Indonesia Prepares Pulau Kukusan as New Destination Outside Komodo Park

Labuan Bajo — Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and the West Manggarai administration are preparing Pulau Kukusan, a small inhabited island near Labuan Bajo, as a tourism destination outside Komodo National Park, according to local reporting and official remarks quoted in the media.

The island is in Pasir Panjang village, Komodo subdistrict, and sits about 30 minutes by speedboat from Marina Labuan Bajo. Local reports describe Kukusan as one of the buffer islands around the park rather than part of the park’s core tourism area.

Andhy Marpaung, acting president director of the Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority Implementation Agency, said Kukusan offers marine attractions similar to nearby Kelor Island, including a white-sand beach and snorkeling spots. He said the government is planning supporting facilities such as a pier, toilets and kiosks, while waiting for a design proposal from the West Manggarai tourism office.

Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana separately said the government was drawing up a development plan that would begin as early as next year and continue for five years, with Kukusan, Kelor Island and Rangko Cave among destinations targeted for development outside the national park, according to reporting published after a coordination meeting on post-quake tourism recovery in Labuan Bajo.

DetikBali reported visiting Pulau Kukusan on Sept. 1 and found white sand, calm water, a snorkeling area and fishing lift-net boats anchored offshore. The report also said visitors can walk uphill to a point near Al-Hidayah Islamic primary school, with views of the sea, small islands and mountains.

The island is home to about 85 families, or roughly 300 people, many of whom work as fishers, according to the same reports. Kukusan also has Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Al-Hidayah, and one report said the school had just been renovated and reopened.

Proposed visitor features

• Access by speedboat from Marina Labuan Bajo in about 30 minutes
• Reported attractions: white sand, snorkeling and hilltop views
• Planned facilities: pier, toilets and kiosks
• Resident community: around 300 people in 85 families

Local reporting did not give a construction schedule, budget, visitor cap or operating model for Kukusan. It is therefore best described as a planned destination rather than an established tourism zone.

Timeline

The development push was first outlined by the tourism ministry on Aug. 28, when Widiyanti said Labuan Bajo would be strengthened with additional destinations after earthquake-related disruption. DetikBali visited Kukusan on Sept. 1 and published its feature on Sept. 7, adding details from the island itself and from Andhy Marpaung.

Sources

• detikBali
• RRI