The Komodo Island Travel Guide

Komodo National Park lies in the Wallacea Region of Indonesia, identified by WWF and Conservation International as a global conservation priority area, and is located in the center of the Indonesian archipelago, between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores.

Komodo National Park includes three major islands: Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as numerous smaller islands creating a total surface area (marine and land) of more than 1,800 km2. As well as being home to the Komodo Dragon, also known as the Komodo Monitor, or Ora (to Indonesians), the park provides refuge for many other notable terrestrial species. Moreover, the Park includes one of the richest marine environments.

History

Komodo National Park was established in 1980 and was declared a World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1986, both indications of the Park's biological importance.

The park was initially established to conserve the unique Komodo Dragon and its habitat, first discovered world in 1910. Since then conservation goals have expanded to protecting its entire biodiversity, both marine and terrestrial.

The majority of the people in and around the Park are fishermen originally from Bima on the island of Sumbawa, and from Manggarai, South Flores, and South Sulawesi. Those from South Sulawesi were originally nomadic and moved from location to location in the region of Sulawesi to make their livelihoods.

Descendants of the original people of Komodo still live in Komodo, but there are no pure blood people left and their culture and language is slowly being integrated with the recent migrants.

Little is known of the early history of the Komodo islanders. They were subjects of the Sultanate of Bima, although the island’s remoteness from Bima meant its affairs were probably little troubled by the Sultanate other than by occasional demand for tribute.

Landscape

Flora and fauna

Komodo Dragon.jpg

The number of terrestrial animal species found in the Park is not high, but the area is important from a conservation perspective as some species are endemic. Many of the mammals are Asiatic in origin. Several of the reptiles and birds are Australian in origin. These include the orange-footed scrubfowl, the lesser sulpher-crested cockatoo and the nosy friarbird.

The most famous of Komodo National Park's animals is the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis). It is the world's largest living lizard and can reach 3 metres or more in length and weigh over 70kg.

Other animals include the Timor deer, the main prey of the Komodo dragon, wild horses (kuda liar), water buffalo, wild boar (babi liar), long-tailed macaques, palm civets, the endemic Rinca rat (tikus besar Rinca), and fruit bats.

Also beware of the snakes inhabiting the island, including the cobra and Russel’s pit viper, both of which are extremely dangerous.

As far as the marine fauna is concerned, Komodo National Park includes one of the world's richest marine environments. It consists of over 260 species of reef building coral, 70 different species of sponges, crustaceans, cartilaginous (incl. manta ray and sharks) and over a 1,000 different species of bony fishes (over 1,000 species), as well as marine reptiles (incl. sea turtles), and marine mammals (dolphins, whales, and dugongs).

Climate

Tropical all year round, and both extremely hot and dry (> 40 degrees Celsius) during August and September.

Typically remote and rugged landscape

Get in

The ferry service (to and from the cities of Sape, on the eastern tip of Sumbawa, and Labuanbajo, on Flores) drops off passengers on Komodo once or twice every week. There is no port on the island, so passengers are unloaded onto small vessels which take them into the island's only village. (Note that not all departures have this service -- check beforehand.) Bima, a short drive from Sape, has an airstrip with flights to Denpasar.

Travelers coming in from Sape to the west (those traveling overland through Sumbawa and also those arriving at Bima airport) should note that the once-daily ferries from Sape can be suspended indefinitely due to bad weather, so if you want to be sure of your travel arrangements, flying with regular flight Sky Aviation to Labuanbajo from Denpasar is a much safer bet, so we don't need to charter flight anymore as before. (If you get stranded at Sape, the best Bima airport will be able to offer is a flight back to Denpasar on Bali.)

Perama Tour, [2]. The Hunting Komodo by Camera trip leaves every six days from Lombok. The route is not really on open water because it travels along the coastal line and most importantly it has navigation and safety equipment. Stops are made along the way in Labuanbajo and Komodo. The cruise is known for poor standards and wrecked in the middle of the night in March 2011, endangering all on board. Price for a cabin is around Rp.4,000,000 deck class is Rp.3,000,000 where you get to sleep with a thin carpet.

LTA Tour Lombok, Jl. Raya Senggigi Km. 12 Senggigi Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, ☎ +62 370 693860 (info@lombokagent.com, fax: +62 370 693672), [3]. 09.00 AM - 10.00 PM. Komodo Trips organizer with professionally staff under the management of an experienced operator using their own local team or in direct association with a local operator. All teams work to prescribed standards including; direct first hand experience at the destination, respect for the environment, social and cultural sensitivities and strict labour policies and licensed travel agent . 

