Laying under the sun at the beach is surely a sweet escape after long months of working, especially during this pandemic. Let’s admit it, we’re lacking vitamin Sea! If you think that the gray and black shades of sand look dull, embrace yourself for brand-new information beaches with pink sand do exist!
Do you know that out of hundreds of beaches in the world, there are only seven pink beaches, and five of them are located in Indonesia around the Labuan Bajo area? The most famous one is the pink beach in Komodo National Park. Before you book your ticket and fly there, make sure to take a look at this Pink Beach travel guide that will make your traveling experience unforgettable.
What Makes the Beach Pink
Who spills pink paint at the beach? No one. The color of the sand on pink beaches is all the work of nature. They get their color from microscopic red creatures that stick to the coral reefs called foraminifera. The waves keep crashing into the coral reefs and carry foraminifera to the seashore, and then they are mixed with the sand and calcium carbonate.
Where is it?
In the eastern part of Indonesia—Komodo National Park and around Labuan Bajo, the beaches mostly have pinkish-hue sand. The five most-visited pink beaches around the area are Pink Beach, Padar Island, Serai Beach, Short, Long Beach, Naming Beach, and the most famous of all, Pink Beach Komodo. Pink Beach Komodo is located on Komodo Island, one of three big islands in the Komodo National Park area.
How to Get There
First, you can take a flight from Bali to Labuan Bajo that will take about an hour using a small jet or turboprop plane with 50 people capacity. Once you arrive at Labuan Bajo, you can take a boat trip to Pink Beach.
There are two boat options that you can choose from, slow boats and speedboats. Taking slow boats will take three hours, while speedboats will take around 90 minutes or less. You can also take a private boat which will cost you around IDR 800,000 to IDR 900,000 per round trip, or a public boat which will cost you around IDR 30,000 to IDR 40,000 per person for a one-way trip. Choose the one that suits your needs and budget.
Make sure to use a small fishing boat to the pink beach, or it won’t be easy to dock the boat at the beach. This is because special moorings have been provided for large ships that want to visit Pink Beach.
On the other hand, if you’ve just finished visiting Loh Liang and are about to go to Pink Beach, you can use a fishing boat to the beach. This will take 30 minutes. If you prefer taking the land route, you will need to get past steep cliffs. That’s why the land route takes longer, about 4,5 hours.
Entry
To enter Komodo Island, you will need a permit because the island is located inside a national park area. The permit can be granted in Loh Liang National Park on Komodo Island. All you need to do is fill in a form signed by the national park officer, and then you’re allowed to enter the national park. The entry fee for domestic tourists is IDR 10,000 and IDR 50,000 for foreign tourists.
What to Find and to Do
Are you ready to experience the magical scenery and marine life? If you’re ready, then you’re coming to the right place! Pink Beach is perfect for swimming, snorkeling, and diving because of its underwater world. The shallow and warm water is the home for hundreds of corals and thousands of fish species. However, if you’re expecting to stumble across Komodo dragons at the beach, you’ll be disappointed because they’re staying at the top of the hill. If you need snacks and drinks, you can also find some food stalls here. Laying under the azure sky while watching the sunset sounds great, doesn’t it?
Tips
This Pink Beach travel guide won’t be complete without some tips, so here you go. First, because you’ll spend most of your time outdoors, bring and put on sunblock. Second, you’ll have a long walk to experience, so make sure you’re physically fit and wear comfortable footwear. Third, stroll around the beach before it’s scorching. You want to get tanned, not to get sunburnt.
Hopefully, after reading this Pink Beach travel guide, you can travel around Pink Beach without fear. Ready to go? Happy traveling!
