Labuan Bajo
From sleepy fishing town to Komodo's boomtown gateway — where every trip starts and ends
Labuan Bajo, on Flores' western tip, was a small fishing town until Komodo National Park tourism took off — it's now the launch point for essentially every dragon trek, liveaboard, and dive trip in the region, with an airport, harbor and hotel scene that's grown fast to match.
Quick facts
Getting there
Komodo Airport (LBJ) has direct flights from Bali (Denpasar) and Jakarta, typically 1–2 hours depending on origin — this is how nearly all visitors arrive, since overland/sea routes from elsewhere in Indonesia take considerably longer.
The town itself
A compact waterfront strip of dive shops, tour agents, restaurants and hotels has grown up fast around the harbor — walkable, increasingly built-up, with sunset views over the harbor's boat traffic being one of the town's simple daily pleasures.
Booking trips from here
Most liveaboards, day trips and dive courses are booked directly in town or through your accommodation rather than online in advance — arriving a day early to shop around operators in person, compare boats, and check recent reviews is a common and sensible approach.
Practical tips
- —Book your onward trip (liveaboard, day tour, dive course) once you're in town if you have flexibility — comparing operators in person often gets better information than booking blind online.
- —The harbor sunset is genuinely worth a walk down for, even on an arrival/departure day with limited time.
- —Accommodation and flights get noticeably pricier and scarcer in peak season (June–September) — book those specific pieces ahead even if you leave tours flexible.
- —This is a launch point, not a long-stay destination for most visitors — 1–2 nights bookending your boat trip is typical.
