Komodo National Park is a fascinating place, with barren, desolate features and the rare, slow lumbering giant lizards that most people go there to see. These endangered animals live on a small group of islands between Sumbawa and Flores in the Indonesian archipelago. The two biggest islands in the National Park are Komodo and Rinca. The nearest island on the regular tourist route is Bali and the nearest airport is on Flores. The Dragons live on Flores too, but no one bothers to tell you that, because there is a huge industry associated with chartering boats for trips out to the National Park. There was also, apparently, no way of getting to see them on Flores, when I ..  Read the complete review

The famous dragons of Komodo are just an evolutionary stone's throw away from the dinosaurs. They exist only on the islands which make up Komodo National Park, nestled between Flores and Lombok, two islands East of Bali. I'd heard stories about the dragons throughout Indonesia. Standard practice was to buy a goat at a local village, take it to the feeding area on Komodo island, tether it to a tree and wait for a dragon to come along and kill it. Then take photos, and acquire instant kudos from your friends back home. Sadly, Komodo's dragons have grown quite accustomed to this practice, and a certain stylish laziness has taken hold. There are still a ...  Read the complete review