Go for the Komodo Dragons and scuba, but spend more time in Labuan Bajo

The internet is a funny place, full of information on anything you can imagine – how many metres in a fathom, what is the third largest natural harbour in the world, how closely related are red and standard pandas (1.829, Falmouth and not very). And, of course the first port of call when planning your round world trip, full of practical advice on how to avoid the visa scams at Poipet land border, how much to pay for a taxi to the pyramids and what to expect when you arrive anywhere. Usually, this research gives you an idea of what somewhere will be like and what to expect. Occasionally the reality is a crushing disappointment from the high hopes the internet has built up. I won’t name any names here, but other times, the reality of somewhere greatly exceeds the picture of it built from internet research.

And so, we come to Labuan Bajo. I couldn’t find many references (in English) online about Labuan Bajo. Most blogs on the area concentrate on the wonders of a liveaboard boat to Komodo and surrounding islands and mention the town only as a brief footnote on where to get your boat, or suggest it doesn’t have much to detain any visitors. Sure, the town isn’t huge, but it is good natured and has a bustling centre with cafes, bars and plenty of places to book those boat trips. The town also has the advantage to facing due west with a steep hillside. Walking around is a bit like being in Aberdovey on the legs, but it means everywhere has a view with a sunset aspect, and what a view it is.

We arrived from Bali where the wet season had just started to take hold, with some beautiful days and some pretty damp afternoons, but, on the western tip of Flores, it was still gloriously sunny and dry. Every tourist in Labuan Bajo wants to be there, they’ve made an effort to reach this spot, excited for the next part of their adventure or straight off a boat with pink noses and salty hair. No one has arrived here in a cheap package sun holiday or making a layover before somewhere more interesting. Even with the explosion of tourism (fuelled by the opening of the airport in 2015, previously one could only reach the town by a series of lengthy ferries or a 12 hour bus ride from Ende further east on Flores.) it still retains a vestige of the sleepy fishing town it used to be.

lt was noticeably much cleaner than most towns we’ve been to in South East Asia, without the ubiquitous piles of empty plastic bottles and food packaging on street corners. Granted, we visited shortly before Indonesia hosted the G20 2022 summit with Labuan Bajo selected as the location for an energy working group, so things could have been hastily cleaned up before then, but it feels like the town is really trying. It’s the only place since Europe where we’ve been given water in refillable glass bottles (presumably filtered to a standard for consumption) and reusable metal or bamboo straws instead of the plastic varieties. There are also bins for different types of waste in street corners. We were lucky to arrive during the Labuan Bajo Maritime Festival, a cluster of cultural and environmental events with beach clean ups, organised coral planting and a free concert staged in the town’s marina. As well as the concert, there was music everywhere and we spent a pleasant evening listing to a talented singer in the outside bar at 101 Barrique on the main street.

To add one small criticism, the fast paced opening of the area and an influx of money, (some international but mostly from Java) has led to a few disappointing planning permissions. The Meruorah Komodo, a blot of a fancy new hotel right on the waterfront is a case in point.

So, anyway, next time you’re arranging your trip to Komodo, pop an extra day into the itinerary to sit in Labuan Bajo and soak up the atmosphere over a Bintang. You can thank me when I next see you. “See you, Labuan Bajo” said the driver who dropped us at Komodo Airport for our flight to Ende. And yes, Labuan Bajo, I hope so.