| Park information: | | | | Timor deer, wild horses, boars, and rare |
| | | | megapode birds. |
| - Located between the islands of Flores and | | | | |
| Sumbawa Island. | | | | Marine Ecosystem: |
| | | | |
| - Covers an area of between 1,875 and 2,321 | | | | The three main marine ecosystems found at the |
| square kilometers. | | | | Komodo National Park: |
| | | | |
| - Consist of three main Islands: Komodo, | | | | - Sea grass beds |
| Rinca and Padar | | | | |
| | | | - Coral reefs |
| - Famous for its pre-historic and Komodo | | | | |
| ‘’Dragons’’ – | | | | - Mangrove forests.� |
| found only in this area of the world. | | | | |
| | | | Marine Fauna: |
| - Home to one of the richest marine | | | | |
| environments in the world. | | | | Komodo National Park has one of the richest |
| | | | marine environments in the word. Forams, |
| - Excellent coral reefs. | | | | cnidaria, sponges, ascidians, marine worms, |
| | | | mollusks, echinoderms, crustaceans, |
| - Outstanding diving spots. | | | | cartilaginous, bony� fishes, marine |
| | | | reptiles, marine mammals (dolphins, whales, |
| Facilities | | | | and dugongs), sea cucumbers (Holothuria), |
| | | | napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), and |
| - Rangers’ house, restaurant and | | | | groupers are major sub-sea fauna found at |
| information centers are located on both | | | | Komodo National Park. |
| Komodo and Rinca Island | | | | |
| | | | Marine Flora: |
| - Currently the best way to stay overnight at | | | | |
| the park is to rent a local excursion boat | | | | The three major coastal marine plants: |
| and sleep on deck. Anchored just off shore | | | | |
| from the park, this will allow an early | | | | - Algae |
| morning trek in the reserve. | | | | |
| | | | - Sea grasses |
| How to get there | | | | |
| | | | - Mangrove trees. |
| - Labuan Bajo (West Flores) is the starting | | | | |
| point to explore the Komodo National Park. | | | | Terrestrial Ecosystem: |
| Regular flights operate from Bali (Denpasar) | | | | |
| to Labuan Bajo, or travel overland from Bali | | | | - Long dry season (April to October) with |
| by private vehicle or public bus and | | | | high temperatures and low rainfall. |
| inter-island ferries. | | | | |
| | | | - A transition zone shared between Australian |
| - The travel time from Labuan Bajo to Komodo | | | | and Asian flora and fauna. |
| Island is 4 hours by boat, and 2 hours from | | | | |
| Labuan Bajo to Rinca Island. | | | | - Open grass-woodland savannas, tropical |
| | | | deciduous (monsoon) forests and quasi-cloud |
| - Overnight accommodation is possible either | | | | forests. |
| at the rangers’ house or on the deck of | | | | |
| a local excursion boats | | | | - A shared trait among many of the |
| | | | park’s terrestrial plants species is |
| - Arrangement for accommodation at the Park | | | | that they are xerophytes, capable of |
| can be with Travel Agents,� West Flores | | | | obtaining and retaining water to survive the |
| guides or directly with the local boat | | | | cyclical drought period. |
| owners. | | | | |
| | | | - Terrestrial plants includes: grasses, |
| - Local excursion boat. | | | | shrubs, orchids, and trees. � |
| | | | |
| Komodo Island | | | | Important food trees include Jatropha curkas, |
| | | | Zizyphus sp., Opuntia sp., Tamarindus |
| - Loh Liang is the main landing point to see | | | | indicus, Borassus flabellifer, Sterculia |
| Komodo ‘’dragons’’ on | | | | foetida, Ficus sp., Cicus sp., |
| Komodo Island. | | | | ‘Kedongdong hutan’ (Saruga |
| | | | floribunda), and ‘Kesambi’ |
| - Komodos are often seen at the dry river bed | | | | (Schleichera oleosa). |
| Banu Nggulung, a half-hour walk from Loh | | | | |
| Liang. When komodos were still fed before | | | | Terrestrial Fauna |
| park visitors (a practice discontinued many | | | | |
| years ago), Banu Nggulung was the traditional | | | | Many mammals found at the park are Asiatic in |
| feeding ground. You are also likely to spot | | | | origin - deer, pigs, macaques, civets. Other |
| dragons looking for food around the | | | | mammals include Timor deer (Cervus |
| Rangers’ camp in Loh Liang. | | | | timorensis), wild horses (Equus sp.), water |
| | | | buffalos (Bubalus bubalis), wild boars (Sus |
| - Hiking around the Island is possible with a | | | | scrofa vittatus), long-tailed macaques |
| local guide. A round-trip climb up the slopes | | | | (Macaca fascicularis), palm civets |
| of Gunung Ara (580m) takes around 3.5 hours. | | | | (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus lehmanni), the |
| Or, consider hiking to Poreng Valley, located | | | | endemic Rinca rat (Rattus rintjanus), fruit |
| 5.5km from Loh Liang. Along the way you may | | | | bats, goats, feral dogs and domestic |
| encounter komodos as well as buffaloes, wild | | | | cats.� |
| boar, and a wide variety of bird species. | | | | |
| | | | Several bird species are Australian in origin |
| - Visit Komodo village, a friendly, Muslim | | | | - orange-footed scrubfowl, the lesser |
| Buginese village only a half-hour walk from | | | | sulpher-crested cockatoo and the nosy |
| Loh Liang. | | | | friarbird. 27 species observed in the |
| | | | park’s savanna area include: Geopelia |
| - Snorkeling and relaxing at Pantai Merah | | | | striata and Streptopelia chinensis.� |
| (Red Beach) or Pulau Lasa is on the | | | | Philemon buceroides, Ducula aenea, and |
| ‘’must do’’ list for | | | | Zosterops chloris are observed in the mixed |
| Komodo Park visitors. | | | | deciduous habitat� that is home to 28 |
| | | | bird species. |
| Rinca Island | | | | |
| | | | Reptiles at the park include, of course, the |
| - Loh Buaya is the access point to see Komodo | | | | legendary Komodo |
| ‘’dragons’’ on Rinca | | | | ‘’Dragon,’’ 12 snake |
| Island. | | | | species� including the cobra (Naja naja |
| | | | sputatrix), Russel’s pit viper (Vipera |
| - You may see the dragon around the camp at | | | | russeli), and the green tree vipers |
| Loh Buaya. | | | | (Trimeresurus albolabris). Lesser lizards |
| | | | include 9 skink species (Scinidae), geckos |
| - Local guides generally know the spots where | | | | (Gekkonidae), limbless lizards (Dibamidae), |
| the komodos sun themselves. | | | | and the monitor lizards (Varanidae).� |
| | | | Frogs species include the Asian Bullfrog |
| - On a hiking tour you may also see | | | | (Kaloula baleata), Oreophyne jeffersoniana |
| long-tailed macaques, wild water buffaloes, | | | | and Oreophyne darewskyi. |