Discover Labengki Island, Indonesia

Labengki Island (alongside the exotic Sombori) is one of Indonesia’s best-kept secrets. This untouched tropical paradise in Sulawesi boasts breathtaking beauty. It ranks as one of the most enchanting locations we’ve encountered during our travels.

Here, you can marvel at diverse landscapes featuring heart-shaped lakes, emerald lagoons, vibrant reddish-orange beaches, historic lighthouses, and pristine white sand beaches. There are also fantastic attractions awaiting you in nearby Sombori.

Currently, English resources about these stunning locations remain scarce, leaving much to explore without preconceived notions.

This comprehensive travel guide will cover how to access Labengki, recommended accommodations, exciting activities available, and everything else you need to plan your visit to this gem of Indonesia!

Where Is Labengki Island?

Labengki is nestled in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, comprising two islands: Labengki Kecil (small) and Labengki Besar (big). The majority of the local population resides in a fishing village on Labengki Kecil.

The main tourist attractions are located on Labengki Besar, which is characterized by steep cliffs and mountainous terrain, making it less accessible for settlement.

Tour packages to Labengki often incorporate time spent in Sombori, a neighboring group of islands and lagoons that share similarly spectacular scenery. While Sombori is technically situated on the border of Central Sulawesi province, it is easily reachable via a day trip from Labengki.

Labengki Island from above

How To Get To Labengki Island

Labengki and Sombori are remote islands, necessitating a bit of effort to reach them.

Your journey begins with a flight to Kendari (KDI), which typically requires a layover in Makassar (UPG). Makassar is easily accessible from Bali or Jakarta and features non-stop daily flights to Kendari often starting at around 800k Rupiah ($50 USD). Use resources like Skyscanner to explore flight options to Kendari.

Upon arriving in Kendari, you might need to stay overnight depending on your arrival time. For accommodations, consider the Swiss-Belhotel or Claro Hotel Kendari.

Afterward, the next leg of your adventure involves traveling by car to the harbor, followed by a boat journey to Labengki. This trip takes about 1 hour via speedboat or 3 hours via wooden boat.

South end of Labengki island

Labengki Island: What To Expect

Many travelers choose to visit Labengki and Sombori through organized tours that encompass meals, accommodations, and boat excursions. While you can independently arrange these elements, costs generally remain the same.

Typically, tours follow a format of 3 days and 2 nights (3D2N) or 4 days and 3 nights (4D3N), which may feel a bit rushed. However, this duration allows sufficient time to visit many of the key attractions in Labengki and Sombori. As a solo traveler, you can book a private 4D3N tour starting at approximately 4.5 million Rupiah ($300 USD) by opting for basic accommodation.

Alternatively, upgrading to a comprehensive 7-day package, of which we paid 15 million Rupiah ($1,000 USD), included airport transfers, the boat journey from Kendari to Labengki, 6 nights in Labengki Beach Huts, unlimited private boat tours around the islands, and all meals for two people. Nonetheless, note that these rates reflect the COVID pricing from 2020 and may have risen recently.

While Labengki is relatively costly by Indonesian standards, much of this expense is attributed to the private boat charter and fuel. Given the remote nature of the island, flexibility in pricing is limited, and securing necessary supplies can be a challenge. Supplies, including food, must be purchased in advance due to the limited availability. My wife is Indonesian, and even she faced challenges negotiating prices.

Your total costs will vary based on factors such as length of stay, type of vessel (wooden motorboat versus speedboat), and accommodation choice (homestay, beach huts, or resort). Joining an open or shared trip can lower prices, but finding such options might also prove difficult.

Friendly crab near our Labengki beach hut

Best Tour For Labengki & Sombori

We organized our entire journey with Oji, a Kendari local knowledgeable about Labengki and Sombori. He was incredibly helpful, coordinating our lodging, meals, and boat tours.

To get in touch with Oji, you can reach out to his company, ‘Kelas Vakansi,’ via WhatsApp at ☎ +62 813-4340-6633. He is fluent in English. If he is unavailable, you might need to wait for a response as he could be on a trip. Alternatively, you could try reaching out through their Instagram page.

Note: The local population at both Labengki and Sombori have limited English proficiency, as do many people in Kendari. This was manageable for me, but it’s important to consider if you need assistance with communication.

To avoid confusion, iron out any essential details before embarking on your adventure. Additionally, if there are specific sights you wish to see, it may be beneficial to save images on your phone to show your boat driver.

Labengki’s incredible coastline

Best Things To Do In Labengki

• Labengki Kecil

Labengki Kecil is the smaller of the two Labengki islands, featuring a fishing village inhabited by around 500 residents. The island is increasingly attracting tourists with its budget homestays.

