Komodo scuba (Jun 2024)
Intro on Komodo
P1. Labuan Bajo.
From Singapore to Komodo National Park, one has to take a flight to either Jakarta/Bali, before transiting to a domestic flight bound for Labuan Bajo, the nearest town and the nearest airport for visiting the legendary Komodo National Park. Labuan Bajo is actually on the western tip of Flores Island and not located on the Komodo Island, but it is the nearest gateway town with jetty to launch tours to the national park.
Komodo National Park is a national park in Indonesia located within the Lesser Sunda Islands in the border region between the provinces of East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara. The park includes the three larger islands Komodo, Padar and Rinca, and 26 smaller ones. The national park was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard. Later it was dedicated to protecting other species, including marine species. In 1991 the national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The islands of the national park are of volcanic origin. The terrain is generally rugged, characterized by rounded hills, with altitudes up to 735 m.
The waters surrounding Komodo island contain rich marine biodiversity. Komodo islands is also a part of the Coral Triangle, which contains some of the richest marine biodiversity on Earth.The Pacific Ocean to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south are actually at different heights – so the flow of currents from the Pacific to the Indian during tidal exchanges makes the currents among the strongest in the world. In the (relatively) shallow waters along the east coast of Komodo towards Labuan Bajo, these currents can be dangerous, washing-machine tornado like, especially during the new-moon and full-moon phases. Singaporean divers had been reported missing in this part of the world before. Scuba diving and snorkeling are popular because of the park's high marine biodiversity. Fringing and patch coral reefs are extensive and best developed on the north-east coast of Komodo. The park is rich in marine life, including whale sharks, ocean sunfish, manta rays, eagle rays, pygmy seahorse, false pipefish, clown frogfish, nudibranchs, blue-ringed octopus, sponges, tunicates, and coral.
The unique Komodo dragon was first discovered by the scientific world in 1912 by Lieutenant J. K. H. van Steyn van Henbroek, the Civil Administrator in Reo, Flores Island. Since then conservation goals have expanded to protecting the entire biodiversity of the region, both marine and terrestrial. The rugged terrain of Komodo Island with few trees makes it one of the driest locations in Indonesia. It only rains 4 months in a year approximately, usually in short spurt of passing showers. The hot and dry climate of the park, characterized by savannah vegetation, makes it a good habitat for the endemic Komodo dragon. Their populations are restricted mainly to the islands of Komodo (1,700) and Rinca (1,300). Komodo dragon is the world's largest lizard and is among the world's largest reptiles and can reach 3m or more in length and weigh over 70 kg.
Many of the mammals are Asiatic in origin, including the rusa deer, wild boar, water buffalo, crab-eating macaque and civet. Several of the reptiles and birds are Australian in origin, such as the orange-footed scrubfowl, the lesser sulphur crested cockatoo, and the helmeted friarbird. Twelve terrestrial snake species are found on the island in addition to marine species. Deer, wild boar, water buffalo formed the natural prey for Komodo dragon on the islands.
The majority of the people in and around the park are fishermen originally from Bima (Sumbawa), Manggarai, South Flores, and South Sulawesi. Those from South Sulawesi are from the Bajau (Bugis) ethnic groups. The Manggarai are mostly Christians. The majority of fishermen living in the villages in the vicinity of the park are Muslims. Hajis have a strong influence in the dynamics of community development. Fishermen hailing from South Sulawesi (Bajau, Bugis) and Bima are mostly Muslims.
The flight to Jakarta was an early flight from Singapore, but I was excited. The flight attendant even served me muffin and bottled water, I was pleasantly surprised as I didn't even recall ordering for food online. We landed in T2 ahead of time. Jakarta Airport switched to autogate immigration for all tourists, so we had to scan QR code and fill in the details before we were able to use the autogate. The friendly immigration officer even let me use his phone with better wifi connectivity to fill up the details. Then we need to fill up one more form for the custom clearance, and I was out at the sky train station.
P2. Terminal 1 of Jakarta Airport.
P3. From the plane.
P4. From the plane.
I went to Terminal 1 by skytrain, and had fried rice and noodles at the shops there. Food was delicious, as usual. The jetstar flight to Labuan Bajo departed on time, and the lady next to me just came back from holiday in Ora Beach near Maluku. She showed me her travel photos in Ora Beach.
