The Komodo dragons - incredibly large, very rare and appearing out of this world - I think these are the main reasons why people come from all over to see these creatures up close.
So did we. Komodo Island is not inhabited and you have several options for getting there. The fastest way to get to Komodo is from the west of Flores Island, from Labuan Bajo. From the port in Labuan Bajo there are countless providers who start Komodo tours every day. There are tours of one to several days. Since I get seasick very easily and one would have to sleep on the boat on the multi-day tours, the decision for a one-day tour was very easy.
On the day of the tour we had to get up very early, because we were already picked up at 05:30 from our hotel in Labuan Bajo. A short time later we arrived at the harbor and we started on a small boat with about 10 other tourists and some crew members. During the boat ride we could watch the sunrise - that was already a super start into the day.
After a ride of about 45 minutes we reached our first destination - Padar Island. This island also belongs to the area of the Komodo National Park. On the island itself also live some monitor lizards, but far not as many as on Komodo. We went to the island to make a small hike to different viewpoints - there were incredibly many people on the way, but the views were terrific.
After Padar Island we went by boat to Pink Beach. This is already on the island of Komodo. The sandy beach here shimmers slightly pink and has become a very popular photo motif with tourists for this reason. The reason why the beach has this color is that broken red corals are washed up on this beach. These pieces of red coral have mixed with the sand over time and now result in a pink shimmering beach. Why this is exactly there, I could not find out, however, unfortunately.
Afterwards we finally drove to the actual main reason of the day trip - to the entrance of the Komodo National Park. Once there, we got a short briefing from our 3 guides. They asked us to always stay together as a group and to always stay behind them when a monitor lizard is nearby. They themselves were equipped with sticks for defense should the monitor lizards attack. Fortunately, they said that it hardly ever happens that a monitor lizard attacks a human, as long as you give them their space and do not directly cross their path.
Shortly after the start of our walk we saw a young monitor lizard walking around in the bushes. Gradually we have seen again and again individual monitor lizards (they are absolute loners), including very large adult specimens. Partly these have lain quietly and have observed the happening and partly these have set themselves very briskly in motion. Young Komodo dragons are good climbers and stay mainly on trees, for example, not to fall victim to birds. They eat for example insects. Adult Komodo dragons also kill larger animals such as wild boar and maned deer. To do this, they use a venom produced in glands in their lower jaw, This venom slows blood clotting and causes shock. Besides the captured animals, Komodo dragons also eat carrion.
It was lucky to see so many monitor lizards that day. Our guides told us that there are days when you don't see a single one and even with one monitor lizard you are lucky - I think we saw 5 monitor lizards that day! 😊
After Komodo Island we continued by boat to Taka Makassar. It is a mini island, or I would rather call it a narrow sandbank. You don't even need a minute to walk from one end of the island to the other. The sea all around is beautifully colored turquoise blue and this place invites you to swim and relax.
Afterwards we stopped at 3 different places to snorkel. Also from the boat from one place to the next we had super views.
At the first snorkel stop, our guide swore us in that we should get ready with fins and snorkel and when he calls "jump", we really all jump into the water immediately. Said - done - rewarded! At this spot we saw manta rays. And not just one, but a group of 6 rays, which each had a wingspan of 2-3 meters. These were very close to us and they swam together and turned as if they were dancing - an incredible spectacle!
At the two other snorkel stops we saw turtles and a variety of beautiful colorful fish. It was a perfect day with a variety of incredibly beautiful experiences.
Tip: If you have a limited time for your stay, I would say in good conscience that a day trip like we did is sufficient. The day is very long, but you see a lot. We talked to a few other vacationers who booked multi-day tours, and they hardly saw more places than we did - they just stayed a little longer at the sites. If you're planning to travel to Indonesia, be sure to plan a stay in this incredibly beautiful and diverse place. 😊
In the video you can also see the manta rays! ;)
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