Even if you don’t stay on Labengki Kecil, the island has some intriguing sites, including an old abandoned lighthouse, beautiful beaches, and a small limestone cave known as Gua Kolam Renang (Swimming Pool Cave).

Drone pic of the Labengki Kecil lighthouse

The beach

• Long Sand Beach (Pantai Pasir Panjang)

This is Labengki’s longest beach, characterized by a stunning stretch of white sand surrounded by palm trees and calm blue waters.

If you stay at the Labengki Beach Huts, you can quickly reach this beach in just 5 to 10 minutes by climbing over limestone rocks!

Long sand beach

• Love Bay (Teluk Cinta)

This famous heart-shaped bay is often featured on Instagram and rests near the Labengki Nirwana Resort.

To capture stunning views, consider climbing Kimaboe Hill; however, to fully appreciate the heart shape, using a drone would be ideal.

Kimaboe Hill view

• Blue Lagoon (Laguna Mahumalalang)

The Blue Lagoon is a hidden gem that requires climbing a ladder over jagged limestone rocks to access.

This spot may be better identified as the Green Lagoon due to its unique coloring reminiscent of the cartoon character Gumby.

Blue Lagoon (Laguna Mahumalalang)

Drone pic of the lagoon

• Twin Lagoon (Danau Kembar)

The Twin Lagoon consists of two lagoons separated by a small mound of limestone rocks. It’s essential to wear appropriate footwear when navigating the rocks due to their sharp edges.

Interestingly, our guide shared a tale about how this lagoon was once utilized by local fishermen for shark breeding. Additionally, we spotted several Sulawesi Hornbill birds in the area.

Drone pic of the twin lagoons

• Tobelo Lake (Danau Tobelo)

Tobelo Lake is a secluded body of water accessible by wading through a small cave that connects it to the sea.

Inside, you will discover a pristine turquoise lagoon teeming with fish and coral. Notably, the lagoon appears heart-shaped when viewed from above with a drone, enhancing its charm.

Access to Tobelo Lake is only possible at low tide, and even then, the timing may only be optimal one week each month. Given these conditions, we felt incredibly fortunate to experience this hidden treasure!

Could this heart-shaped lake be any more perfect?

• Red Sand Beach (Pantai Pasir Merah)

Known as Pantai Pasir Merah in Indonesian, this beach gets its name from the reddish-orange color of the sand.

The towering cliffs and curved palm trees create a picturesque backdrop that makes it one of my favorites in Labengki and across Indonesia!

The majestic mountains framing this beach are truly awe-inspiring.

Drone pic of Pantai Pasir Merah

• Shark Lagoon (Laguna Hiu)

As you head towards Red Sand Beach, you will encounter Shark Lagoon hidden within the cliffs of Labengki island.

This lagoon is initially difficult to spot due to the trees blending with the cliffs, but as you approach, you will notice two lagoons—one large and one small.

We refrained from swimming here, but our boat guide reported spotting sand tiger sharks, which gives rise to the lagoon’s name!

Drone pic of Shark Lagoon

The mini lagoon

• Labengki Beach (Pantai Labengki)

This lengthy white-sand beach is situated at the southern tip of Labengki island, close to the Nirwana Resort.

Most tours do not include a stop at this beach, leaving it usually deserted aside from a palm forest, yet it is one of the loveliest beaches we encountered in Labengki.

See our boat? Look closely!

• Jellyfish Lake

A newly discovered jellyfish lake located on Tarape island (situated between Labengki and Sombori) provides an opportunity to swim with countless stingless jellyfish!

This lake was only recently discovered in 2023 and is still relatively unnoticed, but you can find pictures from our Labengki tour company on their Instagram page where it looks amazing.

• Sombori Island

After your exploration of Labengki Island, there is an abundance of attractions in the nearby Sombori, located roughly 2 hours north of Labengki.

A standard 3 or 4-day itinerary for Labengki and Sombori usually allocates an entire day to Sombori. However, if you opt to stay longer (as we did), you could easily add another day or two of exploration in Sombori.

The scenic beauty is at least comparable to Labengki, showcasing a tropical paradise filled with stunning lagoons, limestone formations, and mysterious hidden caves.

Where To Stay

• Labengki Beach Hut

During our visit, we stayed at the Labengki Beach Huts located on Labengki Besar, the larger island.

This enchanting location features 10 charming beach huts nestled at the foot of steep cliffs, providing a private beach just outside your door. An additional white sand beach known as Pantai Pasir Panjang can be reached within a 10-minute hike.

The quality of food was exceptional, with a delicious variety offered at each meal, including fresh fish, squid, chicken, veggies, shrimp, fruit, and pancakes.

Home sweet home — our Labengki Beach Hut

The price for our stay included daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner while providing free-flow tea and coffee. They also supplied refillable containers of clean mineral water so we could refill our bottles as needed.

