Komodo National Park

Amazing 5 day experience on liveaboard. Komodo is a very special place both above and below the water. Please can the government make sure the park remains protected and that impact of tourism/development/fishing is done in a very responsible way so future generations can witness what must now be one of the few remaining healthy wild places on earth. Indonesia has an opportunity to lead the world in how humans can be part of a wild environment without destroying it at the same time.

This tour is an absolute marvel! Padar Island, Komodo National Park, Pink beach offer breathtaking panoramic views, and witnessing the Komodo dragon in its natural habitat is a truly magnificent experience. Recommendation: Padar Island has moderate trekking stairs Komodo National park has 2 km long trail (longest one is 3.5 km)

KOMODO DRAGONS OBVIOUSLY SEDATED Komodo area is absolutely stunning & the boat trip is beautiful. However the Komodo island was simply depressing to see. We went in August which is the Komodo dragon mating season. This means the chances of seeing one actually in the wild are very low. Yet when we arrived the guides were all very excited that “there is a dragon”. After walking for 5 minutes on a well established path indeed there was a male dragon … so drugged he basically looked dead, surrounded by 50 people or so queueing to take a picture with him. It was a circus-like scene, one that makes you question where is humanity going. I don’t know how a place which harms these creatures in such a way can be called a national park … you’d be better off seeing them in a zoo. There were two more sedated adult dragons within 100m from each other which we went to see (they looked slightly better, at least they looked alive) and that was it, the “trek” was done because there were no more dragons (how could the “rangers” be so sure exactly where & how many dragons there are, I’m asking?). The “rangers” tried to explain that the dragons are not moving because they’re now resting … as much as I would love to believe this, it’s at least suspicious, that in a season where no dragons should be seen there are three adult males that happen to be resting right next to a tourist path … After asking lots of questions to the guides my theory is that every day there are a few “lucky” ones sedated and kept there for the show, I’m not sure if it’s always the same ones. I felt incredibly guilty to be part of this. Looking at these beautiful, amazing creatures downgraded to this photo show for tourists was simply horrible. Fortunately looking at the tourists around there were many people that obviously looked very uncomfortable. I think the news are starting to spread that the dragons are treated like this! We did actually see one young dragon which wasn’t sedated which was wonderful to see - the guide’s surprise to see it was hilarious on its own, nearly like he couldn’t believe there’s a dragon they haven’t caught & drugged. As a side note, on Rinca island the guides made it clear that we would have to be very lucky to see one & indeed we didn’t see one which fills me with hope that at least on that island they are hopefully left undisturbed. Or maybe I’m being naive? To top it all up, the Komodo “National park”absolutely rips off tourists for money, with a 250k price per day per tourist for entry. Glad to know the money I paid is probably going to be spend on sedating drugs instead of cleaning the sea from all the trash floating around!

🚨🚨🚨TOURIST TRAP ALERT!!!🚨🚨🚨 The main purpose of the trip to the islands was to see the fascinating Komodo dragon in real life. Unfortunately, it was THE WORST PART OF THE TRIP. Nothing new here, we were also promised an exciting hike which would take one hour. We arrived in the morning and we were told that this was the time when dragons were the most active hunting. In reality, it was a TEN MINUTE WALK where the rangers brought us to two trees under which there were dragons. We thought one of them was dead, the poor thing didn't move at all, his paw was twisted in a funky way. It was a sad sad thing to see... The rangers claimed that the dragons had just had their meal and were digesting and resting. The dragon laying under the second tree looked more alive... Yet, so strange that we could get so close to one of the most dangerous animals out there, isn't it? We were so lucky to spot one real female dragon truly hunting right at the very beginning of the 'track'. I wish they had let us observe her for longer, but they didn't, because most likely it was indeed unsafe for obvious reasons. In total, two drugged dragons and one real dragon, the track of 15 minutes, posing for pictures and being sold souvenirs. It is a shame that they charge such a huge cost for something so fake... I feel so bad for having taken part in this circus, but I really hoped for the best since it was my dream of many many years to see these fascinating creatures in real life... I understand that locals need to make their living and survive, but there are many more ethical ways to make a living... I am not sure if you have the option to skip it when going on a boat tour, but save that money and spend it elsewhere on a good cause.

