Where to Start
Komodo National Park sits in a cluster of small islands in between the larger islands of Sumbawa to the West and Flores to the East. The place to start is the town of Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores. This is where you'll book your tour.I did a 2-day sleep-aboard boat tour where they provide your meals and you sleep on a mat on the deck floor along with your other boatmates. Each day you cruise around the mass of tiny islands, stopping throughout the day at a variety of bucket list type sites and adventures.
See Booking a Komodo National Park Tour - What You Need to Know
and What to Bring on Your Komodo Nat'l Park Tour
Typical sleep-aboard tour boat at the park entrance dock.
What You'll See
Rinca Island & Komodo Island
Komodo National Park is the only place in the entire world where Komodo Dragons live in the wild. What are Komodo Dragons? Well they are a giant lizard, up to 200 lb and over 8' long! And although they are pretty lethargic most of the time, they can be dangerous.The 2-day tour visits the 2 islands (Rinca and Komodo) that are set up for tourists. You walk around some trails for an hour or two with your guide (armed with a large forked stick), see the dragons in the wild, and snap some great photos.
See Visiting Komodo Dragons in Indonesia
Getting set up for the larger-than-life lizard shot. Not the ranger's stick "weapon".
Pink Beach, Crystal Beach, and Little Caribbean (or Kanawa)
Tropical beaches with turquoise water, great snorkeling, sea turtles, and PINK sand! The standard tour stops at Kanawa beach which can get pretty crowded, and the longer tours stop at even more perfect beaches where you jump off the boat and swim to shore looking at the corals, invertebrates, and tropical fish along the way. Pink sand beaches are created by tiny bits of broken red coral in the white sand.See Pink Beach, and Pinker Beaches
OMG I could stare at these colors all day. Pink sand beaches take a perfect tropical beach to another level.
Padar - THE Komodo View Point
The epitome of a perfect selfie photo opp, the view atop the island of Padar is breathtaking. It's a steep walk up a mostly-paved path where you are rewarded with a view of the crescent beaches below and steep green mountains that make up the small island.See Padar - THE Komodo View Point
Padar, Indonesia island view.
Exhausted and sweaty from the hike up, I was happy to sit for my photo. ;)
Manta Point
Just to add to the already amazing things you have seen, jump in the water and swim with giant Manta Rays that are 15 and up to 30 feet wide! The water is so clear, it's easy to hover hover them or test your aquatic stamina and swim along with them (your guide will send a small boat to go pick you up).See Manta Rays - Majestic Giants in Komodo
Not only giant lizards, but giant Manta Rays! This just rounded out the tour with amazingness.
