The majority of those exploring Indonesia will begin on Bali island or Jakarta (the capital city on the island of Java). Though both places have their appeal, there is nothing like Indonesian island-hopping. Luckily, Indonesia makes that easy, with over 17,000 islands to choose from.

This article is for those who want to begin their exploration from Labuan Bajo island, which is also the name of the island’s main village.

Few words of advice:

Unless you insist living in a state-of-nature, replete with wifi dead-zones, power-outages, subpar toilets, without a restaurant or convenience store for miles, you may want to book your reservation near (or inside) Labuan Bajo village. Being close to town will also spare you from paying the flat (relatively excessive) taxi-rate that prevails on the island.

With that in mind, let’s check out the magnificent things this Indonesian island can offer:

See a (living) Dinosaur!

A 50-km ferry ride from Labuan Bajo island is Komodo Island. You guessed it, that’s the location of the world-acclaimed Komodo National Park. The presence of Komodo dragons is impossible to overlook, with all the photos, statues, and tour advertisements posted everywhere.

When entering the park, visitors are briefed with a quick safety lesson before embarking on an hour stroll through the dense Komodo forest. If it’s not dusk (or dawn), your chance of seeing a Komodo dragon not sleeping is slim. Still, we were lucky to see a baby dragon —reminiscent of the baby velociraptor in Jurassic Park! We were also fortunate to see a small group of boars, which was probably more dangerous than a Komodo dragon. We also wondered if some of the strange sounds we heard in the bushes were dragons. Maybe they were our imaginations.

If you feel disappointed that you didn’t see any dragons on your hike, rest assured. When you finish your stroll, you will be led to the tourist area, where several of the dragons routinely sleep in plain view of the restaurant. You may not want to touch a Komodo dragon, but you can still take a decent selfie with one!

Padar viewpoint (Padar Island)

On the way to Komodo dragon (or on your return), awaits one of the most beautiful panoramas I’ve ever seen in my life: Padar viewpoint. Imagine four equally spread sandy-beached inlets, each holding a mouthful of turquoise ocean water, connected perfectly together to form a massive “X”. All of your friends will think your pictures are photoshopped.

To take things further, there is a nearby peak, for those who want to see the iconic archipelago from a higher vantage point. Each successive step reveals even more of this natural beauty. Words fail.

Manta Point

You can also snorkel with the country’s famous manta ray fish.

This experience was a bucket-list item that I wasn’t even aware of. Sure, I’ve seen manta rays in zoos —even impressively large ones in a Taiwanese aquarium, but nothing prepared me for what I saw at Manta Point.

First of all, I didn’t expect that they would be so enormous. When I saw them gliding in the silent water, they were as large as my old Toyota Tercel (their fin spans were even wider!). If you are fortunate enough to see them, it is a shocking display.

If you want to maximize your chances of encountering manta rays, you will need to be ready. As soon your boat enters their habitat, put on your snorkel gear immediately and get ready to jump in at a moment’s warning. In other words, as soon as someone sees a manta ray: seize the opportunity! If you are lucky to see one (or many!), give your eyes lots of time to feast on the sight. As you soon as you look up at the boat and return your gaze, it can be gone like a vanished Dracula.

Pink Beach

If Komodo dragons and manta rays are still aren’t enough (for one day!), there is also the breathtaking Pink Beach. True to its name, the sand at Peach Beach is coral pink, due to the magic of certain microscopic organisms. Contrasted against the white waves (and original white sand), as well as the turquoise water, the spectacle of Pink Beach is stunning. 

Although there is only one “Pink Beach”, there are technically several pink beaches. Due to the massive popularity of Pink Beach, your local guide may do you the favor of escorting you to another pink beach, which is equally as beautiful —but with far fewer visitors. Again, these pink beaches are like many other Indonesian places: every photo you take will inevitably look photoshopped (or heavily Instagram-filtered!). 

If I return to this area, I would stay longer than a few hours. Instead, I’ll plan to book an overnight stay somewhere nearby. It’s snorkel-heaven. Actually, it’s heaven-heaven.

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