Fees/Permits

You need to buy the appropriate fees and permits at one of the park headquarters when you arrive. They are valid for one day and can be used at both parks. For foreign visitors, these are as follows (as of July 2015):

Entrance fee 225,000 IDR

Area Tax 50,000 IDR

Ranger/guide: 80,000 IDR (per group)

Additional fees include activities (eg. diving is 25,000 IDR, snorkeling 15,000 IDR), research and documentation for commercial purposes.

Get around

On land: On foot, only, as there are neither roads nor motor transport.

On sea: By chartered boat, only, as there are no regular connections.

You may wish to wear long pants, sunglasses and a hat as you walk in the interior.

See

The main reasons to travel to Komodo National Park are the Komodo Dragons, the superb beaches and the unspoilt corals.

Keep in mind that there are also wild pigs, monkeys and horses on Pulau Rinca, one of the two largest islands in the park.

If you return by sea at night, you can also see legions of flying foxes (fruit bats whose wing span may exceed 4 feet) flying in the twilight sky.

At night on the Flores Sea, you also have a magnificent view of the stars.

Do

Depending on the time you have available, one or more guided tours on the islands of Rinca and Komodo itself. Please note that it is neither permitted nor advisable to do any tours without local guides, as the Komodo Dragons are dangerous when they attack.

This area is inhabited by more than a thousand different fish species, making it one of the world’s richest marine habitats. You may also swim in the Flores Sea on your incoming or outgoing boat trip to one of the islands. Beware of sharp corals on the sea floor near some of the small islands.

Komodo National Park offers divers (and snorkelers) an overwhelming variety of marine life. As part of the “coral triangle” this is the richest concentration of marine life in the world. The diversity of dive sites is almost unparalleled with warm, gentle reefs with hundreds of species of colorful fish and corals to the crazed excitement of sea mounts with huge currents and massive pelagics like Manta Rays and Sharks.

Komodo Dive Sites, - Pygmy seahorseThis dive area is many divers favorite place in Indonesia and they come back nearly every year to Komodo liveaboard trips – but their secret is slowly getting out! In one place there is almost everything your heart wishes for. Large sharks, manta rays and tunas to colorful nudibranchs, special shrimps, frogfishes and also just the incredible colorful reefs.

Flores XP, Jl Waemata, Flores (on the mainroad from Labuan Bajo tu Ruteng, uptown.), ☎ +62 8113985344, [5]. Offers great adventure tours and diving in Komodo national park, includins sleeping at their private Pirates beach camp on Sebayur Island. Activities includes, trekking with dragons, snorkelling, diving, swim with mantas, sunsets with flying foxes, 4x4 car tours in land flores.... it is a one stop solution tour operator, offering private to shared tours. for bookings info@floresxp.com.  edit

Komodo Liveaboards (Komodo Liveaboards), [6]. Komodo Dive Liveaboards (Rinca Islands Liveaboard) cruise gives divers the ability to explore some of the most pristine and diverse marine habitats on the planet, while living right on the Komodo Liveaboard diving boat.  edit

Komodo Kayaking (rinjaniclub@gmail.com), Eco-Lodge hotel, ☎ +628175730415, [7]. Many of the islands in the chain are either inaccessible to large boats or difficult to access. However with a sea kayak, you can travel anywhere you like. Into small grottos and bays, around rocky points and slowly above shallow reefs brimming with fish.  edit

Scuba Junkie Komodo (scubajunkiekomodo@gmail.com), Jln Soekarno Hatta, Labuan Bajo (A dive shop on the main road in Labuan Bajo, but the resort is located an hours boat ride from Labuan Bajo.), ☎ +6281236018523, [14]. A beach side eco dive resort, located a stones throw from the Komodo National Park. Just an hours boat ride from Labuan Bajo, Offering courses from Open Water through to Divemaster, as well as daily diving trips in the Komodo National Park. Two custom made 20m dive boats provide a great place to relax in-between dives.  edit

Buy

On Pulau Rinca near the park headquarters you may buy hand carved wooden komodo dragons along with park stickers and park t-shirts. Prices may be cheaper in Labuan Bajo, Flores than on Pulau Rinca.

    Ombak Biru (Komodo Dancer), Kuta Poleng A3, Jalan Setiabudi, Kuta, Bali, Indonesia, ☎ +62361766269, [15]. A luxury liveaboard that has been operating in Komodo National Park for the past 10 years. Part of Dancer Fleet Inc., mainly offering 10 night trips to explore North & South Komodo and surrounding islands.  edit

Eat

A limited selection of food is available near the park headquarters on Pulau Rinca, and the prices are not high by Western standards.

