Look for Komodo dragons on a ranger-led walk

What the experience is

Komodo National Park lies in the strait between the Indonesian islands of Sumbawa and Flores. It was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon and became a World Heritage site in 1991. The dragon is the largest lizard alive. A male can reach about three metres in length. It hunts deer, pigs and water buffalo, often by ambush. The park holds several thousand of them, most on Komodo and Rinca.

Visitors land at a ranger station on Komodo or Rinca and walk a marked trail with a ranger, who carries a forked stick. Dragons are often seen near the station and along the dry stream beds, but sightings cannot be guaranteed, and the animals are wild and dangerous. Rinca is closer to the port and the walk is shorter. Komodo is larger and wilder. The rule is to stay with the ranger, keep a safe distance and make no sudden movement.

The walk is usually combined with the ridge of Padar, reached by a stair of about half an hour, which looks down on three bays, and with a swim at Pink Beach, coloured by fragments of red coral. In the water, manta rays may be seen by snorkellers at certain sites, depending on conditions.

How to do it

The gateway is Labuan Bajo, on the western tip of Flores, with flights from Bali and Jakarta. Fast boats visit the park in one long day. Another way is to sleep on the water, on a wooden phinisi, which can anchor in quiet bays and reach Padar before the day boats.

When to go

The dry season runs from about April to November. The islands are greener in April and May and browner by August. July and August are the busiest months.

Good to know

The park limits visitors to a daily cap that was introduced in April 2026, with tickets booked through an official application and timed sessions on Padar; operators book on behalf of their guests. The rules have changed recently and should be checked, and boats reserved early for the dry season.

Why OKYTO recommends it

The dragons are the reason to come, and the landscape and the sea are the reason to stay a few days. In town, TA’AKTANA has boats of its own, and Aqua Blu sails on from Komodo towards Raja Ampat.