Komodo: How it Began

The lobby's Hostel captured from my room.

July 2019, I decided to have a holiday in Flores and doing boat trips across the Flores Sea to the Sumbawa Sea for 4 days and 3 nights. That was my impulsive random holiday that I had decided only in a month because of my disappointment with someone lol. Luckily, that was also when Air Asia opened its new routes to Labuan Bajo and Lombok with their special prices, how can I resist?

Usually from Jakarta to Labuan Bajo, we have to spend our money on return tickets for about 3600k minimum. When Air Asia came with its special price, it costs around 2800k with transit in Bali. However, after I found out about the Boat trip from Labuan Bajo to Lombok, I can save more money. I can back to my place from Lombok to Jakarta and cost less than if I take the flight from Labuan Bajo to Jakarta. So my total cost for the return ticket with 3 flights of Air Asia is only 2.017k, pretty nice, isn’t it?

Actually, this boat trip really is the savior for someone like me who likes to explore things but doesn’t have much money. At first, I was looking for an open trip to Komodo Island and almost every boat has the same minimum prices. For 3 days and 2 nights, they cost us at least 2800k with the same starting and ending point, which means I have to pay our flight from Labuan Bajo again and that’s a big no for me. Many boats offer day trips in Labuan Bajo with cheaper price only when you go straight to their office. I know someone who did that and she got 450k or 400k! so cheap. She was someone I met at Bali airport and we decided to shared Taxi cost from Labuan Bajo airport to our Hotel, for your information every Taxi in Labuan Bajo from the Airport to the city costs 50k, so it was pretty expensive if we are alone. But there is another choice too, just walked to the airport gate and there will be a local ojek (motor taxi) and maybe it costs cheaper, the exit door to the gate is not far as well.

Then, when I found out that there is another boat trip that has the same places as the others to visit but has different routes as well and goes all the way to Lombok, I challenged myself to join them. It costs only 2100k for me as a local tourist in a deck class (sleep with mattress with other people) and 200k more for foreign tourists, also for cabin class it costs 3000k. I didn’t ask about the local price for this cabin class because I will take the deck class for the sake of saving my money, I guess the local price is less 200k as well.

When I called the boat company, They asked me to pay 50% of the price as a down payment and 50% more has to paid in H-1 before the day of sailing on their office. I went there the night day before the sailing and I tried to bargain again but failed. I went back to my hostel and getting ready for sailing since I have to be ready at the meeting point at 6.30 am. Great news for me again is, when I was in my room I got a roommate who has had done the sailing that day from Lombok to Labuan Bajo. She gave me her leftover medicine because "the sailing will be rough on day 2," she said. She also told me that I will need the medicine for the seasick that might come because the current is not predictable.

The day has come, August 4, 2019, I wake up and walking towards the boat office. The staff asked me to walk with a young man and led me to the harbor and to the boat. I arrived there and the other staff who the night before failed me with my bargain asked me to have a chat with him privately. He then told me that the office staff and the boat crews decided to upgrade my deck class into the cabin class as there is one empty cabin class on the boat. He also told me that I can use both of the rooms, the deck class, or the cabin class as I wish, so basically, I have 2 rooms on the boat and 1 room for free. When I asked do I need to pay more, he told me that "No. It's free." Oh my god! How Lucky I am.

The cabin was really nice, with a larger bed, 2 blankets, 2 pillows, 1 fan and socket with 2 plugs, more space for my luggage and I can have my privacy! The other blogs said that paying the cabin class is not a good choice, but for me, this cabin is really nice and worth to pay! Maybe it depends on what boat we use, my cabin is located in the upside, right behind the captain rooms, so I didn’t hear any noises of the boat engine and it wasn't that hot as well. I was in this company in KM Wahyu Pertama boat, so don't hesitate to take the cabin class if you get this boat. Too bad that they arrange the passenger randomly into the boat on H-1 after everyone has re-register themselves & paid fully of the trip's expense. So, we will never know which boat we will be in until the day of the trip comes.

Note: If my grammar is wrong, pardon me.. I'm still learning.