Labuan Bajo Old Town – Komodo District, Flores

Labuan Bajo is the fishing port on the west end of Flores, the large Indonesian island that’s home to the Komodo National Park. Most people come here for the dragons and water activities, but do the welcoming smiles hide a dark side to the tourism industry? If you’re a photographer, I thoroughly recommend a wander through the back streets of the old town.

How to get to the old town

You can duck down into the old quarters anywhere between the main strip and the sea. All roads lead down, often accessed by deep stairwells. Once at the bottom, hang a left or right into one of the back streets to soak up the atmosphere of the local people going about their business.

Among the houses are a few small stores for provisions, but most locals just make the five minute walk up onto the strip to get to the larger supermarkets.

Friendly Locals

As usual, the local people are friendly and not too bothered by tourists walking past their front doors. They’re tight quarters and the pathways used as communal areas for the residents.

What’s nice about Labuan Bajo old town is that it is shaded from the heat of the day. If you’re a sweaty photographer like myself, you’ll appreciate the cool walkways between the houses.

Tourism

In 2018, Labuan Bajo was designated as a National Tourism Strategic Area. Emphasis has been placed on developing the location as a tourist destination.

The local people are, of course, constantly fighting natural disasters such as earthquakes and landslides. This is normal in the southern Indonesian islands, but it must be especially disconcerting when living in such environments.

Socio-economic concerns

According to a recent documentary, the expansion of tourism is having an adverse socio-economic effect on local people. Much of the development we saw consisted of huge, expensive hotel complexes. While the tourism industry offers job opportunities, low wages and violations of workers’ rights are rife, and access to capital and development is handed over to international corporations. Perhaps the cramped space of the old town represents the suffocating growth of this tourism on the residents.

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