I landed in Komodo around 345pm, and proceeded to pass the dive gear to Dive Komodo, and make payment for the dives. Sofia has great news for me, she managed to get me to scuba diving in the North tomorrow, followed by Central on the 2nd day, and the last day will be 2 dives with a visit to the Rinca island for the Komodo dragons. The main street of Labuan Bajo was busy, teaming with traffic all moving in one way. There were many water activities shop along the street, alongside the many restaurants with cuisine from various parts of the world. The main draw would be seafood, and there was a whole marine viewing platform dedicated to BBQ seafood, catered to the tourists.
P5. Pump station.
Sunset started around 5+pm, and the crowd will be waiting at a viewing platform on the hill. From there, one can have a grand vista view of the whole township, and the harbour, as well as all the wooden boats that parked near the coast. Local sellers carrying hot-water flasks with 3-in-1 coffee and teabags, ready to offer the tourists a cup of hot drink to go with the sunset viewing. There was a stall selling cream buns, and the business of this stall was teaming. The colour of th sky turned from orange, to maroon, slowly to purple and then to complete dark. The mosque in the main street was blaring the call of prayer at the same time, adding sound effect to the glorious sunset.
P6.
I decided to have a walk to the town. There were many seafood stalls lining the marine vista near the jetty. One can order grill seafood and have beer to go with the food. The prices were reasonable.
P7. Seafood stalls.
While I was buying bottled water at a supermart and asked the cashier if she has local food recommendation, she pointed a warung (local shop) not far from where I was, that sold satay and fried rice at very reasonable prices. Their fruit juice with icecream float was amazing as well. For the satay, it came with peanut sauce already poured onto satay, and the customer can buy either a bowl of rice or rice cake to go with it. There were chicken satay, and mutton satay to choose from. Since I only wanted to try the satay, I didn't order the rice/rice cake, and ordered the fried rice from their neighbour store. the dragonfruit juice was thirst quenching. I like the keropok that came with the fried rice, crunchy and delicious.
I took a bike ride to go back to the hotel, which was at the top of the hill, to save a bit of hiking up the hill. That was the only time I took a ride, as after that I walked up the hill instead.
The hotel was very new and clean. It was everything that I wanted - not too far from the town, and far enough from the loudspeakers and bustling traffic that I would not be woken up during sleep. The only thing is, there were not much amenities around the hotel, and one has to hike up from the town every time. I took the hiking training everyday, sometimes twice a day. Internet in the room was good, and the bed was comfortable. Breakfasts have to be paid separately, I chose to skip it, as dive boat will serve snacks in the morning, so I can always eat something on the boat.
Day 1: Komodo North scuba (Cauldron, Castle Rock, Crystal Rock)
Today we joined the Scuba Republic boat, and went to the North for diving. There were about 16 of us.The food and snacks served were delicious. In the morning, there will be a plate of bananas and a plate of cakes for all to enjoy before the first dive. The boat journey was 2+ hours before we reach the first dive site. On our first dive, we were greeted by 2 mantas swimming gracefully at far away. My gopro managed to capture the video, as I didn't even realise they were with us until I was reviewing the footages a few days later.
The current was not as strong as during the full moon or new moon. Visibility was good. The coral and fish were in healthy state. The sharks like to hide below the corals, so one has to always look beneath the coral to find them. P8.
P9.
P10.
P11.
Day 2: Komodo Central scuba (Sebanyur Kecil, Manta Point, Pengah Kecil)
The boat ride was shorter, only 1 hour. Visibility was better compared to the north, current was not as strong. We were like watching the fish and coral in a giant aquarium, as the visibility was so good, water was like crystal clear.
P12.
P13.
The stalls were not opened today as it was Hari Raya Haji holiday, many shops were closed. I went to another restaurant to have my meal. The food was nice but the price was more expensive.
P14.
Day 3: Komodo Central scuba (Sebanyur Besar, Mawar) + Rinca Island trekking
Today there were only 3 of us going. The Dutch lady who was on Discover Scuba program had a panic attack and bailed out on her first dive. Only her bf and I went for the 2nd dive. After that we had lunch and went to Rinca Island to see the legendary Komodo dragons. Unfortunately now is not the season to see them, as they were hiding for the mating season, so we only saw a few Komodo dragons. The guide told us there were times where there were no dragons visible along the track, and sometimes there were many just lying under the board walk, all depends on the season.
P15. The entrance of Rinca Island.
P16.
P16a P17.
