About This Place
Kanawa is a small island in the first cluster out of Labuan Bajo — the Kelor, Kanawa and Sebayur group, all within about an hour of port. It is a beach-and-reef stop rather than a landscape or a wildlife one, and it is dragon-free.
Its role in a Komodo itinerary is structural. Because it is close to town, it is almost always either the first stop on the way out or the last one on the way back — the swim that fills the hours between the park and the harbour. That position, not the island itself, is what determines the experience.
One thing to be aware of: sources disagree on whether Kanawa sits inside the national park boundary or just outside it. Some operators list the nearby snorkel islands as outside the park; the park’s own working maps include Kanawa. We have left the field blank rather than guess, because the answer decides whether a park fee applies.
At a Glance
-
Also known asPulau Kanawa, Kanawah Island, Kanawa Komodo
-
TypeIsland, Beach, Snorkel Site
-
Inside Komodo National ParkNo
-
How to get thereLiveaboard, Speedboat Day Trip, Fast Boat
-
Travel time from Labuan BajoUnder an hour by speedboat; roughly 1.5-2 hours by wooden phinisi
-
LandingJetty
-
Last checked2026-09-12
What to Expect
White sand, shallow turquoise water, a jetty, and reef that starts close enough to the beach that you can swim to it without a boat. That is the whole proposition, and for a lot of travellers it is the most relaxing hour of the trip.
The snorkelling is gentle rather than spectacular. Current is mild, the bottom slopes away gradually, and the shallows are forgiving enough for weak swimmers and children — which is genuinely rare in this park, where most sites are current-driven. Expect hard coral, reef fish and the occasional turtle. Do not expect the density of Batu Bolong or the encounters of Karang Makassar.
Reef condition around the closer islands has been affected by years of heavy day-boat traffic and anchoring, and accounts of what you will see vary more than they do at sites deeper in the park. Treat glowing descriptions with the same scepticism you would apply anywhere.
Whether anything is open on the island is a question worth asking your operator. Kanawa has carried small-scale accommodation at various points and we have not been able to confirm what is operating now, so we are not listing facilities.
Crowds and Timing
Kanawa is busy at predictable hours for a predictable reason: it is close to port, so it catches both ends of the day fleet. Boats heading out stop here in the morning; boats coming home stop here in the afternoon. Mid-morning and late afternoon are the pinch points.
The middle of the day is quieter here than almost anywhere else in the park, which inverts the usual pattern. While Padar and Pink Beach are absorbing the day fleet, Kanawa is often close to empty.
The version most people get is the tired one. Kanawa is usually the last stop before the harbour, after a dragon trek and a long crossing, when everybody has had enough sun. Worth knowing before you decide the island underwhelmed you — it may just have been scheduled badly.
Dive and Snorkel Profile
-
CurrentMild
-
Dive typeShore, Slope
-
CertificationNone (snorkel)
-
EntryShore entry
How to Visit
Short snorkel day trip. Kanawa is the standard stop on the Labuan Bajo-area snorkel circuit with Bidadari and Manjarite, all reachable in under an hour and none requiring a full day.
As part of a longer route. On 3D2N and 4D3N itineraries it is normally the final morning — a swim before the run back to Labuan Bajo. See the 4D3N route.
If it matters to you, ask the operator to put Kanawa first rather than last. The island is the same; a fresh group at nine in the morning has a very different visit from a sunburnt one at four in the afternoon.
For context on where this sits: Komodo National Park. For a beach with a stronger reason to visit, Pink Beach.
Boats That Sail Here
Compare 12 bookable boats that include Kanawa Island on published itineraries.
Who This Suits
This is the gentlest water in a standard Komodo itinerary. Shore entry from a beach, mild current, shallow reef within swimming distance, no certification and no boat drop. Families with young children and nervous swimmers get more from Kanawa than from anywhere else in the park.
It suits anyone who wants an hour of doing nothing between the demanding parts of a trip, and it suits travellers based in Labuan Bajo who do not want to commit a full day to the park.
It does not suit divers looking for the sites Komodo is known for — those are current-driven and further out. It does not suit anyone expecting drama; this is a quiet beach, and pages selling it as a hidden paradise are overselling a pleasant swim.
