Why You Need to Go Komodo Island-Hopping in Indonesia

Hannah Douch

Last Updated 30th October 2026

You’ve heard about the dragons. You’ve seen that sunrise viewpoint. But what are the Komodo Islands actually like to visit? More importantly, do they live up to the hype?

Somebody had to go out and do the research. So Amelia and Maisie did. From boat karaoke to sea turtle counts, here is what they had to say about our Komodo Island-Hopper trip.

Was it your first time visiting Indonesia?

Maisie:

It was. We’ve both been to different places in Asia, but had never been to Indonesia before.

Amelia:

You hear so much about Indonesia that it almost feels familiar before you go. Everyone says that it is amazing, but it was even better than I was expecting.

I think Indonesia is by far one of the best places to visit if you’re a first-time traveller. But then it was so cool to visit the Komodo Islands as well as Bali. I would recommend it to anyone who loves marine life.

Describe the Komodo Islands in three words.

Amelia:

I would actually say magical.

Maisie:

Ooo, okay, this is tough. The trip was just so wholesome. But I would say that the Komodo Islands have Jurassic Park vibes. That’s three words!

Tell me about boat life. How did you find it?

Amelia:

We described it afterwards as just being in your own world. We were on the boat for three days. You’re floating past all these islands.

Maisie had service sometimes, but I had no service throughout. There was one time when my phone just kept pinging for like three minutes, from my notifications finally coming through. But then I didn’t have 4G to answer back. So I was disconnected, in the best way possible.

It’s just you and your group, so you bond really well. You’re doing lots of activities, too. We were having parties, snorkelling, jumping off the boat, visiting the smaller beaches and islands… The whole experience was just great!

Maisie:

The water was really calm, too, which made the days feel very peaceful.

But the evenings were also so fun. We did karaoke on the boat! Lots of Zara Larsson.

Amelia:

‘Beauty on the Beat’ was just on repeat. 2000s, 2010s, throwback vibes.

Maisie:

We had the crew dancing with us as well. They were loving it!

How was the food?

Maisie:

Really nice. It was super fresh. Barbecued fish, tropical fruits and everything like that.

Amelia:

It was kind of like a family sharing vibe. You go around and pick whatever you want. The crew made us snacks, like those fried bananas one time when we got back from snorkelling.

Did you see any cool animals whilst snorkelling?

Maisie:

So many! We saw two different types of manta rays. Then we also got really lucky and even saw a whale, which is super rare in Indonesia.

And oh my god, the ocean. It’s the most crystal-clear water I’ve ever seen in my life. Like someone poured a cup from the tap. You can just see everything.

Amelia:

There were so many sea turtles. Probably in the double figures!

Not sealife, but we also saw the Komodo dragons. Seven different ones.

How big are the Komodo dragons?

Amelia:

Huge. They can get up to five metres long.

We saw the first one on the beach, and were like, “Oh my god, that’s so big!” And then our group leader goes, “That’s a baby dragon.”

They were just chilling.

You also ticked off the famous Padar viewpoint. How was the hike?

Amelia:

It was amazing. We had just missed sunrise, but you still had all the different colours. You could see the three different beaches: one with black sand, one with pink sand, and then a golden one.

Maisie:

The hike itself, not bad. It was basically half an hour, just going upstairs. Like 800 steps. Going up, you could still look at the viewpoints. So it was nice to stop, have a little break, then carry on. The views were just incredible. 

And it wasn’t too busy either, especially because you have so many different viewpoints to take in. Loads of space.

Amelia:

You see it so often online, to the point where you think it must be edited. Because the colours are so bright, and even the mountain itself almost looks too good to be true.

But no, it actually looks like that! It was just so incredible, because I was saying to myself, “None of this is edited.” I’m actually seeing this with my own eyes. You had so much time to get your photos, but also just chill and take it in.

Is Indonesia now in your top three?

Maisie:

It has to be. I would say mine are Indonesia, Japan… and then Australia, too.

Amelia:

Indonesia’s in my top three too. Then Vietnam and Morocco. But it’s hard to pick.

Thanks for the chat! My last question is, where’s next on your bucket list?

Amelia:

Well, I really want to do Egypt. But I mayyy have plans for Thailand. Oh, and I also really want to visit Central & South America!

Maisie:

I want to do Central & South America, too! But I would say my next place would probably be Sri Lanka. I want to see the elephants, and the beaches also look stunning.

Komodo Island Hopper

9 days

An Indonesian island adventure

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