Everyone must agrees that the fantastic Komodo National Park in Flores, Indonesia, has too much to offer for a single Komodo trip! Going famous due to its UNESCO-protected, famous Komodo Dragons, today Flores has bloomed beyond the creature’s fame. Flores is so vast with dozen of untouched islands scattered around the archipelago. Each crook and cranny are very inviting for some explorations, both on the savannah-carpeted islands or the underwater world. And if Flores is high on your bucket list, it might be the time to start arranging your very own Komodo trip.
Days of Excursion
With so much islands and gorgeous dive spots around Flores, even a whole week is not enough to explore everything. You need to be realistic. Set your travelling days as for the basic frame. Most travelers opt for 3D2N excursion, which is perfect to visit all the star attraction. If you are keen to see the less popular islands and do more dives, consider to take a 5D4N trips. However, some people are born with overflowing adventurous soul who wants to venture deeper than others do. If this is you, a full week trip will surely fulfil your thirst of adventure. Just remember, the longer your trip is, the pricier it will be.
Learn Overall Destination on Komodo Trip
We cannot stress enough that Komodo is packed with abundant beautiful islands. Beside the notorious Komodo Island, it has the beautiful Padar, the exotic Kalong Island, and other islands like Kelor, Angel, Kanawa, Sebayur, and else. It also boasts non-terrain destination such as Taka Makassar—the gigantic sandbed—Manta Point, and otherworldly diving sites. Popular diving spots are Batu Bolong, Castle rocks, Sebayur, to diving between islands.
Give Enough Time Between Places
There are so much places you want and it’s easy to get overboard. Before you are going too enthusiastic and packed all the destination into the itinerary, let’s get realistic. Know how much you can chew. Remember that you are sailing the Komodo trip with a liveaboard and there are quite a distance between islands. Sometimes it need an hour to move form one island to another. Give enough time between places and calculate the time to spend in the destinations. Two hours of exploration will be enough. Don’t be too ambitious by pushing all destinations in one day or you won’t enjoy the trip to the fullest. Three to four destination a day is perfect to enjoy everything without getting rushed.
Where to See the Dragons
There are two places to see the dragons: Komodo Island and Rinca. Komodo Island is generally more deserted than Rinca, but the trek is easier—especially for kids. Rinca is more heavily forested with long and hilly treks, but you’ll get breathtaking sceneries beside the dragon hunting. You can visit both, but it’s recommended to just pick one and save the time for another island.
Book the Boat Operator
Lastly, you need to book a boat operator to take you here. Because there’s no way you can do the islands hopping without getting into a boat. They can also help you arranging the itinerary! The best operators know Flores just like the back of their hand and know how to give you the best experiences. Some even able to help you arranging a tailored Komodo trip itinerary which is in tune with your interest. It’s also the time to compare between operators and negotiate for a price. Unleash your skill bargain!
Are you ready to embark on your first trip to beautiful Komodo?