The Wanua Boat Tour from Lombok to Labuan Bajo
In early October, we decided to take the Wanua boat cruise from Lombok to Labuan Bajo. This was the perfect way to experience this stunning archipelago and get some much needed time on the water. With amazing snorkeling, Komodo dragons, pink beaches, and beautiful sunsets, this boat cruise covered ALL the bases. The Komodo Islands are some of the biggest attractions and reasons for coming to Indonesia. We also got to meet some amazing people on this boat – if you’re looking for a way to make some friends while traveling, we found this trip to be a great way to do so!
A quick caveat: this boat cruise is not meant to be the most comfortable experience – it’s mostly for backpackers looking for a cheap way to explore the Komodo islands. The sleeping situation consists of small mats lining the second floor of the boat, though you can also get a private room for a bit more money. You also are not supposed to shower as the boat carries a limited supply of fresh water. Even though I definitely felt gross by the end of the four days and was really looking forward to a bed and a shower, I found the discomfort a small price to pay for the amazing experiences we had and friends we made throughout the boat ride. It was truly unforgettable and 100% worth it.
Read on to discover what to expect for the itinerary, what to bring, and other good things to know if you decide to do this!
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The Itinerary
Day 1
On the first day, the company will send buses to pick everyone up and bring you to a meeting point where you get checked in and can buy extras for your trip (such as beer and snorkeling fins). You’ll have to stay either in Mataram, Senggigi, or near the Bangsal Harbor in order to qualify for a free pick-up. Once you’re checked in, they’ll put you in different buses and bus you over to east Lombok. This bus ride took about 2.5 hours and was not super fun; the AC wasn’t working too well so everyone was overheating.
Once you finally make it to the port, they’ll load you and your bags onto the boat (we were on Sea Saudara) and give you time to grab whatever you need from your bags before putting them all in storage. Note that you do have access to your bags throughout the trip, it just may be hard to dig your bag out if it ends up near the bottom. After everything is all set, you’ll set sail!
The first stop – Pulau Kenawa – is not too far away, and here you’ll climb up a short hill to watch the beautiful sunset. After this, you’ll head back on the boat, eat dinner, and relax the rest of the night.
Day 2
Today will begin around sunrise as you arrive to the whale shark area. Here, boats come out to feed the whale sharks so that they’re right near the surface. You’ll snorkel with these beautiful animals and watch them as they come up right next to you. This was an unbelievable experience.
The rest of day two is spent sailing, with a short 30 minute break for swimming around lunch time. This is a long day of sailing, so buckle up, make some friends, play some cards, and read a book! That’s what we did it made the time pass quickly. Be aware that this night especially may see some rougher waves – it wasn’t too bad, but if you tend to get seasick I would make sure to have some medicine with you.
Day 3
Day three is the most action packed day of all. You’ll start off with a visit to Komodo National Park where you’ll get to see the famous Komodo dragons up close and personal. This experience was super cool; we got to see a bunch of Komodo dragons on the beach and in the woods. We also saw some deer and wild boars! A guide will lead you around the island and teach you all about these magnificent creatures.
After your visit to Komodo, the boat will sail over to Padar Island and you’ll get to spend some time on the pink beach. As we were approaching the beach, it didn’t look quite as pink as I thought it would (certainly not as pink as it looks on people’s Instagrams!), but once we landed we saw that it actually is pink! The photos below are unedited, so that’s what you can expect to see. The snorkeling in this area is also unreal!
The last stop of the day is another part of Padar Island, where you’ll hop off the boat and climb up a hill to watch the sunset. The climb isn’t hard; we had plenty of time to make it up the hill and get a good spot for the sunset. This is the one spot on the trip where it felt a little crowded because a few other boats also brought people here, but I really can’t complain because this was one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen.
Day 4
The last day of the trip will begin with snorkeling early in the morning at a really cool spot – we saw tons of fish and a turtle! Afterwards, you’ll head over to an island where you can lay on the beach and hang out for a few hours.
On the final day, our boat arrived to Labuan Bajo around 2 PM. It was nice to finally be on land again (and even nicer to finally take a shower!!) but it was definitely a bit bittersweet to be leaving all the amazing people we had met. That night, just about everyone from our boat went out to dinner at La Cucina and followed that up with Paradise Bar, where the crew had set up a reunion. The night was amazing and gave us the chance to hang out with everyone one last time.
What to Bring
When you board the boat, everyone’s big backpacking bags will get piled into one room, so you’ll want to have the stuff you’ll want for the next few days with you in a smaller bag. You will have access to the room if you decide you need something from your bigger bag, but it may be a bit of a hassle to dig out! These are things you should definitely have on hand for this adventure:
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Sneakers (you’ll want these for the hikes)
- Bathing Suits
- Towel
- Cards/Books/Kindle (something to entertain yourself)
- Seasickness Medicine
- Hand Sanitizer
- Cash (you can buy souvenirs on Komodo island and food/drinks at some of the spots where you’ll stop)
- Snacks (they feed you three meals a day, but good to have just in case!)
- Alcohol (if you want alcohol, you can bring your own or buy some beer from the crew during the welcome meeting and they’ll take care of getting on the boat for you)
They provide you with snorkel and mask (and you can pay a bit more for fins), a bag, and a water bottle. There’s more than enough drinking water on the boat, and also unlimited coffee and tea.
Things to Know
Most cruises will not run during rainy season, so try to avoid visiting between December and March if you want this on your itinerary!
You likely will be able to catch a flight out of Labuan Bajo back to Bali/wherever else you might be going on the day you land, but I would definitely recommend staying at least one night so you can participate in any final activities!
If you want, you can also sail from Labuan Bajo to Lombok! Totally up to you, the cruise runs both ways.
If you decide to go with Wanua (which of course I highly recommend), you’ll book the tour through Seek Sophie. For $10 off your purchase, use the code “CULLEN32” at checkout! And if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you 🙂
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Maddie and Cullen, we loved meeting you guys so much and you are the sweetest people ever. This post covered everything so well. This was the most fun 4 days!!!! Xxxx Zoé and Jason
Thank you for reading!! This boat trip was one of our favorite experiences so far!! So happy to have met you guys!