Labuan Bajo Town

Labuan Bajo has grown from a fishing village into a busy small town in little more than a decade, but it is still compact. The main road, Jalan Soekarno Hatta, runs along the waterfront past dive shops, tour offices, cafés and the marina, with the hills rising steeply behind. Almost every boat into Komodo National Park leaves from here.

Book boat trips in person along the main road or, better, directly with an operator before you arrive, especially from June to September. Hotels range from backpacker hostels and simple guesthouses near the harbour to boutique hotels and resorts on the hillsides with views over the bay, and along Pede beach to the south.

In the evenings, the waterfront fills up for sunset. The Kampung Ujung seafood market serves grilled fish at plastic tables by the water, and the hilltop bars and rooftop restaurants face west over the islands. Komodo Airport is a ten-minute drive from the centre.