Frequently asked questions

No. As of 2026 there is no public ferry on this route — every crossing is privately operated, so you book a seat or a whole boat in advance rather than buying a ticket at the pier.

Roughly 20 to 30 minutes on a speedboat and 45 to 60 on a shared wooden boat, in normal conditions. Published figures across our own pages currently range from 20 to 75 minutes depending on vessel and sea state — ask the desk what applies to the boat you are booking.

Speedboat if you have luggage, children, or a flight to make; it departs when you choose and carries only your group. Slow boat if you are travelling light with flexible timing and want the cheapest way across.

Sometimes, but it is a gamble. Boats run on charter arrangements rather than a walk-up schedule, and on busy days every seat is taken by mid-morning. Booking ahead costs nothing extra.

Not directly in a day. You fly Bali to Komodo Airport in Labuan Bajo — about an hour and a half — and go out by boat from there. Same-day return to Bali is possible but tight, and it does not survive a weather delay.

Day access is generally available year-round, weather permitting. The island’s own accommodation has operated on and off over the years, so overnight availability genuinely changes season to season and is verified per booking rather than published as a calendar.

A near-vertical wall starting about thirty metres off the main beach, dropping from around five metres to forty in successive ledges and running roughly four hundred metres along the shore. You enter from the sand, kick for five to eight minutes and float along the edge.

Yes, unusually so. Besides the wall there is a shallow protected flat on the western side at one to three metres with anemonefish carpets — calm water for a first-timer or a nervous child, with no boat entry required.

Hawksbill turtles most days and green turtles most weeks; blacktip reef sharks routinely in the shallows and along the wall; schooling trevally, snapper and fusiliers; hard and soft coral throughout. Manta rays pass through December to March and are never guaranteed.

Between 07:00 and 09:00 — calmest water, visibility often past twenty-five metres, and turtles feeding on the shallow flat before the day boats arrive. Late morning is best for photography as the sun steepens.

No. Loan masks, snorkels and fins are carried on the boats and available on the island. They work but they are basic — anyone who snorkels regularly is happier in their own mask.

Yes, in two forms: a supported camp arranged from Labuan Bajo, or a bungalow when the island’s accommodation is operating. Neither is instant-bookable — the desk verifies what is actually running on your dates first.

There is a single restaurant serving three meals a day with an Italian–Indonesian character, and it is also the island’s social centre. Vegetarian and vegan options need about 24 hours’ notice.

Wifi exists at the restaurant only and is workable for an evening email rather than calls or streaming. There is no room wifi. Treat mobile coverage as unreliable and plan accordingly.

Deliberately rustic: no air conditioning, solar-heated water that is lukewarm at best, composting toilets, linens changed every three days, and power limited to lighting and basic charging after dark. In exchange, an almost empty island from sunset to sunrise.

An island fee is reported for Kanawa, quoted per boat or group in some accounts and per person in others. Separately, Komodo National Park entrance and activity fees apply to any route entering the park — those are set by the park authority, not by us, and are stated on your quote at the current rate.

Generally there are none to include, because Kanawa sits outside the park boundary. The moment your route adds Padar, Pink Beach, Manta Point, Rinca or Komodo, park fees apply and are quoted as their own line.

Fares are quoted per booking rather than published. A seat on a scheduled boat is priced per person and a private hull is priced per boat, so the per-head cost falls as your group grows. Send your date and group size and the desk returns a written figure.

Because park fees are set by a government authority and change, fuel is quoted per route, and vessel availability turns over daily in peak months. A fixed published price would be a guess presented as a promise. You get a band here and an exact figure in writing before you pay.

No port clearance, no sailing — that decision rests with the Labuan Bajo harbourmaster and your captain. Forecasts are monitored for 48 hours before departure. If the route closes you choose between a reschedule, a more sheltered itinerary, or a refund of the unused boat portion.

Yes, with sensible planning. Life jackets are carried in child sizes, the crossing is short, the shallow flat is calm, and crew can accompany nervous swimmers. Tell the desk the ages when you book so the right boat and gear are assigned.

The beach, the jetty and the deck are a full day in themselves, and flotation-assisted shallow sessions with a dedicated crew member are normal rather than exceptional. Say so when booking.

Reef-safe sunscreen is required and checked; single-use plastic is prohibited; no touching marine life; no standing or kneeling on coral; no collecting shells or coral. Rangers enforce these.

Yes — the island’s operation runs on solar with rainwater harvesting and leave-no-trace waste handling, and sustainability is a quarter of the score every operator must pass before we book guests onto their boat.