Komodo National Park is an Indonesian archipelago between Sumbawa and Flores, reached by boat from Labuan Bajo. Its destinations divide into three sailing zones: the northern ridges and dive pinnacles, the central core of Komodo, Rinca, Padar and Pink Beach, and the remote southern bays of Nusa Kode and Gili Motang.
Updated July 2026
Most first-time visitors arrive with a list of island names — Padar, Pink Beach, Manta Point, Gili Lawa — and no sense of where any of them sit in relation to each other. That geography matters more than almost anything else you will decide, because it determines which trip length actually reaches the places you came for. This page is the map, laid out zone by zone, written by the crews who sail these waters every week.
We are komododragontour.com, the sailing arm operated by Komodo Luxury in Labuan Bajo since 2015. We own, crew and maintain our own fleet, and we arrange park permits, rangers and routing for our guests as part of every booking. Founder and CEO Agung Afif sits on the Forbes Business Council, and the company holds TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice awards 2022–2025 plus Best Boat Agency in Labuan Bajo 2025, with 4.8★ from 152 Google reviews.
Where Komodo National Park actually is
The park occupies the stretch of the Lesser Sunda Islands between Sumbawa to the west and Flores to the east, in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. It is an archipelago — three large islands (Komodo, Rinca, Padar) surrounded by dozens of smaller ones, separated by channels where the Pacific and Indian Oceans exchange water. Those currents are the reason the reefs are so rich and the reason a well-skippered boat matters.
There are no roads. Every destination inside the park is reached by boat, and every boat leaves from Labuan Bajo, the harbour town on the western tip of Flores. Labuan Bajo is roughly a one-hour flight from Bali (Denpasar), which is how the overwhelming majority of guests arrive. From the harbour, the nearest park islands are minutes away; the far southern bays are a night’s sail.
How the sailing logic works
Think of Labuan Bajo as the hinge. The central zone — Padar, Pink Beach, Komodo Island, Rinca, Manta Point, Taka Makassar — sits within comfortable reach of a single long day, which is why our full-day speedboat covers exactly those highlights. Go overnight and the northern zone opens up: Gili Lawa’s sunset ridge, the current-swept pinnacles at Castle Rock and Crystal Rock. Sail longer still, on a private charter or liveaboard, and the southern zone becomes reachable — Nusa Kode’s Horseshoe Bay, Manta Alley, Gili Motang. Very few visitors ever see the south. That is precisely its appeal.
| Zone | Position | Reached by | Signature experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near Labuan Bajo | Minutes from harbour | Any trip, including half-days | Bidadari, Rangko Cave, Batu Cermin |
| Central | Core of the park | Full-day speedboat and up | Padar viewpoint, dragon trekking, Pink Beach, mantas |
| North | Above Komodo Island | 2D1N, 3D2N and longer | Gili Lawa ridge sunset, elite dive pinnacles |
| South | Lower park, cooler water | Longer private charters and liveaboards | Horseshoe Bay dragons, Manta Alley, Gili Motang |
| Flores land | Inland from the coast | 9D8N+ extensions | Wae Rebo highland village |
Central zone — the heart of the park
If you only sail once, you sail here. The central zone holds the two ranger-guided dragon trekking sites, the park’s most photographed viewpoint, and the manta aggregation — all within a workable radius.