P18. One can get drunk by eating this fruit.
P19.
P20.
P21.
P22.
The stalls were still not open today, but the warung near the jetty was operating, so I had my food in the local restaurant instead. The food was good as predicted.
On the return day, Batik Air counter staff informed me that my flight has been cancelled, and I was put on a later flight to Jakarta. I was ok with the delay, as my next connecting flight was much later in the day. Batik Air served bun and water onboard, which was a pleasant surprise indeed.
After reaching Terminal 2, the wait for luggage was longer this time, around half an hour before I managed to get mine. After that I had to take the skytrain to the new Terminal 3 for the flight to Singapore. The rsetaurants in T3 were more upscale compared to those in T1 and T2, but the food was still delicious.
The flight from Jakarta to Singapore was on time, and we reached Singapore T3 around 745pm.
The travel article I wrote on Komodo was published on 25 Jul 2024.
Notes:
1. I booked separate flights for the segment from Singapore to Jakarta, and from Jakarta to Labuan Bajo, with the risk of misconnection, so I buffered in longer transit time in Jakarta Airport, catered for time to collect baggage and move between terminals. On the day of return, Batik Air cancelled my flight from Labuan Bajo to Jakarta on my return date, and bumped me to their later flight, and compressed the available time for transit between terminals.
2. The choices of accommodation in Labuan Bajo ranged from beautiful hotel, exotic resorts, to mid-tier lodgings, to budget backpackers hostels.
3. The underwater pictures and videos are posted here: P23.
P24.
P25.
P26.
P27.
P28.
P29.
P30.
P31.
P32.
P33.
P34.
P35.
P36.
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P39.
P40.
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P44.
P45.
P46.
P47.
P48.
P49.
P50.
P51.
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P54.
P55.
P56.
P57.
P58.
P59.
P60.
P61.
P62.
P63.
P64.
P65.
P66.
P67.
P68.
P69.
P70.
P71.
P72.
P73.
P74.
P75.
P76.
P77.
P78.
P79.
P80.
P81.
V1.
V2.
V3.
V4.
V5.
V6.
V7.
V8.
V9.
V10.
V11.
Thank you for reading, please feel free to visit my other blogs by clicking HERE.
P1. Labuan Bajo.
From Singapore to Komodo National Park, one has to take a flight to either Jakarta/Bali, before transiting to a domestic flight bound for Labuan Bajo, the nearest town and the nearest airport for visiting the legendary Komodo National Park. Labuan Bajo is actually on the western tip of Flores Island and not located on the Komodo Island, but it is the nearest gateway town with jetty to launch tours to the national park.
Komodo National Park is a national park in Indonesia located within the Lesser Sunda Islands in the border region between the provinces of East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara. The park includes the three larger islands Komodo, Padar and Rinca, and 26 smaller ones. The national park was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard. Later it was dedicated to protecting other species, including marine species. In 1991 the national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The islands of the national park are of volcanic origin. The terrain is generally rugged, characterized by rounded hills, with altitudes up to 735 m.
The waters surrounding Komodo island contain rich marine biodiversity. Komodo islands is also a part of the Coral Triangle, which contains some of the richest marine biodiversity on Earth.The Pacific Ocean to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south are actually at different heights – so the flow of currents from the Pacific to the Indian during tidal exchanges makes the currents among the strongest in the world. In the (relatively) shallow waters along the east coast of Komodo towards Labuan Bajo, these currents can be dangerous, washing-machine tornado like, especially during the new-moon and full-moon phases. Singaporean divers had been reported missing in this part of the world before. Scuba diving and snorkeling are popular because of the park's high marine biodiversity. Fringing and patch coral reefs are extensive and best developed on the north-east coast of Komodo. The park is rich in marine life, including whale sharks, ocean sunfish, manta rays, eagle rays, pygmy seahorse, false pipefish, clown frogfish, nudibranchs, blue-ringed octopus, sponges, tunicates, and coral.
The unique Komodo dragon was first discovered by the scientific world in 1912 by Lieutenant J. K. H. van Steyn van Henbroek, the Civil Administrator in Reo, Flores Island. Since then conservation goals have expanded to protecting the entire biodiversity of the region, both marine and terrestrial. The rugged terrain of Komodo Island with few trees makes it one of the driest locations in Indonesia. It only rains 4 months in a year approximately, usually in short spurt of passing showers. The hot and dry climate of the park, characterized by savannah vegetation, makes it a good habitat for the endemic Komodo dragon. Their populations are restricted mainly to the islands of Komodo (1,700) and Rinca (1,300). Komodo dragon is the world's largest lizard and is among the world's largest reptiles and can reach 3m or more in length and weigh over 70 kg.
