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Komodo Island, Indonesia


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Has anyone had experience of a shore excursion on Komodo? The Seabourn site advises that to be allowed on shore you have to be on a shore excursion. Does this mean a ship’s shore excursion, or would a private tour be OK?

There is some confusion on our roll call.

Thanks in advance

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ship's tour. very small place. use lots of mozzie repellent! might see a dragon on the beach near the ship if you don't want a tour but a tour is best. if it has been raining there take cleanable shoes!!! can be slippery.

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Hi Fellow Aussie,

 

They say you can't just get off and walk around by yourself as you need someone to protect you if the dragons appear on the beach or trail.

 

We have done Komodo Island a couple of times now. The first time we did the Seabourn Tour and the second time I organised a private tour with Top Komodo Tours and we enjoyed this as well. Even though they say they needed minimum 12 we just had six from our roll call. Below is what the tour entailed......

 

"KOMODO DRAGON ISLAND & SNORKELING at SPECTACULAR PINK BEACH"

 

Price Per Person: USD100.

 

Min/Max: 12-20 person in one group.

 

Tour Duration: ±4,5 hours

 

Departure Time: 09.00am - 01.30pm.

 

Starting/Ending Point: Komodo Island's Jetty.

 

SERVICE INCLUDES:

 

Local Boat tour to Pink Beach, All Entrance Fee at Komodo National Park, Government Tax, official Rangers from Komodo National Park, Assistant Ranger from Komodo Park, Experienced English speaking tour guide, Trekking & Snorkeling Activity in Komodo National Park, Snorkel Gears, Tax for Camera/Video Camera, Lunch, fresh fruits, Mineral water, free coffee+tea on the local boat trip, boat parking fee in Komodo Park, Refreshment, Service charge.

 

PRICE EXCLUDES:

Soft & Alcohol Drinks.

 

SUGGESTION:

Please!, take good walking shoes, long pants, sun hat, sun block, sun glasses, insect/mosquito spray, swimming suits, towel, rain coat when it's rain, camera/video camera etc.

One thing I will mention is when we got to pink beach the guide offered to take us for a swim further out see the coral and fish. I opted out as I am a reasonable but not strong swimmer and knew there was enough to entertain me snorkelling off the beach. When the others got back the strong swimmers enjoyed it but one person admitted they wished they had stayed with me as they struggled a bit. The guides were very helpful but this person wished they had just relaxed and stayed near the beach.

 

Julie

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We booked with a private operator for a 3-hour trek to see the Komodo Dragons next year. We're not beach people so we opted not to include the pink sand beach even though it sounds lovely. We had previously booked with them in 2012 for the same trek but unfortunately our ship had an engine room fire, our cruise was cut short and we didn't make it to Komodo.

 

There is some confusion as to whether only pax who are on ship excursions will be allowed ashore. As I understand, it's not the cruise line that is limiting access but rather the local officials who manage Komodo. The entire island is a national park and the park rangers will not allow anybody ashore who isn't booked either on a ship shorex or with a licenced local guide. The key requirement is that you're accompanied by an armed park ranger. Nobody can wander about by themselves. There are a number of local tour operators who meet the park criteria. In our case, our guide will provide a list of those who are booked with him to Seabourn so they will allow us on the tenders to go ashore.

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We chose the Seabourn excursion tour which was simply a guided hike around to see the dragons. No beaches and no snorkeling. A less expensive private tour would have worked as well. It was a must-do for us as we have always been fascinated by the dragons which look like little dinosaurs to us. We took a zillion photos. Never felt endangered. But it was blistering hot. One fellow passenger took me aside and asked if I was OK because I was so drenched in sweat. I think she was worried I would have a heart attack. I was just fine, thank you, but this was hard work due to the heat and humidity. But very memorable and totally worth the effort.

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In the old days - and I mean as recently as 1988 - you got to Komodo from Labuanbajo on the island of Flores. You rented a guide and a launch and you sailed across a choppy stretch of water full of eddys and whirlpools. When you arrived at Komodo it was necessary to purchase a goat which was then walked across the island to a feeding zone. On the day of our visit there were just four tourists, us two, and two Japanese. All four of us were staying at the same losmen in Labuanbajo, along with author Douglas Adams, naturalist Mark Carwardine and a BBC producer. They had stayed at the lodge on Komodo itself but warned us off - too many rats and snakes. They had to take their own food, living chickens, which were stolen on the quayside by a hungry dragon.

 

Anyway, we bought this goat and walked it across to the feeding zone. We could hear lots of snakes in the dry scrub on either side of the path. The endless bleating of the goat was fairly upsetting, I can tell you. Our guide then slit the goat's throat, butchered the carcass, hooked it on to a line and fed it to the waiting dragons. There were maybe six of them, all stinking, slobbery and covered in flies. After our goat had been devoured we walked down to a stunning pink beach, had a picnic and went snorkelling.

 

This remains one of the strangest days of my life - and I still feel a bit queasy and embarrassed by the whole thing, but nowadays it's become a dreadful circus with literally thousands of people pouring off huge cruise ships. I know, I went back there just a few years ago. Big mistake.

 

Here's a photo of our poor goat walking to its doom - I'm the guy in the white hat:

 

7294144956_4a1b21344e_z.jpgKomodo, Indonesia by UltraPanavision, on Flickr

Edited by Fletcher
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This remains one of the strangest days of my life - and I still feel a bit queasy and embarrassed by the whole thing, but nowadays it's become a dreadful circus with literally thousands of people pouring off huge cruise ships. I know, I went back there just a few years ago. Big mistake.

