How to get from Flores to Lombok by sea with stops?
Next August I'll be traveling with some friends in Indonesia (4 to 6 people). One of our destinations is Labuan Bajo (Flores island). We want to visit Komodo National Park and some islands in our route from Flores to Gili islands or Lombok. We have found that there is a company that has a small cruise (2 nights/2 days) that does exactly this. The problem with that is the price (a bit high), the restricted schedule (you may be stuck in Luang Bajo for 3 or 4 days) and the crowds (I've read that the boat is full of tourists in high season).
Given this, I'd like to ask if it's possible to hire a ship, boat or similar when we arrive to Labuan Bajo and make this trip on our own. Something similar but as a private tour and if that's possible, what's a good price for this?
Best Answer
As pointed out by jpatokal, those sailing boats are rather unsafe. Now if you still decide to continue with this decision, please find details about it below.
There are actually different sailing options:
- 2 days & 2 nights: offered by Perama tours
- 3 days & 2 nights: offered by all companies
- 4 days & 3 nights: offered by all companies
Price for all those options is between 1.3 & 2 million IDR, depending on the company & your negotiating skills. Do shop around.
Departure dates:
Sailing boats leave almost every day, but each company usually have only a couple leaving each week. So do shop around to have the most options for departure dates.
When booking:
Finally, do not expect anything contractually written regarding the journey, it's all very informal & it does not look like it's about to change. Try to speak with an employee who actually knows what he is talking about, most have never been on this trip & would sell you anything. Ask questions such as: number of passengers on board, all planned stops and activities, food included, drinks included, arrival points, & so on.
Sailing companies I came across
- Perama Tour
- Kencana adventure
- www.balikomodotours.com
- travel2komodo.com
- gili-paradise.com
- lombokkomodotour.com
- Eriksa Tours, see review on kileetravels.com/flores-island-to-lombok-transportation-boat-tours
- Wanna adventure, see review on http://www.jonesaroundtheworld.com/komodo-island-trip-review
Dangers and insurances:
If anything goes wrong, none of the companies will refund you. They will however take you to the end destination whichever way they can for the rest of the journey, most likely by a combination of bus and ferry as described in Go from Lombok to Labuan Bajo by bus & ferry, how to? . There are accidents regularly, whether it's a boat hitting a rocky reef, an engine exploding, or else. So be warned, this can happen to you, this risk is part of the trip. Welcome to Indonesia!
Usual path for 4 days & 3 nights:
- Rinca island
- Komodo island
- Kalong island: see the flying foxes
- Pink beach: snorkle
- Manta point: snorkle with Mantas if lucky
- Gili Laba: snorkle & then hike to top of this small island
- Satonda island: go to salt lake, then snorkle
- Moyo island: go to the waterfall, then snorkle
- Gili Bola: sleep when anchored next to this island
- Labuan Lombok: from there you will be put into a bus taking you to Mataram or Senggigi
If the trip is shorter (whether 3D2N or 2D2N), then they just remove some of those stops/activities.
Other transportation options
You can also go by plane, or bus+ferries.
Read more about those options on What is the safest and cheapest way to see Komodo island, leaving from and returning to Bali?
Resources
- Accidents of boat going from Bali to Komodo Island: adventurouskate.com/adventurous-kate-gets-shipwrecked-in-indonesia
- What is the safest and cheapest way to see Komodo island, leaving from and returning to Bali?
- Go from Lombok to Labuan Bajo by bus & ferry, how to?
Pictures about "How to get from Flores to Lombok by sea with stops?"
How do I get from Lombok to Komodo Island?
There is no direct connection from Lombok Island to Komodo National Park. However, you can take the drive to Lembar, take the ferry to Labuhanbajo, take the ferry to Komodo National Park, then take the travel to Komodo National Park.How do you get to Flores Island Indonesia?
Traveling in Indonesia requires planning and if you are planning to visit Flores, the easiest and cheapest way is to fly to Denpasar, Bali and from there you can get a domestic flight to Labuan Bajo, the most Western city of Flores and nearest to the Komodo National Park From there, you can begin your journey by land ...How long is the ferry from Bali to Lombok?
The Bali to Lombok ferry travel time can take up to 6 hours and the conditions on board are often uncomfortable and cramped.How do I get to Komodo?
Traveling around Komodo Island can be relatively easy, but to get to Komodo, you first need to travel to Bali and then to Labuan Bajo by either plane or boat, and finally to Komodo Island by boat. A couple of local airlines fly from Bali to Labuan Bajo on Flores Island.Boat trip from Lombok to Flores (4d/3n) - with a twist
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Nick Wehrli, Asad Photo Maldives, ROMAN ODINTSOV, Ignacio Pereira