Hello Pete... Excellent article and information about Komodo. Can you share the name of the 2 days 1 night slow boat company you had the great experience with?
Hello Pete... Excellent article and information about Komodo. Can you share the name of the 2 days 1 night slow boat company you had the great experience with?
Hey Cliff,
Thank you for the comments. I went with Christopher's Tour near Cafe In Hit Coffee Shop on the main street of Labuan Bajo but it doesn't really matter which one you pick, because they all sourced from the same place (unless it's a big company that runs private tours) and everyone will be separated into whatever boats that are available, depending on how big your groups are. Basically, you can start from there and walk around, asking for quotes and find the one you feel comfortable with. Some people paid less than I did and they got the exact same experience, Haha. :) Simply spend one morning and find the best one with the best itinerary, comes with snorkeling gear, and cheap. One thing to note is to not get your tour from the airport. They are either more expensive or not very trustworthy IMO.
Good luck with the trip! It is definitely worth it!
Catarina
How much it cost for 2D1N cruise with christopher´s?
I send them an e-mail and they told me 550 australian dollar for 2 people. I think its much more expensive than what you describe, right?
Do you think its easy to find spots for the next day? Because I'll only be in komodo islands from 3 days, so if everything is sold out, isnt worth it the visit.
How much it cost for 2D1N cruise with christopher´s?
I send them an e-mail and they told me 550 australian dollar for 2 people. I think its much more expensive than what you describe, right?
Do you think its easy to find spots for the next day? Because I'll only be in komodo islands from 3 days, so if everything is sold out, isnt worth it the visit.
Hi Catarina,
I paid 900,000 IDR which is a tad more expensive than some other people on my boat who bought it from a different agency at 800,000 IDR so use that as a base price for negotiation. :)
Yeah, that's too expensive. Do not book anything online. Go to Labuan Bajo and pick the tour you like from the hundreds of agency along the main tourist road. I went in summer 2018, bought the tour a day before no problem. I'm pretty certain there will be plenty of space available on these tours.
Otherwise, if there's no space available on the next day, you can also do a day tour on your third day which might be a little too tight but you will surely get to do something there. It's hard to believe though that there will be no tours available on the next day. There are so many!
I hope this helps!
Jacqui
Very helpful article, thank you. Do these tours run every day or are there preferable days that we should aim for? Thanks!
Very helpful article, thank you. Do these tours run every day or are there preferable days that we should aim for? Thanks!
Hi Jacqui,
Yes, they do run everyday, in the early morning so you can just go to Labuan Bajo and find a tour agency that have an itinerary you like and you can go the next day or the day after. 🙂
I paid 900,000 IDR which is a tad more expensive than some other people on my boat who bought it from a different agency at 800,000 IDR so use that as a base price for negotiation. :)
Yeah, that's too expensive. Do not book anything online. Go to Labuan Bajo and pick the tour you like from the hundreds of agency along the main tourist road. I went in summer 2018, bought the tour a day before no problem. I'm pretty certain there will be plenty of space available on these tours.
Otherwise, if there's no space available on the next day, you can also do a day tour on your third day which might be a little too tight but you will surely get to do something there. It's hard to believe though that there will be no tours available on the next day. There are so many!
I hope this helps!
Thank you!
Do you remember the name of the agency you book?
Thank you!
Do you remember the name of the agency you book?
It was super helpfull!!
I think it was Christopher Adventure travel agency in Labuan Bajo but they are cheaper ones as my friend got 900,000 IDR from some other agency in the same area. Be sure to browse through some of them when you are there on your first day before picking one. Who knows, you might even find cheaper than 900,000 IDR. :)
Mark
Hey
Do you maybe know what they will charge for this 2day/1night trip if you want a private boat for just 2.
Do you maybe know what they will charge for this 2day/1night trip if you want a private boat for just 2.
Greetings from Germany
Hey Mark,
I don't have personal experience with that but you might be able to charter a yacht out for around 800 USD per day or you can also charter a speed boat which should be cheaper. There are several private charters like Aquamarine Yacht Charter along Labuan Bajo main street so you might be able to go there and book it in person to actually get a better price than booking it online.
I hope this helps!
Owen
Hello Pete, I have one further question about the 2D/1N boat you were on. Were the sleeping arrangements for that particular boat bunk-type accommodations or cabins (whether shared or private)? Thanks.
Hello Pete, I have one further question about the 2D/1N boat you were on. Were the sleeping arrangements for that particular boat bunk-type accommodations or cabins (whether shared or private)? Thanks.
