KOMODO DRAGON

Komodo Dragon Tour
Diving, snorkelling and visit the Dragon

START/END : BALI

Join us in Komodo Archipelago to experience an encounter with the fearsome Komodo dragons, the world largest lizard. Growing up to 3 meters in length and up to 140 kilograms, Komodo considered the last of their kind remaining in the world today. Komodo Island - located between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores - is now a national park and also home to number of rare birds, deer and wild pigs which are prey to the lizards as well.

Called "ORA" by the local people, Komodo Dragon (Varanus Komodoensis) is actually a giant monitor lizard. Its ancestors roamed the earth up to about half a million years ago. Komodo live on goat, deer and even the carcasses of its own kind. The only human population on the island is at the fishing village called Komodo who supplement their income breeding goats which are used to feed the lizard.

The Komodo Dragon is protected by law and although they are considered harmless, it is advisable to keep them at the distance. Komodo Island is now a nature reserve, home to a number of rare bird species, deer and weld pigs, which are prey to the lizards as well. In general, the vegetation at Komodo are only comprises of trees and grass. The forest is not too thick, and the ground is covered by the grass while there are only rare trees to grow. The situation there just like the savannah. Beside the komodo it self, the site also the home of many other animals including wild water buffalloes, deers, and long tailed maccaque.

The islands of the Komodo Dragon: Rinca & Komodo Islands are part of the complex of 175 islands (about 90% unhabitant), situated 200 nautical miles east of Bali, between the islands of Flores and Sumbawa.Actually, there are 2 main gates entering Komodo. The first one is the Bima harbor. the second one is the harbor of Labuhan Bajo. Start the tour from Labuhan Bajo will provide us less time to sail. Its only need about 3 hours to sail from Labuhan Bajo to Komodo island. Most of our guest taking the trip to Komodo from Labuhan Bajo, as it is closer to the site. Less time needed to sail on the boat. Labuan Bajo is accesible only from Bali by airplane for about 1 hour 40 minutes.

During your stay at Komodo island, we will do some trekking to the former feeding site of komodo on Banunggulung on Komodo island. There is a trekking trail of about 20 minutes from the sea shore to the site on where most peoples see the the Komodo lizard on it's habitat. We will also pay a visit to the other island nearby (The Komodo island group comprises of many big and small island. Among the big one are the Komodo island, the Rinca island, and Padar island)

Along with the national park's rangers we will silently explore the islands on foot for the encounters with the dragons. The Komodo dragons are large, ferocious predators that are fully capable of killing and eating a human being and capable of running as fast as a dog! But don't worry, the rangers are experiences and know well how to deal with dragons which can reach a length of 3 meters (about 10 feet). Nowadays the dragons estimated at 5,000 - 7,000 inhabited the islands of Komodo, Rinca and other tiny surrounding islands, and on the westernmost part of Flores Island in Indonesia.

Besides the dragons komodo, you can also experience wildlife tour on Rinca Island by trekking through the island to observe the other wild animals such as deer,horses, birds etc, in their wild life.

We will spend an adventurous night on the boat. In the morning or afternoon you can snorkeling and diving around Komodo, some of the best in the world, especially for seeing soft corals. Some of the beaches nearby have beautiful pink sand, tinted by fragments of red coral mixed in with other shell and coral fragments.

Komodo Dragon Tour and Snorkelling

The water of Komodo is very ideal place for many kinds of sea activites. A lot of our visitors enjoy very much the underwater side of Komodo. It's just like the missing paradise fot he underwater world lover. It has many excellent dive spots.

In the sea it's vibrant color and exotic life will enchant divers and snorkelers alike as endless schools of fish ride the waterways rushing up from deep sea vents, below them the seabed is covered with a thick carpet of florescent corals and marine invertebrates - an underwater photographers paradise.

The corals in Komodo National park are pristine, with Mantas, sharks, turtles, dolphins, dugong, many pelagics, to the tiny pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, frog fish, you name it we've got it. The sites vary from gentle easy coral slopes to heart pounding adrenalin rides, from the warm waters of the Flores Sea in the north to the chillier waters down south in the Indian Ocean, the underwater terrain is so varied with sheer cliff walls, pinnacles, sandy flat bottoms, underwater plateaus, slopes, caves, swim-throughs, channels, all with varying colours, sizes and types of coral both hard and soft.

You will board on a fisherman wooden boat which have been modified to enable and suitable for carrying tourist, equipped by Radio Navigation, Electricity, Toilet, One big cabin which has 6-8 beds, Life jackets and Mattress.

Accomodation - Komodo Dragon Tour

Golo Hill Top, is Dutch/Indonesian owned and has AC and Basic rooms, they have a very nice view over the harbour of Labuanbajo, they are away from the noise of the main road and they serve good food in their restaurant.
Gardena has basic fan rooms, is Indonesian owned and also has wonderful views over the harbour, it is rather noisy here, as it is one of the busiest places and is near the main road, they have a good restaurant with very reasonable prices.
Eco Lodge. The highest standard of rooms in Labuanbajo, AC/hot water rooms, swimming pool, out of town near the beach, very peaceful, has a Restaurant serving a variety of dishes.

Dear Adventure Indonesia,
We arrived safely back in the UK yesterday, after a few days in Brunei, and I returned to work this morning. I want to thank you for all your work in arranging or Komodo Dragon trip, which all went veery smoothly and according to plan. The crew of the boat were exceptionally friendly and helpful, and the food was very appetising. A special mention must go to Oci, who provided all our services on the ground in Flores and went out of her way to ensure that we were well looked after. The trip was a memorable experience, and we got to see plenty of Komodo dragons, although only on Rinca. I shall certainly be recommending the trip to our friends and would not hesitate to use Adventure Indonesia again on a future trip. Thank you once again.
Kind regards, (Clive - clive.buckman@jpmorgancazenove.com)