Komodo

The View From My Beer

There were no bars on Komodo Island, so today’s view comes from our ship as we get ready to depart the island.

Komodo

Komodo is one of several islands in the area that make up Komodo National Park, home of the world’s largest reptile, the Komodo Dragon.

I was fortunate with the timing of my visit as the park is set to close for tourists mid-year with now announcement of when it might re-open.

My Walk

I had no choice today. The island of Komodo is a National Park and to get off the ship it was a requirement that we had purchased a shore excursion. I was pretty keen to see some dragons up close, so that really wasn’t an issue for me.

Komodo National Park

We had a two-hour guided tour through the jungle accompanies by a couple of guides. One at the front provided the commentary while te second remained at the rear to ensure nobody got eaten. People do get bitten, so I made sure I didn’t get too close. They are not exactly the hugging type of creatures anyway. Our guides informed us there were no guarantees we would sight any of the 1,700 dragons estimated to live on the island. Fortunately we encountered four dragons during the tour. The adults were over 3m in length. After the official tour ended we could spend time on the beach. I found two more (smaller) dragons sunbaking near the beach under the trees.

Departure

After an enjoyable day in the sun we departed. This was our last stop in Indonesia and we were treated to a beautiful sunset as I enjoyed a few laps of walking around the ship. I find sunset is the best time to get in some exercise. A great time to relax and reflect on the day.