Komodo National Park Trip (Part 4)

Snowy at Gili Laba

Expecting the sunrise from one of the peak at Gili Lawa Darat, or some call it Gili Laba island.

Not to missed the sunrise we woke up early around 4:00 am. Not all of us wants to hike again. I was still not in a good condition, my fever even worse at least no more pain pumping in the head. I still have shore throat. But I decided to try. I may stop if I feel really sick. We agree to climb up by second trek route which less steep. Fauzi said it may takes time compare to the steeper one. We start exactly 4:30 am and some of us has flash light and head lamp and some not. We walked around 30 minutes and then the sun light already coming. We walk little bit faster.

Intan again had problem to walk up, for me not difficult at all. I was surprise with my condition I could continue all the way to the peak without having any breathing problem. I was just more carefully where I step. It has some hole on the way and I don't want to twist my ankle.

Yesss... we are the trekking champion

At the top I did not feel good, so I stopped and not move around to the other stone where most of the people make good pictures. I did not want, just enjoy the warm of the sun on my back bone.

Watching Komodo Island from Gili Laba

Yeaaaaah!!!

Not really lucky for the spectacular sunrise but we did the mission to climb all the Komodo summit. Yeaaahh!!!

This was on the last day of our trip. We should make another snorkling after Gili Laba, but I could not do it anymore, I really exhausted due to my cold and fever. After when we stop at Sebayur island, I was checking the snorkling site. It is a good site with a strong current which not good for beginner. The under water is mixed between soft and hard coral like at Bidadari island. More small fishes in different bright colors.

At Komodo Dive Center, Sebayur Island

Then in the lunch time we were stop at Kanawa. I decided not to do another swim, which is a mistake. I regret later that I did not take a chance to see the under water at Kanawa. Hope to see it in another trip. That's the end of our boat trip around Komodo National Park Islands.

We land earlier than it supposed to be. We have to bring our friend Bonar for checking his twisted ankle, and it is worst than we expected, not only twisted but he has fracture in his heel. But the doctor give him a letter that he could fly back to Semarang, there is no orthopedic doctor anyway at Siloam Hospital in Labuhan Bajo. But it is nice to saw him could smile again. I was really sorry for him that he could not see most of the place.

Good to see Bonar could smile again

He was the only one which well prepared for the trekking activities, he carried with him the good trekking shoes. When the other just wearing sandals. I found it later in the internet that some trekking shoes are slippery in the stoney trek. Specially the hard Vibram sol

White Pier at Labuhan Bajo

Waiting for the flight back home

Komodo National Park Trip (Part 3)

I woke up today, still not feeling good except knowing that today we would hike up Padar Island make me really exciting. The day before I saw so many boat standing side by side in the water where our boat mooring. That morning not much boat anymore, and our boat seems stay away from the shore. Mia suggest me to do some yoga move when she knows I still have headache. Strecthing and dogdown pose really helped, slowly my headache and dizzyness gone. At least I could swallow some banana I grabbed for my breakfast.

Prepare myself for the trekking, changing the battery, and packing my other things in the backpack. The sun was shining, and the day looks promising compare to the storm in the night before. When I saw the hill, not sure that I could climb it with my condition. But the view of stony hill of Padar Island hypnotizing me. So sorry for Bonar, he still stay in cabin when we down to the small motor boat which bring us to the beach.

When I write this after 3 weeks from the trip. I am thinking that I would like to go there again oneday.


Everybody is ready for the walk. It is much better than what I though. We walk up slowly, make some stop every few minutes, many youngster walk faster than us. It does not matter, we are the oldies of 50+ do better than most of our friends. We could walk so far are beyond average people on our age.

Snowy at Padar Island

View of Padar Island

The view at the top of Padar Island so amazing. And I am happy that finally I was there in the famous island, long weekend make this place full of visitors. The stone where the best spot to make selfie photo always occupied. We make so much photos there, we all just happy to be there. I want stay more, sitting hours just to see the view from above to surrounding. I don't want to leave that place but I could not, we have to leave and we have to go back to the boat.


A plate of nice nasi goreng with fried egg already waiting and we were heading to Pink Beach. The next destination is Pink Beach at Komodo Island. Due to the changing schedule, it was high tide when we were there. Danang husband of Tanti complaining why they call it Pink Beach, the sand not really pink colour. I said may be we are in different place. I could not explain them that we were not in the right time because of the accident of Bonar. We supposed at the Pink Beach a day before at late afternoon before go to Padar, during low tide so we could see the really pink sand of the Pink Beach. Additional small boat to land at Pink Beach also was not calculate before, we supposed to swim direct from our boat to the beach. We have to pay 20k per person for the boat, to land and to bring back after. I was not disappoint at all, it always happen in the trip, we could not always get what we want.

Happy me

The water was really cold at Pink Beach but I enjoy my snorkling time. Every island have different underwater view. Bidadari island has beautiful sea fans and mixed between soft and hard coral. Kelor mostly hard coral, with amazing fishes wants to eat you, may be because it was eating time from some fishes. And Pink Beach has mostly soft coral and the table coral at deeper place. It was good I packed with me a shorty with my snorkling gear. With my condition, high fever from the cold I catch during the trip it was good to have wetsuit to warm me in that cold water.

Finished Pink beach we were back to the boat for lunch and we move to Gili Laba. The guide Mr Fauzi tried to convince us that we could see beautiful sunset from the other hill at Gili Laba. I am not really sure because I never have in my life good sunset view from the hill or top of the mountain. The opposite situation sunrise better in the mountain. Sunset always better at ground or sea level. But I said may be we are lucky we have spectacular sunset with the hanging clouds in front of us.

From Gili Laba Island, waiting for sunset