Four things to settle before the first flight

Entry rules depend on your passport, and they change. Some nationalities enter visa-free for a short stay, many use a visa on arrival or an e-visa, and others must apply before they fly. The fee, the length of stay and the arrival card have all moved in recent years.

So this page states no fee and no promise. Check the official immigration site for your nationality on the day you book flights, and again two weeks before you fly. Be careful with third-party sites that charge extra to do what the official portal does for the visa fee alone.

Keep the passport in good order. Check its validity against the rules for your visa category, and look for blank pages. Carry proof of onward travel, since an airline can ask for it at check-in.

The table below sets out the points we confirmed and how recently. Treat any line marked as unconfirmed as a prompt to check, never as an answer.

Flores is a separate island from Bali and from Lombok, and no road or rail connects them. You fly. Most guests reach Labuan Bajo through Bali or Jakarta and land at Komodo Airport, which is 7 to 10 minutes by car from the harbour.

Book the flight so that you arrive the day before sailing. The reason is practical and not cautious for its own sake: a flight in the region can be delayed or cancelled, and a boat leaves at 10:00 whether or not your plane has landed.

Our separate guide to reaching Labuan Bajo from Bali, Jakarta or Lombok works through the choices and the timings, and the hotels page explains where to sleep. Here the point is smaller. Plan the flight first, because everything else on the trip hangs from it.

The currency is the Indonesian rupiah, and our quotes are in rupiah. Hotels, charters and some restaurants take cards, sometimes with a surcharge. Small shops, markets and taxis expect cash or QRIS, the local QR payment.

Cash machines stand along the main road near the harbour and at the airport arrivals. Nothing of the kind exists inside the park or on the islands, so draw what you need in Labuan Bajo before you board. Withdrawal limits per transaction are modest, and your own bank can add a fee.

On the boat, drinks and tips are the usual cash items. Alcohol is excluded from the fare, and tips for the crew are optional and pooled at the end of the voyage. Carry small notes in rupiah, since change is hard to find at sea.

Payment for the voyage itself follows the channels on the booking page, with the fee named before you pay.

The sun is the first health matter. The islands have little shade, and the open deck has less. Bring sunscreen, a hat with a brim, sunglasses and a light long-sleeved shirt. Mineral sunscreen is kinder to the reef at Pink Beach and Taka Makassar.

Do not drink tap water in Indonesia. Use sealed bottled or filtered water, and ask us what is supplied aboard. Carry your own bottle to the treks: 1.5 litres a person is a sensible amount for Padar.

Pack a small pouch with plasters, antiseptic, a blister dressing, tablets for stomach upsets, and any prescription medicine in its original packaging. Pharmacies in Labuan Bajo have a limited choice, and none exist on the islands. Travel insurance with medical cover is recommended and not included in the fare.

A motion remedy is worth taking on day one. Choose one from your own pharmacy at home, ask a pharmacist, and try it before the voyage rather than during it.