Komodo is more than dragons

Komodo National Park is famed for its monstrous lizards, but if you prefer not to have your abdomen ripped open by the fastmoving, splayclawed carnivores, the scuba diving there is fabulous.

In most places the sea is pristine and virtually untouched, thanks to the park's remoteness.

The park in Nusa Tenggara Barat province's West Flores consists of three islands - Komodo, Rinca and Padar.

It was established in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon, found there and nowhere else on earth, and its status as a World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve further indicates how sensitive the flora and fauna are.

I have dived in many wonderful places, but most pale in comparison to the colour and splendour of West Flores.

Most of the reefs are in immaculate condition. The coral is healthy, relatively unaffected by human infringement.

Most of the dive sites are within the protected boundaries of the National Park, thereby barring fishermen who use explosives for fishing and cyanide for the livefish trade.

I was quite surprised to discover that vegetation is sparse on most of the islands. