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Padar Island Hike: Awesome Day Trip From Labuan Bajo

Padar Island Hike: Awesome Day Trip From Labuan Bajo

The Padar Island hike is an unforgettable adventure for hiking enthusiasts visiting Komodo National Park. Reaching the summit is a rewarding experience that offers breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding islands, turquoise waters, and multiple beaches. Whether you’re on a day trip from Labuan Bajo or a longer live-aboard experience, hiking Padar Island is a must-do activity in Komodo National Park.

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Ultimate Guide: Padar Island Hike

In this blog post, I will share all of the details about the Padar Island Hike such as elevation, distance, how to get there, and what to expect.

Padar Island Hike Details

  • Hike Distance: The total distance of the Padar Island hike is approximately 2.4 miles or 3.9 kilometers.
  • Hike Duration: The hike typically takes around 1-2 hours to complete, depending on your hiking speed and how often you stop to take in the stunning views.
  • Hike Difficulty: Padar Island hike is a moderate-to-challenging hike, suitable for experienced hikers or those in good physical condition. The trail features steep inclines and rugged terrain, so it’s important to wear appropriate footwear and exercise caution. There are no guardrails or safety ropes in place, so hikers must be aware of their surroundings at all times. The trail is rated as difficult.
  • Hike Incline: The total incline for the Padar Island hike is approximately 170 meters, showcasing stunning views of the island’s unique landscape and surrounding waters.
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How to get to the Padar Island Hike

To get to Padar Island you can either take a day trip from Labuan Bajo or reach Padar as part of your Komodo Diving Liveaboard. A liveaboard is essentially a big boat that has cabins and all the equipment for scuba diving, snorkeling, a kitchen, etc.

You live on the boat hence the term ‘liveaboard’. Sleeping on the boat it means you don’t have to transit to and from Labuan Bajo each day and you can be right at the base of Padar or other hikes and scuba sites ready for sunrise. 

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A Komodo Diving Liveaboard liveaboard includes all of your meals, scuba dives and activities and can range anywhere from $200 a night all the way up to $1000 a night for the most luxurious cabins and boats.

To book a liveaboard you can go to a website like Liveaboard.com and they list all of the different boats and trips available. They show you the cabins on each boat and also the list of activities and dives each trip includes. They are generally the most reliable site rather and are a global brand with a good reputation.

Check rates and availability: Komodo Liveaboards 

a man standing on top of a mountain overlooking a body of water.

Komodo Liveaboard

  • All meals + Entry frees
  • Amazing dive locations
  • Visit five islands

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My experience on the Padar Island Hike

We sailed from Labuan Bajo on our Komodo liveaboard, which is one of the only ways to arrive at Padar. A liveaboard is an awesome experience, where you sleep, dive, and explore from a beautiful sailboat throughout Komodo. It took us a little over three hours. Along the way, we stopped at Mesa Village, which is home to a colony of sea nomads and then we also stopped off at a couple of snorkeling spots that had crystal-clear water.

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We anchored our boat and took the smaller boat to the shore where the hike begins. You first scramble your way up a dusty hill, which I believe has now been replaced by stairs. The Padar Island Hike is definitely more about the views than a tough hike. From start to finish it took us only 20 minutes.

Some people were struggling as the hike is quite steep but it genuinely took us less than 20 minutes to reach the summit so if you are in decent shape this is a pretty mild hike.

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From the summit of Padar Island, you can see more beaches than you can count on your fingers. The Pulau Padar Island hike to the viewpoint is one of my all-time favorite adventures in Komodo and even in Indonesia. It’s a short hike and the island is challenging to reach but it’s all worth it once you reach the top. 

a man standing on top of a hill next to a body of water.

I have seen some pretty crazy views from the top of hikes in the past but the summit on Pulau Padar Island hike is out of this world. Padar Island is the third largest land mass within the Komodo National Park and can be found between Komodo and Rinca Island (Both home to Komodo Dragons). Padar was home to Komodo Dragons in the past, however, lack of food and hunting drove them away.

The island is known for having beautiful, but short treks and is a hot spot for photographers. Because of the panoramic view at the top of the viewpoint, this spot can be great for both sunrise and sunset. Either way, you will have to do a little bit of trekking in the dark.

a man standing on top of a mountain overlooking a body of water.

Padar Island Hike is photography heaven

There are many lookouts and photo opportunities along the way. About halfway up there is a rocky outcrop that gives you a vantage point of 4 beaches. This is probably the most popular spot to get amazing shots from. However, it is truly an inspiring location and you can discover amazing views in all directions.

We decided to avoid the huge crowd at the popular lookout and ventured even higher. Our new spot had an obstructed view of two of the beaches but gave us a view of several others. If someone asked me what to compare this hike to I think the only thing that comes to mind is dinosaur territory.

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Padar Island Hike Entrance Fee

The admission charge for entering Padar Island, located within Komodo National Park in Indonesia, is a complex and perplexing matter. There are numerous fees for admission that are paid at a small kiosk in Padar.

If one were to add up all of the fees, the cost for a one-day pass to explore the island’s hiking trails and other notable features could amount to as much as 500,000 Rupiah or roughly 37 United States dollars. This entrance fee is accurate as of the year 2023, although it appears to increase annually.

an orange and white flag on a boat in the water.

Best time to visit Padar Island

The peak season for Komodo National Park is during July and August when the climate is cooler and more agreeable. However, this period also sees a greater influx of visitors, making the park more congested. The climate within the Komodo islands is typically drier and sunnier than that of other Indonesian destinations such as Bali.

It is advisable to avoid the Komodo islands from December to February, as this is the rainy season in Indonesia and the weather conditions are not suitable for activities such as sailing and trekking.

a group of people sitting on the back of a boat.

Other hikes in Komodo National Park

Gili Laba is another awesome viewpoint in Komodo National Park that you should check out for sunrise.

Although it is quite an effort to get to Padar Island, if you are cruising around the area it is definitely worth the effort. Watching the setting sun from the top of Padar Island will be a moment from my trip to Indonesia that I will never forget.

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I hope you enjoyed this guide to the Padar Island Hike in Komodo National Park

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Mike

Wednesday 11th of October 2023

Hi,

I see some photos are much greener than others. Has anyone been during both the greener time and browner time for comparison? Is it much more beautiful during the greener time? Also, is the hike to the top suitable for a four year old?

Thanks,

Mike

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Alex Grover

Monday 15th of October 2018

Heading here next weekend! Thanks for all the tips, your pictures are getting us stoked :)