Bucket List Experience: Walk Among Dragons in the Komodo Islands
The Komodo Islands are a part of the chain of Indonesian Islands. This rugged habitat is home to more than five thousand dragons. In 1986, Komodo National Park was declared a World Heritage Site.
Like many other wanderlust souls, a visit to the Komodo Islands was a must when I planned my trip to Indonesia. The Komodo National Park is formed by three islands: Komodo Island, Padar Island, and Rinca Island.
How to Get to the Komodo Islands
To get to the Komodo Islands, we took a short flight from Bali, Indonesia to Labuan Bajo, Flores. This small island serves as the jumping off point for visitors to the Komodo Islands. There are several daily flights from both Bali, Jakarta, and Lombok, Indonesia.
Self-guided visits to the Komodo Islands are not allowed. Afterall, these are dangerous animals. To get to the islands, you have to join a tour from Labuan Bajo. There really is no need to pre-book a tour. Once we landed in Labuan Bajo, there were countless tour agencies ready to take us to the Komodo Islands. Our tour would take us on several excursions for the day. Komodo Island was the one stop everyone seemed the most excited about.
We left Labuan Bajo early in the morning. Our driver picked us up and drove us to the dock where we would join 20-plus other wanderlust souls to see these magical creatures. I was beyond excited!
Komodo Islands was our second of five stops for the day. When we exited the boat, all eyes looked toward the island in hopes of spotting our first dragon. Our group was ushered to the visitor center where we met our guides (young Indonesians with big sticks). We were sorted into groups and given safety directions. We were not to wander off on our own. We were not to look the dragons in the eye. I guess this can be a sign of aggression. Dragons can smell blood from a distance, so girls on their monthly periods needed to take extra precautions. Finally, we were not to go to the restroom alone. Dragons like to hangout under the raised platforms.
We were all so excited. One guide would lead the group. One guide served as a lookout, and our last guide served as the caboose to make sure no one was left behind.
There are four routes to take and depending on the tour and time, your group may have more choices than ours. We ended up taking the shorter route. In total, our tour lasted an hour. Another group we met on the trail said their trek lasted four hours!
We visited Komodo Islands in July which turned out to be mating season. Our guides explained that we may not see any dragons since the females tend to hide from the males and the males are on the hunt for females.
Sounds about right!
The first 15 minutes were uneventful. I was beginning to lose hope of seeing these magical creatures. All of a sudden, our lookout guide spotted something in the bushes. YES! It turned out to be a dragon! Our first dragon of the day! I was beyond thrilled! Unfortunately, our guide told us our dragon was very old. It didn’t move much. In fact, it was waiting to die!
My giddiness turned to sorrow! Our guides also informed us that it was not uncommon for younger dragons to attack and eat the older dragons! I was at a loss for words. I’m so glad my own children do not find me very tasty!
We stopped for many photos and then continued our journey through the vegetation looking for more dragons. We lucked out! In the end, we were able to spot five dragons including a very quick baby dragon.
When it was time to leave, my heart was in a happier place. Seeing these magical creatures had been on my bucket list since I was a kid. I never imagined that one day I would come face to face with one.
What to know:
There are quite a few hotels in Labuan Bajo ranging from backpacker hostels to deluxe hotels. We stayed at the Eco Tree O’tel which was comfortable and close to everything.
The town of Labuan Bajo is small and easily walkable from one end to the other. There are quite a few restaurants to try. We heard rave reviews about:
- The Happy Banana
- Mediterraneo
- La Cucina
One of the best places to eat is the fish market. OMG! We had our best meals there! Just ask your hotel to point you in the right direction. Labuan Bajo is also a great jumping off point for diving expeditions around Indonesia. Every tour agency we went to offered dives from daily to multi-day excursions. We stayed three nights in Labuan Bajo. Most visitors stay one or two nights.
Our boat tour was just average so I cannot recommend the company we used. Our best day, however, was when we hired our own boat and captain.
Final Thoughts:
Visiting Komodo Island to see the majestic Komodo dragons was an unforgettable experience that combined adventure, nature, and the thrill of witnessing these ancient creatures in their natural habitat. I am forever changed by the experience.
