Best Day Ever: Komodo Islands Edition
Deadly dragons, bright pink beaches, lush landscape views, and water in every shade of blue…all in one iconic speedboat tour
After 35+ countries, the question I get asked the most is probably about my favorite place or experience abroad. And the answer that first comes to mind is also the day my childhood dream came true.
It started when I’d sit next to my dad as he watched documentaries on the History Channel about the mystical Komodo dragons, the giant lizards on an exotic island across the world, whose single bite can bring about an adult human’s slow agonizing death (admittedly I’ve always been drawn to the macabre 🙈).
Getting to see the dragons IRL last year was obviously a dream come true but…
I had NO idea the kinds of dazzling landscapes and magical nature-moments that also awaited me on my speedboat tour of the Komodo National Park.from a bright pink beach that requires zero filter, to the most shockingly saturated shades of sea blue, to so many animal sightings I can’t even keep them straight (including many dragons!).
The natural landscape of lush green islands emerging from the ocean is even more gorgeous than Bali in my opinion. As in, the definition of “breathtaking.” I was so genuinely overwhelmed with awe that I was happy-crying about 25% of the time.
So if you’ve ever been curious to meet the Komodo dragons yourself, or even if you just appreciate nature and views, this could end up being your Best Day Ever too!
Read on to learn more about my epic speedboat tour through the Komodo Islands and how it’s different from the others in one super-key way (and remember to bookmark this for page your next trip)…
Or click here to skip straight to booking the exact tour I took (in case you have an impulsive side, like me - ha)!
Disclaimer: I paid for this tour in full with my own money, attended as a regular guest, and was not compensated in any way in exchange for expressing my opinions in this article. However, this blog post may contain affiliate links, meaning I may get a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking the link…at zero extra cost to you. I only share things I genuinely love and believe in and think my audience would benefit from too. This is how I’m able to keep making free travel resources and guides for you. Learn more about my affiliate policy here.
Thanks for your continued support!
The Early Bird Catches Everything But Crowds
I did literal hours of research before choosing this tour, and it ultimately won both because of, and in spite of, its early start time. Let me explain…
If it was up to me, it would be straight-up illegal for anything to happen before 10am, but the truth is that this kind of day requires it. So after I made peace with getting up early, what became priority was getting there as early as possible to beat the infamous crowds at the Komodo hotspots…hence, why I chose the Early-Bird Komodo Speedboat Tour (in addition to lots of great reviews).
The earlier-than-most start time meant beating the worst of the crowds, getting better pictures, and enjoying the experience more overall. Plus, was effortless to book online through Viator’s website (they also have an app I use to keep track of all my bookings in one place). And it covered all the major attractions in the area in 1 day, while still leaving plenty of time to enjoy each stop.
You’d think that after all that research, I’d knew what to expect on the tour. And I did. But I had no idea how much reality was about to exceed my expectations.
Sunrise on a Speedboat
After being picked up at my hotel around 5am, I was driven to the dock, where about 10 people in total boarded our speedboat, along with 3 boat staff. Our boat was one of the first to leave the port, and we got to watch the sun rise behind us as we sped further into the countless bright green islands that make up Komodo National Park.
I remember sitting on the back of the boat, with my airpods blasting appropriately epic music, feeling the rising sun and the salty wind on my face, crying tears of gratitude into my sunglasses.
Everywhere we stopped, we got to enjoy in relative peace, only for the crowds to arrive just as we were leaving. It felt like cheating to have such an objectively better experience solely because we’d arrived 20 minutes earlier but I don’t make the rules, so…
1. Picturesque Padar Island
The first official stop is the one that can get the most crowded, so I was pumped we actually got there on the early side.
Padar Island is a unique island formation known for being aesthetically stunning from the viewpoint at the top. And honestly? It completely blew me away, even having seen tons of photos.
After a short low-key hike (maybe 15 min?), I got tons of photos and videos taken of me by the guides, who were super talented and always around throughout the day to take photos with a smile.
But my favorite part happened while I waited for the rest of the group to take their photos…
A little slice of the viewpoint opened up, and I got to dance to the view of a lifetime while listening to my favorite songs. There’s nothing like the overwhelming joy I felt in that moment, and it’s probably what I’ll be comparing every other travel experience against for a while.
By the time we were pulling out of the dock on the way to our next destination, I was already thinking to myself that this day was already beyond worth it, even if I didn’t get to see anything else. (Yeah, right!)
2. Pink Beach
The disappointment hit when we pulled up to the next beach and the captain announced that this was Pink Beach. I mean…sure, it looked kinda pinkish but not the stuff you see on Instagram.
I was already consoling myself with my declaration from moments ago that nothing but Padar Island mattered anyway, when I walked down to the end of the beach. On that side, the sand was so pink I thought I was hallucinating.
After photos, I mostly danced some more and marveled at the insanely saturated landscape, before grabbing a drink at one of the local vendors set up on the beach.
There’s also an option to go snorkeling here if that’s your thing.
3. Komodo Dragons Up Close
[Once back on the boat, we sped to Rinca Island (one of the 2 islands that still have Komodo dragons living on them)!
