Wild Encounters and Breathtaking Landscapes Welcome Tourists to Komodo Island
Written by Kaelie Piscitello
“We’re not here for the nature, we’ve come for the Komodos,” the woman next to me proudly declared.
It was a sentiment I imagined several people on my speedboat tour agreed with, but I could not begin to understand how they could ignore the stark beauty of such a gorgeous national park and UNESCO World Heritage site. While these monstrous creatures were a highlight of the speedboat tour I embarked on that morning, I couldn’t help but feel nervous around them.
The Komodo Dragon, known as the largest lizard in the world, attracts between 50,000 and 100,000 enthusiasts each year. They are a type of water monitor that resides on the Komodo Islands, classified as a highly protected, endangered species. When I first told my family about my plans to visit Komodo Island, they could not believe I would dare go near something like it.
While rare, these brown beasts have attacked and killed humans with their venom in the past. The National Park advises menstruating women to avoid travel to Komodo because they have a heightened sense of smell and, like sharks, are attracted to and excited by blood. They eat larger animals, such as goats, and their venom causes paralysis and infections in their victims, which can be fatal.
As I departed the speedboat, my guide warned, “Touch the dragons, and you die.”
Padar Island
After zooming along on the water for about an hour, we pulled into Padar Island, a gorgeous part of Komodo National Park that resembles a desert with lots of brown dust and little fresh water. The hike introduced me to many women in long flowy dresses and sandals snapping pictures for Instagram. No one seemed very preoccupied with the idea of a harrowing journey up a mountain.
However, towards the top, the stairs became too crowded. Some of the tourists pushed ahead of everyone, but then the locals reprimanded them to keep everyone safe. I didn’t bring the right shoes for hiking, and I could feel myself slipping, so I didn’t make it all the way to the top, but I still could see all the way around the national park and its unique shape.
Brown land and small hills stretched into a crystal blue ocean, beckoning to everyone who was already feeling too hot in the Indonesian sun. The hike felt like the best way to start the speed boat tour, as it made us feel hot and ready to jump into the water.
Meeting the Dragons
After a morning of hiking, I finally found myself face-to-face with a baby Komodo on my way back from the bathroom. I tiptoed in the other direction back to my tour group. Moments later, someone noticed the creature, and we all walked back over to it. Though remaining at a young age, the dragon still had a remarkable length of around 4 feet. He waddled past my group, and everyone snapped pictures of him.
Then, my group walked around the island. I expected a tropical and rainforest climate in Indonesia, but Komodo Island had a dry, arid feel to it. The brown sand allowed the animals around it to blend in with ease, so I made sure to watch my step.
As the tour continued, my guide explained that we had seen a small portion of land set aside to leave the Komodo dragons in peace. The ones tourists see in Komodo are part of a manufactured tourist space, featuring artificial pools of water that draw out more tame Komodo dragons from hiding and towards the visitors.
Like any animal in the wild, the dragons kept to themselves. As long as no one bothered them, they minded their business. The dragons often fight with each other over eggs, but do not usually attack humans. Even so, I still felt relieved as my tour boarded the boat again to jet off to the next part of the parks.
The Pink Beach(es)
Stepping off the speedboat onto soft pink sands covered by aqua blue water, made my eyes widen and then close with bliss. The pink sand attracted me to the Komodo Islands more than anything else.
The boat crew offered snorkeling gear to anyone departing, and I took a mask and breathing tube so I could take a peek at the red corals that made the famous beach such a vibrant color.
Komodo National Park has multiple pink beaches scattered around it. When I read about my tour online, I assumed this beach would be packed with travelers because it was the only one of its kind in the world.
However, because the park has multiple pink beaches, the boat tours split off into different beaches, and my group had the place to ourselves. We spent an hour and a half snorkeling, sipping on fresh coconuts sold by locals for $1 US Dollar, relaxing on the island, and taking pictures of the gorgeous sights.
Later, we landed on a sandbar in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by the same bright pinks and blues, and the whole tour went for a swim. The water never got too deep felt perfect.
To Snorkel, or Not To?
I knew the trip involved snorkeling and looking for manta rays before embarking. However, I did not feel prepared for the ocean depths of Manta Point. My tour guides warned us that weak swimmers should not jump off and snorkel. I am a confident swimmer, so I took on the challenge.
Though I felt prepared at first, the tour guides did not provide any of us with an explanation about how to snorkel and just set us free. They then proceeded to steer the boat several meters away from everyone snorkeling, causing me to feel anxious. It also didn’t help that snorkeling makes me seasick! Finally, we all boarded the boat again, safe and sound, but we had failed at our mission. Unfortunately, no one in my group saw manta rays.
The tour guides deemed the following snorkeling location safe enough for everyone to join. I still felt unwell, so I opted to stay on the boat. Right away, we had to rescue some of the Chinese people on our tour because they couldn’t swim. Asmuch as I enjoyed the beach parts of the tour, I wish our tour guides had provided more support, such as life jackets or swimming assistance, to those less experienced.
That said, I snorkeled with other companies later on in my trip, and I noticed a similar pattern. Indonesians expect the people on their tours to know how to swim. In short, if you don’t know how to swim, you should not sign up for a snorkeling tour.
