Komodo Islands

Komodo and Rinca

Komodo and Rinca are hilly and desolate yet beautiful islands, sandwiched between Flores and Sumbawa, that are home to gargantuan reptiles – the legendary Komodo dragon. The world’s largest lizard, known locally as ora, it can reach over 3m in length, weigh up to 100kg and feed on animals as large as deer and buffalo.

These isolated islands are surrounded by some of the most tempestuous waters in Indonesia, fraught with riptides and whirlpools. From the sea they look a far more fitting habitat for monstrous reptiles than for the few hundred fishermen and their families who eke out a living in these parched lands.

Rinca receives just as many visitors as Komodo because it’s nearest to the port of Labuanbajo in Flores – the main jumping-off point for trips to the Komodo National Park. A steady stream of visitors make their way here these days, but to understand how far off the beaten track it used to be, read Zoo Quest for a Dragon by naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough, who filmed the dragons in 1956. Dragons also inhabit Pulau Padar and coastal areas of northwestern Flores.

Though there are hiking trails, it’s not permitted to walk them without a guide as dragons have very occasionally attacked (and killed) humans – two villagers have died in the last twenty years. Dragons are a docile bunch for the most part, but they could snap your leg as fast as they’ll cut a goat’s throat.

You’re pretty much guaranteed to see dragons whichever island you visit, as they have an extremely keen sense of smell and there’s usually one or two sniffing around the kitchens at the visitor camps.