| Destination | What it is | Why you go | Reached on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Komodo Island (Loh Liang) | Main ranger station on the largest dragon island | Walk among wild Komodo dragons with a park ranger | Full-day and all longer trips |
| Rinca Island (Loh Buaya) | Second ranger trekking site, closer to Labuan Bajo | Dense dragon sightings, buffalo, macaques, savannah scenery | Full-day and all longer trips |
| Padar Island | Ridge viewpoint over three curved bays | The park’s defining panorama — black, white and pink sand bays in one frame | Full-day and all longer trips |
| Pink Beach (Pantai Merah) | Coral-tinted rose sand beach | Swim and snorkel off one of very few pink beaches on earth | Full-day and all longer trips |
| Manta Point (Karang Makassar) | Shallow current channel and cleaning station | Snorkel alongside reef manta rays | Full-day and all longer trips |
| Taka Makassar | Crescent sandbar in open turquoise water | Barefoot sandbar stop, usually paired with Manta Point | Full-day and all longer trips |
| Kalong Island | Mangrove roost of thousands of flying foxes | Sunset departure of the fruit-bat colony — an overnight signature | 2D1N and longer |
| Siaba Besar (Turtle City) | Sheltered bay with seagrass beds | Reliable green turtle snorkelling | Full-day and longer |
| Batu Bolong | Pinnacle reef on a strong channel | One of the park’s most celebrated walls of fish | Overnight trips |
| Tatawa Besar & Tatawa Kecil | Twin sloping reefs | Drift snorkelling over soft coral gardens | Overnight trips |
| Manjarite | Calm bay with a hillside viewpoint | Easy snorkelling and a short leg-stretch climb | Overnight trips |
| Mawan | Small beach island between reefs | Quiet swimming stop, often with rays offshore | Overnight trips |
| Kanawa Island | Fringing-reef island with a long jetty | Reef starts at the shoreline — snorkel straight off the sand | Full-day and longer |
| Kelor Island | Small hill island near the park entrance | Fifteen-minute climb for a first panorama; common opening stop | Full-day and longer |
Northern zone — ridges and current pinnacles
North of Komodo Island the water clears and the topography sharpens. This is where overnight itineraries earn their keep: you wake at anchor beneath the Gili Lawa ridges instead of burning half a day sailing out from town.
| Destination | What it is | Why you go | Reached on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gili Lawa Darat | Grass-ridged island with a 25–40 minute hike | The park’s great sunset viewpoint over a horseshoe anchorage | 2D1N, 3D2N and longer |
| Gili Lawa Laut | Neighbouring island and anchorage | Sheltered overnight mooring with reef access | 2D1N and longer |
| Castle Rock | Submerged pinnacle in strong current | Legendary schooling-fish action; a bucket-list dive site | Overnight trips and liveaboards |
| Crystal Rock | Pinnacle breaking the surface at low tide | Exceptional visibility and hard-coral cover | Overnight trips and liveaboards |
| The Cauldron (Shotgun) | Narrow channel that funnels tidal flow | The park’s most famous drift ride | Overnight trips and liveaboards |
| Sebayur | Island reef on the northern approach | Gentle snorkelling, often a first or last morning stop | 2D1N and longer |
The pinnacles above are world-class scuba sites. We describe them because they are part of the map — but dive courses and dive products belong to our sister site, komododivingtour.com. On our boats, the northern zone is sailed for the ridge hikes, the anchorages and the snorkelling.
Southern zone — the rarely-seen reward
The south is where the park stops feeling like a destination and starts feeling like an expedition. Water here runs cooler — around 22°C — because of upwelling, which changes the marine life entirely and produces the famous soft-coral colour of Cannibal Rock. These bays sit on our longer private charter and liveaboard routes, and they are the single strongest argument for adding nights to your voyage.
| Destination | What it is | Why you go | Reached on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nusa Kode (Horseshoe Bay) | Enclosed southern bay, also called Gili Dasami | Wild dragons patrol the beach in full view from the water | Longer private charters and liveaboards (5D4N and up) |
| Cannibal Rock | Seamount inside Horseshoe Bay | Among the most colour-saturated reefs in Indonesia | Longer private charters and liveaboards |
| Yellow Wall | Vertical wall carpeted in yellow soft coral | Spectacular macro life in cool, nutrient-rich water | Longer private charters and liveaboards |
| Manta Alley | Southern manta aggregation site | Manta encounters away from the central-zone crowds | Longer private charters and liveaboards |
| Gili Motang | Small, dry dragon island in the south | Dragons seen along the shoreline on one of the park’s least-visited islands | Longer private charters and liveaboards (5D4N and up) |
Near Labuan Bajo and Flores land
| Destination | What it is | Why you go | Reached on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bidadari Island | Reef island minutes from the harbour | Quick snorkel; ideal arrival-day or departure-day filler | Any trip |
| Rangko Cave | Coastal cavern with a saltwater pool | Swim in a shaft of daylight underground | Land add-on from Labuan Bajo |
| Batu Cermin | “Mirror Stone” limestone cave with marine fossils | Short guided walk showing the region’s geological past | Land add-on from Labuan Bajo |
| Wae Rebo | Highland village of conical Mbaru Niang houses | Manggarai culture at 1,100 m, a genuine trek and homestay | 9D8N and longer extensions |
Where the wild dragons live on this map
Inside Komodo National Park, wild Komodo dragons live on four islands: Komodo Island, Rinca Island, Gili Motang and Nusa Kode (Gili Dasami). Wild dragons also live on mainland Flores — at Wae Wuul, for example — which lies outside the park boundary, and that is the source of the “five islands” figure you sometimes read.
