Suggestions for Komodo Island?

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Andrew Kathriner
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Joined: July 24th, 2010, 10:02 am

Suggestions for Komodo Island?

Post by Andrew Kathriner »

Hello all, I was wondering if anyone has traveled to Komodo from Bali? I will be heading to East Timor from June 18th to July 11th to work on an ongoing investigation into the Herpetofauna of East Timor. (Check out this paper to see the results of the study so far. http://www.pensoft.net/journals/zookeys ... rst-report).

Every hard working herpetologist needs a nice relaxing few days off on an island paradise right? Well after the 3 week survey is concluded I'll be in Bali from the 11th to the 15th and I certainly would like to take a day trip to Komodo island. Has anyone had good/bad experiences booking a day trip or can I just book a flight when I arrive on Bali? All suggestions are much appreciated.
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Sam Bacchini
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Re: Suggestions for Komodo Island?

Post by Sam Bacchini »

I am of no help with the recommendations you seek, but I took a look at your paper and I am quite impressed!
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Jeff Lemm
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Re: Suggestions for Komodo Island?

Post by Jeff Lemm »

You can get cheap 3-5 day trips from Labuanbajo, Flores - they will take you to Rinca and Komodo, feed you, take care of park passes, etc. You sleep on the deck and its pretty comfortable. Can't beat the price
Tom
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Re: Suggestions for Komodo Island?

Post by Tom »

It's awesome, you won't regret it. Goo diving too - manta rays, sharks and sea snakes.

If you're feeling adventurous, try to get to the Istana Ular on Flores - it's a cave frequented by small reticulated pythons, and some really huge ones. Plus there's sputatrix and tree vipers around the area too.
Andrew Kathriner
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Joined: July 24th, 2010, 10:02 am

Re: Suggestions for Komodo Island?

Post by Andrew Kathriner »

Thanks for the replies. Are these plans that need to be made in advance or can I make arrangements as soon as I get to Bali?
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crocdoc
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Location: Australia

Re: Suggestions for Komodo Island?

Post by crocdoc »

You can make the arrangements once you get to Labuanbajo, Andrew. A lot of the locals can organise the sleep-aboard boat trips that Jeff mentioned and it really is a great way to see the islands on a budget. You'll find that Rinca is a much better island for seeing the dragons than Komodo (and the dragons are prettier on Rinca), but you'll want to do both anyway.

Istana Ular... now there's an experience you'll never forget. Depending on the time of year, picture wading through crotch deep liquified guano the consistency of mangrove mud (ie don't stop moving or you'll get stuck). Hundreds of cockroaches scatter across the surface of the guano, away from the light of your head-lamp, if you should happen to look down at what's slowing you down. Accompanying that mental image, imagine the lack of oxygen causing you to breathe like you've just done a three-minute-mile. While you're breathing like a locomotive, picture the cloud of tiny insects hovering around your head-torch going in and out of your mouth with each breath. You don't want to breathe through your nose, either, because the smell of ammonia is so overpowering. Oh, I forgot to mention the heat. You'd imagine a cave would get cooler as you go further in, right? Not this one. When our guide told us that the tourism minister was hoping to develop visitation to the cave so that it would be just like Komodo, I laughed and said "he's never been here, has he". The guide laughed and said "no".


It really is the sort of thing only a herper would do, but it's worth trying it just for the experience.
Andrew Kathriner
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Re: Suggestions for Komodo Island?

Post by Andrew Kathriner »

Thanks for the help! I'll definitely have pictures up in due time!
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Hans Breuer (twoton)
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Re: Suggestions for Komodo Island?

Post by Hans Breuer (twoton) »

lol @ crocdoc :-)
Tom
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Re: Suggestions for Komodo Island?

Post by Tom »

This might partly illustrate the hellishness of the cave, it's my co-adventurer emerging partly victorious (considering we failed to capture a very large python). The water may go almost shoulder height in places:

Image

As an 'experience', it cannot be beaten. The batshit will get EVERYWHERE, and is difficult to remove from clothing (even if you immediately bathe in the river next to the cave), so we went in wearing swimshorts and no shoes. Vile. :lol:
Andrew Kathriner
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Joined: July 24th, 2010, 10:02 am

Re: Suggestions for Komodo Island?

Post by Andrew Kathriner »

On a side note, how are the natives English? Should I keep a Bahasa translator handy?
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