komodo tour info

[mgsail]

Doing Sydney/Bangkok Feb '09 ,on Nautica .... cruise includes Komodo Island .......would like advice on our getting the guided walk .... ourselves through the ranger koisk or go with 'O'......unsure of how a ships , passenger numbers may alter this ports services..:confused:

Graeme

[willmschen]

We did the same cruise this year. We were told the only way we could go ashore was on the ship's tours. If you search this forum, you'll find a good discussion of this subject from earlier this year.

[trigger663]

Hi :

 

I called Oceania and they told me we would be tendered there.

I emailed someone there about a tour but have not heard back.

Let me know what you find out.

Joel

[douganswerphone]

Doing Sydney/Bangkok Feb '09 ,on Nautica .... cruise includes Komodo Island .......would like advice on our getting the guided walk .... ourselves through the ranger koisk or go with 'O'......unsure of how a ships , passenger numbers may alter this ports services..:confused:

Graeme

 

We went ashore at Komodo last February on Nautica. The ship can anchor close, so it's a short tender ride. At the dock is a small craft market with some hand made stuff, and also the usual "junk" t-shirts and stuff. There's a handful of modern buildings there, including modern (western) public bathrooms. The rest of the island ranges from "rustic" to au naturale.

 

Other than the craft market, there's absolutely nothing to do ashore, except wander around looking for dragons.

 

This is one where you'll just have to surrender and book the O tour. Absolutely no one was tendered ashore without tour ticket in hand.

 

The park staff is small, and easily overwhelmed by even 600 passengers. Only tours booked through O were allowed ashore. While we were suspicious of O's hand in this (seemed like a racket to jack the tour price up from the $10 or so the Indonesians charge), I think the whole thing was about capacity control. They were able to handle maybe 100 people per hour, so O scheduled tender runs throughout the day, and I think everyone who wanted the tour got ashore. Some were intimidated by the dragons, and didn't have an interest in going ashore. I think the park insisted on organized-tours-only going ashore, because they probably didn't want a couple hundred tourists wandering around on their own, for safety reasons.

 

Remember, these are wild animals that feed on deer, pigs and dogs, and every year or so manage to kill a local or two. Their bite produces a nasty infection that, without antibiotics, is almost always fatal. If you think the pirate attack last month got a lot of press, imagine "Nautica loses 2 passengers to Komodo Dragons".

 

As I recall, the guided portion or the tour was maybe 90 minutes, during which time we saw 4 dragons (one wandering around alone on a hillside, one at the 'dead goat' feeding station, and two parked underneath park buildings by the dock), then we ran the gauntlet of the craft market and tendered back.

 

I guarantee nobody else in your hometown has gotten within 30 feet of an adult, live, Komodo Dragon. Well worth the $69, and very glad we did it.

[trigger663]

Thanks for the info. I will book the tour. Do you know the best place to go snorkeling in

in that area?

[spindrift]

I have been to Komodo 3 times (not all by choice but by itinerary). Best to take the guided tour. They used to keep the Komodo dragons in a pit and they did let them lose (which I was glad to see the 2nd time I was there--being a wildlife lover). You have to respect those guys. If they are hungry, you could just be lunch.

 

One gentleman cut his leg on brush, and the Komodo became very interested in him; however, we had the guide who was there promptly with his "stick."

 

It is most fascintating and definitely do not miss it. Can't answer about snorkeling.

[simonv]

Thanks for the info. I will book the tour. Do you know the best place to go snorkeling in

in that area?

 

There's no snorkeling beach around the park entrance. The popular Red Beach is on other side of the island, and you need a boat to get there. If your cruise doesn't offer a snorkeling tour, then you are out of luck. Unless you can have the ship's tour desk arrange a boat out of Flores for you.

The Komodo Marin Park is one of the premier dive/snorkel area in the whole world. Liveaboard out of Bali, usually 7-10 day trips, is really the only realistic way of doing the Komodo Marin Park, and believe me, it's well worth the trouble and expense, if you are an avid snorkeler.