Labuan Bajo has successfully made it to the list of the 10 Best Tourist Destinations in Asia to visit in 2026, according to the prestigious global travel magazine Condé Nast Traveller.
In Condé Nast Traveller’s list of “The Best Places to Go in Asia in 2026”, Labuan Bajo is featured thanks to its captivating combination of wild beauty and homespun hospitality.
“A small fishing town on the western tip of Flores, Labuan Bajo is the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Komodo National Park, a smattering of volcanic islands inscribed for their unique landscape and rare evolutionary prize, the komodo dragon,” wrote Claire Turrell, one of the writers at Condé Nast Traveller, in the article published on the magazine’s website on Tuesday, 4th November.
Turrell also wrote, “Until now, Labuan Bajo has remained in the shadow of its more famous island neighbour Bali, but a recent upgrade to its airport to receive international flights is set to raise its profile. Traditionally a jumping off point from where travellers catch a boat to see the giant lizards or photograph Komodo Island’s delicate shell-pink beach, the town is keen to tempt travellers to linger – and hotels are moving in.”
The writer further highlighted how the internationally prominent hotel chain Swiss-Belhotel is opening a pool villa resort in the area. Meanwhile, another renowned hotel group, Marriott, has recently established its own villa property named Ta’akatana, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa.
She also noted Labuan Bajo’s ongoing commitment to sustainable tourism.
Turrell added, “While the government is limiting tourist numbers on neighbouring Padar Island to aid conservation efforts, Labuan Bajo is leaning into sustainable tourism – from locally run coffee shop, Elevate Espresso, brewing beans from Flores’ hillsides; to homegrown start-up Dapur Tara, a community restaurant and sister homestay, Sten Lodge, up in the hills. Here, locals serve heritage dishes such as smoked chicken, crispy papaya leaf and bamboo rice, cooked over a wood fire using ingredients from their food forest.”
Alongside Labuan Bajo, other Asian destinations featured on Condé Nast Traveller’s list of “The Best Places to Go in Asia in 2026” include Erbil (Iraqi Kurdistan), Hong Kong, Naoshima (Japan), Patan (Nepal), Saadiyat Island (Abu Dhabi), Seoul (South Korea), Shenzhen (China), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), and Udaipur (India). The list is presented in alphabetical order.