Dragon Dive Komodo Hostel in Labuan Bajo, Flores – The Worlds Best Dive Spot

What would you say if you could dive in one of the worlds best diving spot, stay at an outstanding 5 Star Hostel and last but not least admire the world-famous Komodo Dragons? Welcome to Dragon Dive Komodo Hostel, welcome to Flores. We got back from Labuan Bajo with a smile on the face, experiences in the pocket and a brand-new 5 Star Hostel for you.

The infobox on Dragon Dive Komodo Hostel ⭐

Flores is quite non-touristic, compared to world-famous Bali. It sees a tiny fraction of the number of tourist that come to Bali. This makes it an even more exciting and sometimes also challenging place to travel.

We can assure you this: Komodo is the biggest aquarium of your life and a life-time experience.

Komodo national park in Flores is known to be one of the best dive spots in the world. It is even more known for the world-famous Komodo Dragons. They are the largest lizard on earth, a perfect predator, they say.

Confused what is Flores, Komodo and Labuan Bajo?

Read our introduction to the location and how to get to Labuan Bajo..

Before you read ahead, we want to share only four photos and one video from Labuan Bajo, Flores and Dragon Dive Komodo Hostel.

These photos will make you pack your backpack right away.

In the rare case you still need some wanderlust-input, here is the video:

(here you find all 5 Star Hostels in Videos)

Oh, yes, the Komodo Dragons are real!

On the other hand, you have the incredible water landscape. Once you get underwater, it will blow your mind.

Sharks, mantas, turtles are the local celebrities.

At the end of this article we cover our best things to do in Labuan Bajo.

Indonesia is really diverse. Each island is very different from the other one. That is why, I would recommend to see more than one.

More Indonesian Hostel guides you will love:

• 3 best hostels in Ubud
• best hostels in Jakarta
• 3 best hostels in Gili Trawangan, Gili Islands
• best hostels in Uluwatu
• best hostels in Seminyak
• best hostels Kuta Bali
• best hostels in Canggu

Here are all the absolute best hostels in Bali, Indonesia. Find all 5 Star Hostels here.

Before we start, pack smart…

Remember to pack accordingly for staying in a hostel – yet, do not overpack.

Here’s our full packing list, including Noise-Cancelling ear plugs and your padlocks.

Dragon Dive Komodo in review

Now, let’s join us on our walk through Dragon Dive Komodo, in our opinion the BEST hostel in Labuan Bajo, Flores and Komodo.

This guides answers your question on where to stay in Labuan Bajo.

There is a pool to jump in, a pool table to hang out and even a roof top terrace with panoramic views.

We are not really sure where we should start…how about we have a smoothie first at the bar?

1. Smiles and international dive instructors

When arriving at Dragon Dive Hostel, you will find smiles all around.

Local people in Flores are very kind people. And curious at the same time. It is easy to get a million questions, so be ready to chat a bit.

You will also get spoken to while walking on the street (if the locals can speak English). If not, you will get many glances. Do not worries, it is totally normal! Tourism is relatively new here, locals are still curious.

Also fair to say, local people are still a bit shy and in the learning process. It is not so long that Labuan Bajo receives tourist.

Only a few months after the opening of the hostel, Dragon Dive Komodo is on top of the game.

Dragon Dive Komodo Hostel is a 5 Star Hostel as well as a diving center in Komodo.

The founders are diving instructors.

After many years diving around the world, they found their favorite diving spot. They decided to stay in this unique paradise, sharing the beauty of it with world travelers.

Even if you are not into diving by now, you should seriously consider it. We took our first diving lessons in Gili Trawangan, with the Gili Divers from Gili Mansion. After this, we were hooked.

So, yes, give diving a try.

Start the day with a great breakfast

Breakfast is included in your stay.

The accommodation offers a European breakfast with toast, fruit, coffee, jam. They also add local donuts and even crêpes (with a French recipe).

Bringing products to Flores is still not easy, as they have to arrive to Jakarta, then Bali, and then being transported by boat to the other Islands around (included Flores).

As you can imagine, that’s not easy nor cheap.

So, please, treat food with respect and don’t expect the same perks as you get in Bali.

