Gili Lawa Darat or commonly called Gili Laba is an island in the northern part of Komodo National Park. It is an uninhabited island with spectacular views. The island is face the deep bay of Komodo island with beautiful white sand that can see from the viewpoint. There is also another Gili Lawa called Gili Lawa Laut.
During the dry season, the island looks a bit brown everywhere, while in the rainy season it turns green look everywhere. You can visit the island in both seasons, the dry and rainy seasons. There you can also enjoy the view of Gili Lawa Laut.
In general, visitors visit Gili Lawa Darat for scenic views. You will do easy hiking to the peak and enjoy the views. It is best to visit when sunrise or sunset. However, we recommend spending on the island when sunset. It will a spectacular moment with a panorama view of the bay.
For those who love landscapes photography, this is one of the recommended spots on Komodo National Park. You can spend the sunset here and wait for golden hour and blue hour. Besides that, you can also have a night shot on this island.
Getting to Gili Lawa Darat
The best access to Gili Lawa or Gili Laba is only with a boat. There are few options where to start the trip to this island.
Below are the options to start your trip to Gili Laba:
- The first options is join a boat tour from Bali. This option will available for private and share trip with a small group. The trip duration will approximatelly 7 days and 6 nights.
- Second option is join a boat tour from Lombok. This tour is available 3 times in a week and it is only available for a shared group tour with maximum of 40 people on the boat.
- Third options is join a boat tour from Labuan Bajo. This options is the most recomended as it is the only close place to start your Komodo trip. However you need to fly from Denpasar, Bali to Komodo Internationla Airport and then join a boat tour to Komodo.
Boat tours from Labuan Bajo depart daily, in a private and shared group tour. The private trip departs every day, while the shared trip will depart once a week. You can join any of these options, depending on your travel style.
Accomodations and Restaurants
Accommodations are not available on the island. The only way to enjoy the night on this island is to stay on your Liveaboard. Most of Liveaboard overnight here before continuing to the other destinations. So you will have time to enjoy the night on this island. The boat provides cabin rooms and deck, depending on what type of boat tour you book.
For those who want to start the tour from Labuan Bajo, you may stay in Labuan Bajo before the trip start. There are a variety of accommodations, from backpacker to star hotels. They are spread around the town.
Restaurants are also not available in Gili Lawa. All your meals during the trip will provide by the boat tour. You will enjoy local cuisine or western foods provided by the crews. If you book on a private trip, you may request any menu suit to you.