Getting there
- There are direct buses from Ende to Labuan Bajo.
- At Losmen Islas (Ende) you can charter their minibus to Labuan for 400.000 Rp. We also met some people who did the Maumere-Labuan Bajo stretch by hired car with driver. This trip can take 2 to 3 days and typically includes a visit to Moni and Bajawa (for the 3 days tour). Price is around 500.000 Rp (5/98).
- There is 1 ferry a day departing from Sumbawa in the morning and arriving around 5 pm "depending on the current" and vice versa. This ferry stops in Komodo, but not every day, check it out first.
- Update 9/98: However, 1 of the 2 ferries has broken down, so there's only 1 ferry who has to do the 2 crossings on its own. The schedule nowadays is like this:
1) From monday to thursday: Labuan-Sape in the morning and Sape-Labuan in the afternoon (arriving around midnight).
2) From friday to sunday: the opposite.
- Update 8/99: 1 of the 2 ferries is still broken. However, the schedule has changed a bit with ferries leaving Labuan at 8 am and returning from Sape in the evening. There are no ferries on wednesday and tuesday (courtesy of Marco Valentinuzzi).
- Update 2/2000: the ferry is still not repaired, so the schedule above is still right.
1) CONCLUSION: Check this story before leaving, once the ferry is repaired, it should be as before: a ferry leaving in either direction in the morning.
- There's a plane to Denpasar for 640.000 Rp one way. Flights are on Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, but they are frequently cancelled (2/2000). To get back, make sure you have cash roupiahs, credit card is not accepted.
Accomodation - New Bajo Beach Hotel: the most expensive hotel at a beach 2 km south of the center. It has AC rooms for 75.000 Rp, but it lacks atmosphere, it's located away from the action (although on a beach) and the breakfast is poor. Not recommended.
- Hotel Wisata: extremely clean hotel with rooms for 20.000 Rp,, but location could be better.
- Hotel Gardena: very popular hotel with superb location and nice atmosphere. Rooms are nothing special. Price is 20.000 Rp including a reasonable breakfast.
- Waecicu beach resort: nice beach, excellent snorkeling, rooms are basic with no running water: 30.000 Rp p.p. including meals for a double room or bungalow with hammock is 38.000 Rp (2/2000). We heard that food was not to good, but recent reports (2/2000) say there's a new staff and food is good. Other people however loved it and really recommended the place. Daytrips to Rinca can be organized by hotel staff. There's also an Australian diving master offering PADI courses (2/2000).
Restaurants
The Borobudur restaurant next to the Gardena has excellent fish dishes and fruit juices (although I got sick on the return trip to Maumere).
Going to Komodo - If you don't want to go by ferry, you will need to charter a boat. Don't take the 1 day trip, because you will only go to Komodo and you will spend more time on the boat then on the island, and you will arrive there when it's very hot.
- Take the 2-day trip. This trip costs 260.000 Rp for 2 persons everything included (entrance fee is 20.000 Rp p.p. nowadays). Price per person will go down if you go with other people. you have to bargain, we heard of other people paying 500.000 for a 1 day trip! But also check the quality of the boat. Make sure you have warm clothing, nights are cold and blankets are not so good. Also make sure the boat has a toilet. If it is Ramadan, take a Christian cook. You could also buy a line, hooks and squid and fish a bit. Drownings have been reported.
- I had a report from someone doing a 3 day trip for just 250.000 Rp including food for 5 people (2/2000).
- We liked the trip very much. First we stopped for snorkeling, then we went to Rinca. Rinca is definitely worth the trip. We saw not only 6 dragons, but also buffaloes, deer, monkeys and the beautiful landscape.Then we went to Flying foxes island. This is full of bats who take off when it gets dark: spectacular.
- We spent the night on the boat, and early in the morning we went to Komodo. We arrived at 7 am and went into the park. We saw about 7 dragons, bigger then in Rinca.
- Then we went snorkeling again and then went back.
Going to Komodo from Lombok There are regular tourist boats departing from eastern Lombok to Labuan Bajo. They stop in several places for sight seeing and snorkeling. They will also stop in Rinca and Komodo. These trips take between 4 to 6 days and cost about 350.000 Rp including meals. The trip in the opposite direction is cheaper. Most people I spoke to liked it, but be prepared for a crowded boat and a menu consisting of rice and noodles and noodles and rice with some fish.
Going to Komodo from Bali If you want to go to Komodo in style and pay 500 US$ for a 4-day return ticket, you could check the Bali seadancer. They have stand-by tickets.Have a look at the Kuta page for more info.
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