Day trip to Komodo Island National Park
Komodo National Park is one of the most remote national parks in Indonesia. Getting there requires a multi-day boat ride, but once you’re there your imagination will be sparked with tales of lost treasure and spectacular scenery.
It covers some 3,670 square km and includes twenty-eight islands off the west coast of Sumbawa. The park encompasses a variety of habitats including coastal areas, dry savanna, freshwater swamp forest, and limestone hills.
So you can’t wait for a day trip to Komodo Island National Park? Then you must visit the three larger islands:
Related: “Ultimate Travel Guide to Vietnam”
About Komodo Island National Park
Komodo National Park has some of the best diving and snorkeling spots in the world. You can explore Padar island, Rinca and Komodo, the largest and most popular ones. These lands offer amazing hiking trails and wildlife viewing opportunities with dragons, deers, monkeys and much more. In short, we think this destination will have something for everyone!
It’s also home to the Komodo Dragon, one of the world’s largest living lizards, it can grow to up to 10 feet in length. Visitors can spot these creatures from miles away as they lie in wait for prey on the ground or perch high up on a tree branch. With over 400 species of marine life and 4 UNESCO World Heritage sites, it’s no surprise that this park is an international favorite with travelers looking for adventure and beauty.
Getting There
Traveling around Komodo Island can be relatively easy, but to get to Komodo, you first need to travel to Bali and then to Labuan Bajo. From Labuan Bajo (Flores largest city) you can do a day trip to Komodo Island by boat. I recommend staying in Labuan Bajo for a couple of nights.
You can fly from Bali to Labuan Bajo on Flores Island with local airlines daily.
1st Stop: Komodo Island
The best place to go in Komodo National Park is Komodo Island that is home to a major event -the Komodos Festival!
Besides the festival, most people come to Komodo for the amazing scuba diving sites at Raja Ampat. If you’re a certified diver, you should be signing up for eight days of diving through one of Komodo’s dive centers. It would also be worth it to see some of the other sights on land such as Suara Emas Beach or go on a sunrise hike up Mount Kulu Tua.
In Komodo Island, it’s like going on a time machine back to the days of the dinosaurs. Walk with a large, dangerous lizard – it’s the king of the lizards – the mighty Komodo Dragon! Spot morning mist floating from wet leaf litter and trees. Swim in water that’s just as blue as it was before humans evolved.
Komodo has everything you could need for endless fun, including sun-soaked beaches for relaxing after a day trekking through dense tropical forests or hiking up volcanic mountains. Or you can enjoy an afternoon snorkeling out towards Pulau Nipah while educators offer their expertise about coral reef ecology. They also have traditional Indonesian spices and exotic tastes of Sumatra at markets across Komodo.
2nd Stop: #2 Padar Island
Padar Islands are incredible destinations for scuba divers also. And you can do a number of fun activities before or after your dive, too! For example, the islands have many amazing beaches to explore and their coral reef is just a short ride from some of the most picturesque white sand beaches in Indonesia.
Of course, there are other activities like swimming, birding, or exploring the local landscapes by trekking through one of the stunning national parks on-site. It’s a place where you can learn more about Indonesia’s culture and history by tracing their footsteps in some of the ancient temples scattered around.
Komodo dragons are native to Padar Islands, they’re so populous, in fact, that 7% of the world’s population calls these islands their home. These giant lizards are unique because they have internal glands that produce their own bacteria, making them immune to all but 10% of human germs. Though they emit a fearsome hiss and bite with jaws that snap shut so quickly that it creates a vacuum seal on anything within about 3 inches (8 cm), they can only run at 2 miles per hour and get tired quickly, they are terrifying when chasing prey, they’re generally shy and peaceable creatures.
3rd Stop: #3 Rinca Island
If you like hiking, go to Rinca Island. There you have everything from beautiful waterfalls to beaches with crystal clear water and plenty of great camping sites. Also, in the Rinca Islands, you can go biking or you can feed dragons. These activities require some preparation like packing food and clothes for warmer weather because it becomes very humid during the day.
A major draw for tourists is the helicopter ride to the top of Rinca where guests are treated to an amazing view of the entire island. There’s a small hotel on top that serves as a sort of halfway point for travelers who want to stay on one half or the other or enjoy some luxury before making their way back down again.
At night, you can take a guided walk through one of Komodo Island’s most luxurious resorts and watch howler monkeys cross from tree branch to tree branch. You might even spot a monitor lizard stalking its prey across the ground, camping under the stars allows travellers with a lighter budget quick access to all of komodo’s natural wonders without having to book reservations anywhere in advance.
Komodo National Park has been selected as one of the New 7Wonders of Nature. It’s an island paradise worth visiting that will allow for lifelong memories and life-changing experiences!
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