the currents that expose the big pelagic. Scuba diving in the Komodo National Park is also excellent. The bonus feature of the island and probably the most fascinating is the Komodo dragon, which is exclusive to this island.
Pink beach
This iconic pink beach is one of seven of a kind in the entire world when you travel to Komodo to ensure you do not miss it. The red shade comes from microscopic organisms called Foraminera found in the coral. When the coral blends with the white sand, you get a pink shade hence the name pink beach.
Tatawa Besar
Tatawa Besar has a maximum depth of 19 meters and temperatures of 28 Degrees Celsius. This diving site is located 8 kilometres north of Komodo Island and 10 kilometres north of Rinca Island. This island has the most astonishing corals of all the sites around Labuan Bajo. It’s also a good diving site as well.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, Labuan Bajo is an interesting town in Flores and acts as a gateway to most towns on the northern side of Indonesia. It makes for a good holiday destination as well as a fishing town.
