AYANA Komodo Waecicu Beach

AYANA Komodo occupies a private stretch of Waecicu beach on the north coast, about ten minutes by car from the harbour. All 205 rooms and suites face the sea and have balconies, with teak, local textiles and some bathtubs angled towards the view. A 250-metre jetty runs out over the reef to the resort's boats.

There are seven places to eat and drink, including KISIK seafood grill on the sand, HonZEN teppanyaki and the UNIQUE rooftop bar, one of the most popular sunset spots in Labuan Bajo. The spa has five treatment rooms and an oceanfront yoga deck. Since 2018 the Marine Discovery Centre has replanted coral off the jetty, and guests can join planting sessions. AYANA also runs Lako Di'a, a 54-metre phinisi with nine cabins, for park cruises.

It suits families and couples who want full resort service with island trips arranged from the jetty. It scores around 9.5 on Trip.com from over 300 reviews. Book direct on AYANA's site.