the area

The stunning Komodo National Park is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Located just off the west coast of the beautiful Flores Island, this national park offers world class diving and the chance to see fascinating fauna, flora and endemic species such as the famous Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis). The area was established as a park in 1980, the main focus being to preserve the populations of the dragons. However since then the biological importance of the park - both terrestrial and marine - has become abundantly clear and so the park works to protect all of the biodiversity within the park.

The captivating and dramatic beauty of the park - in and out of the water - is due to the fact it was formed by volcanoes which creates a stunningly unique topography. There are three main islands - Komodo, Rinca and Padar - and numerous smaller islands. The view of the Komodo National Park from our restaurant is wonderfully striking - a mixture of mangroves, dramatic islands and breathtaking sunsets. The beautiful scenery continues underwater with steep walls, oceanic pinnacles and stunning swim throughs.

The famous Komodo dragons are found predominantly on Komodo and Rinca Islands; it is on these islands you can have a ranger take you on a fascinating trek where you will not only encounter these incredible creatures but also other wild species of the area. It is estimated that there about 5,500 Komodo dragons left in the wild and the Komodo National Park is the only place you can see them in their natural habitat. Reaching up to 3 m in length and weighing up to 91kg these impressive beasts will eat almost any meat - from small rodents to the large water buffalo that roam the islands. It is a dwindling food supply due to development, natural disasters and illegal hunting that is threatening the numbers of this endangered species. By employing members of the community as rangers the park officials encourage locals to protect the dragons - all working together to ensure their numbers remain stable and hopefully one day increase.

There are four small villages within the park boundaries - one on Komodo Island, two on Rinca Island (Rinca village and Kerora village) and one on a small island called Papagarang . There are also many communities based just outside of the border of the park such as Messah, Warloka and Soknah. Although the park is protected these communities are allowed to fish in certain zones of the park using traditional fishing methods. By having a mixture of ‘take zones’ and ‘no take zones’ fish stocks are able to remain abundant and the local communities still get their main source of protein. There is strictly no commercial fishing allowed in the park - such as trawlers - and no one is allowed to use any destructive fishing methods in the park. The benefits of this are immediately clear when you jump in for your first dive or snorkel! Schools of fish and stunning corals are abundant within the park, as well as larger pelagic species such as sharks, turtles and of course - manta rays!