Do you have a bucket list? Well, Cute Cute has one and one of his wishes is to go meet his scaly komodo dragons in the wild. So if you have discovered this post, most likely a) you are one of blankets and coffee fans b) you too want to go to Komodo isles and are finding some information. Getting to Flores island from Singapore, where Komodo and Rinca islands are situated, is actually quite easy. The Lions and friends flew to Bali, stayed a night and flew to Labuanbajo via Wings Air. Labuanbajo is a fishing town where you will be based to get to where the dragons are.
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| Labunbajo town. Oddly, the town centre street is one way and the people of Flores do abide by this rule lawfully. |
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| Arto Moro Warung/Cafe. Our first meal stop at Labuanbajo. Recommended by a local. |
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| Traditional Indonesian cuisine. Ikan Bakar, Ayam Penyet, Cumi Cumi, Bakso soup and stir fried kang kong. |
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| The Lions chose a resort that has access to the beach. You can watch the sun as it hides among the clouds before taking a plunge into the sea. |
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| The view from our resort swimming pool |
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| While strolling around the beach, Cuchi spotted this man digging through the sands. What was he hunting? The treasures found were actually mussels..... but Cute Cute just do not understand why the mussels had a white tongue sticking out? |
Being a fishing town, the most obvious cuisine there at Labuanbajo would be seafood. However, the Lions were surprised to see a sizable Italian community there. Maybe the town does remind the Italians of Sicily. There are a few Italian restaurants such as MadeInItaly and Mediterraneo, which deserves a try!
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| Squid Ink Pasta |
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| Our dessert.... a potted plant. Nah.... it's actually Tiramisu with stalks of pandan leaves. |
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| Neon chicks at the market. |
The morning started with the Lions checking out the market of Labuanbajo and chartering a boat to bring them to meet the Komodo Dragons. Tour agencies are plenty but go with your gut feel and always ask around for hidden cost before settling down with a reliable one.
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| The Lions' trusty boat. Now to find Captain Haddock.... |
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| Are we there yet? |
The first island that the Lions went was Rinca Island. According to forums, you will get a better chance of seeing the Komodo Dragons but let's see....
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| The Y stick is a life saver should any dragons chase after you. |
After 2 and a half hours of choppy sea, the Lions reached Rinca island. A guide is required to bring you around and the Lions were blessed to have Dino to guide us. Dino bringing the Lions to see mini dinosaurs.
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| First stop to find Cute Cute's friends was this muddy area where a wild buffalo was devoured by a group of Komodo Dragons. The Lion was hoping that a few of them would remain and lounge around but looks like he is wrong. Push on!! |
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| Cute Cute's adventure took him to the top of Rinca's highest hill to have a bird's eye view. |
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| Finally, an inhabitant!!! |
The 2 hour trek was fun. You get to see the different landscapes of Rinca and why the dragons love this island so much that the guy above is laughing happily.
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| After a long trek, lunch is always welcome. |
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| Warung style lunch prepared by Captain Haddock |
This is just part 1 out of a 2 part series. Second part coming out soon with more photos of the Dragons on Komodo Island.
