The volcanic island of Gili Lawa Laut is situated amongst some of the best dive sites in Komodo National Park, and the shallow waters are ideal for kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. A 30-minute trek to the island’s summit will reward you with great views, and the island also has some lovely secluded beaches.

Rinca is one of the largest islands in Komodo National Park, and it’s a great place to see the famous Komodo dragon in the wild, with fewer tourists than neighbouring Komodo Island. Other wildlife here includes wild pigs, buffalo and a variety of birds, and there are some excellent dive sites around Horseshoe Bay on the south coast.

Just to the northwest of Komodo National Park lies Banta Island, a small and uninhabited volcanic island fringed by lovely beaches and with some truly world class snorkelling and diving sites just offshore. Look out for tuna, sturgeon, barracuda, white tip and black tip reef sharks, nurse sharks and even hammerheads in deeper water.

Saleh Bay is a vast expanse of sea on the northern side of Sumbawa island, semi-enclosed and scattered with uninhabited islands. The main attraction here is the marine life, and in particular the chance to see magnificent whale sharks in their natural habitat.

Mostly uninhabited and rarely visited by tourists, Moyo lies off the north coast of Sumbawa, and the majority of the island is a protected nature reserve. Look out for long-tailed macaques, wild cattle, boars and 20 different species of bat, amongst a landscape of white sand beaches, savannah, forests, caves and idyllic waterfalls.