In October 2017 we had a two week round trip in Java and Bali and it peaked with a two day mini cruise in the Komodo National Park – really the only way to see the park.

A flight took us from Denpasar, Bali, to Labuan Bajo, Flores, and a taxi took us down to the harbour. Our “small” vessel was a 50 or 60 foot wooden boat with two double cabins (for the four of us) and a crew of four. There were one day cruises available with a speedboat to Komodo, but the two day “slow cruise” is recommended.

Stops at a white sandy beach and a pink coral sandy beach, with swimming and snorkeling is a great way of watching the marine wildlife. Along with the myriad of common fishes we spotted a crocodile fish! The currents around this area are strong and dangerous. Some divers end up in accidents resulting in injuries or even death, so a guide is mandatory both for divers and for island visitors.

We had close encounters with the dragons both days, the first day at Rinca (it’s pronounced “rincha”) and on the second day on the biggest island in the park – Komodo. Both islands were somewhat alike, meaning you don’t really have to visit both islands. Rinca is closest, but a visit to the Komodo National Park is not complete without seeing some of the Komodo itself.

The ugly beautiful dragons are really fascinating to watch. We first spotted them around the ranger station (where they were fed leftovers from the ranger stations kitchen) and in the wild and further into the lowland of the island. They seem slow and clumsy and not dangerous at all, but our ranger could tell us that they could speed and outrun humans, and with the venom in their mouth together with a number of sharp teeth, they are really dangerous - also to humans. There were plenty of dragons prey around, like small deer, water buffalo, wild boar and monkeys. Strangely “the victims” didn’t seem nervous or scared of the dragons nearby? We’ve only seen this type of animal behavior in Galapagos before.

A natural site which includes animals is great, and when there are endangered species to watch as well it’s even more fantastic.

After two days at sea we spent the night and morning at a hotel ten minutes by car from Labuan Bajo. This tranquil location with fantastic scenery next to the Flores sea is highly recommendable especially as a counterbalance to some of the really crowded hotels and beaches in Bali.