Komodo Dragon Hike in Rinca, Indonesia

Komodo Dragons are the largest, heaviest living lizard in the world, and can only be found in Komodo, Rinca and Flores Indonesia. Also known as the Komodo Monitor, the world’s largest reptile has a mean reputation, but it has been on my bucket list to see them ever since I bought a hand-carved wooden statue of one from Bali back in 2002.

There is something prehistoric about them which I find fascinating, plus there is a sense of danger at the idea of being near one… after all, they have dragon as part of their name! They may not be the fire breathing dragons made famous by Game of Thrones, but they are still dragons.

On the day we had booked to see the dragons, I kept thinking “I’m going to see Komodo Dragons!”, surely this was going to be a highlight of our trip in Indonesia?

​Feet Do Travel take you on their dragon hike in Rinca, Indonesia.

We were in Flores, the gateway to Komodo National Park, to scuba dive with mantas, but we we had to take a trip to see Komodo Dragons. Almost every shop along the main street which leads to the ferry port in Labuan Bajo offers day trips to Rinca (pronounced Rin-cha),  the closest place to visit the Komodo’s and only an hour and half away by slow boat.
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As we approached the boardwalk towards the National Park where the dragons live, I was super excited – I was so close to seeing them and it was only a matter of time … that’s if we find them of course, after all, they are wild animals.

We paid our Rp 215,000 (£13.43) permit entrance fee along with Rp 80,000 (£5) for a guide (per group of four) who then gave us a little chat about what we should and shouldn’t do. Ooooooo, this was what I wanted to hear “make sure you are no closer than three metres to the dragons as they move very fast and can be dangerous”. Yes! Danger, of course dragons are dangerous, that’s what makes it all the more exciting to be here looking for them.

We were asked which path we would like to take, the “short” walk which was an hour long or the two hour “medium” trail. Unfortunately, as it was rainy season, we were unable to walk on the three hour “long” trail due to the muddy conditions which made some of the paths impassable at times and, as most of our group were wearing flip-flops, we unanimously agreed to take the “short” path.

Whilst following our ranger through the National Park, I kept my eyes peeled at all times looking out for a dragon; maybe it would be hidden behind a tree or perhaps I would see one walking through the undergrowth. 
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After about five minutes of walking, we suddenly stopped and our guided pointed to a pile of dragons – yes, literally a pile of dragons, all spread-eagled on top of one another. They were chilling outside the kitchen where the rangers’ food is prepared and we were told that the Komodos like the smell of the food and that’s why they are here.

I won’t lie, my bubble was burst – we were no longer on the look for dragons, they were hanging out in a place nice and easy for tourists to find and, despite assurances that they were not being fed, sadly we saw a ranger walking with a bag of fish behind him which didn’t look as though it was to be consumed by humans.
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Nevertheless, despite my disappointment, I was still looking at Komodo Dragons. Reality check; they were not caged in a zoo (not that I would go and see them there), they were free to get up and walk away whenever they wanted but they were choosing to be here right now, and there are literally a couple of places you can see these prehistoric creatures in the world and I was in one of them right now. Yes, I was able to look a Komodo Dragon in the eye. Tick that one off my bucket-list!

One dragon started to stand and hiss, “oh good” I thought, “we are going to see some action” but alas, no, the dragon simply turned around and lay back down again closing its eyes as it sunk into the mud. 

With all this lazing around however, it did give us an opportunity to get a good look at the dragons; observing the size of their thick, muscly, scaly bodies and long, sharp and very dangerous claws.
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There was a baby dragon around two years old sitting behind the hut so we moved closer to photograph him. He was about two metres long which included his long tail and we watched him for a few minutes. He turned his head to look at us, so we snapped away with the camera; finally, we were able to see a dragon in action, even if it was only a couple of years old.

​He appeared to have had enough of the waiting paparazzi, then promptly stood up and walked away – now we got to see a dragon walking!

