Can you arrange Komodo Island tours locally, or do you need to book from Labuan Bajo?

A traveler who spent 6 days on Komodo recommends staying only at one specific homestay located on a hill above the village — it's clean, food is good and cheap. This homestay is the one that organizes boat tours around the islands and national park.

The rest of Komodo village is described as dirty with rats around, no cafes or travel agencies, and only very basic shops. The traveler does not recommend staying anywhere except the mentioned homestay.

A tour arranged through the Komodo-based homestay differs a lot from standard day tours from Labuan Bajo: groups are small, and travelers often have beaches and the national park almost to themselves, without crowds from other tour boats.

Another traveler explains that nearly all agencies in Labuan Bajo sell the same standard one-day tour — sunrise at Padar, Pink Beach, snorkeling with turtles, and a one-hour stop on Komodo. Groups are large — 18-25 people packed onto one speedboat, since agencies need to fill the boat to make the trip profitable.

The same commenter believes there are no official travel agencies in Komodo village itself. If you arrive there independently, you can only rely on private arrangements with local boat owners — but the cost of such a private trip will be much higher than a group tour.

He also notes that the chance of meeting other tourists on Komodo willing to split the cost of a private boat trip to the same spots is quite low — visitors there tend to be solo travelers like fishermen or those seeking solitude, rather than tourists looking for an organized tour.