Soe Besar Vanrei
Soe Besar Vanrei Phinisi
Entry, flights, money and health, in the order you need them
Updated 8 November 2026
First time in Indonesia before a trip on Soe Besar Vanrei: check your entry rules first, then book the flights to Flores, carry rupiah, and buy medical cover with evacuation. The tables carry dated facts, and any figure that can change is marked to verify before you travel.
Entry rules to check before anything else
No operator controls entry, so start here. Most nationalities use a visa on arrival or its online version, the e-VoA, for 97 listed countries. It gives 30 days and can be extended once. Citizens of ASEAN countries enter visa-free for 30 days. Others apply ahead on the official immigration portal.
The passport must be valid for at least six months after arrival and carry two blank pages, and you need proof of onward or return travel, which the airline checks at the counter before it lets you board. A digital arrival card is filed online within 72 hours before landing. If you enter through Bali, Bali charges its own tourist levy, paid on the Bali government site.
Verify before you travel: an increase in the visa fee was announced in August 2026 and no date was found, so the figure in the table can change. We make no claim about your passport. Check the official portal for your nationality.
| Visa on Arrival (VoA) | Open to nationals of 97 listed countries, including most of Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Japan, South Korea, China, India and the Gulf states. Other nationalities apply in advance at evisa.imigrasi.go.id. |
|---|---|
| e-VoA | The same 30-day visa, applied for online before you travel at evisa.imigrasi.go.id. Once approved, you must enter within 90 days. |
| VoA / e-VoA price | IDR 500,000 per person; children pay the same. Fees can change, so check the official site before you fly. |
| Length of stay | 30 days from the day you arrive, single entry |
| Extension | Once, by 30 days (60 days in total), for IDR 500,000. Apply at an immigration office about a week before the first 30 days end. |
| Visa-free entry | 30 days, not extendable, for citizens of ASEAN countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. |
| Passport | Valid for at least 6 months after your arrival date, with at least 2 blank pages |
| Onward ticket | Proof of a return or onward ticket is required for a VoA |
| All Indonesia arrival card | Free and compulsory. Fill it in within 72 hours before arrival at allindonesia.imigrasi.go.id or in the app; it covers immigration, customs and the health declaration. |
| Arriving in Labuan Bajo | Most visitors clear immigration in Bali, Jakarta or Surabaya and reach Labuan Bajo on a domestic flight |
| Bali tourist levy | IDR 150,000 per foreign visitor if you enter through Bali, paid at lovebali.baliprov.go.id. It is separate from the visa fee. |
Checked 11 October 2026 · Entry rules and fees change: confirm them on the official immigration site before you travel.
Flying into Flores
Labuan Bajo has one airport, Komodo International Airport, international since April 2024 and about 2 km from town. Most visitors connect through Bali or Jakarta, with Surabaya, Lombok and Kupang as smaller feeders. A few direct international links exist, with small frequencies, so check the airline. No nonstop flight from Australia exists.
The table lists the routes and the airlines seen serving the airport, checked on 3 November 2026. Schedules, fares and baggage rules change, so confirm with the airline. We quote no fares and promise no flight.
Plan to arrive the day before you sail. A sea route from Lombok to Flores exists, but it is a multi-day voyage that this boat does not offer: Soe Besar Vanrei sails from Labuan Bajo and back to Labuan Bajo.
| Airport | Komodo International Airport, code LBJ |
|---|---|
| Usual connections | Bali (DPS), Jakarta (CGK) or Surabaya (SUB); Lombok and Kupang are smaller feeders |
| Flight time to Labuan Bajo | From Bali about 1 h 10 min to 1 h 20 min; from Surabaya about 1 h 30 min; from Jakarta 2 h 30 min to 3 h; from Lombok about 1 h |
| Airlines | Garuda Indonesia, Batik Air, Citilink and Indonesia AirAsia from Bali and Jakarta; Super Air Jet from Surabaya; Wings Air on the shorter island routes. Schedules change, so check before you book. |
| Airport to the harbour | 2 to 3 km, about 10 minutes by car |
Checked 11 October 2026
Rupiah in hand: cash points, cards and tips
The currency is the rupiah. It is the only practical currency in Labuan Bajo. Cards work at hotels, dive operators and charters, with a surcharge of a few percent. Small shops, markets and taxis take cash or QRIS. ATMs stand along Jl. Soekarno-Hatta near the harbour and at the airport, with a limit per withdrawal and a fee on top. None exists on the islands.
Take cash before boarding. Tips for the crew and guides are optional, and we give no fixed figure, because practice varies from boat to boat and from guest to guest. Crew tips are pooled in a box at the end of the trip.
