Kanawa Island Resort
An Italian-family-run eco-resort that has been on this island since 1992: fourteen bungalows, twenty-eight guests, no air conditioning, and a reef wall thirty metres off the sand. Deliberately rustic, and not for everyone.
- 1992
- On the island since
- 14
- Eco-bungalows
- 28
- Guests, capped
- 30 m
- To the reef wall
A small operation that decided to stay small
The island was first leased by an Italian family in the early 1990s, who built basic accommodation that grew slowly into the current fourteen-bungalow property. They have kept it deliberately small — turning down expansion offers, declining most aggressive marketing partnerships, and capping guests at twenty-eight against a structural capacity above forty.
The result is a property that has held its character for thirty years while much of the surrounding area turned commercial. The island itself is about 1.4 km long and 0.4 km wide. The resort occupies the north-eastern shore, with the house reef thirty metres off the beach; the rest is undeveloped, crossed by a rough trail to deserted southern beaches that in practice only overnight guests reach.
- Island length
- 1.4 km
- Island width
- 0.4 km
- Structural capacity, unused
- 40+
- Day visitors it can host
- 15–25 stay
The bungalows
Fourteen, built from local materials — wood frames, thatched roofs, woven bamboo in the older units, more solid construction in those built in 2018.
Multi-night packages exist at three, five and seven nights, with an optional meal package. Single occupancy carries a supplement. The property offers a discount for bookings made directly with it at info@kanawaislandresort.com.
What you are actually signing up for
The property is rustic by decision, not by neglect, and it says so. These are the same facts read two ways — on a 32-hectare island running on solar, the missing air conditioning and the empty beach are the same sentence.
What there isn’t
-
No air conditioning
Sea-breeze ventilation only. Comfortable April to October; warm in the afternoons from December to February.
-
No hot showers
Solar-heated water — lukewarm by morning, cool by afternoon.
-
Composting toilets
Functional, and they take a day to get used to.
-
No daily housekeeping
Linens changed every three days, towels every two.
-
Limited power
Solar with a small generator. Lighting and basic charging after dark; nothing that draws real current.
-
Wi-Fi at the restaurant only
Workable for an evening email. Not for calls or streaming.
What you get instead
-
A beach that is yours
From sunset to sunrise the only people on the island are staff and your fellow twenty-eight guests.
-
The reef at the door
Direct access from the bungalow — no boat, no transfer, no schedule.
-
A genuine eco operation
Solar power, rainwater harvesting, and a footprint far below a typical island resort.
-
Thirty years of character
A property that grew rather than being developed, run by the family that built it.
-
A real digital detox
Not marketed as one. It is simply what happens when the wifi is in one building.
Who this suits
Right for you if
- Couples who actually want the disconnection rather than the phrase.
- Honeymooners choosing intimacy over luxury.
- Divers who want maximum reef time and no commute to it.
- Travellers who can tell genuine sustainable practice from the marketing of it.
- Longer stays of three to seven nights, where the island’s rhythm has time to take.
Not right if
- Anyone who needs air conditioning, hot water or daily housekeeping.
- Anyone who needs to be reachable around the clock.
- Families with young children who want a pool or a playground.
- Travellers expecting contemporary boutique design.
- Anyone uncomfortable with composting toilets. This is not a small detail here.
If more than one line in the right-hand column applies to you, a day visit is the better answer than a night. Day access is genuinely good, and it costs a fraction of a stay.
Day visitors, and what a visit costs
Day visitors are welcome with prior booking. The resort can host fifteen to twenty-five without disrupting the guests staying.
Beach access
Per person, day visitor
Ask for price
Lunch at the restaurant
Per person
Ask for price
Snorkel equipment loan
Per person
Ask for price
Single-tank dive
With the on-site instructor
Ask for price
Two-tank Komodo day
Nearby reefs
Ask for price
Resort morning shuttle
From Labuan Bajo, 09:00, return
Ask for price
Custom boat charter
Padar, Rinca or Manta Point, per boat
Ask for price
Rates above are the property’s own as published for 2026 and are indicative. Availability, current operating status and the exact figure for your dates are confirmed before anything is paid — on a small island the answer genuinely changes season to season.
Before you book
Is the island open right now?
That is precisely the question worth asking rather than assuming. The property has operated on and off over the years, and its status is the kind of thing that goes out of date on the internet quickly. Send your dates and the desk verifies the current position before quoting anything.
What is there to do once you are there?
The northern reef is the headline and it is a few steps away. Beyond it: diving with the on-site PADI instructor, a short sunset walk to the island viewpoint, a paperback library, custom boat charters to Padar, Rinca or Manta Point, and half-day village visits to Sebayur on request.
What is the food like?
One restaurant, three meals a day, with an Italian–Indonesian character that comes from the family running it — the pasta is genuinely different from typical resort food, and fresh-caught fish leads the dinner menu. Vegetarian and vegan options need 24 hours’ notice. The restaurant is also the only wifi and the social centre of the island.
Can I visit for the day instead of staying?
Yes, with prior booking. Most day visitors arrive on the resort’s 09:00 shuttle from Labuan Bajo or by private speedboat charter. For a lot of travellers that is the right call — it delivers the reef without the composting toilets.
Check the dates before you plan around them
Availability on a fourteen-bungalow island is not something to assume. Send your dates and the desk will confirm what is actually open, what it costs, and how you get there — before you commit to anything.
Check Availability