One of the seven wonders of the nature, Komodo Island and National Park is something you could only truly understand when you visit in real. The blue skies and even bluer water, the lush green landscape, the quiet and the sound of nature make this place very unique. This is one of the rare moments when both the journey and the destination are beautiful. It just looks and makes you feel like something straight out of a movie with beautiful cinematography. Gosh! This is not your ordinary zoo or national park, this is the only sanctuary in the whole wide world where you find the world's largest lizard, the mighty Komodo. Although these extraordinary creatures may seem they're lazy at initial glance, their saliva is enough to put you down a few feet inside the earth. And the walk of a full grown Komoda is that of an emperor walking in his kingdom, so majestic. I was told by my tour guide that the young ones can climb trees up until they're 18 months old and the size of about a meter and they only live in one particular tree and do not climb all trees, learning that was scary. We were lucky to see a young Komodo as well as a few fully grown Komodos on our visit. Lastly, I would like to congratulate the folks at this national park, including the tour guides, for keeping this miracle alive. Highly, highly recommended to visit this place, it'll be an adventure of a lifetime.

We did a 3d boat trip across the Komodo island. All the activities we did were good (kelor, padar, manta point etc) although the main attraction the Komodo dragons were a little concerning…. We started walking and within 10 mins we saw a dragon eating a goat in the field. There was already another group there watching too so I’m not sure how long it had been there for (unsure if this goat was given to the dragon by the locals or actually hunted as there were other goats roaming around as well). We then went further into the forest and then ended up in this spot with 4 dragons, conveniently also right next to the souvenir shop? There were 2 smaller females further away that were moving around slowly then there was a massive male one in the centre surrounded by tour groups. This one wasn’t moving at all and everyone was taking turns getting pictures with it. The guides told us it had eaten for the day and was too full to move…. Seemed unusual when the others we saw had their heads up and were at least moving a little bit. I’m a bit suspicious whether they A. Feed them for the day in that spot so tourists can take pictures or B. Possible sedate them so they don’t move from there. They tell you the dragons are hard to spot but I guarantee every tourists that comes there will see a dragon and also get the same picture with it. Just leaving 1 star to raise awareness. The boat trip we did was good otherwise overall.

Personally, we find this Komodo park too commercial. It is for tourists. Each group will be led by a guide. There are many other guides too. He will bring you for the whole loop. The Komodo are strategically positioned along the route. You will definitely get to see more than 5 Komodos. The guide will take pictures for you with the animals from behind using your camera. Our guide was rude and scolded a few tourists when they wanted to take more photos. There are some shops selling food, drinks and souvenirs at the jetty.

Komodo Island was our fourth port stop on our 28 day Asia cruise. We understood that the only way to see the famous Komodo dragons was to purchase the excursion through the ship, so we did this for my husband, myself, and our daughters aged five and six. We were taken by tender boats to the island and then separated into groups for the tour. Our group had three guides – one at the front, one in the middle, and one at the back. The guide at the back took a liking to our little family and was very helpful and attentive throughout the walk. Seeing the Komodo dragons up close was an incredible experience. Our guide shared fascinating information about these giant lizards, telling us that their mouths contain around 56 different poisons. This venom makes their bite very dangerous, and they are skilled hunters, able to take down prey much larger than themselves. We were amazed to learn how powerful and unique these creatures are in the animal kingdom. We were lucky to see quite a few Komodo dragons during the walk, which was truly the highlight of our trip. We had planned to tip the guide who had been so kind and helpful. However, it was disappointing to learn that this same guide also owns a souvenir stall nearby. At first he tried to sell us an expensive beach tour, which we politely declined. Then he brought us to his souvenir stall where he gave each of my daughters a small plastic Komodo dragon and asked for one hundred dollars. We were shocked and felt this was quite unfair, especially since the price was so high for a small plastic toy. We decided to return the souvenirs and gave him a twenty dollar tip instead, which was what we had intended to give. This experience left a bit of a bad taste for us after such an amazing encounter with the Komodo dragons. Afterward, we walked to a nearby stall where a kind lady sold us instant ramen, which my kids really enjoyed, and then we returned to the tender boat. Overall, seeing the Komodo dragons and learning about their incredible nature was unforgettable, but the souvenir situation was disappointing. We hope future visitors can have a more straightforward and pleasant experience.