Scuba diving, Komodo dragons and a week on Flores Island

Arriving in Labuan Bajo is like walking into a novel. It is cracking the cover of a new story, one with dust and grime, torn pages, a long history, and littered with color and smudge marks. 

Also, the pages are wet because the reader (I can almost guarantee you) is diving and snorkeling non-stop. Diving is what this small harbor town is known for. More specifically it is known as the jumping-off point for Komodo National Park.

While many travelers stick to the islands of Bali and Java when visiting Indonesia, I wanted to also experience something more of the beaten path, and boy did I find that in Labuan Bajo. This town is home to some 14,000 on the western tip of the island of Flores.  It is way less developed than islands like Bali but there are still so many things to experience.

Another big realization about the island of Flores? There is a huge Muslim influence!

While Hinduism and Buddhism are prevalent in Bali (hence all the yoga) and Catholicism is scattered around the country, Indonesia is primarily Muslim. Being my first time in a Muslim area I was pretty shocked to hear calls to prayer at 4:30 am right next to my hostel.

But what was my main objective in this far-flung town? I was going to scuba dive.

On a whim, I signed up to get my open-water dive certification and spent two full days out in Komodo National Park learning to breathe underwater while diving with manta rays, reef sharks, huge turtles, and unbelievably rich coral reefs. 

If you ever travel to Indonesia I couldn’t recommend Labuan Bajo more for getting your scuba certification. Not only is it much less expensive than in other countries but the national park is unreal.

After a few sun-blasted boat days and an e-certificate later, Danny and I took a full-day boat trip around the national park, making stops on several islands and snorkeling with yet more mantas and turtles.

Our boat tour took us to six stops:

1. Padar Island-- a smaller island right by Komodo. We hiked up to a picturesque peak (but it was so crowded with tourists!)

2. The infamous Pink Beach! Yes, it is truly pink. No, it is not as pink as everyone posts on Instagram.

3. Komodo Island. The village is enchanting to walk through and the local guides are so friendly, plus seeing the gargantuan Komodo dragons was unbeatable. They only now exist on a few islands in this national park!

4. Takar Makassar Island. Okay, "island" is a stretch... it is a beautiful sandbar where we stopped to snorkel.

5. Another beautiful snorkeling spot (the name of which I cannot remember)

6. Manta Point! Our guide suddenly said "Hey I see mantas! Okay, jump!" Swimming with two huge rays will be a lifelong memory.

Though the infamous pink sand beach was beautiful (made pink by dead red corals), my favorite site was Komodo Island itself. Our guide led us to Komodo village where 2,000 people call home. It was another world. 

Goats, garbage, and simple four-walled homes painted blue, pink, and green. Komodo dragons resting in the shade (until they run to kill a goat with their venom!) Vendors selling hand-carved wooden Komodo replicas and sodas to tourists. 

School kids gathered in a small shelter, singing, laughing, and waving as our tour group meanders by. Two little girls running up to me asking “Your name?” and smiling brightly when I tell them, give them a high five and a wave goodbye-- "Salamat tinggal!"

Heatwaves, dust, and sweeping views of sparkling ocean all around. Our local guide took us on a one-hour walk, finding four or five massive Komodo dragons before weaving our way back to the port and sitting for a lunch of takeout containers of rice, cabbage, and fried fish.

My little rewilding spirit spins existentially as I consider tourism and sustainability and what it means for whole islands to depend on foreigners taking photos, bringing their trash, and not understanding the local language. 

But I also found joy from many guides and boat crew who were thrilled to share their beautiful home with foreigners and to amaze people like me, to show me yes the world can be this damn beautiful.

CHANGE OF PLANS: If you've read this far I'll let you in on a little secret. Danny and I had planned to spend an extra week on Flores road trip on a motorbike. Five minutes (seriously only five minutes) into our journey we took a little tumble on the bike and while unharmed we took it as a sign to return the bike and head over to the island of Java.

Cheers to spontaneity!

I hope your heart feels wild and full wherever you may be and whatever you may be doing.

Love,

Ava//

Rewilding Child