Travel to Komodo Island

by Unknown 3:48 PM 0 comments Komodo Island

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is an endangered species which can only be found in the Komodo National Park (KNP) in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). Because of the unique and rare nature of this animal, KNP was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986—no wonder you are so excited to travel to the Komodo island, are you?

Komodo is an Indonesian island home to approximately 2,000 people who are mostly descendants of former convicts once exiled here. The island which covers an area of 390km² is part of Komodo National Park and is especially known for its native Komodo dragon – the world’s largest living lizard! For centuries, a local tradition required feeding the dragons by leaving deer parts behind after a hunt or by sacrificing goats. In the past, the practice maintained a friendly relationship with the animals, which can live for more than 50 years and recognize individual humans. Ancient taboos strictly forbid harming the komodo, which is why they survived here but became extinct elsewhere. Are you ready to travel to Komodo Island?

Travel to Komodo island means you can see and do many things here. It is amazing to see Komodo dragons up close in their native habitat. On Rinca Island, you can see Komodos lying down outside the homes of national park rangers, or “parking” near the officials’ homes. Previously, to find one, you had to “offer” a goat to attract the Komodo, but now this practice is no longer allowed. If you don’t see a dragon, Rinca and Komodo have beautiful sceneries with white beaches, mangroves, savannas and blue waters.  During the dry season, these savannas and hills have dried grasses. In this area, you can also find horses, wild buffalo, deer, wild boar, snakes, monkeys, and various types of birds.

The Park includes three major islands, Komodo, Rinca and Padar, and numerous smaller islands together totaling 603 km2 of land. The total size of Komodo National Park is presently 1,817 km2. Proposed extensions of 25 km2 of land (Banta Island) and 479 km2 of marine waters would bring the total surface area up to 2,321 km2 where At least 2500 Komodos live in this area.

KNP has a rich and amazing underwater sea biotical. Divers claim that Komodo waters are one of the best diving sites in the world. It has fascinating underwater scenery. You can find 385 species of beautiful corals, mangrove forests, and seaweeds as a home for thousands of fish species, 70 types of sponges, 10 types of dolphins, 6 types of whales, green turtles and various types of sharks and stingrays. You can also engage in other activities such as take a cruise ship or fishermen’s boat in the pursuit of these activities. There are diving points highly recommended to visit which include Merah Beach, and Batu Bolong and Tatawa islands. If you want to see thousands of bats, you can stay overnight in a motorboat on Kalong Island waters (near Rinca Island). Enjoy!