Playing with Dragons at Komodo National Park
KOMODO NATIONAL PARK | INDONESIA
Komodo National Park was on my must-see list for traveling to Indonesia. I just knew that I couldn’t end up so close to this place and not stop to see the dragons. From Bali, it is a short flight (by prop plane) over to Labuhanbajo, the gateway to Komodo. It is pretty inexpensive as well, only around $100 roundtrip. I arrived in Labuhanbajo in the morning and was greeted at the airport by a driver and the guide. We set out for the marina. It was so different to be out of Bali and away from a lot of the tourists.
LIVING ON A BOAT IN KOMODO
Arriving at the boat that would be my home for the next two days, I met the captain and crew. There were two cooks/crew and the captain. The boat was a medium size wooden boat that had one cabin and a covered area in the front that served as a place to relax as well as a place to dine. Once all of the camera gear was stowed, the lines were cast and we set sail.
THE ISLANDS THAT MAKE UP KOMODO NATIONAL PARK
There are three main islands that make up Komodo National Park, Rinca, Pulau Padar and Pulau Komodo. The places to see the Komodo Dragons are on Rinca and Komodo. Our first stop was Rinca, a few hours sail away. I relaxed on bow of the boat, watching the many little islands and rugged coastline pass. The sun was out and the weather was hot and humid. It was a lot like Florida in the summertime, only hotter and more humid. The sea was calm, however, and the sail was enjoyable as I started to see Rinca come into view.
RINCA ISLAND | KOMODO NATIONAL PARK
We arrived in a small cove that had one small dock. Several boats were already there but we pulled right up and the guide pointed the way to the dragons. It was a short walk to the main camp where the rangers’ (Komodo guides) camp. The guide explained all about the Komodo Dragons but I will let you travel there to find out more. Departing from the camp, there was a Komodo Dragon about 100 yards away laying in the grass. I walked up to it, but not too close, and took photos. It was so much bigger than I expected. I had seen other monitor lizards in Thailand but they were not anywhere near the size of these Komodo Dragons. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a baby one run underneath one of the camp cabins which were on stilts. The babies were so fast and looked like big lizards. The guide led on as he told about a guy from Singapore that had just been mauled by the dragons. I kept my eye out since I had so much camera gear that I did not have any room to carry my sword. To be honest, it was ignorance and a lack of respect that was the issue with the guy from Singapore. After hiking for an hour or so, we were back at the ranger station again. The guide pointed out three additional Komodo Dragons underneath a tree that were just lying there. He explained that they were active in the morning time and this being the afternoon, they were very subdued. There was a hind leg of a goat hanging from a rope in the tree that he shook and it caused a stir. All of the Komodo Dragons stood up and walked over to the leg to try and get a free meal. It was amazing to see these giant creatures walk, even if it was a short distance.
SLEEPING ON A BOAT IN KOMODO NATIONAL PARK
Back on the boat, the sun was starting to sink low in the sky and we still had a couple hours sail over to Komodo Island, where we would camp on the boat for the night. We started weaving through the small islands that surround Komodo and into a bay that would provide shelter. We anchored next to a tiny island that housed a handful of goats. The sun was just starting to set behind the island so I got out the drone to get some photos and video before dark. I spotted a small village on the shore that housed the 2000 or so people that live on the island. It wasn’t long before we must have been spotted as well and a little canoe came up beside the boat with a couple kids selling trinkets as souvenirs. They were persistent so I bought my niece a bracelet and told them it was time for dinner. Having been sick for the past few days, it wasn’t long after dinner before I was ready for bed. I tried to sleep in the cabin but the hot, humid air was too much so I climbed on top of the boat and found a giant piece of styrofoam (I think this was supposed to be the life raft) to use as a bed.
KOMODO DRAGONS ON PULAU KOMODO
The next morning was a quick breakfast and a short sail over to the Komodo docks. Again, meeting up with the ranger, he started for a “common spot” for Komodo Dragons. There were two hanging out there and I began taking photos. Since it was early in the morning, the dragons were much more active and one decided it was time for breakfast so he/she took off for the ranger camp. The guide said that I could follow and put a camera right in the path of the dragon to get some up close footage. As the Komodo Dragon approached the camera, he/she wanted to take a closer inspection using the tongue to taste the “dead cat” cover on the microphone. We followed the half mile or so back to the ranger station, getting a lot of great shots. I was starting to feel worse so I decided it was time to head back to the boat. There was one more stop at Pink Beach for some snorkeling before sailing back to Labuhanbajo. The guide and crew on the boat were all fantastic. Each meal that they made was amazing. I would highly recommend the overnight sail in Komodo and visiting the National Park while you are in Bali. I caught a quick flight back to Bali so stay tuned for more adventures from there and the nearby Nusa Islands.
Take a look at some of my other stops on my 2017 Around-the-World trip.
Doha - Dubai - Singapore - Bali - Komodo - Sydney - Auckland