Although the rooms were quite basic, they did offer essential amenities such as a fan and electrical outlets powered by a generator operating from 6 PM to 6 AM. We had fairly reliable cell service with Telkomsel.

The bathrooms consisted of six outhouses equipped with drop toilets, and we utilized buckets and a pail for personal washing. Bear in mind, this is a Robinson Crusoe style experience—luxury is not to be expected.

While there was a slight delay in property maintenance during our stay (with broken hammocks), the accommodation remains relatively pricey by Indonesian standards, so improvements in upkeep are expected.

Nonetheless, the primary draw of this experience is not luxury but rather an incredible tropical escape, and Labengki Beach Huts deliver an authentic experience!

Contact them via their Facebook page or WhatsApp at ☎ +62 853-9750-5163.

• Labengki Nirwana Resort

For a higher-budget option, consider the Labengki Nirwana Resort.

This venue features overwater villas with fantastic views and direct access to swimming right off your balcony. The accommodations are comfortable and equipped with air conditioning, round-the-clock electricity, and proper bathrooms.

While I haven’t checked current rates, they previously ranged from 1.1 to 2.5 million Rupiah ($75 to $175 USD) per night, depending on room choice. To make contact, you can visit their official website, where you will find various contact methods including email and WhatsApp numbers.

Drone pic of Labengki Nirwana Resort

Overwater villas (© Labengki Nirwana Resort)

• Labengki Kecil Homestay

The most budget-friendly option on Labengki can be found in its fishing village on Labengki Kecil. An increasing number of local homestays are emerging in the area.

Accommodations here are very basic, with a drop toilet and wash bucket, complemented by a fan and electricity for evening hours. Meals are included, and you’ll receive cell service from Telkomsel.

The primary drawback is the rustic environment of the fishing village, which doesn’t offer the same beauty as the private beach at Labour Beach Huts (LBH). Yet, you can still expect delicious meals (usually fish, rice, and veggies).

Nightly rates hover around 250k Rupiah ($17 USD) per person, making this the most economical choice in Labengki.

Village at Labengki Kecil

• Other Accommodation

As development continues in Labengki and Sombori, several new lodging options are emerging including the new Priyanka Resort on Pulau Tarape, an island positioned halfway between Labengki and Sombori. However, progress on this project seems to have stalled.

There are also budget-friendly homestays available in Sombori, paralleling the prices and quality of those on Labengki Kecil, albeit without cell service.

Finally, the owners of Labengki Beach Huts permit tent camping, allowing you to save on costs while enjoying the beautiful wilderness.

The colors of paradise

Labengki Kecil lighthouse

What To Bring

Given the remote nature of these islands, consider these essential packing suggestions:

• Snacks: If you’re like us, cravings for a quick chocolate fix may hit. There’s no convenience stores here, so pack wisely.
• Snorkel Gear: Don’t miss out on fantastic snorkeling opportunities, particularly in Sombori.
• Power Bank: As Labengki and Sombori have limited electricity (available only from 6 PM to 6 AM), a portable power bank can enhance your ability to charge devices.
• Dry Bag: A waterproof bag is critical to keep your camera and electronics safe while you spend time island hopping by boat.
• Drone: Capture aerial shots of the scenic beauty these islands offer!

Other Travel Tips For Labengki

• Mosquitoes: Reports indicate that malaria is not a concern in Labengki or Sombori. According to a study published in The Lancet, South East Sulawesi, including Labengki, has had malaria eradicated, although Central Sulawesi (including Sombori) may present some risk. During our stay, we encountered mosquitoes, but managed to avoid significant bites.
• Religion: The local populace predominantly practices Islam, and there is a loud mosque within Labengki Kecil, making earplugs a consideration for light sleepers looking to stay on the island. However, the distance from our Labengki Beach Huts made this a non-issue for us.

A fishing boat we spotted with the drone

Pristine nature

Best Time To Visit Labengki

The ideal time to experience Indonesia is during its dry season, typically lasting from April to November.

However, it’s important to note that Labengki and Sombori may operate under their unique climatic conditions; reports exist of visitors experiencing pleasant weather during the rainy season.

Our trip took place in September when the weather was predominantly favorable, although we did contend with a significant storm one evening that felt as though it might sweep our beach hut away!

How Long To Stay

The majority of Labengki/Sombori tours span 3 to 4 days—sufficient time to explore the main attractions. If you’re enamored with a simpler, Robinson Crusoe lifestyle, you could easily extend your visit.

Our stay lasted 7 days and 6 nights, yet we still didn’t exhaust all the wonders this area holds. Numerous hidden lakes and lagoons await discovery!

Local fisherman showing us his catch

Our Labengki Drone Video

Last but not least, here’s our 4K drone footage showcasing Labengki Island from our travels to illustrate the breathtaking beauty of this location.