10 Things You Should Know About Komodo Dragon

It is always my dream to see a wild Komodo dragon in Indonesia. Last year, I was invited to join the Trip of Wonders by Tourism Indonesia together with over 30 other influencers from Southeast Asia. One of the pit stops of the trip is to visit the Komodo Dragon. Based on our experience, we listed down 10 Things You Should Know About Komodo Dragon and I hope this will be useful for your trip to Komodo National Park.

1. The Living Dragon

We probably watched too many dragons in mangas, TV series or movies but they are not real. The komodo dragon is the living dragon. Well, if you never seen a real dragon before, head on to Indonesia and witness the living dragon, the komodo dragon.

2. Only in Komodo National Park, Flores Indonesia

The Komodo Dragons are from Komodo National Park in Flores Indonesia. These are wild komodo dragons and they are not in captivity. You can find them in a few islands in Komodo National Park. Thus, there will be rangers (guides) with you while venturing the islands. The rangers are the local natives who have been living with the dragons for years.

3. They are huge

There is a reason they called it as dragons. They are huge and the adult komodo dragons are over 2m in length. They are like the ‘big tank’ version of the biggest lizard you seen.

4. They are carnivores

Komodo Dragons are carnivores. They eat animals like pigs, water buffaloes and deers. Yes, they eat humans too. In fact, they have killed a number of people in the past and that’s the reason you should stick with the ranger. There are lesser incidents now but you just have to be careful.

5. They are venomous

This is something many people didn’t aware about komodo dragons. There are 50 types of bacteria in their saliva and once they took a bite, you will get blood poisoning. The ranger told us that the nearest hospital is in Bali and it takes hours to fly there. Once you get bitten, good luck mate.

6. They can run and swim!

These dragons can’t fly but they can run. In fact, they can hit top speed of 20 km/h. Thus, they can swim in the water too.

If you get chased by the komodo dragon, run zig zag or climb up the stairs. Stick with your ranger, he will know how to handle the dragon.

7. They can smell blood from far

This is something interesting the ladies should know. They can smell the scent of the blood as far as 2 km away. If you are having your period, please inform the ranger as it could agitate the komodo dragons. That is also the reason why the dragons are chilling near the kitchen.

8. They sleep all the time

The first impression when you see the dragons is all of them are sleeping. While most of them are sleeping, some are napping. The thing is, they can attack you anytime without any signs. Remember, these are wild komodo dragons. These are dragons, you can’t train them. The movie ‘How to train your dragon’ is just a cartoon, it is not real. One bite from the dragon and you are gone.

8. They are sensitive to noises

The ranger will ask you to speak softly and try not to make any noises. Komodo dragons are sensitive to noises and trust me, you don’t want to piss off a sleeping dragon. They can snap within a few metres so keep your distance.

9. They eat a few times in a month.

The komodo dragons do not eat like we do. They only eat a few times in a month according to the rangers. The rangers will feed them or they will hunt in the wild. We spotted monkeys and deers on the island and they could be their natural source of food. After they feast, they will go to ‘hibernation’ mode and sleep.

10. During their early days, they stay on the trees.

This is another interesting fact about komodo dragons. After the baby komodo dragons hatched from their eggs, they hide in their nest and even their own mother is their predator. After 4-5 months, the baby komodo dragons will climb up the tree and stayed there. Thus, don’t lean on the trees as there might be a few baby komodo dragons up there.

I went to two islands to visit the komodo dragons, they are Loh Liang and Loh Buaya in Komodo National Park. There are more komodo dragons in Loh Buaya than Loh Liang. If not mistaken, there are also komodo dragons in other islands in Komodo National Park.

Please be safe, listen to the rangers for safety briefing and stay close with them. This is one experience you should never miss in your life!

How to go to Komodo National Park?

The best way to go to Komodo National Park is to fly there. There is an airport nearby in Labuan Bajo in Flores Indonesia. You can fly to Labuan Bajo from Bali with domestic flight. Then from Labuan Bajo, you can join local tours to bring you to Komodo National Park. This is the fastest and probably the cheapest way to visit Komodo National Park.

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