What to Bring
- Your own mask and snorkel if you have them. Boat rental sets are a lottery on fit.
- Reef shoes. Entry is from the sand, and the approach to the reef crosses coral rubble rather than clean sea floor.
- Reef-safe sun protection and a rash guard. Shade is limited and you will be face-down in shallow water for an hour.
- Water and anything you want to eat, unless your operator has confirmed what is open on the island.
- Cash, small denominations, in case anything is operating.
- A dry bag and something dry to change into. Kanawa is usually the last stop before the harbour, and the ride home is a lot longer if you spend it wet.
Safety Notes
This is a low-risk stop by the standards of this park, but low risk is not no risk. The reef is shallow enough that fin strikes damage coral and cut feet — stay horizontal and keep fins up.
Current is mild inshore and picks up as the bottom drops away. Keep the jetty or the boat in sight and snorkel with someone.
Sun is the realistic hazard. Kanawa is usually visited either side of a long crossing, so people arrive already exposed and stay in the water longer than they think.
There are no medical facilities on the island. Labuan Bajo is under an hour away, which makes this one of the better-placed stops in the park should anything go wrong.
Photography Notes
Kanawa is the one stop on a standard itinerary where the usual advice is wrong. The subject here is water colour, and water colour needs sun overhead rather than sun low — the turquoise that everyone comes for reads flat and grey in the last hour of light. Shoot this island between roughly ten and two.
That happens to be when it is emptiest. The day fleet passes through mid-morning and again in the afternoon, so the middle of the day gives you both the light and the empty jetty at the same time. It is the inverse of how Padar and Pink Beach work, and almost nobody plans for it.
The jetty is the composition. It runs out over the shallows and gives the frame a line to follow, which an open beach does not. The rise behind the sand provides enough elevation for the sandbar-and-reef view people assume was taken from a drone.
On drones themselves, the honest answer is that it depends on a boundary nobody has settled. Kanawa's park status is disputed, and a permit is required inside the park and expensive. Ask your operator before you launch.
Entrance Fee
This is the one genuinely unresolved thing about Kanawa, and it affects what you pay. Some Labuan Bajo operators describe the nearby snorkel islands — Bidadari, Kanawa, Manjarite — as sitting outside the national park, which would mean no park fee. The park’s own working maps place Kanawa within the area they cover.
We are not going to resolve that with a guess. Ask your operator directly whether a park fee applies to this stop, and get the answer before you pay rather than at the jetty. If your itinerary also includes Padar, Rinca or Komodo, the question is academic — you are paying park entry for the trip regardless.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kanawa Island inside Komodo National Park?
Sources conflict, and we have not been able to settle it. Several Labuan Bajo operators list the near-port snorkel islands — Bidadari, Kanawa, Manjarite — as outside the park boundary. Park working maps include Kanawa in the area they describe. The practical consequence is whether a park entry fee applies to a Kanawa-only trip, so ask your operator before booking. On any itinerary that also visits Padar, Rinca or Komodo, you are paying park entry anyway.
How far is Kanawa from Labuan Bajo?
Under an hour by speedboat, and roughly one and a half to two hours by traditional wooden boat. It sits in the first cluster of islands out of port alongside Kelor and Sebayur, which is why it appears on short snorkel trips that never enter the main part of the park.
Can you snorkel straight from the beach?
Yes, and it is the main reason to come. The reef starts close enough to the sand to reach by swimming, the current is mild, and the bottom slopes gradually rather than dropping off. No certification, no boat entry, no drift. For a park where most sites are current-driven, that combination is unusual.
Are there Komodo dragons on Kanawa?
No. Dragons live wild in five areas — Komodo, Rinca, Gili Motang, Nusa Kode and parts of western Flores — and the beach-and-reef islands near port, Kanawa among them, are dragon-free visitor sites. Treks run only from the two ranger stations, Loh Liang on Komodo and Loh Buaya on Rinca.
Is there accommodation or a warung on Kanawa?
We are not going to state one way or the other. Kanawa has carried small-scale accommodation at different points and we have not been able to confirm what is currently operating, so we have left the facilities field blank rather than publish a guess. Ask your operator, and bring your own water and food regardless.
