Located between Sumbawa and Flores, the Komodo Island is home to Jurassic Park-like, famous Komodo dragons.

The Komodo lizards are indigenous to the region and grow up to three meters long (making them the world's largest living lizards). There are nearly 5,700 Komodo dragons in the park, spread over three large islands of Komodo, Rinca and Padar and many smaller surrounding islands. You should never wander around without a guide on the islands; although they are usually quite docile, Komodo dragons are surprisingly fast movers, and they do attack humans occasionally.

In 1980, the islands became a national park, which four years later was expanded to encompass the surrounding seas, as well as the western tip of Flores. In 1991 Komodo National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Komodo National Park is also known as a superb diving destination with plentiful unspoiled coral reefs and a multitude of colorful tropical fish, turtles, manta rays, small sharks, dolphins and other aquatic life. The beaches here are also spectacular, as are the ocean vistas across glass-clear water to the rugged islands rising from the sea.

There is malaria in this part of the country, so ask your doctor to prescribe the appropriate malaria tablets. You should also use mosquito repellent at all times.