The sames goes for the WiFi.

There is free WiFi and it’s fast enough to watch a video on Youtube and upload your instagram photos to show your friends how beautiful Indonesia is.

However, please do not expect a glass fibre network to watch the latest Game of Thrones. After all, you are here to enjoy life and not TV.

Rooms and beds to pick

You can choose between 6-bed dorms and private double rooms. The dorms are located right in front of the swimming pool. You get a direct view!

The double rooms are separated, just behind the smoothie bar.

Read: different hostel room types.

How about we have a look on the new private rooms?

The bathrooms

One important thing to mention about Asian culture is: toilet paper is not commonly used.

Why, you may wonder?

Toilet paper is one of the sources of water pollution. And Flores would love to conserve their underwater.

They do have their own alternative: a water pump.

If you already traveled around South East Asia, you know what are we talking about.

If not, give it a try. Maybe you will love to bring one home after using it. We know travelers who got a water pump for their house afterwards.

2. Beachy, good-vibes-only Design

When you are next to a paradise beach, all you can think about is getting in the water.

Right?

It is also quite hot weather in dry season, so what is better than having a swimming pool directly with your accommodation?

Okay, we hear you.

Having also a bar next to the swimming pool is even better. So you can swipe cocktails while resting from the activities Dragon Dive Komodo has to offer.

3. Staying in your Diving Center

The possibility to stay at the same place you are taking your diving course is a great convenience.

You wake up, and you are already on your meeting point!

You can also hang out with your diving buddies beforehand and afterwards.

This place is your Dive center in Labuan Bajo, your accommodation, and social hub.

Dragon Dive Komodo has its own restaurant with delicious pizza and a colorful design full of underwater paintings.

It has also a swimming pool, a place to chill in the afternoon and to do the basic scuba steps you’ve to take before jumping into the big, blue ocean.

Learning the first steps in the swimming pool instead of the ocean is convenient and safe.

Since we are talking about this, safety is very important for diving.

You might have heard it already, currents are strong around Komodo National Park. That is why, for beginners, the first day of lessons is always the swimming pool.

In Dragon Dive Komodo, they do offer Padi courses and SSI and CMAS: from Open water to Master Scuba Diving.

They know all the Komodo Dive spots around, so count on them.

4. Social Hub

This accommodation is a very social hip place in Labuan Bajo. It is like a Komodo dive resorts, just on a budget.

The installations with their spacious common areas, invite you to connect with other guests – or hang out with your new dive buddies.

• Swimming pool
• bar
• billiard table
• roof top terrace
• massage
• scooter rental
• even a restaurant with tasty pizza

Yes, if you are just carving some pizza, it is just there! And a tasty one!

It’s one of the best pizza places in Labuan Bajo.

Update: The hostel now offers fitness in the morning & cinema the night in the joglo.

5. Local and international friends

The staff is always a criteria for a 5 Star Hostel.

The staff at the reception, bar and restaurant are local. They want to make guest happy and comfortable. That is why it is very difficult to say no for them. It is part of they culture not to say “No“!

Be nice and don’t compromise them with hard requests.

Remember, you are on a remote island!

The staff are also really funny, and you will find them joking and interacting with guests.

Locals love their Island, but you must bear in mind, most locals are not able to travel a lot around.

The staff at Dragon Dive already learned what visitors love about the island and can recommend you nice places to visit – as well as help you organize with anything you need during your stay. Also, they can share places which are quite remote and untouched by tourism.

Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?!

The instructors at the diving center are international. That assures that they follow all the PADI secure system, as well as good language communication.

Regarding the managers, you will also find them around, talking with guests and making sure their place is top notch! They might even join fun dives, or might be your diving instructor.

8 Best Things to do in Flores

As you might guess, most of the guests visit due to the diving facilities and instructors, but Flores has many things to offer.

You just need some patience to get to the places, many roads are still wild. For instance, with our scooter we had to cross a shallow river to continue our journey. It was seriously a part of the street.

And you should be willing to bargain for a good rental price, Indonesian rules.

Just ask on the reception for tips on reasonable prices, they will help you out.

Hop on a Boat trip around Komodo Islands.