Our own payment channels are on the booking page: a card link at 3 percent, PayPal at 7.2 percent and the EDC machine at 3 percent. Your own bank can add charges. Exchange rates move, so the table gives a range and a month.
| Currency | Indonesian rupiah (IDR); about IDR 16,000 to 16,500 to the US dollar and IDR 17,500 to 18,000 to the euro in mid-2026 |
|---|---|
| ATMs | BCA, Mandiri, BNI and BRI on Jl. Soekarno-Hatta near the harbour and at airport arrivals; none in the national park or on the islands. Take cash before you board. |
| ATM limits | IDR 1,250,000 to 3,000,000 per withdrawal; a local fee of about IDR 25,000 to 50,000, plus your own bank's charges |
| Cards or cash | Cards work at hotels, dive centres, boat companies and larger restaurants, often with a surcharge of 2 to 4 per cent. Small eateries, markets, taxis and small shops take cash. |
| Tipping | Appreciated, never compulsory. In restaurants 5 to 10 per cent when no service charge is added; for a boat crew, IDR 50,000 to 100,000 per guest per day is a common range. |
Checked 11 October 2026
Vaccines, medical cover and common sense
Buy travel insurance that pays for medical care and emergency evacuation; hospitals can ask for payment up front. Dengue and malaria are present, so use repellent and cover your skin at dusk. Ask a travel clinic about vaccines, including rabies, since a bite from a dog or a monkey needs care at once. Drink bottled water only.
Labuan Bajo has Siloam Hospitals, a private hospital, and the public RSUD Komodo. Pharmacies in town have a limited choice, so bring prescription medicines and sun cream from home. The medical note on this site covers motion sickness and what happens at sea.
Common sense includes the operator. Book with a licensed company, ask for the business registration and a written itinerary, and pay against an invoice. We are PT Komodo Explorer Indonesia, NIB 1805260128363. If an offer is far below the rest, ask why before you pay.
| Insurance | Travel insurance with medical cover and emergency evacuation is strongly recommended; add dive cover if you dive |
|---|---|
| Private hospital | Siloam Hospitals Labuan Bajo, Jl. Gabriel Gampur, +62 385 2440 666; it has a hyperbaric chamber |
| Public hospital | RSUD Komodo, Labuan Bajo, with an emergency unit; no hyperbaric chamber |
| Pharmacies | Available in town with a limited range; bring prescription medicines and sunscreen from home |
| Emergency numbers | 112 general; 118 or 119 medical; 110 police; 115 search and rescue |
| Health risks | Dengue, chikungunya and malaria are present, so protect yourself against mosquito bites. Rabies exists in dogs and monkeys: seek care at once after a bite. |
Checked 11 October 2026
Komodo National Park: KEXI's park package
| Trip | Foreign guest | Indonesian guest |
|---|---|---|
| 3D2N | IDR 650,000 | IDR 350,000 |
| 4D3N | IDR 750,000 | IDR 350,000 |
One package covers the government entrance ticket (IDR 250,000 per foreign visitor per day, PP 36/2024), the ranger fee and the local levies. It is quoted per guest and paid on top of the boat price, unless your quote says it is included. For other trip lengths, the desk quotes the package with your booking.
| International visitors | IDR 250,000 per person per day |
| Indonesian visitors | IDR 50,000 per person per day · IDR 75,000 weekends & holidays |
Regulation: PP 36/2024 · Verified 10 October 2026.
FAQ
Do I need a visa for Indonesia, and what does it cost?
Most nationalities use a 30-day visa on arrival or the online e-VoA, which can be extended once. Citizens of ASEAN countries enter visa-free for 30 days. The fee is listed in the table above and can change; a rise was announced in August 2026 without a date. Check the official immigration portal.
Are there ATMs in Labuan Bajo, and how much cash should I bring?
ATMs stand along Jl. Soekarno-Hatta near the harbour and at Komodo Airport, with a limit per withdrawal and a fee on top. None exists on the islands. Carry rupiah before boarding for tips and small purchases. The park package is paid with the deposit, so it needs no cash on the day.
Which SIM or eSIM works near Labuan Bajo and on the boat?
Telkomsel has the best coverage in town and offshore, and signal is patchy at sea. Install an eSIM before you fly, and register any SIM with a passport. Wi-Fi is on board, but speed is not guaranteed, so download tickets and maps before sailing.
Check availability — Soe Besar Vanrei
Bookings for Soe Besar Vanrei run through the Komodo Explorer team in Labuan Bajo. We plan the voyage, take payment and answer in writing before you board; the boat keeps its own captain and crew.