Hey Owen,
On our boat, there was one family who had their own room but all the other backpackers were provided with a blanket and a cushion to sleep under the deck together. For me, the deck was too hot so me and a couple of people went up and slept under the stars on the deck which was pretty cool. Anyhow, the sleeping arrangement was pretty comfortable for a boat imo.
I hope this helps!
Hannah
Really helpful article Pete, thank you! You mention not to go on Sundays or national holidays, but it's likely we'll be in LBJ over Christmas - do you think this will affect the availability and/or prices?
Rose Rahman
Very helpful tips, thank you Pete. One thing tho, is the boat smoke free? I am super sensitive to cigarette & vape smokes. Thank you...
Really helpful article Pete, thank you! You mention not to go on Sundays or national holidays, but it's likely we'll be in LBJ over Christmas - do you think this will affect the availability and/or prices?
Hey Hannah,
When it comes to availabilities, Christmas should be fine as from what I have heard, Christmas holiday isn't as big around here when compare to how the west celebrates. We are more keen on celebrating New Years. I don't have first hand experience though so I am not 100% certain.
Although I haven't heard any complain from our readers regarding availabilities so I assume it isn't much different. If you have a different experience when you are there, feel free to keep us inform and I will update the article accordingly. :)
Very helpful tips, thank you Pete. One thing tho, is the boat smoke free? I am super sensitive to cigarette & vape smokes. Thank you...
Hey Rose,
The boat I was on has an open-air deck so even if someone smokes, you would barely be affected by it. That said, you might smell gasoline when the boat's engine is on while it is stationary. Fortunately, that doesn't happen very often. They do turn off the engine when it's nighttime so the smell went away pretty quickly.
I hope this helps ease your mind!
Damir
Hey Pete, great article! I have booked my scuba diving trip to Komodo Island with a liveaboard 7d/6n. I will have 2,5 days after we disembark and wanted to do a 2d/1n boat/trek tour. I've read that some people say you shouldn't book those boats on spot as some boats are not as safe (apparently 2 of those boats capsized) and that you should book online before arriving. The online price would be much higher. What do you recommend? Should I wait until I arrive and book the 2d/1n boat or do it online and pay more but have a safer boat? If booking once I'm there I will only have an afternoon to find something as I have to take the boat the next day, will it be enough time to find something decent?
Hey Pete, great article! I have booked my scuba diving trip to Komodo Island with a liveaboard 7d/6n. I will have 2,5 days after we disembark and wanted to do a 2d/1n boat/trek tour. I've read that some people say you shouldn't book those boats on spot as some boats are not as safe (apparently 2 of those boats capsized) and that you should book online before arriving. The online price would be much higher. What do you recommend? Should I wait until I arrive and book the 2d/1n boat or do it online and pay more but have a safer boat? If booking once I'm there I will only have an afternoon to find something as I have to take the boat the next day, will it be enough time to find something decent?
Cheers,
Damir
Hi Damir,
That's great! The Komodo island is definitely worth it. Regarding the boat, I think it is ok to book on the spot but be sure to ask them how big the boat actually is and how many people will there be on the boat. The larger ones, like that one I was on, is less prone to capsizing. It was accommodating around 24 people including the crew. The ones that were capsizing, even on the day I was aboard, were the small ones with lots of people. Just make sure to ask them to see the boat or the photos of their boat before you book and you should be fine.
I would recommend you come and check the condition for yourself on the island. If it is not satisfactory, you can always go with the expensive one while in Labuan Bajo. No need to pay premium to book online imo. Your time limit is not ideal but it is possible. I had no problem finding one the next day when I was there. Now, they are suffering from low number of tourists as well so you should have no trouble finding a spot.
That said, this is just my 2 cents and if you don't feel comfortable going and booking on the spot, you can pay a bit more for reassurance, and travel stress free. :) I hope this helps.
Hi Pete,
Thank you for this post! It's so informative and just what I needed! My son loves komodo dragons and we're planning to visit them in a few year's time. Is the only way around the islands by boat? We are not swimmers but better start learning! We ideally want to visit pink beach, Rinca Island and Komodo NP - what do you recommend is a good length of time on these islands - is a day each possible?
Nampeung
Hi Pete,
Thank you for sharing your experience and information. Very wonderful trip!
A question - if my flight arrive Labuan Bajo around 4pm, will there still be tour guides selling trips in town around 5-6pm? I’d like to get on the boat for a 2D1N on the next day.
Thanks in advance! :)
Benjamin Hirsch
Hey Pete! Do the tours run all year round? My sister and I want to go, but we will be there in February (wet season) is this a problem?
Hey Pete! Do the tours run all year round? My sister and I want to go, but we will be there in February (wet season) is this a problem?