Is the snorkelling at Kanawa actually good?
Good for the conditions, not for the marine life. It is easy, safe and pleasant, with hard coral, reef fish and occasional turtles. It is not Batu Bolong and it is not Karang Makassar. Reef around the near-port islands has taken years of heavy boat traffic, and descriptions vary more here than at sites further into the park. Come for the ease, not for the spectacle.
When is Kanawa least crowded?
The middle of the day, which inverts the pattern everywhere else in the park. Because Kanawa sits close to port it catches boats heading out in the morning and boats heading home in the afternoon, leaving midday relatively quiet — exactly when Padar and Pink Beach are at their fullest.
Should Kanawa be first or last on the itinerary?
First, if you can influence it. Kanawa is normally scheduled as the final stop before the run back to Labuan Bajo, after a dragon trek and hours at sea, when everyone is sunburnt and finished. The island gets blamed for a scheduling decision. A fresh group arriving mid-morning has a genuinely different visit.
What the Park Costs
| What you pay | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Park entrance, foreign visitor | Rp 250,000 ≈ $14 | per person, per day The statutory Class I entrance rate. The 150% holiday rule applies to Indonesian visitor and student rates, not this foreign visitor rate. |
| Park entrance, Indonesian visitor, normal day | Rp 50,000 ≈ $3 | per person, per day The normal-day Class I entrance rate. |
| Park entrance, Indonesian visitor, holiday or collective leave | Rp 75,000 ≈ $4 | per person, per day 150% of the normal Indonesian visitor rate on the dates covered by the statutory holiday rule. |
| Indonesian student group, normal day | Rp 25,000 ≈ $1 | per person, per day For Indonesian student groups of at least five people. |
| Indonesian student group, holiday or collective leave | Rp 37,500 ≈ $2 | per person, per day 150% of the normal student-group rate; the minimum group size remains five. |
| Scuba diving activity | Rp 25,000 ≈ $1 | per diver, per day A separate activity charge in addition to the applicable entrance fee. |
| Motorised vessel entry | Rp 100,000–200,000 per boat, per day | Rp 100,000 for 40–100 HP, Rp 150,000 for 101–500 HP, and Rp 200,000 above 500 HP. |
| Drone use | Rp 2,000,000 ≈ $112 | per unit, per day A separate special-use charge. Complete the required SiOra/SIMAKSI process before travel. |
- SiOra is the park’s e-ticketing and SIMAKSI system. Reserve before travel; Ministry guidance recommends completing the reservation by H-1. An operator can assist, and self-service is available at the Komodo Visitor Center and KP3 terminal.
- Payment is cashless through the methods available in SiOra, including BRIVA or bank transfer and supported e-wallets. Keep the e-ticket and ensure the traveller details are correct.
- A 1,000-visitor daily quota has applied since 1 April 2026 to the main visitor islands and 23 dive sites. Availability therefore depends on the travel date and registered itinerary.
- The final SiOra total can include entrance, activity, vessel and special-use charges. Ask the handling operator for an itemised total before issuance.
- Official public guidance does not state one universal refund or rescheduling rule for every reservation. Confirm the current SiOra terms in writing before the ticket is issued, including treatment of weather disruption.
Statutory fees under Peraturan Pemerintah No. 36 Tahun 2024, in force since 30 October 2024. Verified 31 August 2026 against the official PP 36/2024 schedule, the Ministry of Forestry SiOra notice and the Ministry’s 2026 quota notice. Amounts are payable in rupiah; dollar figures are courtesy estimates converted at Rp 17,900 and rounded.
Marine Life
Activities
Cruise Areas
Location
-
Kanawa Island, Manggarai Barat, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
![Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fkomodoinsider.com%2Fdestination%2Fkanawa-island%2F"e=Kanawa+Island&description=The+easy+shore+snorkel+an+hour+from+port%2C+and+the+stop+your+itinerary+puts+last&picture=https%3A%2F%2Fkomodoinsider.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F09%2Fdestination-kanawa-island-1-Labuan-Bajo-16931903048-1024x680.jpg){kind=link}
Add a review