As I took part in the very touristy experience walking along with a guide, and stopping for a very staged photo op with a Komodo dragon, I started to feel uneasy about this entire experience. I’m not sure if it was because I knew that deadly Komodo dragons were here in their natural habitat and I felt like the intruder. Komodo island had a very eerie feel to it. Placing it in a local bin means it will most likely end up in the ocean. If you do use plastic, please collect all your rubbish and take it home with you to recycle properly. Your best option is to bring your own reusables and choose eco tours. We must be mindful of plastic use and disposal during our visit to places where proper waste disposal systems are not in place. The strong currents are constantly bringing more and more rubbish to the shores, killing marine life along the way. We met some local children from the village who were playing here with these mounds of plastic junk. I was once again stunned by the amount of plastic rubbish along the shores. The next part of our journey was to Komodo Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to see the Komodo dragons up close and personal and meet the locals in Komodo Village. I didn’t realise this while I was having a relaxing float in the water by myself that Komodo dragons could be swimming by me! It’s worth mentioning that even though you might not see Komodo dragons here, they are known to live on the island and they are also very good swimmers, going from one island to another within Komodo National Park.
The intensity of the pink colour varies due to the amount of coral found in the sand. A microorganism, known as Foraminifera, produces the pinkish red colour pigment on nearby coral reefs that makes the sand pink.
Next we headed to Pantai Merah, also known as Pink beach. With black, white and pink sand beaches, Padar island is one for the adventure bucket list for sure. I watched the pastel colours changing with the light over the majestic island landscape. For me, it really was worth it to watch the sunrise over the water and light everything up. It’s about a 2 hour boat trip from Labuan Bajo if you don’t want to go for sunrise or sleep overnight on a boat. I would suggest a moderate fitness level for this one, good hiking shoes, sunscreen, setting off as early as you can, and taking lots of water because it gets very hot. It feels like a million steps to get to the top, though it’s roughly 700 steps. This hike was probably one of the more challenging I’ve done. We had a 4.30am wake up to hike to the top of Padar Island for sunrise. It was such a sight to see! For over 15 minutes, hundreds upon hundreds of bats flew from the mangroves across the sunset sky, some with a wingspan of up to 1.5m! It was an easy climb, however I would recommend good shoes and a beginner-moderate fitness level to get to the top and back down again.įrom here we set sail to Kalong island to settle in for the night and watch the sunset while the bats took off into the night sky. We climbed the many steps to the top and were rewarded with grand views of the surrounding islands and ocean. I soon realised that the rubbish that lined the shores at Labuan Bajo, was also making its way to this once pristine island paradise. As I looked closer, I saw local children playing soccer with an old plastic water bottle. I was first struck by the multiple shades of turquoise water and the breathtaking landscape. We set off from the main hub of Labuan Bajo, the westernmost tip of the Flores island. Accompanied by a wonderful group of bloggers, members of Indonesian tourism, experienced local boat crew, we set sail for 3 days to explore the islands. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a place so otherworldly like Komodo Islands.