Where Locals are Going Instead of Bali!

A little disclosure: there are affiliate links on this page! That just means if you click on a link, find something you like and buy it, we’ll make some cash. Don’t worry, you won’t pay any extra – sometimes you might even get a tasty discount. It’s a win for us and a win for you too! See the full disclaimer here.

Outside Indonesia, Bali is the most popular island in Indonesia. In fact, many people don’t even know that Bali is located in Indonesia! It’s for good reasons – Bali is a very beautiful island filled with smiles. I love Bali so much – in fact, I went there for my honeymoon. What many people don’t realise is that Indonesia has anywhere between 13,000 to 25,000 islands! There are so many islands to visit.

One issue about Bali is that everyone wants to go there because it’s so popular. This causes overtourism issues and drives the prices up for the locals. Besides, massive tourism also causes pollution problems and disturbs marine life, unfortunately.

Enter: Komodo Islands!

Komodo Islands are soooo underrated. I don’t think I can describe how beautiful it is. I don’t really know how to describe how beautiful the place is, so I’ll just add a picture below:

The water is still crystal clear, water in Bali beaches looks like a dirty curtain in comparison. We saw turtle and manta rays swimming in their natural habitat, along with many brightly coloured fish. There were so many nice, clean, sandy beaches to relax in, it was truly a paradise. My husband and I thought that hands down it was the highlight of our honeymoon! On top of it all, if you’re lucky, you may see a Komodo in person. We did!

Komodo only recently starting to attract tourists, since the government just opened up a new airport. In the past it was quite difficult and time consuming, but now it is easier to get there especially with flights. It was only in the last 6-8 years I heard my friends starting to visit Komodo Islands.  Komodo is a rising destination, but not as well-known as Bali yet.

When we went, we chose a tour where we lived on the boat for 3 days and island hop for the entire duration. I thought it was the best way to explore Komodo with the budget we have. The best would have been a completely private tour, but it would have been more than 3x more expensive. Also, we made so many new, awesome friends through living on the boat together! The tour we took was similar to this tour.

If I’ve now convinced you, don’t forget to read my guide in visiting Komodo National Park!If you have never travelled abroad, check my post on how to travel abroad for the first time. Make 2024 the start of your travelling journey! Don’t forget to check this post on another hidden gem of Indonesia.

Happy travelling!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *