Tour to Komodo Dragon island has been a popular choice when it comes to Indonesian tourism as you get to experience the beautiful nature while directly meeting exotic animals. Komodo Island had been chosen as one of the seven wonders of nature. Going on the Komodo Island lets you have an adventure and witness the famous dragons, and even take pictures with them as well if you want to.
If you love nature, Komodo Dragon island is considered one of the best places for you to explore. Although it is well known for the Komodo dragons, there are a lot of things you can do here.
There are other islands nearby, and some of them are also famous, namely Rinca Island and Padar Island. Going on tour to Komodo is perfect for adventurous travelers. See how you can make the most out of your trips by maximizing your experience with some ideas below.
Facts about Komodo Dragon
Komodo dragons are big, with a length of approximately 2.5 meters and 90 kilograms in weight. They are fast and can run 20 kilometers per hours, which is almost like a human. Therefore, you don’t want those largest monitor lizards to chase you. Keep close with your tour guides to ensure your safety.
Komodo dragons, or Varanus komodoensis, is the largest lizard and reptile that you can find in this planet. You might already be familiar with the flat heads, fork-shaped tongues, bowed legs, as well as long thick tails. What you need to know is that these lizards are massively big with excellent speed and vision.
This predator can eat 80% of their weight at once, and their preys are the fauna living nearby such as water buffalo, pigs, and deer. Komodo bites its prey while poisoning them with the venomous saliva, which slowly kills them. So, the preys don’t even need to escape because even if they are able to, they will still be dead in 24 hours.
The local guides will let you know the things that you shouldn’t do there. For example, don’t go anywhere—even the toilet—alone. Girls who are on period needs to be extra careful because Komodo dragons are attracted to the blood smell as they have a sensitive sense of smell. It is also advised that you don’t look the Komodo dragons in the eye, so it’s better to keep your sight out of them and look down. Remember that they are wild animals and following the rules can keep you out of troubles.
Pink Beach Komodo Island
If you see the photos of Komodo pink beach posted on social media, they are real. The islands in Komodo somehow look pink. However, if you want the most intense hues, you should go to Mawan Island. This phenomenon happens as the red corals in the ocean got brought to the beach through waves. The tiny bits combine with white sand, creating a magical pink vibe that might be hard to find anywhere else.
In the beach, you can snorkel and meet tropical fish as well as the corals. If you love underwater photography, this is one of the favorite places in the world as the corals, and the surface is quite close. There are soft and hard corals with various tropical fish swimming around. The combination of beautiful corals and turquoise ocean meeting with the pink sands as well as blue skies, make a breathtaking landscape for sure.
However, do remember that anywhere you go on the Komodo Dragon Island, you should be careful as there might be dragons around. This is why you should go with a ranger and local guide that will ensure everything is safety while enjoyable.
Snorkeling at Manta Point
Manta rays are magnificent and watching them swim around the ocean is simply mesmerizing. If you are looking for the best spot on earth to swim with these manta rays, Manta Point, located in the Komodo National Park, is the perfect option. Surrounded with the beautiful corals and fish, let those manta rays swim graciously around you. You might even find some turtles there as well, making the underwater paradise experience even more incredible.
There are also other islands that you can explore and dive in. Komodo National Park is located in the Asia Pacific Coral Triangle where you can find rich underwater environments that are sought by tons of divers, marine photographers, as well as scientists all over the world. The diversity of experience that is served here is simply astonishing, whether you’d like to explore more in the Manta Point Komodo, or other islands like Rinca and Padar, as well as the other smaller islands. You’re going to get world-class diving experience, especially if you are advanced divers.
However, if you are still new at this, there are still other options to get such experience, too. The blue water of the ocean holds the habitat of not only manta rays, octopus, and turtles; you can even find sea mammals like dugongs and sharks. Accompanied by divemasters and professional operators, you are safe and sound to witness the magical ocean and seek for rare marine experience there.
Trekking Padar Island
Another option of doing a tour to Komodo Dragon islands is going to one of the three major islands in Komodo, Padar Island. There, you can hike and get a glimpse of one of the most beautiful viewpoints of Indonesia.
However, trekking on this island is quite tough, so you need to be careful and get proper preparation beforehand, such as being equipped with proper hiking shoes as well as the practice of balance and strength. Dedication is the key to reach the top, but you need to listen to yourself and take breaks whenever possible. The landscape is worth the effort as you arrive in the viewpoint, and don’t forget to take scenic photos to remember it.
What you will be surrounded with is the gorgeous nature view before you get to the tallest peak that looks over the sparkling beach. Trekking at Padar Island might take around 20 to 45 minutes depending on your fitness level, so don’t forget to pack yourself with bottled waters and wear something comfortable yet still being a safety at the same time! Also, don’t forget to put on sunscreen to protect your skin as it can get pretty hot there.
Trekking Rinca Island
If you are looking for another trekking experience besides Padar, Rinca Island is also a great option as it is the second major island there. You can find the Komodo dragons as it holds a lot of their populations. So, be sure to stick with your guide to be safe. Rinca Island is the place to choose if you want to experience a Jurassic Park-style landscape. Park rangers will wait for you and take you around the island through the designated trails.
It will take around two hours by boat to reach Rinca island from Labuan Bajo. Here, you will be able to spot a lot of Komodo dragons and even see their fields and watering holes where they usually prey. They live there along with the other fauna, such as Timor deer, wild water buffalos, wild horses, as well as tropical birds.
Another smaller island that you can hike is Gili Lawa, which is less known but the view is comparable. This uninhabited island is, however, tougher than Padar Island to climb as the trail is not as clear as the ones in Padar. However, there’s nothing to worry about because you can simply dip inside the greenish-blue water once you finish refreshing your energy!
Kalong Island Komodo
Kalong literally means bats, so you can pretty much guess what kind of experience you’re going to get there. Some might be scared of bats, but what makes this Kalong island beautiful is the sunset; there are thousands of bats migrating from the mangrove forest at the same time.
Be sure to prepare yourself when the day approaches dusk as it will create a memory of a lifetime that is hauntingly beautiful. Where else can you witness a sunset like this? Be sure not to miss this experience, and you can simply see and listen to the magical view of sunsets and fruit bats flying around right from your boat.
There are other islands such as Kanawa Island, Manjerite and Kelor Island are worth to visit.
How to Prepare Yourself
Do remember that these islands are filled with wild animals. Therefore, you need a professional and experienced guide to take you around. There are rules and instructions to follow to ensure your safety, so do remember that.
Don’t forget to pack the right equipment you need, as well as bottles for water, medicines, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, and mosquito repellent; bring them anywhere you go. You should dress comfortably while still bringing proper trekking boots as you need to protect your feet during tour to Komodo Dragon island. Lastly, don’t forget to bring your cameras as you will surely want to capture the breathtaking views, both above and underwater!
Plan a tour to Komodo Dragon Island ?
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