Many of the mammals are Asiatic in origin, including the rusa deer, wild boar, water buffalo, crab-eating macaque and civet. Several of the reptiles and birds are Australian in origin, such as the orange-footed scrubfowl, the lesser sulphur crested cockatoo, and the helmeted friarbird. Twelve terrestrial snake species are found on the island in addition to marine species. Deer, wild boar, water buffalo formed the natural prey for Komodo dragon on the islands.
The majority of the people in and around the park are fishermen originally from Bima (Sumbawa), Manggarai, South Flores, and South Sulawesi. Those from South Sulawesi are from the Bajau (Bugis) ethnic groups. The Manggarai are mostly Christians. The majority of fishermen living in the villages in the vicinity of the park are Muslims. Hajis have a strong influence in the dynamics of community development. Fishermen hailing from South Sulawesi (Bajau, Bugis) and Bima are mostly Muslims.
The flight to Jakarta was an early flight from Singapore, but I was excited. The flight attendant even served me muffin and bottled water, I was pleasantly surprised as I didn't even recall ordering for food online. We landed in T2 ahead of time. Jakarta Airport switched to autogate immigration for all tourists, so we had to scan QR code and fill in the details before we were able to use the autogate. The friendly immigration officer even let me use his phone with better wifi connectivity to fill up the details. Then we need to fill up one more form for the custom clearance, and I was out at the sky train station.
P2. Terminal 1 of Jakarta Airport.
P3. From the plane.
P4. From the plane.
I went to Terminal 1 by skytrain, and had fried rice and noodles at the shops there. Food was delicious, as usual. The jetstar flight to Labuan Bajo departed on time, and the lady next to me just came back from holiday in Ora Beach near Maluku. She showed me her travel photos in Ora Beach.
I landed in Komodo around 345pm, and proceeded to pass the dive gear to Dive Komodo, and make payment for the dives. Sofia has great news for me, she managed to get me to scuba diving in the North tomorrow, followed by Central on the 2nd day, and the last day will be 2 dives with a visit to the Rinca island for the Komodo dragons. The main street of Labuan Bajo was busy, teaming with traffic all moving in one way. There were many water activities shop along the street, alongside the many restaurants with cuisine from various parts of the world. The main draw would be seafood, and there was a whole marine viewing platform dedicated to BBQ seafood, catered to the tourists.
P5. Pump station.
Sunset started around 5+pm, and the crowd will be waiting at a viewing platform on the hill. From there, one can have a grand vista view of the whole township, and the harbour, as well as all the wooden boats that parked near the coast. Local sellers carrying hot-water flasks with 3-in-1 coffee and teabags, ready to offer the tourists a cup of hot drink to go with the sunset viewing. There was a stall selling cream buns, and the business of this stall was teaming. The colour of th sky turned from orange, to maroon, slowly to purple and then to complete dark. The mosque in the main street was blaring the call of prayer at the same time, adding sound effect to the glorious sunset.
P6.
I decided to have a walk to the town. There were many seafood stalls lining the marine vista near the jetty. One can order grill seafood and have beer to go with the food. The prices were reasonable.
P7. Seafood stalls.
While I was buying bottled water at a supermart and asked the cashier if she has local food recommendation, she pointed a warung (local shop) not far from where I was, that sold satay and fried rice at very reasonable prices. Their fruit juice with icecream float was amazing as well. For the satay, it came with peanut sauce already poured onto satay, and the customer can buy either a bowl of rice or rice cake to go with it. There were chicken satay, and mutton satay to choose from. Since I only wanted to try the satay, I didn't order the rice/rice cake, and ordered the fried rice from their neighbour store. the dragonfruit juice was thirst quenching. I like the keropok that came with the fried rice, crunchy and delicious.
I took a bike ride to go back to the hotel, which was at the top of the hill, to save a bit of hiking up the hill. That was the only time I took a ride, as after that I walked up the hill instead.