Approximate populations, and these are estimates rather than an exact census: Komodo around 1,700, Rinca around 1,300, Gili Motang under 100, Nusa Kode a small population, and Flores around 2,000.
Here is the detail that surprises almost everyone: Padar Island has no Komodo dragons. The population disappeared, last reported around 1975. Padar remains one of the park’s greatest sights and one of our most-loved stops — you climb it for the three-bay panorama, not for wildlife. Knowing this makes the view no less magnificent.
Gili Motang’s dragons carry another quirk. They are noticeably smaller than their Komodo and Rinca relatives — roughly a third shorter and considerably lighter — an adaptation to a small, dry island with less large prey available. Seeing them is one of the quiet privileges of a longer charter.
Where do you actually walk with a dragon?
Ranger-guided trekking happens at two places: Loh Liang on Komodo Island and Loh Buaya on Rinca Island. Both appear on every itinerary from the full-day speedboat upward. At Nusa Kode and Gili Motang, dragons are observed along the shorelines from the boat and the beach — at Horseshoe Bay they are often watched patrolling the sand, which is an entirely different and rarer kind of encounter.
Safety on any dragon trek
Komodo dragons are wild, dangerous animals. You must always stay with your assigned park ranger during any trek and follow their instructions. Never walk ahead of the ranger. Keep the distance the ranger sets. Do not approach or feed a dragon under any circumstance. If you have an open wound, disclose it to your guide before the trek begins — dragons detect blood at considerable range.
Park entrance fee
The Komodo National Park entrance tariff for foreign visitors is IDR 250,000 (about USD 16) per person per calendar day, set by Government Regulation PP No. 36 of 2024. It is charged per day rather than per trip, so a multi-day voyage accrues it for each day spent inside the park. The commonly quoted “IDR 650,000 for 3D2N” is an operator-bundled route ticket, not the state tariff. Small activity surcharges (harbour, snorkelling, diving) also apply. We confirm the exact current amount with you at booking and handle the payment at the park on your behalf.
Matching a trip length to the map
| Trip | Price | Map coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Full-day shared speedboat | USD 91 per person | Central zone highlights — departs Labuan Bajo around 05:00–06:00, returns 17:00–18:00 |
| Full-day private speedboat charter | USD 800 per boat | Same central zone, your own schedule and route order |
| 2D1N | About USD 250–450 per person | Central zone plus a first taste of the north and a Kalong sunset |
| 3D2N shared open trip | USD 330–850 per person, per cabin | Central and northern zones properly — our recommended minimum |
| Private whole-boat charter | From USD 5,300 per night | 4D3N to 12D11N; the longer routes open the southern zone |
Our 3D2N open trip is priced per cabin across our own vessels — Yumana Superior at USD 330, Elbark Banda Neira and Naturalia Lagoon at USD 400, Catnazse Grandis and Vinca Balinese at USD 430, Ayvara Superior at USD 450, Malca Master at USD 580, Neptune Deluxe at USD 610, Mosalaki Adonara at USD 800 and Neptune Mansard at USD 850. Extra beds run USD 250–410. Private charters start at USD 5,300 per night and rise to USD 35,000+ per night for our VVIP flagships, with a three-night minimum and an eleven-night maximum. Booking takes a 50% deposit, with the balance due 14 days before departure.
Plan your route with us
Tell us which zones matter most to you and we will build the sailing plan around them — including permits, rangers and park formalities, which we arrange for every guest. Message us on WhatsApp or email sales@komodoluxury.com, and start with our Komodo dragon tour overview or go straight to booking.