Things to do
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Batu Cermin Cave
Limestone honeycombed with narrow passages a short drive inland from the harbour, holding coral and fish fossils from when the whole ridge lay under the sea. The name refers to sunlight entering through a gap overhead and bouncing off wet rock, an effect that only works near the middle of the day. Guides supply helmets, and parts of the route mean crouching.
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Komodo National Park
Three main islands and a scatter of smaller ones, protected for the monitor lizards that gave the park its name and now as much for the reefs around them. Rangers walk every group on the dragon trails, and dive boats run out to the manta cleaning stations off Karang Makassar. Boats leave Labuan Bajo at dawn, and entry is ticketed with permits checked at the jetty.
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Padar Island
A ridge walk above three crescent bays, each with sand of a different shade, and the image that sells most Komodo boat trips. Steps run from the jetty to the first viewpoint in under half an hour, with higher ridges beyond for anyone willing to keep climbing. Boats arrive before sunrise because there is no shade at all on the ridge.
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Pink Beach
Crushed red coral mixed through white sand gives this shore its colour, which shows strongest when wet at the waterline. Snorkelling starts a few metres out, over coral heads that fall away into blue water. Boats converge around midday, so the quiet hours are early and late, and shade on the sand is limited to whatever the boats bring.
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Rinca Island
Closer to Labuan Bajo than Komodo island, and the usual choice when a boat day is short. Dragons are often seen near the ranger post at Loh Buaya, along with deer, buffalo and macaques on the savanna behind it. A raised walkway now carries visitors above part of the route. Trails are graded from a short loop to a longer ridge climb.