Overview
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About the Rangko Cave
The Rangko cave, also known as Goa Rangko, is a small but beautiful cave in Rangko village, close to Labuan Bajo. The cave is known for its crystal-clear, turquoise water inside. Usually, the water has a pleasant temperature, so you can definitely take a swim in this natural pool. The amount of minerals in the water even makes you float by yourself. At the right time of day the cave becomes even more magical, because the water seems to light up when the sun shines on the water inside the cave.
Practical
Entrance: 50.000 IDR.
The entrance fee has to be paid at a small ticket booth on the pier, when you arrive by boat.
Boat: 250.000-300.000 IDR per boat, you have to negotiate with the locals
Daily: 06.30am - 6.00pm
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How to get there
The Rangko cave can only be visited by boat from Rangko Village. To get to the village, you can either rent a scooter or a private car with driver. From Labuan Bajo, it’s about a 30 minute drive and the road is generally in a good condition. The boat ride takes around 15 minutes or less and the driver will wait for you while you explore the cave. Keep in mind that the boats are fairly rickety and that the engine makes a lot of noise.
On Google Maps, you will find multiple pins in the village for where to get to boat, such as ‘Start boat to Gua Rangko’ or ‘Ticket Office RANGKO’ as you can see on the map below. There is not one specific place in the village where the boats leave. You just have to drive to the village and there you will find several signs with places where they offer boats. As soon as you arrive in the village, the locals will come to you to offer their boat service. One boat can take up to 5 people, so you can split the price with others. Don’t forget to haggle the price, because they will probably quote you a higher price in the beginning. If you do not agree with the price of the boat, you can try a different place, but always be reasonable with your price.
The boat takes you to a small beach with a pier, where you have to pay your entrance fee. From this beach, you have to follow a small path for about 5 minutes until you reach the cave. In the cave, there is a staircase down to the water. be careful as the stairs can be slippery!
Another option is to book a day trip, so you don’t have to worry about negotiating the price of the boat and getting to the village.
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Best Time to Visit
You can visit Rangko Cave all day long during opening hours, but there is only one moment during the day when the water lights up due to the sun. On a sunny day, the sun shines in the cave between 2pm and 3.30pm, depending on the season. The best light only lasts about half an hour, so you don’t have that much time to experience it. To know the exact time you want to visit the cave, it is best to try to find someone who has been there recently.
When we visited the cave, unfortunately the sun did not shine in the cave, but we still thought it was worth a visit!
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Where to stay
The best place to stay to visit the Rangko Cave is Labuan Bajo. Even though Labuan Bajo is not a very big city, you will find plenty of accommodations there. From budget-friendly guesthouses and hostels to more luxury resorts, there is something for every budget.
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Other Things To Do Close to Rangko Cave
Besides visiting the Rangko Cave, there are numerous other interesting things to do in and around Labuan Bajo. The city is gaining popularity as it is the gateway to the Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for the unique Komodo dragons. But there are many more places to visit in the area.
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