Padar Island Hike – Best Sunrise Viewing Point in Indonesia?

Padar Island Hike – Best Sunrise Viewing Point in Indonesia?

No doubt you have already seen a photo of the iconic Jurassic landscape at the Padar Island hike viewpoint in Komodo National Park. If you type “Komodo Island” into Google, the image will probably appear first.

From the summit, you can get a sweeping view of Padar Island and witness the famous colorful beaches that surround the island.

The Padar Island hike

Recently, Komodo National Park built a wooden trail that makes starting the hike much easier. From here it's just a short but fairly steep climb to several grassy viewing hills from which you can enjoy different perspectives of the incredible island.

If you have a camera or have even a mild interest in landscape photography, then the Padar Island hike will certainly be your kind of adventure. I don't usually talk about a viewpoint that has been photographed a million times, but this place was so breathtaking that it's hard not to complain. Maybe it's better to let the pictures do the talking.
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Padar Island hiking altitude

The highest point at Padar Island Viewpoint is about 185 meters above sea level. The path is quite steep but does not require any

Difficulty level of hike on Padar Island

Yes, yes, but how long does the Padar Island hike take? Don't worry, the Padar Island hike really isn't difficult and anyone with general fitness should have no problem. Reaching the summit from the beach shouldn't take much longer than 20 minutes.

How to get to Padar Island?

Padar Island is quite remote and therefore requires an organized boat trip to reach it. This is especially true if you want to experience the Padar Island sunrise hike viewpoint.

Below I have described some of the most popular ways to reach Padar Island, as well as how I got here.

How to get from Labuan Bajo to Padar Island

For those already in Labuan Bajo Flores, you have the option of booking a one-day boat trip or a multi-day boat trip departing from the main port. Unfortunately, there are no public boats that go to Padar Island, so your best bet is to book an island hopping tour.

There are several of these island hopping tours in Labuan Bajo. To save money, it is recommended to organize these trips with other travelers. Depending on which tour you book, you will receive a fast (1.5 hours) or slow (3 hours) boat. Faster boats are generally better as you can spend more time on the islands.

Travel prices vary greatly depending on the season and demand. To save money and time, you can book this 4-island day trip with a speedboat that offers a Padar Island hike.

Most day trips stop at other Komodo National Park highlights such as Pink Beach, Manta Point, Komodo Island and Rinca Island. So if you're planning on visiting these anyway, you'll save money by going the same day. Read updated national park fees below.

Getting to Labuan Bajo – You can book a cheap domestic flight to Labuan Bajo (also known as Komodo Airport – LBJ) with daily connecting flights to Denpasar in Bali for $50 to $80. You can compare cheap flights to Komodo Airport on Skyscanner here.

Padar Island National Park Fee 2019

The various fees in Komodo National Park can really add up, especially if you plan to spend a few days exploring the area. Visiting Padar Island is quite expensive and requires 150,000 rupiah to enter the national park.

I would recommend checking with your tour to see if these fees are included before agreeing on a price or booking. Below you will find a summary table of the applicable fees and charges. You can find more here.

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RELATED: Exploring Batu Cermin Cave in Labuan Bajo

Komodo and Flores trip from Lombok

In my opinion, one of the best ways to reach Padar Island and explore the other gems in Komodo National Park is by taking a 4-day and 3-day boat trip from Lombok. This is only practical if you're already in Lombok, but it's great value for money and is one of my favorite tours in Indonesia.

This boat trip stopped at Padar Island, Rinca Island, Komodo Island, Pink Beach and Long Beach as well as a few other snorkeling and island waterfalls along the way.

If you are interested in this trip, I wrote a detailed blog about it here.
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MORE TO DO IN KOMODO NATIONAL PARK: PINK BEACH KOMODO ISLAND

Liveaboard to Padar Island

It's no secret that Komodo National Park is a diving hotspot. If you are a diver considering a liveaboard, I have found that most include a stop to do the Padar Island hike on their itinerary.

There are a plethora of dive shops offering liveaboards from anywhere for 2- to 14-day trips.

Unfortunately, I can't comment on or recommend a diving safari because I haven't taken one. However, I can recommend iDive Komodo because of their day dives. They have an excellent fleet of boats, professional staff, great food and best of all, they are local. This means that your money goes back to Flores and not abroad to German or Swedish bank accounts.

Photography and drones

There are many opportunities to take stunning photos both during the Padar Island hike and at the summit. If you have a wide angle lens and want to avoid selfie-stick tourists in your shots, I would suggest taking a few shots halfway up or on the first grassy hill below the summit.

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Can I fly my drone?

When it comes to drones, many may ask; “Can I fly a drone on Padar Island?” Legally, Komodo National Park restricts flying drones without permits throughout the park, including Padar Island. – Having said that, it would be difficult for you to visit Padar Island at sunrise without hearing at least a few drones take off.

Best time to visit Padar Island

The best time to visit Padar Island and Komodo National Park is the dry season between April and November. During these months there is less rain, with hot but bearable temperatures.

The busiest time of the year is July and August and therefore it is a good option to visit Padar Island during the shoulder seasons of April to June and October to November.

During the rainy season and the first few months of the dry season, the view from the Padar Island hike is a refreshing shade of green. As it gets later in the year, the Padar landscape dries to an almost orange color, which I think still contrasts spectacularly with the blue ocean below.
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Is the Komodo National Park fee increasing?

A viral story that has been doing the rounds recently is the dramatic increase in the price of entry to Komodo Island. Reports suggest that the cost of visiting Komodo Island will rise to a premium of $1000 for an annual pass.

At this point it is difficult to be sure whether these changes will be implemented. However, there has been a huge local backlash as the fee only applies to Komodo Island and not surrounding islands such as Padar.

Therefore, if implemented, tourism would likely turn away from Komodo Island in favor of the others. Regardless, the national park fee will not increase and the cost of visiting Padar Island will likely remain the same.

Are there Komodo dragons on Padar Island?

While Padar Island was once home to Komodo dragons, this is no longer the case. The combination of lack of food and hunting drove the dragons away from Padar several decades ago.

So you don't have to look out for Komodo dragons on the Padar Island hike. Instead, you can find Komodo dragons on the neighboring islands, including Komodo Island, Rinca, Gili Montang and Gili Dasami.
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READ MORE ABOUT THE KOMODO DRAGON ISLANDS: RINCA AND KOMODO ISLAND

MORE PHOTOS OF THE PADAR ISLAND HIKE

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