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Wowod Wiwied
Labuan Bajo is accessible by air, land, and sea. Its favorable location on the Island of Flores and entry port to the Komodo islands make Labuan Bajo a potential growing destination, aside to its rich agricultural potentials.
By Air –
Flying to Labuan Bajo is possible for the Komodo Airport (LBJ) is open for operation. Transnusa Airlines are directly connecting Labuan Bajo with several cities in Indonesia, such as: Denpasar, Kupang, Ende, and Mataram. With connecting flights, Labuan Bajo is also connected with Kalabahi in Alor. It also connects with Bajawa, Sikka, Manggarai, and Larantuka via Ende, Kupang, Maumere, Ruteng, and Tambolaka. Please go to its website for more detailed flight schedules, here.
Batavia Air has started operating Surabaya-Denpasar-Kupang-Maumere-Kupang flights using B737-200 aircraft. Flights to Maumere are 4 times weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.
While Merpati Nusantara Airlines flies Kupang-Maumere, and Garuda Indonesia flies only Jakarta-Kupang (on the Island of Timor) from where you can connect on local airlines to Flores.
You can check flight details at indonesia.travel: click on Flights to Indonesia at this web's home page.
Overland
An overland trip across the Island of Flores is possible but costly, connecting Labuan Bajo in the westernmost part to the renowned destinations in the eastern part. Regarded as the hinterland to the more advanced development in Bali and Lombok, infrastructures here is limited and so is transportation. The consequence would logically fall to the cost of transportation. A four-day trip from Lombok or Bali to Labuan Bajo may cost you IDR 1,000,000 (around US$ 100) per person. A much costly yet convenient way of getting there and around is by renting a 7-seater. The condition of vehicles are said to be above average, but the roads are not. Taking antimo (pill for motion sickness) is usually recommended by your driver.
A bus from Denpasar, Bali, would probably go to Mataram in Lombok. From there you are set to take a long overland adventure in the bus to Bima, Sumbawa. In Bima, you will resume the exhausting trip to Sape. As you kiss the land in Sape, you can take a ferry to Labuan Bajo for around IDR 40,000 for eight hours (in 2009). If you have no interest in photography, this overland trip can be a distressing challenge. However, with all the hours and places passed, an adventure photographer would be very pleased.
If you can imagine very well the kind of transportation when people say ‘bemo’ or ‘angkot’, then you must redefine the mental picture for the same moniker. Angkot or bemo in Flores can be a bit bigger, and as a matter of fact it is twice as big. You would probably panic when the people direct you to a diesel-powered truck. This transport is especially chosen, if not designed, for Flores to adapt with the challenge of its beautiful but harsh nature.
Lonely Planet has good updated information as to the non-existence of a bus terminal in Labuan Bajo. You need to have a good relationship with the people in your hotel so you can have a friendly assistance when ordering a bus ticket to get out. The price might be a little higher if you order a bus ticket from your hotel or a travel agency. If you have an advanced ticket, the bus will pick you up from your hotel.
To reach Ruteng (four hours), the cost would go around IDR 30,000 per person. To Bajawa (ten hours), it will cost you IDR 70,000. The bus departs as early as 6 am. Do not be late for this one. To reach Ende with its 15-hour trip, it cost you IDR 105,000. A couple of thousand IDRs should be wisely invested on the pill of motion sickness pacifier, the antimo. You might have a strong stomach, but it is highly recommended that you do not speculate on this, especially when you take the passenger truck. Choose a seat in the middle of it, if you must. Do not sit at the rear as antimo has no influence around this projectile area. It could be fun, but four to ten hours of this ride is definitely a little too much.
Several places of interests are:
Ruteng
Bajawa Village
Riung
Ende, including the blue stone beach
Mt. Kelimutu with its three-hued lakes
Moni Village, and
Maumere, including exceptional routes to: Wuring, the sea-gypsy village, Sikka, and Paga Beach.
By sea
It is very convenient if you join one of the liveaboards serving Komodo and Flores. Many travelers come home satisfied after a week or longer on one of these around eastern Indonesia, as they get wise enough to choose the package, perfect timing, and best spots. Make sure the time of visit and weather condition fit one another. Never speculate on one aspect that will put you hapless.
Once every two weeks, Tilongkabila from PELNI is the ship cruising from Beno, Lembar, and Bima. It also crosses the Java Sea to Sulawesi’s east coast. Tatamailau from the same company plies Maumere, Timor, and West Papua.
Komodo National Park is definitely an ultimate destination as you head to Labuan Bajo. Imagine this is a life size Jurassic Park in your own lifetime travel. The dragon is far from either mythical or animated animal as depicted in the Hollywood movie. But, be very careful as you come across a Komodo, however lazy it looks. A ranger will guide you along the trip within the national park and show you the best places. Female travelers are advised to make sure that you are not within a menstrual period, or you will turn the long journey into a waste of time, energy, and money. The rangers in Komodo National Park will never allow female visitors to enter the park during menstrual period, as the scent of fresh blood agitates and attracts the Komodo dragon to approach with an unpredictable appetite. Aside from all these simple etiquettes, every corner of the park, especially on the hilltop is picturesque and worth the trouble and the lengthy journey.
On the westernmost tip of the Island of Flores, the town of Labuan Bajo, or also spelled Labuhan Bajo sits peacefully: a small fishing site with surprisingly comprehensive tourist facilities. The central logic for its wide range of amenities is the extraordinary interest of travelers to the existence of the Komodo dragon, locally called ora, if not for its superb national park that encompasses some 80 islands.
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