Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara

Labuan Bajo is a small fishing town in West Manggarai Regency, Flores. The town has now become the capital city of West Manggarai. It is also the main starting point for Komodo island tours and ferries to Sape, West Nusa Tenggara.

There are 4 mains places which are different activities; tourist activities, Government offices, and the fishing village. On the east side, there are villages that are mostly farmers.

Getting to Labuan Bajo

There are some best ways to get there, you can go by boat, flight, and bus. Here are the recommendations:

Ferries from Sape offer daily departures between 09.00 AM and 04.00 PM.
Big ship (PELNI) lands twice a month from Bali, Lombok, and Sulawesi.
Take a Komodo island boat trip from Lombok or Bali
Flight from Denpasar, or Jakarta. Check flight schedules for Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, Sky Aviation, and Wings Air.
Buses from Ruteng and Ende. You will need approximately 12 hours from Ende and about 5 hours from Ruteng.

Accommodations & Restaurants

Labuan Bajo has become one of the developed tourism destinations in Indonesia. In the last few years, the increase in accommodations has rapidly spread around the city. As well as restaurants from local foods to Western cuisine are also spread around the city.

Accommodations start from backpackers, mid-range to the stars. Most stars are located on the Southside and Northside. While in the middle of the city there are backpackers to mid-range.

Backpackers & midrange Hotels:

Golo Hilltop hotel ranges IDR 500.000 per night, and some online portals might offer discounts.
Ciao Hostel, price range IDR 300.000 per night.
Komodo Lodge, price range IDR 400.000 per night.
Kasuwari Hotel, prices range from IDR 250.000 per night.
La Prima Hotel prices range from IDR 900.000 per night.

Star Accommodations:

Bintang Flores, prices range from IDR 1000.000 per night.
Plataran Komodo Resort, prices range from IDR 2.550.000 per night.
Jayakarta Suites Komodo, prices range from IDR 1000.000 per night
Ayana Komodo Resort, prices range from IDR 3.000.000 per night

There are still many hotels to try to find with some trusted online bookings platform.

Getting Around

It is simple to get around the city, just rent a motorbike, private car, or Bemo (public transportation). Motor rentals are easy to find, just down the main street along the way to the harbor. Seeing some small shops on the way, they normally put standing boards on said Rent Motor Bike or car rentals.