Visiting Komodo National Park to see the famed Komodo dragons is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The national park, which was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, is the best accessed from Labuan Bajo, a tiny port town on the Indonesian island of Flores. Komodo Tours and the surrounding islands are easily organized in Labuan Bajo, and while many travel writers advise waiting until you are in town to schedule a tour, this is a huge error. The trips provided by locals are poorly run, with a clear disregard for safety.
Furthermore, the excursions are rushed, the boats frequently break down, and they do not adhere to the set timetable, which means you may miss out on some of the national park’s best sights. It’s recommended to book your Komodo tour online in advance with a more reputable operator to ensure you enjoy the best possible vacation.
Why Shouldn’t You Go on an incapable Komodo Tour provider?
Before arriving at Labuan Bajo many tourists did a lot of research regarding the best tours to the Komodo Islands. Making a reservation for a Komodo tour online is pricey. Wait until you get to Labuan Bajo to schedule a trip, find a komodo tour provider suggested by several travel bloggers.
As soon as you arrive in Labuan Bajo, your aim is to select the greatest Komodo island tour available. Along the main street, there is a slew of tour companies, each providing something slightly different.
Half of the tour businesses had a lot of negative ratings, while the other half didn’t have any internet presence at all – which was a bit of a red flag given the other local operators’ awful reviews.
One of the frequent themes in the negative reviews was that the local operators’ boats were often ancient and unreliable. Not only are the boats unreliable, but many of them are filthy and infested with rats.
No matter how many times you read that you should book your Komodo tour once you reach Labuan Bajo, don’t believe it. Although the trips you may book online are more expensive, the price difference is perfectly justified because the tours are of significantly greater quality.
It’s fairly common for tour operators in Labuan Bajo to mislead you in order to get you to book a tour with them. You will meet a number of people who lie to about their itinerary. Their tour company said the itinerary included a stop at Padar Island, but on the day of the tour, they were told they wouldn’t be going there as they didn’t have the time.
Where can You get a dependable operator?
We can’t stress how important it is to select a trustworthy operator, especially if you’re planning a multi-day trip or a liveaboard. Despite the fact that it will cost extra, it is well worth it. Searching TripAdvisor for a reputable operator is the first step.
Make sure the excursions are sorted by ‘best reviewed’ before searching through providers. Examine the top operators’ TripAdvisor pages and read reviews to confirm that the bulk of feedback is good and that there are no recurring concerns with their tours.
Once you’ve determined that an operator is trustworthy, go to their TripAdvisor page and click on the website link to check what types of tours they provide and if they have an itinerary that meets your requirements.