{"id":16085,"date":"2020-01-13T16:15:19","date_gmt":"2020-01-13T16:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/?p=16085"},"modified":"2020-10-30T14:11:09","modified_gmt":"2020-10-30T14:11:09","slug":"land-of-komodo-dragon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/land-of-komodo-dragon\/","title":{"rendered":"A trip to Komodo, the land of the dragon"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”16090″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

About the author:<\/p>\n

This article was written exclusively for Experience Travel Group (ETG) by acclaimed travel writer\u00a0Robin Mckelvie<\/a>. Having taken over 500 trips to over 100 countries, writing for The Telegraph, Wanderlust, The Scotsman and many more, Robin still counts ETG as his go-to for all things Asia. Find out what happened on his recent Komdo dragon experience\u2026<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]I\u2019m close enough to peer into the oil black pools that are the eyes of the world\u2019s largest lizard. Close enough to hear him breathe and the sear of his serrated teeth crunching hard into the bones of the deer he\u2019s devouring. Then he pauses and stares straight at me. I\u2019ve caught this ancient killer\u2019s attention. He hauls himself off the carcass and takes a step towards me. Then another. Instantly the ranger sweeps round to head him off, using no more than a long, thin pole. Welcome to the Komodo National Park, home to one of the most thrilling wildlife experiences on the planet.<\/p>\n

I can remember as a child learning that dragons really do exist and being utterly fascinated. The first time I came to Indonesia 20 years ago I\u2019d finally come across the komodo dragon, but in the disappointing, depressing setting of a zoo. Venture to the Komodo National Park and a totally different experience, a deeply immersive one, emerges in one of the most spectacular corners of the planet as I learned when I flew into the recently expanded airport at Labuan Bajo on the isle of Flores. It\u2019s the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage listed national park.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/6″][vc_single_image image=”16091″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/6″][vc_single_image image=”16088″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Why see the Komodo dragon now<\/h2>\n

There was no doubting where I was as soon as I touched down. Hulking images of the dragons guard over the runway from the terminal building, surveying new arrivals. The revamped airport is part of a rise in tourism that has stirred up conservation issues, with talk even in recent years of a partial ban on visiting some parts of the park. I was assured by Experience Travel that the park was very much open. For now. This may change in the future so if you want to experience the dragons in their natural environment I\u2019d suggest you come sooner rather than later with local rumours of a massive hike in park fees or a ban<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not individual travellers and small groups like the ones Experience Travel specialise in that is the issue, but the cruise ships and mass market groups that the park is attracting. They bring volume, concerted volume at peak times that the national park just cannot easily handle.<\/p>\n

My base was on the neighbouring isle of Flores, handily just a short drive from the airport, with its own jetty for boat trips exploring the national park. Labuan Bajo is getting more hectic year on year, but the Plataran Komodo Beach Resort<\/a> proved an ideal oasis set on its own beach with a reef just offshore for snorkelling. The staff are largely local as well with superb Indonesian cooking with a touch of fusion flare \u2013 Experience Travel have chosen their local hotel here well.<\/p>\n

After one of those burning ochre sunsets that are standard in this remarkable part of the world it was time the next morning to hop on a speedboat bound for the land of the dragons. You do get komodos in patches on Flores, but you really need to go to ether the isles of Komodo or Rinca in the Komodo National Park to be sure of seeing them.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image=”16092″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

When to go to Komodo<\/h2>\n

Most visitors are desperate to \u2018tick off\u2019 the island of Komodo as fast as possible, but I heeded my guide Adie\u2019s advice. He reckoned Rinca would be quieter when we arrived early, with a good chance the dragons would be active. He was right. We eased into the jetty and stepped ashore. We were now firmly in komodo dragon territory – this means keeping your wits about you at all times.<\/p>\n