The hotel was very new and clean. It was everything that I wanted - not too far from the town, and far enough from the loudspeakers and bustling traffic that I would not be woken up during sleep. The only thing is, there were not much amenities around the hotel, and one has to hike up from the town every time. I took the hiking training everyday, sometimes twice a day. Internet in the room was good, and the bed was comfortable. Breakfasts have to be paid separately, I chose to skip it, as dive boat will serve snacks in the morning, so I can always eat something on the boat.
Day 1: Komodo North scuba (Cauldron, Castle Rock, Crystal Rock)
Today we joined the Scuba Republic boat, and went to the North for diving. There were about 16 of us.The food and snacks served were delicious. In the morning, there will be a plate of bananas and a plate of cakes for all to enjoy before the first dive. The boat journey was 2+ hours before we reach the first dive site. On our first dive, we were greeted by 2 mantas swimming gracefully at far away. My gopro managed to capture the video, as I didn't even realise they were with us until I was reviewing the footages a few days later.
The current was not as strong as during the full moon or new moon. Visibility was good. The coral and fish were in healthy state. The sharks like to hide below the corals, so one has to always look beneath the coral to find them. P8.
P9.
P10.
P11.
Day 2: Komodo Central scuba (Sebanyur Kecil, Manta Point, Pengah Kecil)
The boat ride was shorter, only 1 hour. Visibility was better compared to the north, current was not as strong. We were like watching the fish and coral in a giant aquarium, as the visibility was so good, water was like crystal clear.
P12.
P13.
The stalls were not opened today as it was Hari Raya Haji holiday, many shops were closed. I went to another restaurant to have my meal. The food was nice but the price was more expensive.
P14.
Day 3: Komodo Central scuba (Sebanyur Besar, Mawar) + Rinca Island trekking
Today there were only 3 of us going. The Dutch lady who was on Discover Scuba program had a panic attack and bailed out on her first dive. Only her bf and I went for the 2nd dive. After that we had lunch and went to Rinca Island to see the legendary Komodo dragons. Unfortunately now is not the season to see them, as they were hiding for the mating season, so we only saw a few Komodo dragons. The guide told us there were times where there were no dragons visible along the track, and sometimes there were many just lying under the board walk, all depends on the season.
P15. The entrance of Rinca Island.
P16.
P16a P17.
P18. One can get drunk by eating this fruit.
P19.
P20.
P21.
P22.
The stalls were still not open today, but the warung near the jetty was operating, so I had my food in the local restaurant instead. The food was good as predicted.
On the return day, Batik Air counter staff informed me that my flight has been cancelled, and I was put on a later flight to Jakarta. I was ok with the delay, as my next connecting flight was much later in the day. Batik Air served bun and water onboard, which was a pleasant surprise indeed.
After reaching Terminal 2, the wait for luggage was longer this time, around half an hour before I managed to get mine. After that I had to take the skytrain to the new Terminal 3 for the flight to Singapore. The rsetaurants in T3 were more upscale compared to those in T1 and T2, but the food was still delicious.
The flight from Jakarta to Singapore was on time, and we reached Singapore T3 around 745pm.
The travel article I wrote on Komodo was published on 25 Jul 2024.
Notes:
1. I booked separate flights for the segment from Singapore to Jakarta, and from Jakarta to Labuan Bajo, with the risk of misconnection, so I buffered in longer transit time in Jakarta Airport, catered for time to collect baggage and move between terminals. On the day of return, Batik Air cancelled my flight from Labuan Bajo to Jakarta on my return date, and bumped me to their later flight, and compressed the available time for transit between terminals.
2. The choices of accommodation in Labuan Bajo ranged from beautiful hotel, exotic resorts, to mid-tier lodgings, to budget backpackers hostels.
3. The underwater pictures and videos are posted here: P23.
P24.
P25.
P26.
P27.
P28.
P29.
P30.
P31.
P32.
P33.
P34.
P35.
P36.
P37.
P38.
P39.
P40.
P41.
P42.
P43.
P44.
P45.
P46.
P47.
P48.
P49.
P50.
P51.
P52.
P53.
P54.
P55.
P56.
P57.
P58.
P59.
P60.
P61.
P62.
P63.
P64.
P65.
P66.
P67.
P68.
P69.
P70.
P71.
P72.
P73.
P74.
P75.
P76.
P77.
P78.
P79.
P80.
P81.
V1.
V2.
V3.
V4.
V5.
V6.
V7.
V8.
V9.
V10.
V11.
Thank you for reading, please feel free to visit my other blogs by clicking HERE.
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