Kanawa Island is a very small. It is possible to reach from Labuan Bajo (Flores). It’s surrounded by fabulous coral reef and it’s a great place for snorkeling adventure.
Kanawa – the idyllic island
Kanawa is probably one of the best islands in Indonesia if you’re looking for spectacular underworld and white sandy beaches. What’s even more important there are almost no tourists. There is not much to do on the island beside snorkeling and sunbathing. In 2013 there were just few bungalows on the island (around 10$ per night). It’s an amazing experience to spend whole day snorkeling and enjoying wildlife but I don’t think I could stay there for a week.
We hired a boat from Flores (Labuan Bajo) for a day trip to take us to the island (cost around 30 $). There are regular boats leaving from Labuan Bajo but it’s much better to hire your own than buying an organized trip. The boat just waits for you near Kanawa coast when you’re ready to come back. Remember to take lots of water with you and some snacks. I haven’t seen any shops on the island. I also had a lot of sun cream as the temperature went above 40 degrees and the sun is unrelenting when you’re in water.
Best snorkeling in Indonesia
Snorkeling is gorgeous! I had no idea that this fish can be so enormous! Huge turtles, snakes, thousands of fishes and sharks. You can see big sharks and swim surrounded by small sharks! I have never experienced something more amazing. Don’t forget to avoid stepping on a reef! 🙂 They told us that these sharks do not attack people.
This adventure was much better than diving in Thailand and Cambodia’s islands. Maybe because I had really bad weather and water conditions in Cambodia. The ocean in Komodo and Rinca was very peaceful and there was no monsoons at that time. But we also heard that the conditions might be very different and dangerous. That is why you should be careful when diving in this area. There are many other small islands around. Most of them uninhabited.
