Komodo National Park, located in the centre of the Indonesian archipelago between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores, consists of three main islands: Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as numerous small islands.
Read on to discover Komodo’s highlights.
1. The Komodo Dragon
The Komodo Dragon is a living dinosaur, a magnificent, prehistoric-looking creature which has inhabited the earth for four million years. This enormous species of lizard can only be found in their natural habitat on the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Padar and Gili Motang. Reaching up to 10 feet in length and weighing more than 300 pounds, they are fine swimmers and regularly move between islands. Tiger Blue’s island of choice is Rinca. Far less visited, it is well off the usual tourist route and provides an authentic adventure away from the crowds.The Komodo Islands are also famous for other ancient indigenous species….. The flightless bird called the megapode that can be spotted in the undergrowth on your hikes, & the amazing flight of thousands of flying foxes at dusk. View this amazing natural phenomenon from the top deck of Tiger Blue.
2. Trek to Padar
Komodo is great for hiking. The grassy slopes tempt you ashore. Hiking up the paths on Padar Island is invigorating but when you get up there, it’s beautiful! It’s like looking out over a 3D map of Komodo. Padar’s peak is one of the most famous photo locations, so please expect a few people on top.
3. Big Fish
For marine-life fans, Komodo National Park offers big fish! Whether snorkelling or diving at Manta Point, near Karang Makassar (Makassar Reef), you can find Manta rays, some up to 3 meters long. Other biggies are the Grey Reef Shark, White Tip Shark, Giant Trevalley, Napoleon Wrasse, and many more. If we’re lucky, we can attract large pods of dolphins to ride boat’s bow wave.
4. Crystal Rock
Crystal Rock is underwater heaven for divers. It is an undersea mount of beautiful soft coral. At low tide its tip is exposed above water. Black Tip and White Tip sharks, Giant Trevalley, Dogtooth Tuna, Seahorse, Turtle are a few of the wide range of species found here.
5. Castle Rock
Castle Rock is another great dive spot, located about 300 meters from Crystal Rock. It’s a great location to swim with sharks. It is not too deep, with great visibility & generally has the same marine species as Crystal Rock
6. Trekking Gili Lawa Darat
Gili Lawa Darat is one of the smaller islands within Komodo National Park. It takes approximately 40 minutes to hike its highest peak, but the view is just too great to miss. Trust us!
7. Calm Seas
The ultimate way to explore Komodo National Park is to use a phinisi liveaboard. In season, Komodo promises calm seas & mild currents……great for sailing, snorkeling and diving!
8. Your own private island
Besides the three main islands, tiny dots of land are sprinkled across the archipelago, creating the perfect backdrop for your own castaway experience. Away from it all and with no one else around, you can have your own private island! The Tiger Blue team know all the best spots and have numerous surprises up their sleeves: a parasol, a BBQ, a stunning sundowner, the perfect cocktail locations, a starlit bonfire. These are once in a lifetime experiences.
