Wanua Adventures Komodo Island Boat Tour – Lombok to Flores

Nevertheless these beautiful and magnificent creatures are a treat to get to see up close and personal. Komodo Dragons are also just one of the many species you will see on the 2019 Komodo Island Tour with Wanua Adventures.

HOW TO SEE KOMODO ISLAND AND THE KOMODO DRAGONS

The Komodo Dragons live on the Komodo Islands of Indonesia. The islands themselves are protected so that these prehistoric creatures can roam free among their natural environment. There are two main ways of seeing the islands and thus the Komodo Dragons.

The first way is to fly to Labuan Bajo and spend the night in the small diving town. Then you can take a day trip to Komodo Island and Rinca Island to see the National Parks and the Komodo dragons. This is a great option if:

• You don’t have a lot of time.
• All you want to see are the Komodo Dragons
• Are traveling with kids or older family members.
• Easily get sea sick

The other option is to take a 4 Day and 3 night Boat Adventure Cruise from Lombok to Labuan Bajo. This is a great option if:

• You have at least 5 days to spare at sea.
• Don’t easily get sea sick.
• Looking to get the most out of your money. 
• Interested in seeing other islands, sea life, and animals.
• Enjoy snorkeling and island land adventures.

My recommendation is to choose the second option. The Komodo Island Boat Trip with Wanua Adventures,  and go on an adventure of a lifetime.

WHO TO BOOK WITH:

There are lots of companies that do the same tour from Lombok to Labuan Bajo. The price can vary between $160 USD to $500 USD. It all depends on your budget but regardless you will want to confirm the amenities that are provided on the boat and any extra costs that might be included.

The company that I recommend would Wanua Adventures. There are three main spots you can book your ticket for the Wanua Adventures: Kuta Lombok, Bandung Lombok and Gili Trawangan. Keep in mind that the price should be around $160 USD for the entire trip. If you book on Gili Trawangan you will end up spending more like $200 USD for the same ticket.

Your ticket will include a transfer to the main offices from where you purchase your ticket.

For example: I purchased my ticket in Bandung so I had to get from Gili T to the Bandung Ferry Port. Then from there I had a free shuttle bus take me to the Wanua Adventures Offices.

If you purchase your ticket in Kuta Lombok then your ticket will include a transfer to the Wanua Adventures Offices in Apenan. But it will cost a little extra for the transfer.

Why Book with Wanua Adventures:

After researching all of the companies I decided to go with Wanua Adventures because:

• It had great reviews by travelers and locals.
• It had an onboard shower.
• Food was provided and delicious. (Vegetarian and Vegan options were available).
• The prices were fair
• The itinerary was ideal

THE TRIP SCHEDULE

The entire Komodo Island Boat Trip with Wanua Adventures took 4 full days and three nights.

DAY 1:

Guests make their way to the offices in Ampenan, Lombok. I was coming from Gili Trawangan so I needed to take a ferry from Gili T to the Bandung port and then a shuttle picked me up and took me to the offices.

Once everyone has checked in, the entire group is bustled into vans and you drive for around 2 hours to where the harbor on East Lombok.

Everyone boards the boat and gets settled in.There are lite snacks available for everyone and then you set sail for the first island: Kenawa Island. At the island you can swim, snorkel and there is a small optional hike to the top of a hill to watch the sunset.

INSIDER TIP: Before boarding the boat be sure to buy snacks for the trip. Chips, cookies, chocolate etc are a great idea to bring along as there will be limited places to buy any of the above and where they do sell it the price is really high.

DAY 2:

The second day starts off early with the arrival to Moyo Island. This was one of my favorite days of the trip. Once on the island of Moyo the group can participate in a small walk to a nearby waterfall. Don’t Miss Out! The walk is less than 10 minutes and the waterfall is astounding.

After Moyo Island you set sail for the rest of the day, stopping once for a quick swim before continuing on.

