Menjaga Bay – a hotel you won't want to leave
Before heading out on a boat trip to the Komodo Islands, we decided to fly to Labuan Bajo early—and it was one of the best decisions of the trip.
After flights, transfers, and all the logistics, you really want to take a couple of days off from rushing off into adventure. And for that, we had Menjaga Bay—a small, very beautiful, and authentic hotel nestled in nature.
It's not like a big, noisy resort with lots of people, music, bustle, and the feeling of "where did I even come from?" Menjaga Bay is the opposite: peace, the sea, green hills, stylish cottages, delicious food, and the feeling of being carefully tucked away from the world.
The hotel offers various accommodation options: sea suites over the water and hillside villas with views of the natural surroundings.
According to the hotel description, there are about 17 rooms: 10 sea suites and 7 hill villas.
That's why the place feels so intimate, uncluttered, and almost personal.
The most beautiful thing, of course, is the floating houses. Waking up, stepping out onto the terrace, and seeing the sea before you is a kind of therapy in itself. But the hillside villas also have a very atmospheric feel: natural materials, a calm style, plenty of air, nature, and views.
My special love is the food. Honestly, the food here is delicious. So delicious that you don't even want to go anywhere else to find a restaurant. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner—everything is calm, beautiful, well-presented, and you feel like you're not just "eating at the hotel" but continuing to relax even at the table.
The grounds include a restaurant, bars, a pool, a spa, and water activities, so even if you're here for a day or two before heading out on the boat, it's enough to put you in vacation mode.
An important point: Menjaga Bay is not located right in the center of Labuan Bajo, but more secluded, by the water.
The hotel is about a 25-30-minute boat ride from Labuan Bajo, so it's not a "get out and explore the city" option.
But that's exactly the beauty of it: you come here not for the action, but for the peace, the views, and the feeling of a little escape.
We spent two nights here, and it was the perfect break before life on boat. We simply relaxed after the flight, enjoyed the views, the nature, the delicious food, and that feeling when you've just arrived but already think, "Okay, can I stay here?"
My conclusion: Menjaga Bay isn't just a hotel before Komodo. It's a separate part of the trip.
Beautiful, peaceful, authentic, tasteful, and very island-like.
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