What To Expect On A Labuan Bajo Liveaboard
Many liveaboards from Labuan Bajo will depart from here to start dive tours in the Komodo National Park. Sitting on the coast to the western end of the region of Flores, Labuan Bajo was once a small fishing village. In recent years, it has transformed into a busy tourist town for visitors to the Komodo National Park and the surrounding Flores countryside. Labuan Bajo’s popularity as a tourist destination is largely due to the proximity of Komodo Airport, which can bring visitors from Bali and other areas of Indonesia. The town is quite busy, but the attraction of Labuan Bajo is more its proximity to the National Park than the place itself.
The town is the departure point for many park tours, including diving liveaboards. Many dive cruises depart from or disembark at Labuan Bajo’s port. Visitors should be aware that to enter the National Park area from Labuan Bajo, they will need a guide and a fee of around 20 dollars for entrance. The land trips are mostly for hiking, sightseeing, and nature trails to see the infamous Komodo Dragons. The most popular land excursions are the Komodo Dragons' spotting trips on Rinca and hiking tours of the volcanic mountains of Manggarai.
Liveaboard diving from Labuan Bajo
Labuan Bajo is in a prime position for Komodo Islands diving liveaboards; it is within reach of many of the best dive sites in the region. Labuan is a few hours’ sail from Rinca and Komodo Island, meaning liveaboards can reach most of the top sites in a week or two weeks dive cruise. There are also some shorter dive tours available, some 3 or 4 days long; for this, it is best to leave Labuan Bajo to make the most of the time in the Komodo National Park.
Many of the best dive sites in Komodo, such as Batu Balong and Manta Point, are only an hour or so from Labuan Bajo. One of the best experiences is to begin at either Labuan or Bali and travel to the other port. This takes in a huge range of different dive sites both in Bali and Komodo National Park. Numerous liveaboards depart and disembark from Labuan Bajo, including customized motor vessels and beautiful traditional Indonesian sailing boats.
Getting to Labuan Bajo
There are a few ways to get to Labuan Bajo from Bali and other areas of Indonesia. The most adventurous is the three-day ferry from Bali port. Depending on sea conditions, a speed boat from Sape in Nussa Tenggra also takes a few hours. The other option is to take a liveaboard dive cruise starting in Bali and finishing in Labuan Bajo. This is a great option as not only do you get the maximum time diving, but you also get to see both places.
There is also an airport close to Labuan Bajo, the recently upgraded Komodo Airport, with flights from Bali and other smaller Indonesian airports. The airport is close to Labuan Bajo, about a 20-minute walk or a few minutes in a taxi. International flights are also possible to Bali; from there, you can connect to Labuan Bajo. If you want to save a little money, a good idea is to fly to Bima and take the bus to Labuan Bajo.