The scene approaching the beach with its neverending little pier winding into the ocean, and the bright green cliffs towering above us. After a short walk, we were introduced to our official Komodo National Park tour guide (apparently you can’t go into the park without one).
The guide gave us a few tips about how to behave while around the venomous lizards, and we set off on a walk through a jungle area and then along the beach.
The whole way, our guide, armed only with a stick, was answer questions and pointing out the dragons along with other animals.
The dragons are really slow-moving during the day so it’s easy to get a close look at them, and we even got to walk up behind one of them for photos that made my family yell at me later for getting too close!
After our mind-blowing nature walk, food was distributed in tupperware and we ate on picnic tables right on the beach. I let them know in advance that I’m vegetarian, and they served me a legitimately delicious and fresh-tasting tofu dish. I’m notoriously picky about food but it totally hit the spot and gave me energy for the snorkeling portion of the day (not that I did any snorkeling 🤭).
I should mention that throughout the day we were constantly offered fruit, water, sodas, and beer from the cooler. So you’ll have plenty of opportunities to grab snacks and drinks before the official lunchtime.
4. The Snorkel Spots
If you didn’t snorkel at Pink Beach, there’s no reason to despair because there are plenty of opportunities to do that at the end of the tour.
There are 3 different snorkel spots…one with insanely clear light blue water and baby sharks, one with tons of giant mantas, and one with turtles.
All of the spots had crystal-clear water in all different shades of blue, and each spot was backdropped by those iconic lush island peaks.
I’m not into snorkeling but I was perfectly content to relax, decompress from the morning’s activities, get some more photos, and take in the views from the roof of the boat (you can also grab shade in the small boat cabin).
By the time I got dropped off at my hotel, I was exhausted in the best possible way. And thus, the Best Day Ever ended with a cozy dinner at my hotel restaurant, while watching the sun setting over the same islands I’d just spent the day exploring.
Borrow My Best Day Ever
You can book the exact tour I took here:
Pssst…Remember to activate Rakuten before booking tours on Viator so you don’t miss out on FREE points!
If you’re not already familiar with Rakuten, you NEED to know about it. Rakuten is my #1 favorite (and FREE!) way to multiply the points I earn on my normal spending, and it’s the first recommendation I make to anyone who wants to start earning extra points without extra spending.
You just activate the plug-in on your Chrome browser one time, and from then on it’ll alert you if whatever “store” you’re shopping at online is eligible for rewards (including Viator). It also works through the phone app…you just have to be a little more intentional about activating it each time you’re about to book.
As long as Rakuten is activated when you make your purchase with the store (in this case, Viator), you get the extra “cash back” through Rakuten (paid out quarterly), which you can then turn into points.
Viator usually offers at least 5X points through Rakuten, and I’ve seen as high as 16X! That’s essentially 5-10 points PER DOLLAR spent.
And that’s on top of any points you earn directly through your credit card for that booking!
The best part is the options you have for what to do with the “cash back” you earn through the app! The actual cash back option is great, but if you have American Express points, this is an amazing way to accumulate them quickly. And now you can also choose to earn Bilt points (just at a less valuable conversion rate than AmEx points).
IMPORTANT: If you don’t have a Rakuten account yet, make sure to sign up using this link! - this will give you a 5,000 points FREE just for signing up (worth $50) and spending your first $50 through the portal in the first 90 days (but only spend on something you were planning to buy anyway, please)!
Where to Stay for Your Komodo National Park Trip
If you’re interested to stay where I did, my hotel (Bintang Flores Hotel) is another part of the trip I’d recommend without hesitation.
Fabulous views from the rooms, and it’s set right on a stunning little beach that legitimately glows at sunset. The food was surprisingly good too (though ordering in via Gojek or Grab is also an option).
Also, the price was shockingly reasonable for the value at $89 per night when I booked it in April 2025.
It’s located in Labuan Bajo, Flores (the town that acts as the main base of operations for Komodo National Park visits).
Looking for other cool Komodo-area experiences?
If the speedboat’s the very 1st tour to book for your adventure, then the “Flying Foxes” is #2.
This PRIVATE small-boat tour to watch thousands of giant fruit bats take off from Kalong Island at sunset was another one of my lifetime favorite experiences. Just like with the speedboat tour, it started just a tiny bit earlier than the rest, which got us a front-row view of the mangroves, where the bats put on their show.
One of my favorite parts of this was departing from the local port town nearby, which still feels authentic and is apparently so unused to tourists that a couple of the local ladies asked to take a photo with me :)
I also really appreciated getting to watch the whole spectacle while laying comfortably on the roof of the boat with nothing to block the view, while getting to know my golden-hearted guide, Chan. Chan' has now launched his own tour company and I couldn’t recommend his services enough. You can also book the same tour through Viator (like I did).
Note: Whether to book directly or with a third-party booking service is just a personal decision for you to make based on your circumstances. Usually, you can get the same tours online that you find locally (though at different prices). Local tour guides + operators always appreciate you booking directly because they get paid more overall when they don’t have to pay commission to a third-party booking site like Viator (and these are often better-priced)! But using Viator makes it easy to track bookings, and also has a certain layer of accountability built in for safety/quality. So do whatever feels right for you!
I booked through Viator since I didn’t have a local contact, but in the future I’ll book with Chan directly.