 

 

Have to agree. I felt we were being taken for a bit of a ride. We had a long walk around the path in hot and oppressive conditions with the guides looking for dragons in the bush. In fact we found them in a clearing at the very end right near the port where we started. I suspect that is where they are most of the time as that is where the food was. It was a bit of theater. Am I being cynical? The dragons are amazing and I'm glad I saw them but it will be only once. We are there again in a few months and it will be a perfect day for us to enjoy the uncrowded ship. Consider your visit in the light of your health and fitness as it is certainly hard, hot and tiring work being the tourist.

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I am another who considered Komodo to be a “one and done” experience.

 

I wrote about the Seabourn tour as of 2014 here:

 

https://fromhomeandback.boardingarea.com/2015/03/08/how-to-tame-your-komodo-dragon/

 

A muddy mosquito-laden spot with oppressive heat is how I’d describe it still today. That said, I can’t imagibe stopping in Komodo and *not* visiting if you haven’t done so. But I’ve warned my husband (who wasn’t with me at that time) if we do this route in the future, he can find me in the spa when he’s done.

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Semi-related sidebar about getting shipwrecked off Komodo... I know this writer and thought seriously about visiting after reading about her own fears about Komodo.

 

https://www.adventurouskate.com/adventurous-kate-gets-shipwrecked-in-indonesia/

 

I’ll admit that I decided to NOT do the Pink Beach part of the Seabourn excursion after reading about Komodo dragons being powerful swimmers that have occasionally been found on adjacent islands. 🤔

 

Risk aversion is a funny thing that some are born with. For others of us, it sneaks up. I used to do the same kind of “fast ferry/small boat” travel around Indonesia on prior visits (including traveling on boats to the Gilis that she references sinking twice). I never thought anything about changing my itinerary without telling anyone either.

 

I no longer have that sense of adventure. 😂 I was perfectly happy to trade in adventure travel for luxury travel when I hit my 40s.

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We were there recently on Viking Oceans. We went ashore with the requisite tour, met the guide and set off on the three mile tramp through the woods. Now we saw a couple of dragons at the compound right as leaving but all through the woods saw nothing, nada. Finally ended up at the "Watering Hole" near where we started. Lizards all over and lots of guides using their sticks to "control" them. You can very easily ignore the three mile muddy trek and simply walk to the right after leaving the dock through the hut with all the vendors set up, across a small bridge and directly to the watering hole. There will be lots of others already there and lots of guides to keep you out of harms way (hopefully).:eek:

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You can very easily ignore the three mile muddy trek and simply walk to the right after leaving the dock through the hut with all the vendors set up, across a small bridge and directly to the watering hole. There will be lots of others already there and lots of guides to keep you out of harms way (hopefully).:eek:

 

Will they actually let you go ashore with the requisite approved tour but then skip the tour and stay by the watering hole? I understood this was not an option with the Seabourn tours, hence the reason for taking the “short” tour versus the “long” one. Perhaps with a private guide?

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Has anyone had experience of a shore excursion on Komodo? The Seabourn site advises that to be allowed on shore you have to be on a shore excursion. Does this mean a ship’s shore excursion, or would a private tour be OK?

There is some confusion on our roll call.

Thanks in advance

We visited Komodo off a cruise several years ago, and a group of passengers (who met via cruise critic) booked a private tour which included a ground tour to see the dragons,which had to be escorted by a local guide, which was mandatory, we visited a local school, and our tour included a cruise with lunch on board and swimming. So you are not tied to a Seabourn tour, our private tour was less expensive! Be prepared for a very HOT, and dusty day!

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Will they actually let you go ashore with the requisite approved tour but then skip the tour and stay by the watering hole? I understood this was not an option with the Seabourn tours, hence the reason for taking the “short” tour versus the “long” one. Perhaps with a private guide?

It was very easy to head over to the vendors shed then out to the bridge. It is very very close. Doesn't seem that heavily organized once ashore. At least not last February.

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It was very easy to head over to the vendors shed then out to the bridge. It is very very close. Doesn't seem that heavily organized once ashore. At least not last February.

 

Interesting. My experience on Seabourn was that we were all counted off into small groups and then allowed to go down to the tender platform was a group. That was the only way we were allowed to board the tenders. I didn’t see anyone on the tenders over that didn’t come on with a Seabourn tour escort.

 

Once ashore, the Seabourn escort and guide kept counting how many were in our group to keep us together. After the tour ended, we were able to go to the vendor area and then tender back at our own pace. I didn’t think it would have been easy to break away or wander solo during the tour. But then again, I would not have wanted to wander about solo either after reading extensively about the dragons.

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... Anyway, we bought this goat and walked it across to the feeding zone. We could hear lots of snakes in the dry scrub on either side of the path. The endless bleating of the goat was fairly upsetting, I can tell you. Our guide then slit the goat's throat, butchered the carcass, hooked it on to a line and fed it to the waiting dragons ...
Fletcher, you have the colourful stories of an intrepid traveller!
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There are two factors to consider. In addition to the heat it does rain there often and if it has rained the walk could be very muddy so if you do it wear old footwear as it can get very dirty.

 

DSC_0019.jpg

 

 

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P1060626.jpg

 

The islands are lush because they do get a lot of rain.

 

DSC_0002.jpg

 

 

Keith

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