Where to stay in Komodo

Half the where-to-stay question in Komodo isn't about a hotel at all, it's about which boat you sleep on. A three-day sailing trip like this one means your accommodation, transport and most of your meals are the same booking, and you wake up already anchored at the next viewpoint instead of racing out of the harbour each morning. At roughly USD 330 for the three days, it sits in the sweet spot between the backpacker open-deck boats I steer solo women away from and the USD 400-a-day dive liveaboards.

This is the safety call I keep coming back to. With 34 reviews and a 4.79 rating, it's reputable enough that I'd trust the cabin layout and the crew count, and that matters more than any sunset photo. Before you book, message the operator and ask the same questions I always ask: how many life jackets, is there a radio, how many crew, and what the cabin arrangement is for a woman travelling alone. Reputable boats are used to solo women and will tell you straight whether they offer a same-gender shared cabin or a single-supplement private one.

What I love about sleeping aboard is the rhythm. You get the communal evenings — shared home-style Indonesian dinners, tea on deck, easy conversation with boat-mates — without the chaos of a party hostel. Leave the gear you don't need locked up in your room back in Labuan Bajo town, bring only what you want on the water, and let the boat be your moving, secure base for three days. It's the version of overnighting in the park I'd actually recommend.