Apa kabar semua?
Senang bisa kembali menulis di Connect setelah beberapa waktu terakhir ini saya sibuk dengan beberapa perjalanan yang harus dilakukan, baik di seputar Selandia Baru, negara tempat saya tinggal sementara saat ini, maupun ke beberapa negara di kepulauan Pasifik seperti Samoa, dan tentu saja, Indonesia.
I was super excited to finally travel back home to Indonesia after moving out in 2021 and this time, I was even lucky enough to visit one of the most beautiful corners of my beloved country, Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Labuan Bajo is also famously known as the city of a thousand sunsets, as you can definitely enjoy spectacular sunset in many parts of the city and because it’s scorching hot so many jokingly say that the sun in Labuan Bajo is not only one, but several.
I was there to support the team from my office for the smooth conduct of the 42nd ASEAN Summit. Held in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, on May 10 - 11, 2023, I was coming to Labuan Bajo for the whole series of the meetings, including the Senior Officials and Ministerial meetings held prior to the Summit with the ASEAN Leaders.
I spent about a week at Labuan Bajo, although most of the time I focused on my works. It was very intensive, from numerous general rehearsals and preparation for all the meetings, until the closing of the Summit and press conference by the President of the Republic of Indonesia. Again, although it was quite energy-consuming, but it was a very rewarding experience as well.
I initially stayed in Komodo Lodge then moved to Meruorah Hotel, the venue of the Summit.
The hotel, as well as the whole city, was gearing up for this prestigious meeting, getting ready to warmly welcome the ASEAN Leaders and members of their delegations.
Once the meetings were concluded, I managed to have a glimpse at the spectacular landscapes Labuan Bajo is world-widely famous for.
Before heading back to Jakarta then Wellington, I also had 3 dives (we dived in Penga kecil, Makassar Reef, and Batu Bolong sites), short island - hopping at Komodo island and Pink Beach, and a mini city tour, including Batu Cermin cave, in Labuan Bajo. In such a short period of time, I tried to see and enjoy Labuan Bajo as much as I can. Well, that’s what I managed to squeeze in my itinerary so far. Lucky me!
Here are some quick snaps I took during my stay in Bajo and for sure, more stories are coming!
Well, obviously there are so many beautiful places in Labuan Bajo that you can enjoy as well as activities you can do. As you can see, I haven’t visited many of them and done the full sailing and island hopping to Padar Island, as well as Rinca and Kanawa. I will definitely get back here again with my family, hopefully soon. But for now, I am blessed I get the opportunity to enjoy a glimpse of Labuan Bajo’s amazing landscapes. I’ll be back!
Teman - teman sudah ada yang pernah mampir dan mengunjungi Labuan Bajo sebelumnya?
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you are so brave , because I watched alot of videos of Komodo Hunting, and maybe I will surely afraid to go near to any Komodo 
. I haven’t done the hiking and tracking as I keep that for our next trip here in sya Allah
