The Dragon at Komodo National Park
Komodo island, part of the Lesser Sunda chain of Indonesian islands, is the rugged habitat of the 3m-long Komodo dragon monitor lizard. Komodo National Park covers the entire region and is home to more than 4,000 dragons, and is made up of rusty-red volcanic hills, Savannah and forests. Its surrounding waters of sea grass beds, mangrove shrub lands and coral reefs are famous for diving.
- Area: 390 km²
- Location: Southeast Asia
- Province: East Nusa Tenggara
- Population: c. 2000
- Island group: Banda Arc
- Ethnic groups: Bugis, others
Entrance fee
75 million set by the NTT government will optimally take effect on January 1, 2023. Hence, during the August-December 2022 period, local and international visitors can enter Komodo and Padar islands by paying the old entry fee of Rp75 thousand for Indonesian citizens and Rp150 thousand for international travelers.
Wild life
Komodo National Park Wildlife: Komodo dragon, Timor deer, water buffalo, wild boar, long-tailed macaques, cobra, Russell’s pit viper, palm civets, the endemic Rinca rat, sea turtles, dolphins, whales, and dugongs and fruit bats
Native
The native population of Komodo, the Komodo people, has been extinct since the 1980s. The present day people of the island are descendants of former convicts who were exiled to Komodo and who have mixed with Bugis from Sulawesi.
Climate
In Komodo, the wet season is overcast, the dry season is partly cloudy, and it is hot and oppressive year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 72°F to 88°F and is rarely below 70°F or above 90°F.