    Atlantis, Jl pantai pede gorontalo labuan bajo (Next to jayakarta hotel). Spanish and seafood restaurant and beach club, offering tasty and fresh food, free shuttle bus and free usage of swimming pool. Every saturday night it turns into a disco with live dj and entertainment. Wonderful for sunset. 10% discount to all certified divers  edit

Drink

Under no circumstances drink any tap water. The tap water is not potable. Near park headquarters on Pulau Rinca, you may purchase water and soft drinks. If you go trekking into the island's interior be sure to take a large bottle of water with you. You will need it!

Sleep

Lodging

There is a 7 US dollar a night losmen in Labuan Bajo, Flores.

Kayaking and camping

The Komodo Islands are made famous by the greatest lizard on the planet, the Komodo Dragon. But the Komodo chain of islands offers so much more than this. Pristine reefs, uninhabited islands, white sandy beaches, marine life second to none and land life as fascinating as the Dragon itself.

Many of the islands in the chain are either inaccessible to large boats or difficult to access. However with a sea kayak, we can travel anywhere we like. Into small grottos and bays, around rocky points and slowly above shallow reefs brimming with fish.

Backcountry

Stay safe

The Komodo Dragon has a history of attacking humans. Beware of getting too close, and if you are visiting via the park's office (which you should), ask for a guide and stick close to him. Do not wander off or do anything without his consent. Komodos may approach the guest rest area during daily feeding time, but in this time, find a building (which are usually elevated) and stay clear from the railings. Komodos can and will jump to obtain food if necessary. Park rangers are usually present at these events and will deflect any Komodos trying to get in (which they can do).

You may be given a large pole with a split on the end, forming a "Y" shape. This can be used as a walking pole or for moving things on your path - however, if wild animals threaten, it can be used as a last form of defense (despite being hardly useful against Komodos). Overall, try keeping a watchful eye and steer clear of any wildlife.

Komodos are extremely dangerous if close enough. They can run faster than humans (and accelerate very quickly), so best not approach if necessary. Jumping into water (as Komodos are often found near the beach too) doesn't help either, as they can swim faster than humans, can dive, and can also swim against strong currents (in fact, sometimes Komodos are found on neighboring islands, suspected of swimming there).

Zoologists formerly believed that the main problem was the dragon's diseased-filled bite from the rampant bacteria residing in their mouth. More recently theories have been put forward that the Komodo Dragon is actually venomous, and that the biggest problem when bitten is shock and massive blood loss due to the ferocity of the bite. Whichever, getting bitten is not a good thing.

The absence of crocodiles on Komodo Island (due in part to a lack of suitable habitat) leave the Komodo Dragons with no natural predators.

Younger Komodos may live in trees. While not as dangerous as their parents, they can still jump off suddenly and cause panic. Snakes, monitor lizards, and other animals are also present and may cause minor problems.

Saltwater Crocodiles are not present on Komodo Island but they may be present on the surrounding islands and in the ocean. Any area with estuaries and river mouths should permit extra caution as, although they are technically not present on Komodo, the islands ARE within the species natural range. It was once believed by Indonesian natives that monitor lizards (including the Komodo dragon) were capable of warning humans of a crocodile's presence.

Hotels Near Komodo Island

 Komodo Resort & Diving Club
Sebayur Island | Komodo, Labuan Bajo, Flores 86754, Indonesia
15.0 miles from Komodo Island

The Jayakarta Suites Komodo-Flores
Jl. Pantai Pede Km 5, Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia
25.2 miles from Komodo Island

Bajo Komodo Eco Lodge
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Luwansa Beach Resort
Jl. Pantai Pede, Komodo, Labuan Bajo, Flores 86554, Indonesia
25.7 miles from Komodo Island

Luwansa Beach Resort
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Bintang Flores Hotel
Jl. Pantai Pede Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia
25.9 miles from Komodo Island


Bintang Flores Hotel
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Laprima Hotel
Jl Pantai Pedeh no 8 Manggarai Barat, Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia
26.2 miles from Komodo Island

Le Pirate Bajo Hotel
Jl. Soekarno Hatta, Labuan Bajo, Flores 86554, Indonesia
26.3 miles from Komodo Island

Hotel Waecicu Eden Beach
Pantai Waecicu-Kec. komodo, Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia
26.4 miles from Komodo Island

Sylvia Resort Komodo
Waicicu Beach Labuan Bajo - Manggarai Barat Flores, Labuan Bajo, Flores 86554, Indonesia
26.5 miles from Komodo Island

Green Prundi Hotel
Jl. Alo Tanis, Labuan Bajo, Flores 86554, Indonesia
26.7 miles from Komodo Island

Puri Sari Beach Hotel
Jl. Pantai Pede Kecamatan Komodo, Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia
27.3 miles from Komodo Island


Puri Sari Beach Hotel
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Kalimaya Dive Resort
Poja, Sumbawa, Indonesia
31.6 miles from Komodo Island

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