Hey Benjamin, usually they do run all year round but it all depends on the weather on the day of your trip. The weather can turn bad even in the best of months which might lead to your trip being cancelled so I would suggest you go for but do have some contingency plan in case the weather turns bad during the day of your visit. Spare some buffer days if you can in case you might want to wait the weather out.
I hope this helps!
Jay
Hi Pete,
Great complete article! 🙏🏽
How tough are the hikes at Komodo or other surrounding islands? We’re planning to go coming April with our dad who will be 80 (but still super strong 💪🏽) by that time.
Great complete article! 🙏🏽
How tough are the hikes at Komodo or other surrounding islands? We’re planning to go coming April with our dad who will be 80 (but still super strong 💪🏽) by that time.
Hi Jay, if you are active, you should be able to hike just fine. It's not very high. The heat can be unbearable so I'd stick to hiking in the morning or evening. That said, if you are fine walking uphill for about 30 minutes, you should able to hike to the viewpoint on Padar Island just fine. :)
Hi Jay, if you are active, you should be able to hike just fine. It's not very high. The heat can be unbearable so I'd stick to hiking in the morning or evening. That said, if you are fine walking uphill for about 30 minutes, you should able to hike to the viewpoint on Padar Island just fine. :)
Great! Thank you for the reply 🙏🏽
Arunabha Roy
Helo Pete,
Please let us know whether options are there for us to take 2D boat trip and cover all the places you mentioned in 2D and 1 Night boat tour based out of Labuan Bajo as we would prefer NOT to sleep in the boat. We will also not like to miss the sunrise from Pedar Island.
Thanks and Regards
Hello Pete... Excellent article and information about Komodo. Can you share the name of the 2 days 1 night slow boat company you had the great experience with?
Hey Cliff,
Thank you for the comments. I went with Christopher's Tour near Cafe In Hit Coffee Shop on the main street of Labuan Bajo but it doesn't really matter which one you pick, because they all sourced from the same place (unless it's a big company that runs private tours) and everyone will be separated into whatever boats that are available, depending on how big your groups are. Basically, you can start from there and walk around, asking for quotes and find the one you feel comfortable with. Some people paid less than I did and they got the exact same experience, Haha. :) Simply spend one morning and find the best one with the best itinerary, comes with snorkeling gear, and cheap. One thing to note is to not get your tour from the airport. They are either more expensive or not very trustworthy IMO.
Good luck with the trip! It is definitely worth it!
How much it cost for 2D1N cruise with christopher´s?
I send them an e-mail and they told me 550 australian dollar for 2 people. I think its much more expensive than what you describe, right?
Do you think its easy to find spots for the next day? Because I'll only be in komodo islands from 3 days, so if everything is sold out, isnt worth it the visit.
Hi Catarina,
I paid 900,000 IDR which is a tad more expensive than some other people on my boat who bought it from a different agency at 800,000 IDR so use that as a base price for negotiation. :)
Yeah, that's too expensive. Do not book anything online. Go to Labuan Bajo and pick the tour you like from the hundreds of agency along the main tourist road. I went in summer 2018, bought the tour a day before no problem. I'm pretty certain there will be plenty of space available on these tours.
Otherwise, if there's no space available on the next day, you can also do a day tour on your third day which might be a little too tight but you will surely get to do something there. It's hard to believe though that there will be no tours available on the next day. There are so many!
I hope this helps!
Very helpful article, thank you. Do these tours run every day or are there preferable days that we should aim for? Thanks!
Hi Jacqui,
Yes, they do run everyday, in the early morning so you can just go to Labuan Bajo and find a tour agency that have an itinerary you like and you can go the next day or the day after. 🙂
Thank you!
Do you remember the name of the agency you book?
It was super helpfull!!
I think it was Christopher Adventure travel agency in Labuan Bajo but they are cheaper ones as my friend got 900,000 IDR from some other agency in the same area. Be sure to browse through some of them when you are there on your first day before picking one. Who knows, you might even find cheaper than 900,000 IDR. :)
Hey
Do you maybe know what they will charge for this 2day/1night trip if you want a private boat for just 2.
Greetings from Germany
Hey Mark,
I don't have personal experience with that but you might be able to charter a yacht out for around 800 USD per day or you can also charter a speed boat which should be cheaper. There are several private charters like Aquamarine Yacht Charter along Labuan Bajo main street so you might be able to go there and book it in person to actually get a better price than booking it online.
I hope this helps!
Hello Pete, I have one further question about the 2D/1N boat you were on. Were the sleeping arrangements for that particular boat bunk-type accommodations or cabins (whether shared or private)? Thanks.
