Located in East Nusa Tenggara - Indonesia,
Komodo National park is the home of the unique and rare Komodo Dragon
(Varanus komodoensis). Because of the unique and rare nature of this
animal, KNP was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986.
The
park includes three major islands, Komodo, Rinca and Padar, and
numerous smaller islands together totaling 603 square km of land. At
least 2,500 komodos live in this area. Large dragons are usually three
meters long and weigh up to 90 kg. Their habitat has beautiful panoramic
views of savannas, rain forests, white beaches, beautiful corals, and
clean blue seas. In this area, you can also find horses, wild buffalo,
deer, wild boar, snakes, monkeys, and various types of birds.
On
Rinca Island, you can see komodos lying down outside the homes of
national park rangers, or "parking" near the officials' homes. If you
don't see a dragon, Rinca and Komodo have beautiful sceneries with white
beaches, mangroves, savannas and blue waters. During the dry season,
these savannas and hills have dried grasses.
You
can also engage in other activities such as diving and snorkeling. You
can take a cruise ship or fishermen's boat in the persuit of these
activities. There are diving points highly recommended to visit which
include Merah Beach, and Batu Bolong and Tatawa islands.
This
place has a rich and amazing underwater sea biotica. Divers claim that
Komodo waters are one of the best diving sites in the world. It has
fascinating underwater scenery. You can find 385 species of beautiful
corals, mangrove forests, and seaweeds as a home for thousands of fish
species, 70 types of sponges, 10 types of dolphins, 6 types of whales,
green turtles and various types of sharks and stingrays. The waters that
surround the island are turbulent and teeming with unparalled marine
life. A marine reserve has recently been established and this reserve is
largely undocumented and remains unexplored.
Get Around
Your
feet will be your trusted companion on this island. Good thing most
people never leave home without them. When you wish to see these animals
in their natural habitat, you have to walk to the hills nearby (paths
have been designated). On Komodo Island, you have to climb Mt Ara (538
meters above sea level) for 3-4 hours.
On
Rinca island, you have to trek for about 1.5 hours. If you are lucky,
you can see Komodos attacking prey, fighting, or even employing their
mojoes along the way, as illustrated by this picture on the left. If
that's too wild for you, you can try to spot a group of deers, buffaloes
or wild horses.

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