The hook
A cluster of dry, rugged islands that are the only home of the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard on earth, set in some of the richest diving waters in the world, with a beach the colour of rose.
01Why it's worth it
The Komodo dragon is genuinely prehistoric-feeling: a monitor lizard up to three metres long, with a venomous bite and a habit of ambushing deer and buffalo, found wild only on this handful of islands between Flores and Sumbawa. You see them on ranger-guided walks across the parched, savanna-covered hills, which are stark and beautiful in their own right. But the park is as much about the water as the dragons: the currents that sweep these channels feed an extraordinary underwater world of reefs, manta rays, sharks, and turtles, making it one of the top diving and snorkelling destinations anywhere. There is also a famous "pink beach," its sand tinted by red coral fragments. Most people visit on boat trips or liveaboards out of the gateway town of Labuan Bajo on Flores.
02How to experience it
Base in Labuan Bajo and take a multi-day boat or liveaboard to combine the dragon walks with the diving and snorkelling, which is the real depth of the park. Always walk with a ranger near the dragons. Climb Padar island for the classic three-bay viewpoint, and hit the pink beach.