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Saleh Bay, Sumbawa
Whale Shark Snorkeling, Saleh Bay
1 DaySmall groups
island · Sumbawa
Moyo Island
A forested island off Sumbawa Besar with waterfalls, reefs, and a famous luxury hideaway.
At a glance
- Entry fee
- Unsettled, and worth asking about locally rather than budgeting from a website. Since the island became a national park in 2022 the fee position has been in flux. One commercial source lists national park entry running to hundreds of thousands of rupiah for foreign visitors, but no official tariff from the conservation agency corroborates it.
- Opening hours
- No gate hours. The crossing from Sumbawa Besar governs the day.
- Time needed
- A day trip at minimum, better as an overnight.
About Moyo Island
Moyo lies just off Sumbawa's north coast, a hilly slab of savannah and dry forest around 350 kilometres square, rising to 671 metres and ringed by coral. Fewer than four and a half thousand people live here, in two villages, Labuan Aji on the south coast and Sebotok further round, and the rest is deer, wild pigs, macaques and a great deal of birdlife.
The island's status changed recently and it matters. Until 2022 Moyo was a hunting reserve and marine nature park, managed under a private concession. When that concession ended, a ministerial decree in August 2022 made Moyo and neighbouring Satonda a national park, with management passing to the West Nusa Tenggara conservation agency. In 2025 that agency was talking about developing an international standard ecotourism model here, building up five community groups, and flagging land clearing as a threat to the water flow feeding Mata Jitu and to the island's yellow crested cockatoos. Practically, that means fees and rules on Moyo are in flux, and figures you find online may not match what you are asked to pay.
People come for three things: the waterfalls inland, Mata Jitu and the smaller Diwu Mbai and Sengalo, the snorkelling and diving off the reefs, and the quiet. Amanwana, the tented luxury camp that drew Princess Diana in 1993 and is still taking bookings, is the island's international reputation, but simple homestays and guesthouses in Labuan Aji have been running at roughly IDR 200,000 to 500,000 a night in recent years. A day trip works. Two nights works better.
Getting there
Public wooden boats cross from the Sumbawa Besar area, most commonly from Badas, taking around two and a half hours to Labuan Aji for roughly IDR 50,000 to 75,000 per person as of 2026, on a schedule that is best described as approximate. Ai Bari, about 20 kilometres from Sumbawa Besar, is closer, with a speedboat hop of around 20 minutes. Chartering your own boat is faster and much more expensive, with 2026 listings putting a wooden boat at around IDR 2,000,000 and a speedboat between IDR 2,500,000 and 4,000,000 for the day. Many travellers simply book a day tour that bundles the crossing, Mata Jitu and a snorkel stop. If you want both the waterfalls and the reefs without rushing, an overnight in a Labuan Aji homestay is the better structure.
Best time
The dry season, roughly May to September, gives calm crossings, clear water and firm inland tracks, with visibility on the reefs reported at 20 to 30 metres between June and October. January to March brings rough seas and unreliable boats. Since the island became a national park in 2022 the fee position has been in flux, so ask locally what is currently charged rather than relying on figures published online.
Good to know
Bring cash, water and snacks. Outside the resort, facilities are minimal, and there is no reliable way to draw money on the island. Day trips are tight on time, so if the waterfalls and the reefs both matter to you, stay a night. Be careful with published prices. A single commercial source lists national park entry fees for Moyo running to hundreds of thousands of rupiah for foreign visitors, but no official tariff from the conservation agency corroborates it, and older sources describe entry as free. Carry enough cash to cover a charge you did not expect, and ask for a printed receipt where one exists.
Sumbawa
Things to do at Moyo Island
01
Walk in to the waterfalls
Mata Jitu is the famous one, but the island's interior tracks link several, and they are the reason most people come.
02
Snorkel the reefs
Visibility is reported at 20 to 30 metres between June and October.
03
Pick your end of the accommodation range
Amanwana, the tented luxury camp that drew Princess Diana in 1993, is still taking bookings and is the island's international reputation. Simple homestays and guesthouses in Labuan Aji are the other end of it.
04
Ask what the park fee actually is when you arrive
The position has been unsettled since the 2022 national park designation and published figures are not corroborated by any official tariff.
Sumbawa
Tours that include this
Good to know
Moyo Island FAQs
Can I visit Moyo Island on a day trip?+
Yes. Day tours from the Sumbawa Besar area are common and usually cover Mata Jitu waterfall plus a snorkel stop. It makes for a long, early day, so an overnight in a Labuan Aji homestay is more relaxed if you want the reefs as well.
Is Moyo a national park?+
Yes, since August 2022. A ministerial decree made Moyo and neighbouring Satonda a national park after the previous private concession ended, with management passing to the West Nusa Tenggara conservation agency. Fees and rules have been in flux since, so check locally.
Do I have to stay at Amanwana to visit?+
Not at all. Amanwana is one option and is still taking bookings, but there are simple homestays and guesthouses in Labuan Aji that have been running at roughly IDR 200,000 to 500,000 a night in recent years, and many people visit purely as a day trip.
How do I get to Moyo?+
By boat from the Sumbawa Besar area. Public wooden boats from Badas take around two and a half hours to Labuan Aji for roughly IDR 50,000 to 75,000 per person as of 2026, on a loose schedule. A speedboat from Ai Bari takes around 20 minutes, and full day charters run from about IDR 2,000,000 in 2026.
What is there to do besides the waterfall?+
Snorkelling and diving off the reefs, with reported visibility of 20 to 30 metres between June and October, plus two smaller waterfalls, Diwu Mbai and Sengalo, and walking in the dry forest. The island holds deer, wild pigs, macaques and a lot of birdlife including yellow crested cockatoos.
Sumbawa
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