National Park

Another round, another race: departure from Yogyakarta and arrival in the afternoon in Labuan Bajo, with a stopover in Jakarta.

Labuan Bajo is a small town located on the island of Flores (looking at the globe it is to the right of Bali), bordering one of the most special archipelagos in the world due to the presence of great marine biodiversity.

Here it was impossible not to notice the many shops offering all kinds of excursions in the Komodo archipelago.
Komodo could very well be among the top positions of a hypothetical ranking of the most beautiful seas and beaches on the planet, and the most beautiful experience that one can grant in this paradise is the rental of a boat for two or three days, perhaps with an English-speaking captain and guide, in order to enjoy every moment without worries.

Noi abbiamo optato per questa soluzione e mai scelta è stata più azzeccata, perché è stata indimenticabile, una delle più belle che ricordiamo in assoluto. Vivere il mare, spostarsi tra le isole e tuffarsi nell’azzurro in mezzo a foreste di coralli dai mille colori è stato meraviglioso, qualcosa difficile da descrivere a parole. Eravamo catapultati in una bellissima avventura, disconnessi completamente dal mondo esterno (sorry no wifi).

Notice to mariners (in all senses)

Obviously, to participate in this "holiday within a holiday" on one of the archipelago's typical boats (a sort of fishing boat adapted for tourism), you need to have a certain spirit of adaptation, and leave the thought of comfort ashore! Electricity only works with the boat in motion, a hot water cycle lasts a few minutes, the (bunk) bed is in a small room, and obviously cleaning in general is "like a fishing boat"!

If you have been able to read these lines without problems then it is the type of adventure for you and believe us: it will be unforgettable!

We set sail early in the morning, and after an hour we reached the first island of the archipelago, from whose top you could admire the sea as far as the eye can see with its splendid colors.
We then landed on the main island of Komodo, near an area full of mangroves.

Once on the island, it is possible to go on a group trek with a ranger, following a well-identified path. Remember that the sighting of dragons on these trails will be very unlikely (unlike the dozens that you will see slyly near the kitchens in the park), but walking one is useful to get a lot of information about these animals.
We chose the intermediate one, lasting about an hour, which allows you to enjoy the view of the island's bay.

Ps: as soon as you land on one of the most touristic islands of the archipelago (like this one) they will ask you for the receipt of the entry permit to the National park, and if you do not have it they will give you one (in 2019 it cost about twenty euros each per person per day).

The Komodo dragon

The archipelago of the Komodo islands is the last area where the Komodo dragons, the largest monitor lizards on the planet, live. They can be almost three meters long, weigh up to 80 kg and live up to 65 years!

Powerful in appearance, these lizards at the top of the Komodo food chain hunt prey by making ambushes, in which they try to bite them to inject a powerful poison that will kill them in a few days. Equipped with a formidable sense of smell, they are capable of smelling carcasses and animals from miles away, and have a lightning bolt that can reach 20 km / h (for this reason it is very dangerous to keep a distance of less than 10 meters). Plus, having conquered these islands over the past centuries, they are also capable of swimming!

Mating takes place during late spring, while the eggs are laid around September, in nests that they dig away from prying eyes.
In spring the eggs hatch and the young dragons live on trees for the first years of their existence. This guarantees their survival, because otherwise they would be easy prey for… adult dragons!
Recently, for animals in captivity in the various parks of the world, we have witnessed the strange natural phenomenon of parthenogenesis: females lay their eggs without mating, giving birth only to male children. This mechanism allows them to reproduce and attempt the continuation of the species.
They are animals that do not attack humans, except in danger of life, and always try to avoid contact (they will tell you to scare you that once a tourist ventured off the track, and only his sunglasses and the camera were found)
The Komodo dragon is at risk of extinction, since although they are around 5,000 individuals, the females capable of laying eggs are estimated at 350 specimens.
The Komodo archipelago, when it was recognized as a UNESCO biosphere reserve, sanctioned their protection.

Exploration between one dive and another

Leaving the island we have dived for our first snorkeling, which was simply sensational: the thrill of the first contact with the immense expanses of corals of all shapes and colors, surrounded by an infinite variety of tropical fish, is still impossible today to describe!

We got back on the boat for lunch time, and in the early afternoon we reached the jagged island of Padar to make a trek, where the effort made to get to its top (about an hour's walk) was totally rewarded: the view of the bays of the island, each of a different color for the type of sand, was unparalleled.

Once we got off, we left for the beach of a very particular color: pink!

Yes, a wonderful pink sand beach tending to red, formed over thousands of years thanks to red corals!
We were walking on the earthly paradise washed by the tropical sea!

This archipelago did not cease to surprise us even during the sunset when, moored near an island covered with mangroves, we saw thousands of fruit bats come out and, in search of food, made their way to the island of Flores.
A wonderful day to say the least, like being catapulted into one of the National Geographic documentaries!

The sea was also the undisputed protagonist of the second and third days: the days passed between a dip in the blue, walks on idyllic beaches covered with shells the size of footballs, and snorkeling in dense coral forests. The ending was heart-pounding, because we managed to spot some manta rays (one of which, curious, turned around us!), a beautiful Napoleon fish and a dozen splendid sea turtles!!!!

Our time in Komodo was coming to an end, but it would forever remain in our hearts as one of the most beautiful experiences of our life.