Labuan Bajo
Labuan Bajo is a town on Flores island in South-East Indonesia, neighboring to the Komodo archipelago (WikiTravel entry).
Remarks
- $8-15/night for budget hotel is common
- January is the rainy season. http://www.labuan-bajo.com/labuan-bajo/weather/labuan-bajo-weather-rainfall and http://www.weather2travel.com/january/indonesia/labuan-bajo.php#weather-months
Local Facts Labuan Bajo
Getting There
- Has an airport. Flights come in from Jakarta (CGK) and Bali (DPS). It's also possible to take a boat from Bali.
Todos
- Arrange a tour of Komodo island for Komodo dragon watching
- Diving
- Snorkeling (with huge manta rays!)
- Hiking
- Rent a car and driver (1,000,000 IDR, 70 EUR) and drive through the national park
Hiking
- National Parks
- Nearby islands
- Mountains and lakes
- Batu Cermin Limestone caves
Diving
- > 10 of dive shops
- Komodo National Park has dozens of dive spots
- "Some of the greatest fish and coral diversity in the world"
- Snorkelling too
Beaches
- La Prima Beach - No shade
- Kanawa (on Kanawa island)
- Binongko (on Binongko island)
- Pede Beach (small)
Food & Drinks
- Indonesian food all around
- Burger Time is a great place for burgers, with free delivery.
- Mediterraneo for Italian food with real Parmesan cheese.
Drinks
- Le Pirate Hotel & Bar - cinema every night after sunset
- Paradise Bar - great place for watching sunsets, plus live music
- Golo Hilltop Hotel & Bar - has a pool with a view
- Waecicu Beach Inn - Grab a drink and use their furniture/beach all day
Accommodations
- Official list: http://www.tourkomodo.com/hotel/
- Waecicu Beach Inn - One of the only accommodations with a beach, scooter distance north of town. (bad reviews)
- Golo Hilltop Hotel & Bar - 12 bungalos, short walk to Paradise Bar, long walk to town centre
- Le Pirate Hotel & Bar
- Hotel orange - Very bad reviews
- Orange Guest House - Very bad reviews
- Airbnb listing 1 - Good reviews, need to contact host about exact availabilities for Jan
- MantaManta - Recent, good reviews, wifi at reception
Internet
Network Coverage
Network provider : Telkomsel
Telkomsel recently added 12 new LTE cell base stations to compliment the 20 already in Labuan Bajo. This new coverage should also include the Komodo islands and surrounding area, so you can take selfies with the dragons and upload them right away.
Carriers & Pricing
You can buy a 3G/4G SIM just outside of the Arrivals room at the airport.
WiFi most places too, but the cellular data is more reliable
Money
- 3 ATMs in town
- 1 EUR =~ 14329.68 Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)