Hey Owen,
On our boat, there was one family who had their own room but all the other backpackers were provided with a blanket and a cushion to sleep under the deck together. For me, the deck was too hot so me and a couple of people went up and slept under the stars on the deck which was pretty cool. Anyhow, the sleeping arrangement was pretty comfortable for a boat imo.
I hope this helps!
Really helpful article Pete, thank you! You mention not to go on Sundays or national holidays, but it's likely we'll be in LBJ over Christmas - do you think this will affect the availability and/or prices?
Very helpful tips, thank you Pete. One thing tho, is the boat smoke free? I am super sensitive to cigarette & vape smokes. Thank you...
Hey Hannah,
When it comes to availabilities, Christmas should be fine as from what I have heard, Christmas holiday isn't as big around here when compare to how the west celebrates. We are more keen on celebrating New Years. I don't have first hand experience though so I am not 100% certain.
Although I haven't heard any complain from our readers regarding availabilities so I assume it isn't much different. If you have a different experience when you are there, feel free to keep us inform and I will update the article accordingly. :)
Hey Rose,
The boat I was on has an open-air deck so even if someone smokes, you would barely be affected by it. That said, you might smell gasoline when the boat's engine is on while it is stationary. Fortunately, that doesn't happen very often. They do turn off the engine when it's nighttime so the smell went away pretty quickly.
I hope this helps ease your mind!
Hey Pete, great article! I have booked my scuba diving trip to Komodo Island with a liveaboard 7d/6n. I will have 2,5 days after we disembark and wanted to do a 2d/1n boat/trek tour. I've read that some people say you shouldn't book those boats on spot as some boats are not as safe (apparently 2 of those boats capsized) and that you should book online before arriving. The online price would be much higher. What do you recommend? Should I wait until I arrive and book the 2d/1n boat or do it online and pay more but have a safer boat? If booking once I'm there I will only have an afternoon to find something as I have to take the boat the next day, will it be enough time to find something decent?
Cheers,
Damir
Hi Damir,
That's great! The Komodo island is definitely worth it. Regarding the boat, I think it is ok to book on the spot but be sure to ask them how big the boat actually is and how many people will there be on the boat. The larger ones, like that one I was on, is less prone to capsizing. It was accommodating around 24 people including the crew. The ones that were capsizing, even on the day I was aboard, were the small ones with lots of people. Just make sure to ask them to see the boat or the photos of their boat before you book and you should be fine.
I would recommend you come and check the condition for yourself on the island. If it is not satisfactory, you can always go with the expensive one while in Labuan Bajo. No need to pay premium to book online imo. Your time limit is not ideal but it is possible. I had no problem finding one the next day when I was there. Now, they are suffering from low number of tourists as well so you should have no trouble finding a spot.
That said, this is just my 2 cents and if you don't feel comfortable going and booking on the spot, you can pay a bit more for reassurance, and travel stress free. :) I hope this helps.
Hi Pete,
Thank you for this post! It's so informative and just what I needed! My son loves komodo dragons and we're planning to visit them in a few year's time. Is the only way around the islands by boat? We are not swimmers but better start learning! We ideally want to visit pink beach, Rinca Island and Komodo NP - what do you recommend is a good length of time on these islands - is a day each possible?
Hi Pete,
Thank you for sharing your experience and information. Very wonderful trip!
A question - if my flight arrive Labuan Bajo around 4pm, will there still be tour guides selling trips in town around 5-6pm? I’d like to get on the boat for a 2D1N on the next day.
Thanks in advance! :)
Hey Pete! Do the tours run all year round? My sister and I want to go, but we will be there in February (wet season) is this a problem?
Hey Benjamin, usually they do run all year round but it all depends on the weather on the day of your trip. The weather can turn bad even in the best of months which might lead to your trip being cancelled so I would suggest you go for but do have some contingency plan in case the weather turns bad during the day of your visit. Spare some buffer days if you can in case you might want to wait the weather out.
I hope this helps!
Hi Pete,
Great complete article! 🙏🏽
How tough are the hikes at Komodo or other surrounding islands? We’re planning to go coming April with our dad who will be 80 (but still super strong 💪🏽) by that time.
Hi Jay, if you are active, you should be able to hike just fine. It's not very high. The heat can be unbearable so I'd stick to hiking in the morning or evening. That said, if you are fine walking uphill for about 30 minutes, you should able to hike to the viewpoint on Padar Island just fine. :)
Great! Thank you for the reply 🙏🏽
Helo Pete,
Please let us know whether options are there for us to take 2D boat trip and cover all the places you mentioned in 2D and 1 Night boat tour based out of Labuan Bajo as we would prefer NOT to sleep in the boat. We will also not like to miss the sunrise from Pedar Island.
Thanks and Regards