First time in Indonesia: what to sort before a Komodo boat trip

Start with your passport. It needs six months' validity from the day you land and two blank pages, and officers will ask to see an onward or return ticket, so keep that somewhere handy.

Citizens of 97 countries can buy a 30-day visa on arrival, or apply for the same visa online, as an e-VoA, before they fly. An e-VoA has to be approved before you land. Use only the official immigration portal, as third-party agents add their own fee. The free All Indonesia arrival card must be submitted within the 72 hours before you arrive. If you travel via Bali, foreign visitors also pay a separate tourist levy, which is in the table.

One to verify before you travel: the visa fee. The table shows the figure we could confirm. An increase was announced in August 2026, but we found no start date and no regulation behind it, so we don't treat the new figure as fact. Check the portal in the week you fly. According to the announcement, applying online in advance will cost less than paying on arrival.

We're a charter desk, not an immigration office, and for your nationality the official list beats this page every time. Check it first, then book your flights.

Komodo Airport (LBJ) is two to three kilometres from town, about ten minutes by car from the marina. Most travellers connect through Bali, Jakarta or Surabaya. The flight from Bali takes roughly an hour and ten minutes, and from Jakarta two and a half to three hours. There are few direct international flights, so plan on a domestic connection.

The airlines and times in the table are routes we've seen and estimated block times, not a guaranteed schedule. Schedules change, so check them on the day you buy.

Our rule of thumb is to land the day before. The free pickup is at 09:30 on the morning you sail, from your hotel or the airport, and a delayed flight is the most common way to miss it. On a 3D2N, Vinca is back in Labuan Bajo between 11:00 and 12:00 on the last day, so book your flight home for after 14:00. If you can only land that same morning, send the desk your flight number and we'll tell you honestly whether 09:30 is realistic. The hotels page lists places to stay near the harbour.

In practice, you'll be paying in rupiah cash. There are cash machines along the harbour road and at the airport but none on the islands or in the park, so withdraw what you need before you board. Cards work at hotels and bigger restaurants, often with a surcharge, while warungs, taxis and small shops take cash. The table gives typical withdrawal limits and fees.

Tipping is welcome but optional. Local guides suggest different amounts, so the table gives ranges. Tip at the end of the trip, in clean notes.

Every SIM card has to be registered against a passport. Telkomsel has the best coverage around Labuan Bajo, and an eSIM installed before you fly will activate when you land. Out at sea on Vinca, you'll only get signal again near Labuan Bajo, so plan to be unreachable. The power supply is 230 V with two round-pin plugs, and cuts are more frequent than in Bali, so a phone left charging overnight may not be full by morning. Bring a power bank. Tap water isn't safe to drink, so stick to sealed bottles.

The dry season runs from April to November and the wet season from December to March. Even in the dry months, July and August bring wind and choppy crossings. The when-to-go page has the month-by-month matrix.

Flores is largely Catholic, and Labuan Bajo is a mixed port town. Cover your shoulders and knees in town and in the villages, save swimwear for the beach and the boat, give and receive things with your right hand, and ask before you photograph anyone. On the park trails, every walk is led by a ranger. Guides advise keeping at least two metres from a dragon; that advice comes from local guides rather than an official park notice, so the table marks it as low confidence.

Get travel insurance that includes medical evacuation, as hospitals often want payment up front. Labuan Bajo has a private and a public hospital, and serious cases are flown out. Dengue and rabies are both present, so cover up against bites and see a doctor after any animal bite. No vaccinations are required for entry. Bring prescription medicines in their original packaging.

Only book with a licensed operator, and only pay against an invoice that names the company, the boat, the dates and what's included. Ask for the registration number: ours is 1805260128363, and the operator box gives the Labuan Bajo address of PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia. Be wary of very cheap packages, of a boat that doesn't match the photos and of anyone who asks you to pay into a personal account. Travellers were still reporting being stranded after paying resellers in 2026, so keep your chat records.

The port has a say too. Permission to sail comes from the harbour authority, KSOP, not from us, and it can halt sailings at short notice. There were several closures between December 2025 and early 2026, and another in August 2026. Port rules can change quickly, so ask the desk what applies on your date.

Carry your passport on the day, because the boarding pass and the park ticket use your name exactly as it's printed there. If a closure changes the route, the fare stays the same and the route moves, and you should be told that before you pay.