Have you ever heard about green travelling? Well, apparently many travelers still mistake green travelling with camping somewhere deep in the forest, tucked away in a tent or hammock. But that’s not the real green travel. You can do green travelling anywhere—because it’s actually an act of awareness, not that kind of travel tied to particular destination. Sometimes green travel goes by sustainable travel or ecotourism. It’s a sort of principal you can practice practically whenever you go—including on Komodo sailing trip. Especially on a sailing trip to this protected park.
Why You Need to Practice Green Travelling on Komodo
Now there are a dozen of reasons why you need to practice green travelling when you go to Komodo. First, Komodo National Park is protected by the country and also fell under the protection of UNESCO World Heritage—and they have a lot of regulations to keep the place habitable for Komodo and other wild animal. At anytime the National Park shows decrease in quality, it can lost its UNESCO status. Second, Komodo National Park is the last home for the last species of Varanus komodoensis—the Komodo Dragons—in earth. And the water around Komodo sit perfectly in the middle of coral triangle; where rich nutrients water supports blooming marine life, healthy vibrant corals, and even rare marine animals—like the tiny pigmy seahorses, hammerhead sharks, torpedo rays, and many more.
Third, it’s the super pristine beaches and raw savannah that made us fell in love with Komodo in the first place! It’s not fun to find our precious Komodo to be covered up in pile of traveler trash in years later. If you call yourself a nature-lover, you shared the responsibility for protecting our delicate and beautiful nature—because that’s what the earth left us to enjoy.
What Can You Do to Practice Green Travelling in Komodo
So how we can protect the delicate Komodo National Park during our Komodo sailing trip?
Bring Reusable Bottle Anywhere
Indonesia is not a country with drinkable tap water. Most of the locals either buy a gallon of drinkable water or purchase the bottled one in nearest store for a quick drink. Don’t follow the custom. Reduce the plastic waste by bringing your own reusable water bottle. Also, forget the straws.
Your Shopping Bag Should Always Be With You
Well basically, you won’t shop anything on a Komodo sailing trip (you are floating in the sea, anyways). However, there might be time for unexpected souvenir shops in one of the island—and that’s when your shopping bag comes in handy.
Pack Trash Bags, too.
Trash bag is very essential for containing your own trash when you are chilling in any Komodo’s beaches—or basically any place in Komodo. If possible, you are also highly encouraged to collect trashes you found in the in the beaches or the hills.
Light Packing
Do you know that vehicles use more rules to carry heavier loads? Subsequently, they emit more green house gasses which contributes to atmosphere pollution.
Take PADI Peak Performance Bouyocancy Course
—or ask your dive master for quick tips. It’s a very important thing to remember if diving is included in your Komodo sailing trip itinerary. Because you know, fins movement are known to have damaging impact to fragile coral reefs. So always be cautious with your movement under the water. We don’t want to be the one to break Komodo’s loveable reefs, do we?
Apply Reef-Safe Sunscreen
It’s time to realise that our every product is going to be washed straight to the sea. And as a diver, one of the product that have direct impact to the sea is the sunscreen. Yes, you heard it right. A lot of sunscreen use oxybenzone and octinoxate chemical that are responsible for bleaching the corals. When you dive or snorkel, your sunscreen can slide off your skin right away, land into the corals, and build up throughout the years. Be sure to pack reef-safe sunscreen!
And as always, do not take anything, do not leave anything, and enjoy your green Komodo sailing trip!