Komodo Island | Land of the Komodo Dragon
By Ellen (Updated Sep 22)
⏱ 4 min
Table of Contents
Location of Komodo Island
Do you want to see Komodo Dragons, the largest living lizard in the world, in the wild? True, a bite from these lizards can be deadly as their venom is poisonous. Nevertheless, tourists flock to Komodo Island in hopes to see the creature in its natural habitat. It was at the top of our list of things to do in Komodo National Park, in addition to visiting Padar Island.
Komodo Island is located in UNESCO Komodo National Park in the Nusa Tenggara Timur province of Indonesia. The national park was founded in 1980, to protect the Komodo Dragons in their natural habitat. Komodo Island lies on the Sape Strait between larger Flores and Sumbawa islands.
How to get to Komodo Island
Reaching this island is only possible by boat. Many tourists stay on the big island of Flores, where the Labuan Bajo airport is. Labuan Bajo is the gateway to Komodo National Park, and many tour operators depart from there. Another option is to visit the national park, by staying on a liveaboard boat. Costs will vary depending on if you rent a private liveaboard or join a group.
Lastly, you can stay at a resort on an island closer to the park. There aren’t many, but this is a good option because you spend less time traveling for your excursions to the park. We stayed with the amazing Komodo Resort, which we highly recommend!
Since we went to Komodo Island with the Komodo Resort speedboat, we cannot recommend any other tour company.
See Komodo Dragons in the wild
Upon disembarking the boat and walking down the jetty, you can see the island entrance sign welcoming you to Komodo National Park. The first stop on the island is a small information platform where groups are assigned a park ranger to guide them around the island. Remember, the Komodo Dragons live and roam free around the island so the rangers are there to help ensure safety.
There are different tracks you can choose to embark on, from short, medium, and long. The park ranger will accompany you, in hopes to help you spot a Komodo Dragon. It was hot and sunny the afternoon we were there, and there is little to no shade on the walking paths so we planned to do the short or medium trek, depending on our luck in spotting a Komodo Dragon.
The day we visited, no tourists spotted a dragon in the morning. It isn’t guaranteed to see one since they live free all over the island and the island is 390 km². Luck was in our favor though, and we spotted 2 within the first 20 minutes! We then proceeded to follow the short track, since we got what we came for and the sun was scorching.
How much does it cost to visit the island? You will have to pay a cash fee before you meet your guide. For us, it was 200,000 rupiah per person (about 13 Euros/USD) in July 2022. The entrance fee will increase in January 2023.
Komodo Island Pink Beach
Pink Beach on Komodo Island is a stunning beach, with vibrant pink sand. The sand gets its color from the microscopic red coral debris mixing with the white sand. The beach is characterized by turquoise and clear crystalline waters that wash up against the pink sand, with beautiful landscapes in the background. What makes it even better, is that there is great snorkeling here with abundant marine life. It’s the perfect beach to enjoy sun, sand, and water.
Other awesome things to do in Indonesia!
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