That is one of the main attraction for people staying at Komodo. There is many companies doing boat trips with scuba diving or just for enjoying getting lost around beautiful islands with clear waters.

Wanna see a pink beach? Snorkel with turtles, and even manta ray? That’s your chance.

Here is our list of best things to do in Labuan Bajo and Komodo. This is our Komodo Island travel guide, if you will:

1. Take an island tour, but…

So many tours to choose from…

and there is not a single reliable online resource we can share. (if you know any, please share it with us!)

The easiest and most reliable way to find an island tour in Komodo is asking the staff the Dragon Dive. They are happy to help!

2. Go Diving

Now, that is a must-do!

As mentioned, you can get diving courses directly at the hostel. They have their own pool for your first breath under water.

Get ready. They say, you never forget your first breath under water.

3. Rent a Scooter and visit a waterfall

There are numerous waterfalls around Labuan Bajo.

Some locals offer to bring you to these waterfalls. If you’re not comfortable driving a scooter, that is an option.

4. Admire the landscape

You can also go North of Labuan Bajo for a hike or with the scooter. The landscape is amazing. Just bring some water and go for it. We loved it!

5. Take photos

Bring a camera! No, wait…bring a great camera!

Komodo, Labuan Bajo, Flores and Indonesia in general is extremely photogenic.

Read: The ultimate packing list for staying in hostels

6. Visit Pink Beach

The only actual pink beach we found was in Komodo.

We would love to tell you the exact name, but we could not find out its name, nor location. We went there on our 3 days trip to Komodo Island.

7. Go Snorkeling

Many day trips bring you to local islands nearby for snorkeling. Some of the islands also have bars, but only very few ones. We would go for a snorkel trip only.

You can ask where you can find turtles or mini sharks.

Usually, there are people around offering day trips for snorkeling.

8. Eat at the Local Fish Market

Last but not least, have a fresh fish at the local fish market. You can select the fresh fish directly from the “counter”, and they’ll cook it for you.

Good to know: Make sure you know the price BEFORE they start cooking. You can always bargain.

Keep in mind, you should pay a fair price.

Introduction to Flores, Komodo and Labuan Bajo

Confused on all the different names for the area? What is the area, what’s the village or town?

It can be a bit too much. And quite frankly, we also mixed up the city names and names of islands.

Therefore, here is a simple introduction on what is Flores, where is Komodo and where you’ve to catch a flight to.

Flores:

Flores is actually a group of islands in the eastern half of Indonesia. It is located east of Sumbawa and Komodo, and west of Lembata. So, Flores is the main island, long stretched island.

Here you can see it on Google Maps.

So, what is Komodo?

Komodo:

Komodo is the group of island located between Sumbawa to the West and Flores to the East. The Komodo National Park forms a big part of it, and it is named after the world-famous Komodo Dragons.

Labuan Bajo:

Labuan Bajo is actually a small fisher men town. However, since the Airport to get to Komodo is located here, it is now a bustling tourism center.

Yet, Labuan Bajo remains a small village.

How to get to Labuan Bajo?

In order to visit the Komodo Dragons and to go Diving here in Labuan Bajo and Komodo, you will have to fly to Labuan Bajo Airport.

This is our best recommend way to get to Labuan Bajo: Fly!

With Skyscanner you can find many flights. Google.Flights.com lists even the local airlines flying from Bali to Labuan Bajo.

We share how to find flights, and all the websites we compare before we book any single flight.

The second and usually cheaper option is taking a boat from Bali or Lombok.

This option, however, is not recommended by us at all!

The journey takes around 20 hours and is not comfortable. Personally, we did not take the boat option, we took an airplane from Bali.

Important: People are bringing massive bedbugs to Labuan Bajo from these boat trips.

The new booking policy of Dragon Dive Hostel states that you will need to wash all your cloth before entering the hostel.

So keep in mind to have 1 shirt and 1 short for the 20 hours journey because you will have to wash everything, including your backpack before entering the hostel.

This is safety measure for you, all other travelers and the hostel itself.

There is a laundry service near the hostel, and it costs between 50.000 and 100.000 Rupee.