Padar Island is the third largest island after Komodo and Rinca island in Komodo National Park. Although there are no Komodo dragons, this island has magnificent treasures such as savannah hills, a marine ecosystem, and white, pink, and black-sand beaches.
Padar Island is situated in Komodo National Park area, Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. You’ve probably already seen images in Google that showcase the iconic Jurassic landscape at the Padar Island hike viewpoint in Komodo National Park. From the top of Padar Island, you will see the majestic scenery of the blue ocean and the famous multi-colored beaches surrounding the island.
About Padar Island
The beauty of Padar Island is very popular. This island is located near Komodo island. Most people say that Padar Island is like a dinosaur island. There you will find a giant bay, a beach, and rocky hills.
You can choose whether to make a day tour or a few day trips with a boat. If you have much time for the trip, you can choose a few day trips with a liveaboard boat. You will enjoy many beautiful islands near Padar Island.
One of the beautiful places in Padar Island is the pink beach. It has pink sand that makes this island very popular.
When you visit this island, you may feel confused to choose the best place to stay. Don’t worry, Padar Island provides you with many hotels. You can choose the closest hotel to the destination.
Padar Island Hike
In Padar Island, the most interesting activity that you can do is hiking. You can hike to the top of the island. There, you can enjoy the best view.
To reach the top of Padar Island, you need to spend about 30 minutes. Be careful with the path because it contains cobblestones. You may need to climb the rock for the alternative path but it makes your trip more incredible.
During hiking, you can enjoy your snack because it will take a lot of energy. The sun in this island is very hot. Make sure that you have good preparation before making the trip.
Padar Island is the smallest island in Komodo. But, here you will see something unique and wonderful. To enjoy the viewpoint of Padar Island, the cost for each tourist is around 50,000 Rupiah.
The Best Time to Visit Padar Island
Padar Island is now open. But if you want to enjoy the beauty of this island, you should come at the correct time.
You can visit Padar Island from July to August. In these months, the season makes you feel comfortable. But, in this season many tourists come here and make the island more crowded.
Otherwise, you can come to Padar Island all the year between March-December.
Padar Island Entrance Fee
When you visit this Island, you will find a small booth for the ticket fee. The cost to enter the island is about 500K for foreigners, 200k for Indonesians.
You should bring extra cash because sometimes the ticket price is confusing.
Don’t worry about the price, because your trip from Bali to Padar Island will make you feel satisfied after knowing the beauty of the island with your own eyes.
5 Things to Know Before You Travel to Padar Island
1. The Best Sunrise and Sunset View Point in Komodo National Park
Dry season is the best time for you to enjoy what this island offers. The weather is not too hot, a little to no rain, and the fantastic sunrise will amaze you once you reach its summit. Uniquely, Padar Island is the best sunrise and sunset viewpoint in Komodo National Park.
Also, if you hike either for sunrise or sunset, the weather won’t be too hot. So, the moment you hike to the top will be more enjoyable during those times. Not only at the summit, but during your hike, you will be entertained by the majestic view of the ocean both on your right and left-hand side.
2. Komodo National Park and Padar Island Entrance Fee
To hike Padar Island, you need to pay the entrance fee of Komodo National Park, which costs IDR 225,000/person for foreigners and IDR 7,500/person for Indonesians. Plus, an experienced local ranger to accompany your group to the summit costs IDR 120,000/5 people.
3. No Komodo Dragons on Padar Island
Padar island used to be a home for Komodo. Now, they are extinct on that island due to a lack of food. Deer poaching, one of the lizard’s most common prey, was believed to have caused the Komodo Dragons’ extinction on the island in the late 1970s. But don’t worry, you can still observe Komodo in their natural habitat in Komodo Island and Rinca Island.
Read: Explore The Exotic Home Of Komodo Dragon In Rinca Island – UNESCO World Heritage
4. Witness The Multi-colored Beaches
Padar Island is one unique island, people are going there not only to witness the sunrise and sunset view. From the summit, if you observe very well, you will see the three colored-sand beaches. White, pink, and black-sand beach. All are located on the same island.
5. No Hotel or Accomodation on Padar Island
No, there is no hotel on Padar Island. This is to keep the island’s wild and pure exotic nature feeling. Most tourists stay in a hotel in Labuan Bajo or join a liveaboard.
What to Pack for Padar Island?
These are the items you need to bring for Padar Island:
Comfortable Clothing
There is nothing more enjoyable than wearing comfortable cool clothing to hike Padar Island in the heat.
