Location: Rinca Islands, Indonesia
Recommended by Pilar of Travel the World Pages
How do I know it’s ethical?
The Komodo National Park was established with the aim of conserving endemic Indonesian wildlife, the Komodo dragon in particular. The park features also a marine conservation area, where shark, manta rays, and turtle populations reside.
Komodo dragons are the closest descendants to the dinosaurs on planet Earth. Visiting them in their natural habitat is one of the best ethical animal experiences you can have when visiting Indonesia. Komodo dragons are indigenous to some areas in the proximity of Flores island and the only way they can be visited is by taking a Komodo dragon tour to the Komodo or Rinca islands.
The Komodo national park was declared a world UNESCO heritage site in 1991 and receives protection and support from the Indonesian government. There is a research station on Komodo island and its findings are of essential value to scientists studying the theory of evolution. In order to ensure that the visit to the Komodo national is conducted in an ethical manner, tourists are instructed to respect distance from the dragons and to not touch them or feed them and the groups are accompanied by rangers at all times that ensure that the policies are respected.
Description of the Experience
The Komodo dragon walking tour to the Komodo or Rinca islands is usually done in combination with some snorkeling or scuba diving as the Komodo marine park is home to some of the best diving in the world. The boat will leave from Luabanbajo and will take you to Komodo or Rinca island and you will be received by a ranger that will give you instructions. The tours usually last a couple of hours and will take you hiking around the islands to spot the dragons.
There are usually some Komodo dragons sleeping close to the kitchen and this is the best opportunity of the tour to take some pictures with them at a safe distance.
There are different types of tour packages available for your Komodo dragon tour experience. You can do a day trip from Luabanbajo to Rinca and combine it with scuba diving or snorkeling activities in the Komodo marine park. There are also multi-day liveaboards available that take you to the different islands, ranging from 1 to 14 nights on board.
Company/ Cost:
The costs depend on the duration of your tour, whether you decide to combine it with snorkeling or
scuba diving activities, and on the type of boat. Most people choose to go on a day trip to Rinca island that is closer to Luabanbajo and do some snorkeling. The tour will usually take you on a speed boat first to the Manta ray cleaning station where you can snorkel with squadrons of manta rays, to then visit the pink beach, hike to Padar viewpoint and visit Rinca island to spend some time spotting Komodo dragons. The cost of this tour is approximately 120 euros and Bintang Komodo tours is a great company with much experience on the Komodo dragon tour.
Save This Post For Later
This is one post on a series of ethical animal tourism posts by travel content creators. The experiences cover all seven continents and a variety of animals. Ensure that your animal experience is an ethical one.
Learn More About Ethical Animal Tourism
10 Questions to Ask to Ensure the Encounter is Ethical?
