Indonesia (3) 2026

Nusa Tenggara – (both East and West) comprises of nearly 1000 islands and accounts for a substantial chunk of Indonesia.

Day 13

Wednesday 5th August

Surabaya to Labuan Bajo

24-30 degrees, sunny

We didn’t arrive into Labuan Bajo until 6pm, from there it was a ten minute transfer to Ayana Resort where we were spending the next 4 nights.

Labuan Bajo is on the west side of Flores Island. Ayana Komodo 5 star Resort is situated on a beach overlooking the Flores Sea 44 km from Komodo National Park. Our room was very luxurious complete with marble bathroom, and a balcony with stunning sea views.

There’s a private beach, as well as 2 outdoor pools (1 has a swim-up bar), a spa, a yoga deck and a gym. Dining options include 3 restaurants (1 serving Japanese dishes) and 4 bars.

We tried Kisik restaurant tonight – right on the beach. The lobster and fish cooked in bamboo as traditionally done by Indonesians was delicious. Wonderful ambience, sand between our toes, and the night lights over the sea.

Day 14

Thursday 6th August

Labuan Bajo

23-28 degrees, sunny

We had three cruises booked for our stay in Ayana, however the Government had issued a warning that some cruises were cancelled for the next few days because of tidal current conditions. There was nothing wrong with the actual weather, just the currents.

Our cruise for today , in a glass bottomed boat, was still on! Three destinations, the first being Kelor Island. A bit of a scramble to get off the boat here, climbing through other boats onto the jetty – lucky we’re reasonably agile! This is where the baby sharks swim around the water’s edge. We saw only a couple, apparently there are a lot more at high tide. Many stalls here- selling souvenirs, and pearls, also dishes made of abalone shells (I couldn’t resist one).

Next stop Rinca Island for Komodo dragon sightseeing. Rinca is a small island near Komodo and Flores island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. It is one of the three largest islands included in Komodo National Park. The island is famous for Komodo dragons, giant lizards that can measure up to 3 metres long. We trekked on nature paths with a guide to see these formidable creatures. The guides carry a forked stick …. just in case!

There are approximately 1500 dragons living on Rinca Island. It is believed they came from Australia originally. These reptiles are carnivores and cannibals. They will eat their young, hence the young can climb and live in trees. They will eat a monkey whole – bones and all. Komodos kill a buffalo by biting it, spread their venomous bacteria, then follow it until it dies. They don’t usually eat a buffalo’s head as it is too big. We saw many buffalos and deers skulls on the path – left overs!

Back to the boat where we had a lovely boxed lunch – lamb wraps and salad.

Menjerite Island next for snorkelling, where we jumped from the boat into the clear waters to see fish swimming amongst the coral, a turtle and a small manta ray. A fabulous day!

Dinner tonight at Rinca Restaurant- pizza for Frank, laksa for me. Perfect ending to the day.

Day 15

Friday 7th August

Labuan Bajo

23-28 degrees, sunny

Our cruise for today had been cancelled due to the persistent current conditions- it wasn’t a problem for us as we were wondering when we were going to fit in any of the activities around the resort!

There was an education session we wanted to attend re coral planting. The resident marine biologist gave an engaging presentation about coral reefs, marine ecosystems, and Ayana Komodo’s ongoing conservation efforts to protect and restore their underwater environment. After the session, we continued to the Ayana Jetty, where we had the opportunity to plant a coral rope that will later be placed in one of the coral nurseries at the resort . This hands-on experience offered a meaningful way to learn about coral restoration and what is being done to protect our marine life. I had no idea that you can “plant” coral, and that it grows quite rapidly.

We also had wanted to explore Labuan Bajo township – it had been dark when we arrived so wanted to see what was there. It was a ten minute taxi ride into town. Not a lot there I have to say – just the usual supermarkets, cafes, bars, massage houses, and lots of tourism operators selling cruises. Everything was much cheaper than the resort, but I was glad we were staying where we were! I am getting spoilt!

Happy hour at the rooftop bar rewarded us with a stunning sunset over the harbour out from the resort. Dinner was delicious at Honzen, the Japanese restaurant. Watching the chefs work in their kitchen was mesmerising. We actually met another Australian couple sitting next to us. We had only commented earlier that we hadn’t come across any other Aussies the whole time we’d been away.

Day 16

Saturday 8th August

Labuan Bajo

23-28 degrees, sunny

After a leisurely buffet breakfast, we took a short boat ride to Ayana’s private island, a serene haven designed for hotel guests looking for tranquility. There have two hour slots for a handful of guests at a time. Here we could indulge ourselves in a variety of activities such as swimming, sunbathing, and snorkelling – some nice coral and fish to be seen.

As if we hadn’t done enough relaxing already, we did a bit more for a few hours when we got back! Then at 4pm we boarded Lako Sae, Ayana’s luxury three deck boat for a sunset buffet dinner cruise. Our voyage began with a scenic sail towards Bidadari Island, followed by a visit to Kalong Island to witness the mesmerizing sunset and observe its famous bat migration – not that we haven’t seen bats fly off at night before! The dinner was a selection of local and Indonesian cuisines. The evening’s entertainment included an acoustic band before sunset, and a DJ after dinner. A good way to wrap up our resort visit.