INSIDER TIP: Day 2 is spent almost entirely at sea so if there is even the slightest risk of you getting a little bit sea sick, I would suggest bring some medicine just to have with you. Also, cards and books are handy to have for downtime.

DAY 3:

Starts off with looking for Manta Rays. The boat will sail to specific spots that are known for spotting Mantas. On my boat trip, on our way to these locations, we say a group of Dolphins playing in the water.

Once we reached the Manta spots we jumped into the water to try to get a better look. Never in my life have I been more afraid and calm at the same time. Once we were in the water we could see close to 15 Manta Rays swimming through the water. The magnificent creatures are astounding. They glide through the water as if they are flying and bring with them a peaceful energy.

I can honestly say that it was one of the best experiences of my life.

After the Manta Ray swimming the boat sets sail for Komodo Island. Komodo Island is considered a National Park. The entire island is inhabited by the Komodo Dragons but only a specific section is available for tourists to take a look around. The National Park works hard to maintain the natural environment of the Dragons.

The Dragons roam completely free which means that if you want to enter the park you have to go with a nature guide.

After the National park the boat will head towards a different part of the island called Pink Beach. Once on Pink beach you have the options of climbing to the viewpoint, snorkeling and or relaxing on the beach. Unfortunately, the beach is only pink at sunrise but the coral and the marine life are incredibile. I have never seen such healthy and vibrant coral and animals in my life.

INSIDER TIP: I recommend snorkeling first then climbing to see the view point. This spot is also where you can buy beer from passing by local boats.

DAY 4:

The last day starts bright and early at 4:00 am to catch the sunrise on Padar Island. Your tour guide will wake you up and be sure to listen to him.

INSIDER TIP: try to be in the first smaller boat going to the mainland. There is a bit of a climb to reach the lookout point and the early you start the higher the chances you will have to seeing the full sunrise.

After the sunrise you will get another chance to see more Komodo Dragons. Be sure to take it. The second stop of the day is at Rinca Island and the environment and park is much cooler than its’ more famous sister island Komodo.

There are a ton of Komodo Dragons wandering about and if you are lucky you can even see some wild monkeys, boar and buffalo.

After Rinca the boat will head to the last island, Kelor Island, for some more snorkeling and relaxing. Unfortunately this beach is fairly littered with trash so it can take away from the experience. Regardless the coral and sea life is beautiful and the beach is a perfect spot for an end of the trip beach clean up if you feel up for it #ProtecttheOcean #CleanUptheBeach

The entire adventure will end sometime around 4:30-5:00 pm on DAY 4. Our group bonded a lot so we decided to go out for a nice sit down dinner and drinks to celebrate a great adventure.

LABAUN BAJO

The last day of the Komodo Island Boat Trip with Wanua Adventures drops you off at Labuan Bajo. Labuan Bajo is a great town to explore and rest for a bit after a long trip. If you like diving, Labuan Bajo is famous for incredible dive sights. Ind addition there are is a plethora of natural habitats and wildlife in the surrounding areas.

Accommodation in Labuan Bajo:

I would recommend staying at Ciao Hostel. It caters primarily to backpackers, as most of the rooms are dorms, but it is clean, welcoming and cheap. The hostel is located on one of the cliff tops and overlooks the port. It has the best view I have ever seen from a hostel.You can read my review of Ciao Hostel HERE: Trip Advisor and Booking.com .  

Since it is a little bit out of the way, the Hostel provides a free shuttle around the town and to the airport, which is less than 10 minutes away driving.

The closest airport has flights going daily to Bali, Jakarta and Lombok as well as other locations in Indonesia and Abroad. While in Indonesia I tend to fly with: Molindo, Air Asia and Lion Air.

INSIDER TIP: DO NOT FORGET to purchase your checked baggage when you purchase your ticket online. The price can triple if you forget and have to pay at the airport.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Overall, the Komodo Island Boat Trip with Wanua Adventures was one of the highlights of my time in Southeast Asia. I would highly recommend it to anyone. If you have questions or comments about the trip please feel free to leave them in the comments below.

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