Asian Geographic - 08.2018

above The impressive

marine biodiversity is

a key characteristic of

Komodo National Park

left Blue-green

damselfish (Chromis

viridis) hover above a

table coral on a reef

WHEN

July to October,

August for sunfish

WHERE

Komodo National Park

HOW

From Bali Airport, fly to

Labuan Bajo or take a

three-day ferry

EXPERIENCE

DIVING

An entry on the Seven Wonders of Nature

and UNESCO World Heritage Site lists, this

beautiful diving spot sits in a narrow channel

between Flores and Sumbawa. Though famous

for its namesake monitor lizards, Komodo

Island also boasts some of the country’s best

sightings of marine life, with over 50 dive

sites teeming with dugongs, pygmy seahorses,

gobies, nudibranchs, scorpionfish, and rare

sunfish. On land, laid-back fishing villages,

coral cays and deserted beaches of pale

pink sand give the island its reputation as a

backpacker’s paradise.

INDONESIA

Explore the Seas

off Komodo Island

As the equatorial spot where the Pacific and

Indian oceans meet, the powerful, nutrient-

rich currents near Komodo Island have blessed

the area with amazing biodiversity and a

range of underwater environments, including

fringing and patch coral reefs, mangrove

forests, seagrass beds, and seamounts. The

currents make many of these dive sites suitable

only for advanced divers, and as the water can

be as cold as the high tens (in Celsius), be sure

to wear a thicker suit.

After a chilly dip, tuck into spicy nasi

goreng to heat yourself back up. This

Indonesian-style fried rice, made in homes

with leftover rice, contains either chicken

or seafood and is flavoured with soy sauce,

tomato sauce, tamarind and chilli, and then

topped off with a fried egg or prawn crackers.

P U L A U

KOMODO Komodo

National Park