By Glen M. Cole 
Komodo’s Padar Island trek offers some of the most beautiful views in Indonesia and is pretty easy to do!
This place resembles a land of dinosaurs with rocky hills and great bays and beaches stretching in all directions.
A tour of the Komodo Islands would not be complete without this hike! You can visit the island of Padar on a day trip or spend a few days on a cruise to see many of the islands.
The northern side of the island of Padar even has a pink beach with unique reddish sand, which has also become a famous place for excursions to the Komodo National Park.
In this travel guide you will learn how to get to the island of Padar and what you need to know before you go!
Where is Padar Island located?
- Padar Island is located in the Komodo National Park, a group of islands in eastern Indonesia.
- The nearest town is the fishing village of Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores, which has its own airport and many hotels and restaurants that you can enjoy between visits to the park.
How to get to Padar Island
- The only way to reach Padar Island is by boat from Labuan Bajo.
- It is about 40 kilometers as the crow flies from Labuan Bajo, and the journey usually takes 3 hours on a slow boat or less than half on a speedboat.
- You can get rid of most of the main attractions of Komodo National Park (including Padar) on a full-day excursion or stay on a cruise ship and spend several days sightseeing!
- Many daily flights connect Bali with Labuan Bajo Airport (LBJ). With a flight time of 1 hour, several airlines offer ticket prices starting from 1 juta ( 70).
- Getting to the Komodo Islands from Bali is now easier than ever, as AirAsia flies between them several times a week. There are also flights from Jakarta, Surabaya or Ende to Labuan Bajo Airport. You can buy flights on Skyscanner.
Hiking on the island of Padar
- The hike to the top of Padar Island takes only about 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the pace.
- There is a paved trail to the top now, but it is still a pretty steep and strenuous climb. There are viewpoints along the way where you can stop to rest on the way up to get the best view.
- The hike around Padar Island has very little shade and the equatorial sun in Komodo can be quite brutal, so plan to roast yourself on the way up!
Viewpoint of Padar Island
- The best viewpoint on Padar Island is fantastic. The scenery really looks like a Jurassic Park setting.
- Although Padar is one of the smallest islands in the Komodo National Park, this picturesque viewpoint has become a famous Indonesian natural monument, which can even be seen on the 50,000 price bill.
- The island seems to have a great X-shape, with three bays where you can see a white beach, a black beach and a pink beach.
- Each of these sand colors is special in itself, but it’s crazy to see them all in one place. This is probably the only place in the world where you can experience it!
Is Padar open or closed?
- In August 2022, tourist activities in Komodo National Park were temporarily suspended for two days due to strikes related to the Indonesian government’s attempt to significantly increase the entrance fees to the park.
- You can read more about it in my full Komodo travel guide. Fortunately, however, the Indonesian government gave in and decided not to increase the parking fees for the time being, so everything returned to normal.
Entrance fee for Padar
- Komodo National Park has a confusing ticket system with a bunch of different entrance fees that you pay at a small stand in Padar.
- If you sum up all this, you can expect about 1.2 price ( 75) per person for a full-day park pass, which will allow you to do the Padar Island Trek and the other highlights of Komodo, Indonesia.
- The price of this ticket is valid from 2024, but it seems to increase every year. I think the price is still worth it for the extraordinary nature that you can see on Komodo, but hopefully they will not continue to rise.
Drone flight on Padar Island
- As of 2021, Komodo Park Rangers will no longer let anyone fly a drone on Padar Island unless they pay the exorbitant 1 price (70). There is no need to register in advance, just pay the fee in cash on the spot and then let it fly.
- I think some restrictions are understandable, since the point of view is crowded, and I’m sure there are a lot of people who want to fly drones there every day, so you have to control them a little.
Are there Komodo dragons on Padar Island?
- Yes, there are wild Komodo dragons that live on Padar Island, but they are rarely seen.
- There are also some venomous snakes such as island otters (Trimeresurus Insularis), although they usually hide in trees during the day and hunt at night.
- From time to time we have seen Russian Javanese (deer) wandering around the island of Padar, but in general there is not much significant prey for dragons here. It is a small island with a very dry climate, so giant lizards prefer to stay in Komodo.
Best Excursion / Day Trip to Padar Island
If you are looking for a verified travel agency to visit the Indonesian island of Padar, here is a first-class day trip to Komodo National Park with Klook from 600 price (42 ) from Labuan Bajo.
This tour includes the main attractions of Komodo such as Padar Island, Pink Beach and Komodo Dragon Safari, and their prices are very competitive based on what we have seen for similar tours in Labuan Bajo. Online reviews are also positive.
We have used Klook for many tours and activities around the world, and they are great. Highly recommended!