Komodo Dragons shore trip

[naata]

We will be on the Encore in April, there are short and long visits conducted by Seabourn / with local rangers in support.

It would appear that the climatic conditions are often hot & humid, so the inclination is to take the short tour, but may well take the longer one IF there is a compelling reason to do so!.

Feedback would be appreciated from past passengers who have taken one of the Komodo trips.

Thanks for any comments or suggestions.

[Ka Honu]

The main difference in the tours is apparently shopping time which, on Komodo, isn't a big deal (a few tables of souvenirs mostly made in other places). IMO, you go to to see the dragons and (unless things have changed drastically in the last 2 years), other than the critters themselves, there isn't much "there" there.

Edited January 25, 2019 by Ka Honu

[tv24]

We took the short trip a few years ago.  It was indeed extremely hot and humid.  In fact, I was so drenched with sweat that a fellow passenger checked in with me to make sure I was OK.  But it was worth it to see and photograph the amazing dragons.  The guides do an excellent job to keep you safe.  The shopping option is worthless so skip it.

[Roxburgh]

We did the short trip a couple of weeks ago on Sojourn. It was very hot and very humid. So much so that one passenger had to be stretchered back to the ship suffering from heat exhaustion.

 

I enjoyed the walk through the forest but I am on the younger end of the Seabourn scale or, at least the Sojourn scale. So it is very important that you be aware of your limitations and take appropriate precautions with regard to hydration, bug repellent, proper clothes, etc. etc. 

 

We did see several dragons which was the high point of the tour obviously. They were fairly placid most of the time but still managed to exude an air of menace.

 

Another high spot on the tour was a wild bees nest. Fascinating. 

Edited January 25, 2019 by Roxburgh

[Thecat123]

We were on The Encore just before Xmas and we did the Pink Beach with the Zodiacs as I thought we would also see the dragons there. Wrong. No dragons anywhere near the Pink Beach. The wife went for a "float" snorkel with Seabourn Staff and saw lots of nice things. She said a lot better than the Great Barrier Reef. When I found out there were no dragons  the staff member said he would take us back to the ship to see if we could get a tour, if not he would bring us back to spend the rest of the day at Pink Beach for free

We ended up doing the short tour of the dragons so we ended up having a better day than most as we did both tours of which if you get the chance I would do the same again

[naata]

Thanks for the comments on Dragon tours,  it's as I expected regarding the climatic conditions.  The feedback over shopping is noted, and not an issue for us as we are not big shoppers for tourist junk, if it was high quality art pieces that would be a different matter!!.     Several nice pictures would be an adequate reward for enduring the prevailing weather. Kind Regards to all.

 

[Floridiana]

naata,

The park rangers built a watering hole where the dragons congregate. The long and the short tour lead there. Sometimes, you see additional smaller dragons running through the forest. Friends on a different ship took the long tour and complained that they all wound up at the same water hole.

[naata]

Floridiana, your input is appreciated, and completes the picture I was forming over the tour.   The watering hole appears to be the focal point,  and I suspect that the longer forest expedition will afford little extra immersion into the world of dragons!.    Not keen on being cooked with the hot & humid conditions, the short one seems the way to go.

 

[Roxburgh]

There isn't just dragons. Lots of birds and butterflies and we also saw a wild bees nest which was very interesting.

[Fletcher]

I think I may have described this on a previous thread, a year or two ago, but it's worth repeating.

 

Komodo nowadays is a rather sad circus.  I first went there in 1988 and in those days it was quite an adventure I can tell you.  We stayed in Labuanbajo on the island of Flores in a very simple little hotel called a losmen.  Also staying there was the author Douglas Adams.  We had a guide who chartered the local police boat and we and a Japanese couple sailed across whirlpools and eddys for Komodo. When we landed we had to buy a goat from the village.  Our guide then lead this pathetic goat across the island and then slit its throat and butchered it.  The goat was then strung up above a sort of pit and spewed blood and innards to the ground.  About a dozen or so dragons were roused by this and devoured the whole thing in front of our eyes.  We could smell them, almost touch them as there was no barrier between us and them.  There were snakes everywhere.

 

Adams, meanwhile, had warned us off staying at the ranger's lodge because of the snakes and the rats.  He and his BBC radio team had stayed there and had taken their own food - living chickens which were snatched from them by hungry dragons on the little jetty.

 

Think about this as you show up in Seabourn luxury . . . it wasn't always like this.

Edited February 11, 2019 by Fletcher

[Mahogany]

That's all very lovely, Fletcher. But 30 years later, it's not exactly relevant. What about your current experiences?

[nolatravelgirl]

I would do the short tour. The island is mostly brown, hot and humid. There didn't seem to be any breeze and as others have said you end up at the same watering hole. The walk is maybe 2 miles round trip and several of the less fit/older folks were having an issue with the heat and length of the walk. The trails were flat and mostly clear so there wasn't any significant elevation or obstacles. to traverse. I was happy to get back on board and enjoy a relaxing lunch without fear of becoming the lunch of a dragon. 

[java spot]

I will be visiting Komodo for a 3rd time in April.  Twice it has been absolutely green and lush, and when the Venture staff showed me photos of an earlier visit before rainy season I was shocked at the difference.    There's a reason they call it rainy season!  When it is lush it is an absolutely beautiful tender location,  and I was happy to view from the ship last year as I had already seen the dragons.  I did hear about amazing snorkeling from passengers who went to pink beach and this year will do that for sure. 

[Thecat123]

As  mentioned above we were glad we did the Pink Beach.

There is no much shade there only a few little trees to get out of the sun. Seabourn did have drinks there

[Paulchili]

We will be on the Encore this April when it is scheduled to visit Komodo - it would be the third time for us.

However, I have read that the island will be closed to visitors for 1 year from 1/1/20 due to excessive poaching.

https://www.thejakartapost.com/travel/2019/03/29/komodo-island-to-be-closed-in-january-2020.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6881061/Komodo-Island-closed-tourists-year-people-STEALING-famous-lizards.html

The Seabourn website is still offering tours to Komodo - I wonder if Komodo will be substituted for another port.

[kowhairob]

On 4/8/2019 at 9:44 AM, Paulchili said:

We will be on the Encore this April when it is scheduled to visit Komodo - it would be the third time for us.

However, I have read that the island will be closed to visitors for 1 year from 1/1/20 due to excessive poaching.

https://www.thejakartapost.com/travel/2019/03/29/komodo-island-to-be-closed-in-january-2020.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6881061/Komodo-Island-closed-tourists-year-people-STEALING-famous-lizards.html

The Seabourn website is still offering tours to Komodo - I wonder if Komodo will be substituted for another port.

We have just seen a similar article here in New Zealand , we are on the Encore Dec 4th leaving Bali so we suspect that we will be some of the last punters to go to the Island in the foreseeable future.