Flights, visas and the first day, for a group from Europe

Labuan Bajo has one airport, Komodo International (LBJ), and few direct international flights. Most groups from Europe and Asia land in Bali, Jakarta or Surabaya and take a domestic flight on from there. From Bali it's about an hour and a quarter to Labuan Bajo, from Surabaya about an hour and a half, and from Jakarta between two and a half and three hours.

We don't name airlines, because timetables change faster than a web page. Check the current schedule when you book, and have the organiser collect one thing from everyone: their flight numbers, so we can plan the pickup.

Arrive a day early. The boat leaves at 11:00, so the group should already be in Labuan Bajo the day before. The harbour and the hotels are a short drive from the airport.

A group arriving on three different flights is perfectly normal. Tell us each arrival time, and we set one pickup for everyone around the last one.

Visa rules change, so check with the embassy or the immigration website for every passport in the group before you book. A family with three nationalities can get three different answers.

According to the immigration information we hold, citizens of 97 countries can get a visa on arrival, others apply online first, and the visa is good for 30 days. Every passport needs six months' validity and two blank pages, and each traveller has to show a return or onward ticket. There's also a free digital arrival card to fill in before you land. A rise in the fee has been announced with no confirmed date, so check the figure on the official site.

Check whose passport is close to expiry. Far better to find that out in October than at the check-in desk.

We need everyone's names and ID details at least seven days before departure, for the boarding pass.

In Labuan Bajo you pay in rupiah; nothing else is practical. You'll find cash machines on the main road by the harbour and in the airport's arrivals hall, but there are none out on the islands, so take out cash before you board. Each machine caps the withdrawal and charges a fee, and your own bank adds another.

Cards work in hotels, in the bigger restaurants and for the boat, through our payment link. Small shops, markets and taxis want cash. The park ticket is paid per person per day and is never part of the boat price; the park fees page has the figures.

Tips are not included in any price, and we don't suggest an amount. Tipping is appreciated but not expected, and the group decides together what to give the crew and the guide at the end of the trip.

The sun is strong, the shade is thin and the stairs are real, so pack for all three: shoes with grip for the hikes, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, a backpack and your own medicines. Bring some emergency cash, and wear a swimsuit under your clothes for the first stop.

We don't give medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a travel clinic about vaccinations and seasickness remedies. The information we hold says dengue, chikungunya and malaria are present, so cover up at dusk, and that dogs and monkeys can carry rabies, so keep away from animals. We strongly recommend that every guest buys travel insurance covering medical care and evacuation.

Tap water isn't safe to drink. On board there's free-flow mineral water, tea, coffee and milk. Mains power is 230 volts with two-pin round plugs, and the town has power cuts, so charge everything before boat day. Ask us about charging points on board.