Shoes
Wear your comfortable sneakers to hike to the top of Padar Island. All the way to the top there are cobblestone paths, but it is still an exhausting climb. You will pass several viewpoints where you can rest on your way to the summit.
Sunscreen – reef safe
Prepare your reef-safe sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun.
Hat
Bring a hat that has a brim all the way around that shades your face, ears, and the back of your neck.
Water
It’s very important to always bring your water tumbler with you to keep yourself hydrated. For outdoor activities such as trekking and hiking, it will help to freshen you up in the middle of the heat.
Cameras, No Drones
The Padar Island hike and the summit offer quite plenty of opportunities for photos. You might want to take some photos below the summit or near the halfway point if you don’t want tourist selfies in your pictures. However, Komodo National Park restricts the use of drones without a permit throughout the entire park, including Padar Island.
Swimsuit
Prepare your swimsuit for swimming at Pink Beach after hiking Padar Island.
Money in Cash for Entrance Fee
Bring your Indonesian currency – Rupiah, in cash to pay for the fees to hike Padar Island as Komodo National Park only accepts payment in cash, and there is no ATM throughout the area.
How To Get There?
From your current location, it is relatively easy to get to Padar Island in 2022. Here’s how:
Plan Your Trip
Plan your trip in the dry season, April to October, as the weather is nice, a little to no rain, you won’t get wet during your hike to Padar Island. Plus, you will witness a spectacular view at the top of Padar Island during this season.
Book Your Flight
Padar Island is located in East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. To get there, you will need to book your flight ticket to Labuan Bajo, Komodo Airport. There are multiple direct flights from bigger airports in Indonesia, such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, and Kupang. It takes 2 hours of flight from Jakarta and 1 to 1.5 hours of flight from Denpasar, Surabaya, and Kupang.
Book Your Tour Package or Charter A Boat
Once you arrive in Labuan Bajo town, you must go to its harbor to reach Padar Island by boat. It takes up to 3 to 4 hours to get there from Labuan Bajo harbor. There are many choices of boats that you can charter, it depends on how many people that you are going with and the type of boat facilities that you are keen to use.
Register Your Trip To Padar Island
Now, you will have to register yourself and your group before coming to Padar Island, you can register here. This regulation is made to control the number of people that hike Padar Island and to avoid the traffic of the tourists by local tourism authority, BPOLBF.
Three time windows are open for hiking Padar Island. First for sunrise, from 05.30 AM to 07.30 AM, second after the sunrise from 08.00 AM to 10.00 AM, and the last is for sunset from 15.00 to 18.00 WITA.
Read more: Traveling From Bali to Padar Island
Which Boat To Choose for Padar Island?
The harsh reality is that most people will find it quite tough to find a boat at the harbor. It’s either because the boat facilities might not satisfy your needs, or you might be unsure how you want to arrange the destinations.
We strongly recommend booking your tour package or charter your boat in advance before coming to Labuan Bajo. It will save your time, money, and energy. An open trip is a better option if you’re traveling on a budget.
You can still enjoy a relaxing and comfortable trip on a boat shared with others. And if you want to travel with your family and friends, we suggest you charter a boat with a high capacity of people. We have MALCA VOYAGES for your comfortable, relaxing, and luxury trip to Padar Island. You can enjoy all the boat facilities by yourself, no strangers on the boat, and go to some tailored destinations.
Boat charter: Malca Voyages – Traditional Phinisi
Padar Island is one of Indonesia’s most magical islands. Its epic viewpoint is an experience that most visitors can only imagine. Its sunrise and sunset view attract so many people worldwide to witness it. We invite you all to come and see the marvelous view of Padar Island.
It can be confusing when choosing which boat is suitable for you and if you are unsure where to go on your trip, we will be delighted to craft a tour package special for you. We have MALCA VOYAGES, a boat with a capacity of 21 people, 7 spacious cabins, and 7 private bathrooms. Very suitable for you to have a fantastic holiday with your family, friends, or loved ones.
The package comes with pick up and drop off (in and out of the harbor), professional crews, full board meals and drinks, all the luxurious facilities on the boat, and premium documentation with drone, GoPro, and mirrorless. You may contact us on our WhatsApp and visit Komodo Luxury website or our Instagram to see our customers’ stories with MALCA VOYAGES.
We are ready to serve all of you who want to explore the beauty of Komodo and discover a whole package adventure to Padar Island and Komodo National Park. See you soon!
