It’s hard to not talking about the magnificent Padar Island with our enthusiasm! Renowned for its unique landscape and mesmerising scene it offers from the peak, this iconic island quickly become popular among travelers. Green during the wet season and charmingly dry with rolling savannah grassland during the dry season, the weirdly contorted island looks like something right from the filmset of Jurassic Park. Here’s a detailed guide on how to get to the island and what to do there!
Going to Padar Island for Day Trip
If you only want to have a week of sailing trip in Komodo National Park, going to Padar Island with a day trip is your best option. This means you have to spend a night in Labuan Bajo and book a boat in the morning. You can either go with speedboat or try the liveaboard phinisi, which is bigger and have designated area to relax and chill. The boat would go very early in the morning—sometimes as early as 4 am. Be prepared, the hotel might wake you up in 3 am.
Going on A Sailing Trip!
One of the tourism highlight in Komodo is the sailing trip! We really recommend you to take 3D2N or a week of sailing trip in Labuan Bajo in one of their grand phinisi boat. It’s an experience you won’t find anywhere else but here, in the remoteness of eastern Indonesia. During the trip, you will sleep in the boat, eat in the boat, lounge and just enjoy the surrounding scenery in the boat. It’s gonna be your floating hotel for few days ahead. You’ll be visiting more islands that just Padar during the trip. Make sure to make stop in Komodo, Rinca, Kana wa, Gili Lawa, and other charming islands in the national park.
What Camera to Bring?
Padar’s surreal landscape—steep jagged hills covered with golden grasses dotted with high palm trees and fringed with three coloured beaches just beg to be captured. You’ll want to bring your best camera there—preferably DSLR or mirrorless camera. Film cameras and polaroids would also work great here as the light is plenty. Padar’s unique landscape would be best captured with drone, if you have any. But if you don’t have it all, don’t worry. A simple smartphone would be enough to give you awesome holiday photos!
Best Photography Spot in Padar Island!
The viewpoint is definitely the main star here. No one leave Padar without taking the iconic viewpoint—three crescent beaches set back to back with each other with undulating hills in between and craggy mountain looming in the background. The viewpoint has been photographed million times but no one is tired of it! However, you can find other equally charming spots to photographed in Padar. Take it from your boat to show the whole Padar Island from afar. Explore the hillside and set them as fascinating backdrop for your photo. Go to the beach and take amazing shots of the rocky lands. When it comes for Padar, your photography options are just limitless.
More Travelling Stories:
Stories from Komodo Dragon Island
Finding Out the Best Islands for Private Vacation
What Can You Do There
Do you think that hiking up to the viewpoint is the only thing you can do in Padar? Of course no! There are tons of exciting thing to do in this island if you have the time. Among those you can:
- See and play with the deers (do not feed them with human food!)
- Play at one of the beach
- Visit the Pink beach in Padar Island
- Come early in the morning to see sunrise
- Come and stay late in the afternoon to watch sunset
- Have a lunch picnic at one of the beaches
- See the sun and the moon at the same time! How awesome is that?
No, You Cannot Stay at the Island
Padar is a small island and there’s definitely no infrastructure expect for the stone ladder. The island is not made for stay. Beside, isn’t it nice to have no building obstructing your view or resorts claiming Padar’s pristine beaches? You can stay in Labuan Bajo or in your liveaboard.