Every visitor has to be accompanied by a ranger. The system works well as they are a font of knowledge on the park and the dragons, as well as looking after your safety. They also make sure you don\u2019t interfere with the dragons in any way. My young ranger was a native of Komodo. After the usual beaming Indonesian welcome he grabbed the stout stick with a forked end \u2013 all that was to protect us against this ultimate predator \u2013 and we headed inland in search of the komodo dragon. We didn\u2019t have to wait long. The ranger camp serves as a magnet for komodos. I spotted my first one seconds after arriving.<\/p>\n

At first he looked squat and small, almost lifeless. Then with a flick of his tail he was up and lumbering across the dusty terrain, a totally different creature. Within minutes there were over half a dozen komodo dragons at close quarters. The rangers are experts at spiriting you around to get great photos, but it\u2019s still a heart pumping feeling when you\u2019re retreating from one dragon and eye another one emerging behind you.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image=”16086″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Remember: this is the Komodo dragon’s territory…<\/h2>\n

The threat of the komodo dragon is all too real. What many visitors don\u2019t realise is that it\u2019s not the risk of being devoured whole by a komodo that\u2019s the issue. It\u2019s how they kill. They\u2019ve evolved to deliver a venomous bite that is alive with all manner of toxic bacteria. These shock and then poison the victim, putting komodos well at the top of the food chain in these islands. Adie explained \u201cThey just bite a deer once and then wait. And wait. And they then always have it\u201d. This sent a chill down my spine and reinforced the fact that this experience is no tourism confection. You are very much in the world of the real life dragons here.<\/p>\n

You can just visit one of the islands, but I strongly recommend venturing to both Komodo and Rinca<\/a>. Komodo is the more famous isle, but here I had to work harder to see the komodos. None were hulking around the camp so my new ranger and I headed deep into the arid scrub. If you\u2019re expecting lush jungle on these isles you\u2019re in for a surprise as the parts you can explore are more savannah like, reminding me more of Africa than South East Asia.<\/p>\n

My ranger again emphasised the genuine nature of each experience. \u201cNo two days are the same\u201d, he insisted. \u201cSometimes you have to walk for a long time just to see one komodo and then another day they are everywhere. No one can predict them\u201d. He was proved dramatically right. What happened next seemed to surprise him as much as it did me. We rounded a bend and caught the surreal sight of a deer\u2019s carcass seemingly moving by itself around a tree.<\/p>\n

Venturing a few steps further on we found a large male komodo dragon jealously guarding his lunch. At first we retreated, but then when he realised we weren\u2019t competition he let us photograph him from close distance. Showing komodos have brain as well as braun he used the trees to dislodge sections of deer, which he then mashed with those teeth. Pointing to a jagged shape in his throat my ranger explained that the komodos can even bite through and then digest bone.<\/p>\n

I felt privileged to spend time in the world of this perfect predator. It felt like being at the heart of a wildlife documentary. I half expected to hear the dulcet tones of David Attenborough emerge to soothe over the scene. I snatched dozens of photos and made videos. My guide was shooting with his own phone too, a sign of it being a special experience. After a day with the komodos I have to admit I may have started to get a little complacent. None had really showed much of an interest in us and neither of my guides had needed to use their poles. That was about to change.<\/p>\n

Dropping the scrappy sinews of the remaining deer the giant lizard stared straight at me. I froze. Then he hauled himself off the dirt and unmistakeably started to head right in my direction. As I made a swift retreat my guide swooped in with his pole to steer the gargantuan lizard away from us. It was a stark, powerful reminder that the komodo dragons are wild animals and that this remarkable corner of the planet is very much the land of the dragons.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

CURIOUS ABOUT KOMODO?<\/h2>\n

Take a look at our Komodo holiday ideas<\/a>\u00a0for inspiration.<\/p>\n

Want to find out more about\u00a0Indonesia\u2019s 17,000 other islands<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Alternatively, for tailored holiday advice, give us a call on\u00a00203 993 4641<\/a><\/span>\u00a0.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]