After around 10 minutes of watching the adult dragon’s chilling, our ranger asked if we were ready to continue on the walking trail and off we departed. We walked along a muddy path and our ranger pointed out a pile of very “fresh” dragon poop which dung beetles like to use for their nests. Mmmmm, lovely! He also showed us dragon beds, well, they were actually guinea fowl nests but the dragons had stolen them and made them their own. If I were a guinea fowl, I wouldn’t argue with a dragon either – take my bed, just spare my life!
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After walking through a stream and up a gravel-path hill, our guide stopped and instructed us to admire the view. We looked around admiring the beautiful lush green hills and stunning colours of the ocean within the National Park. It really was gorgeous and after about five minutes, our ranger asked if we were ready to return.

​It wasn’t long before we were back near the rangers’ hut again and as we walked past the pile of dragons, just around the corner towards the concrete block of toilets, was a Komodo dragon walking on a mission! Fantastic! We have finally had a chance to look at a fully grown adult doing something other than sleeping. We were told that the dragons are sometimes found sleeping in the toilets – can you imagine the surprise you would get if you need to use the facilities in the night and were faced with having to step over one of these monsters?!

​The guide was right, they are fast, it’s not that they walk quickly but they cover a lot of ground with each giant step they take. Like a snake, his forked tongue flicked in and out sampling the air and his long heavy tail swished from side to side. He walked towards a group of people about to start their “trek”, the ranger had to call for them to move out of the way – it’s the Komodos that called the shots here and have right of way, not the humans.

I watched the dragon as he walked down the path towards the main tourist entrance and out of sight. That was it, he was gone and my Komodo Dragon experience was over.

Although I am glad I went to see them, I mean, I couldn’t not go and visit them as we were so close, I can’t help but feel underwhelmed and disappointed. I honestly thought it would be a much more natural encounter and more like a safari but, as with most tourist attractions in parts of the world, to increase the chances of seeing these wild animals and to keep the lucrative business going, man has stepped in.

I have since read a few reviews of tours to see the dragons and people have said they found them around a water hole or on a beach so that may possibly be in Komodo Island and not Rinca Island. Read the reviews here on Trip Advisor, some of these experiences sound a lot more authentic. It is true that with all “wild” encounters, there is an element of hit or miss, and although we did see the dragons, it didn’t feel “wild” hence the sense of being underwhelmed. 

In truth, if I were faced with the decision whether or not to visit them knowing what I know now, I would definitely still go, but I would choose a company that offered a more natural way of finding them and I would try to see them in Komodo and not Rinca. They are worth seeing, after all, they are Komodo Dragons!

Komodo Dragon Facts

• Komodos are very rare and are only found in the wild. They are in the Komodo National Park islands of Komodo, Rinca, Gili Montang and Gili Dasami and apparently roam free within Flores.
• Komodos are the largest lizards and the average male is 8ft – 9ft but they can reach 10ft (3 metres) in length. Females are around 6ft long.
• The average dragon weighs around 70kg but large males can be up to 140kg.
• Komodos have good vision and can see as far as 300 metres.
• They can reach speeds of up to 20 kph.
• They like to live in high temperatures around 35°c.
• They will eat large prey such as water buffalo, deer, carrion, pigs and even humans as well as other smaller dragons.
• The Komodo has a unique way of killing its prey. First, it springs up and knocks the prey over with its huge feet. Then they use their sharp, serrated shark-like teeth and claws to shred their prey to death. If the prey escapes, it will die within 24 hours of blood poisoning because (according to National Geographic) the Komodo’s saliva contains large amounts of bacteria. With its fantastic sense of smell, the Komodo will find the dead animal and finish its meal. 
• The females can produce babies asexually and do not need a male to fertilise their eggs.
• Dragons are born only 12 inches long and apparently, as soon as they hatch, they will run away and climb up trees until they around 8 months old to avoid being eaten by their mother or other Komodos.
• Dragons live to around 30 years old.

Have you been to Rinca or Komodo to see the dragons? What were your thoughts and what experience did you have with them?

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