Ok Bali was nice and I am looking forward to Java, but it is the Komodo Dragons that I came to Indonesia to see. Yes I have seen them at Taronga Zoo and London Zoo several time, but nothing beats seeing wildlife in their natural habitat.

What is a komodo dragon you’re asking? If you’re reading this blogpost from Australia, think of a lizard that you’ve seen, perhaps at a wildlife sanctuary or even your backyard. Now imagine it being 3 metres long and 90kgs (200 pounds). It is similar looking to a freshwater crocodile with a forked snake -like tounge. Why am I going all this way to see the komodo dragon? Because these prehistoric looking creatures are only found on a few islands in Indonesia.

It wasn’t easy tracking down a tour guide that will take us there as not many tourist and even fewer aussies visit the island but I was determined and after my exhaustive search and confirmations, I found BCB Tour. BCB Tour representative, Mr. Hendrikus Tawur spoke english and was a pleasure to deal with. He ensured that our visit was going to be memorable comfortable one. For those thinking about a komodo island tour, Mr Hendrikus’s your man, he will arrange everything including all food, flight, boat, tours, guides and he’ll even ensure you dont get bitten and eaten by these beast - THE LOT ;P.

I flew to Bali (Indonesia) first then the next morning,  I got picked up by Mr Hendrik and we were driven to the domestic airport to get onboard a Fokker 50 to Flores island city called Labuhan Bajo. Being a student pilot, the flight on a Focker 50 was quite a exciting trip itself :). I love the old fashion check where they have to weigh each passengers and their lugages to ensure the weight and balance of the plane (if you’re a pilot, you understand the importance of this :)).

The flight took 1 hour and as soon as we  landed, we were picked up by an english speaking guide and he took us to the boat that was going to take us to see the Komodos. For those with sea sickness, the journey is very calm and I dont think you will be needing any nausea tablets.

The boat was very comfortable, it had basic clean cabins, modern toilet and you can hang out on the roof top to enjoy beautiful sceneries and get a tan :). I hung out there most of the time including sleeping at night (instead of the cabin povided) with the breeze of fresh sea air, twinkling stars, and the comfort of my sleeping bag. It reminds me of how nice sailing can be (if you don’t have to do the hardwork). 

So after 2.5 hours on the boat, we were taken to experience our first encounter with komodos at an island called Rinca island (or known as Loh Buaya - size 603 km2).

Our first sighting of a komodo dragon was one that was beneath the elevated kitchen building. WOW, how awesome. These animals are HUGE. They had sharp claws. We were told that these lizards can sprint at 20 km/hr so I kept my distance. The guide also told us that the komodo dragons are drawn to the buildings because they can smell all the food around the area.

Despite looking scary, I loved them! I love how they walk and their mean look

So after the first sighting we continued walking. Then about 30 minutes later I saw something that stopped me in my tracks. It was wildlife heaven, nirvana, highlight of any wildlife trip I guess. It was something Steve Irwin nor the BBC TV never managed to capture. We saw a freshly killed Buffalo!!! and the dragons were just tearing it apart!! There were about 10 or so dragons all up, all waiting for their turn to ripped open the buffalo with their sharp serated teeth.

WOW what a sight. This was on par with the freshly killed eland by a pride of lions  I experienced in my last wildlife trip in East Africa. Although with this sighting we were literally only 2 metres away.

One thing I also remember of the kill was the very strong smell of sulfur! not unlike the sulphur from volcanos.

The trekking of Rinca island itself was beautiful, I got to see floras and faunas that I have never seen before. Animals such as Timor Deer, Long tailed macaques and water buffalos.

After the amazing komodo dragon feeding experience and trekking Rinca island, we came back to the boat, sailed a further 3o minutes and then jumped into the sea to do some snorkling.

That night, I had the best sleep of my life, underneath the stars, witnessing sunset and sunrise on calm sea water on the rooftop of a boat, somewhere in remote Indonesia….

Thanks to Mr. Hendrikus Tawur:

PT. BALI CIPTA BAHARI TOURS & TRAVEL
Address: Jalan Benesari no. 19 Legian Kuta - Bali 80361
Phone: +62 361 7834512, 76583, 763803
Mobile/Cell: +62 817621851, +62 81337803336
E-mail: bcbtour@centrin.net.id

Related posts:

1. Komodo Island - Day 2 (komodo island or Loh Liang)
2. Komodo Island - Komodo dragons feeding on buffalo
3. Komodo Island - Day 3 Labuhan Bajo
4. Whale Watching - Boston (USA)
5. Koala Conservation Centre, Phillip Island

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