Labuanbajo

Labuanbajo is the neat little village on the west end of Flores reached by ferry boat or airplane. If you are coming from the east all the buses will end up here as they have to get on the ferry if they are going further west. Some of the express buses go all the way to Jakarta just hopping on ferrys to get from island to island. Scuba divers from around the world come here to dive the rich waters between Komodo and Flores, some choosing to stay on expensive liveaboard dive boats. Most of them pick up their passengers at the dock in Labuanbajo, or at the airport and then bring them to the boat. There are 5 to 6 dive shops. The cost varies depending on how many people are going. It's a lot cheaper if you can get a few people to share the expense. There are some stunning dives in these waters. Check Bajo Dive and Reefseekers! The Pelni ferry boat makes regular stops here as well. Pelni is the national ferry system that connects most of the bigger islands together. If you have the time you can land up in some pretty exotic places. These boats are an adventure in themselves especially if you are traveling deck or 3rd class. There are a bunch of fishing boats and others that can be chartered for trips to Komodo and Rinca or even just snorkeling on nearby islands like Bidadiri. A small resort is being built there that is expected to be a very nice eco-friendly type of set up. Perama tours also stop here to pick up and drop off passangers. It is a beautiful little town. There are a number of buget hotels and ok restaurants but nothing too special in the food department. The Bajo Beach and the Golo Hotels seem to be popular places for tourists. They are nothing special but ok. The Golo has a great view but is quite a ways out of town. I hate to think it, but this sleepy little town will probably eventually get built up like the big resort towns in other areas. It is just too nice. The only hindrance is that they don't have the transportation from Denpassar running smoothly enough yet. These 2 German girls rode their scooters all the way from Lombok. That must have been an adventure! They decided to put them on the Perama boat for the return trip to Lombok. 2006      www.dutchpickle.com

 

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