Half day
Shared Open Boat
The classic crossing. Leaves the harbour around 08:00, back by late afternoon.
Ask for price
Shared day trip
Harbour Desk · Labuan Bajo
Kanawa Island, answered from the desk
Real boats, real departure times, honest fares and live island status — checked from Labuan Bajo, not copied from an OTA listing.
- Day access
- Open daily, weather permitting
- Overnight
- Limited — status checked first
- Day trips
- Ask for price
Choose Your Day
Four ways to spend a day on Kanawa
From a half-day snorkel off the jetty to your own boat for the whole clock.
Half day
Shared Open Boat
The classic crossing. Leaves the harbour around 08:00, back by late afternoon.
Ask for price
Shared day trip
Guided
Snorkelling Tour
Four reef stations with a guide who knows which one suits your group.
Ask for price
Snorkelling tour
Full day
3-Island Komodo Day
Kelor for the hilltop view, Rinca for the dragons, Kanawa for the reef.
Ask for price
3-island day
Your clock
Private Speedboat Charter
Your own boat and skipper. Any departure slot between 07:00 and 14:00.
Ask for price
Speedboat charter
- Harbour to jetty
- 22 km Harbour to jetty
- Fastest crossing
- 35 min Fastest crossing
- Calmest sea
- Apr–Nov Calmest sea
Below the Waterline
Read the snorkelling guide
Four snorkel stations, one small island
Kanawa sits 22 km northwest of Labuan Bajo harbour, inside Komodo National Park. The reef starts at the end of the jetty — no boat transfer, no long swim out.
Each station suits a different swimmer. Your guide matches you to one on arrival rather than sending the whole boat to the same drop.
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Jetty Reef
2–8 m · ladder entry · comfortable swimmers
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Sandbar Shallows
0.5–2 m · walk in · family-safe
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Seagrass Flat
1–3 m · walk in · turtles are frequent
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Coral Drop-off
5–18 m · boat entry · confident swimmers
The Island
Kanawa and the water around it
The reef, the sandbar and the Komodo stops most Kanawa days are paired with.
Indicative Fares
What a Kanawa day actually costs
Honest bands, not booking prices — season, boat and fuel move the exact figure. National-park and ranger fees are always separate, and we confirm the final fare in writing before you pay anything.
Kanawa Half-Day
Ask for price
Shared open boat, snorkel gear and a crew guide. The cheapest way onto the reef.
View Details3-Island Komodo Day
Ask for price
Kelor, Rinca and Kanawa with lunch. Kanawa is the last stop — around 90 minutes ashore.
View DetailsGrand Komodo Day
Ask for price
Padar, Pink Beach, Manta Point and Kanawa by speedboat. Eleven to twelve hours on the water.
View Details
Private Speedboat Charter
Ask for price
Priced per boat, not per person. Vessel, crew, fuel and gear for up to twelve travellers.
View Details
Why the Desk
A booking desk, not a listing page
We work with vetted local operators and say so plainly. What you get from us is a straight answer about the boat you are actually getting on.
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Answered from Labuan Bajo
A desk in the harbour town, not a call centre. We see the weather you are asking about.
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Fares in writing first
Exact fare, boat and meeting point confirmed in writing before you pay anything.
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Vetted local operators
We check safety equipment, licensing and crew before a boat goes on our list.
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Live island status
Overnight and facility status verified before booking. We never sell an unchecked bed.
What a day trip covers
Included
- Boat, fuel and crew
- Mask, snorkel and fins
- English-speaking crew guide
- Hotel pickup on shared departures
- Drinking water on board
- Safety briefing before departure
Not included
- Komodo National Park & ranger fees
- Meals on half-day departures
- Dive gear and tanks
Above the Waterline
Labuan Bajo to Kanawa, by the clock
Twenty-two kilometres of open water, three ways across. All windows indicative — tides, harbour traffic and weather move them.
Quick Answers
Kanawa Island, asked and answered
The five that reach the desk most often. Anything else, message us.
Is Kanawa Island open?
Yes — open daily for day trips, weather permitting. Boats depart Labuan Bajo every morning. Overnight facilities are a separate question and we verify those before any stay booking.
Can you stay overnight on Kanawa Island?
Sometimes. Simple camping and bungalow options exist intermittently, but there is no reliably bookable resort at a standing rate. We check current status by WhatsApp before you commit.
How do you get to Kanawa from Labuan Bajo?
By boat only, about 22 km from the harbour. Speedboats cross in roughly 35–45 minutes, shared open boats in 75–90. Morning departures, afternoon returns.
How much does a Kanawa day trip cost?
Fares depend on the boat, the date and whether your route crosses into the national park, so they are quoted per booking rather than published. Send your date and group size and the desk returns a written figure. Park and ranger fees are always stated separately.
Is the snorkelling good right off the jetty?
Yes — Jetty Reef is the signature station, 2–8 m deep with fish schooling under the pylons, entered straight from the walkway. Families should start at the Sandbar Shallows instead.
Credentials
Who you are booking with
A licensed Indonesian operator, working from Labuan Bajo since 2015.
Safety & compliance-
Licensed tour operator
Registered with Kemenparekraf RI, the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism.
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ASITA member
Indonesia Travel Industry Association — the national operator body.
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Juara Holding Group
Part of a group operating in Indonesian travel since 2015.
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Fares in writing
Exact fare, boat and meeting point confirmed before any payment is made.
The Desk
Take your questions to a human
WhatsApp is fastest. The desk replies from Labuan Bajo with the exact fare, the boat and current island status — in writing, before you pay anything.
Reach the desk
- +62 811 3823 875
- sales@komodoluxury.com
- Hours
- Mon–Sat, 09:00–18:00 WITA
Planning more of your trip? Explore luxury Labuan Bajo travel and liveaboards to round out your plans.