SDB Agency Sets Sail: A Journey to Labuan Bajo’s Wonders

On September 13th—16th, 2024, SDB Agency set sail on another annual trip – this time to the majestic islands of Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia. This trip offers a different vibe from our last trip, which was to Bangkok, Thailand. Bangkok’s metropolitan city provides plenty of activities and nightlife; Labuan Bajo offers a calmer yet more adventurous getaway to its tropical landscape.

All our team members were just as excited to visit Labuan Bajo as they were to Bangkok, although a few couldn’t make it.

Why is team bonding important at SDB Agency?

When people try out new things together and explore new activities, it will help them build and strengthen their relationships while also having fun.

This is why SDB Agency does a yearly outing; as all our team members work fully remotely and live far apart, making time to catch up about work and life is challenging. Therefore, our yearly trip allows us to properly connect while exploring foreign countries or regions that broaden our horizons and knowledge of the world. And best of all, we do it together with the entire team!

Why Labuan Bajo?

On the western corner of Flores lies the town of Labuan Bajo, which means “Place Where the Sea Gypsies Stop Over.”  The town is more than only a place to port and collect pearls and shells, as it offers plenty of wonders to explore.

Labuan Bajo was a small fishing site that has flourished into one of the top destinations in East Nusa Tenggara. One of the alluring factors is the Komodo Dragons, showcased in the Komodo National Park, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991.

Labuan Bajo is home to breathtaking landscapes on land and underwater, including Padar Island, Rinca Island, Komodo Island, and other smaller islands.

Now, let’s move on to the highlights of our trip.

Highlights of our Labuan Bajo trip 2024

The trip started with plenty of smiles and enthusiasm as most of our team members finally met each other after a few months and were ready for everything Labuan Bajo had to offer.

Day 1 – Relaxing at Bajo’s beachfront

When we arrived at Bajo, we were greeted by a stunning beachfront just a few steps away from our hotel rooms. As the evening came, we were mesmerized by the stunning sunset view, complete with all the hills from the islands. We spent our first day by the beach in front of our hotel rooms, catching up on our lives while throwing a surprise birthday party for our graphic designer and trip coordinator, Vinny!

After catching up, we decided to take an early night so we’d be prepared for the adventure we’d face the next day.

Day 2 – Set sail onto the destinations

The following day started with a boat trip to our first destination: Padar Island. The journey to the iconic view consists of 5 posts to reach the top. It wasn’t a rather long hike, but the intense heat made most of our team members run out of breath at the second post. The further up we went, the more the spectacular view revealed itself, and we decided to stop at post four and take our team photo while wearing our shiny new SDB Agency shirts!

Next, we continued to set sail to the shores of the famous Pink Beach, and unsurprisingly, as the name suggests, the entire stretch of sand was peachy-pink! We had a short break, collecting pretty red shells while enjoying the local snacks before moving on to Komodo Island.

On arrival at Komodo, we were introduced to the rangers who would guide us and ensure we’d be out of harm’s way from the dragons! We scouted past the local village and up to an open savannah-like environment, where we finally saw one of the lizards beneath the shade of a tree. They were so huge that we’d first mistaken them for a large rock.

For a top predator, we were surprised at how lazy these Komodos were as they seemed to be constantly asleep even though there were crowds of people taking photos beside them. We passed by a jungle with gift shops while seeing more Komodos before finally heading back through the local village and on to our next destination.

After a good lunch and rest on the boat, we headed for our next stop, Taka Makassar, a small stretch of white sand in the middle of the ocean. We took several photos before snorkeling in the nearby waters. We saw a colorful school of fish in all shapes and sizes, along with beautiful corals where they live. The snorkeling session was our final trip before returning to land, just in time to catch the spectacular sunset and call it a day.

Day 3 – Touring around Labuan Bajo town

Our third and final day at Labuan Bajo was rather chill compared to the day before. We rented motorbikes and explored a nearby cave called “Batu Cermin.” We were greeted by a lush bamboo forest and monkeys at the entrance before finally entering the cave, which consisted of large rocks and a deep, dark natural hallway within the caves where the rocks shone like diamonds and formed unusual shapes.

After exploring the caves and taking enough photos, we headed for a lunch break at Le Bajo, a nice restaurant on the beachfront with a venue stretching further into the sea. Our team members ordered delicious pasta and octopus. We talked until the evening before returning to our hotel.

During the evening, we prepared to have dinner at a popular eatery that sells local fish. The place is popular for a reason, as we’ve proved that the dishes were all delicious, with a great view of the town! We also exchanged thoughts on the trip and talked about what we could improve, as it was our final night at Labuan Bajo before heading back to Bali the next morning.

Where to next?

And that wraps up our adventure at Labuan Bajo! Everyone was happy with the trip, and we came home feeling refreshed, energized, and ready to tackle our daily tasks. Of course, we look forward to more annual trips that let us connect with our colleagues and travel to new places we have yet to explore.

As Labuan Bajo has been a relaxing, tropical getaway, perhaps we should travel to a more modern and metropolitan city like Singapore next year? It all depends on the team’s preferences. Till next year!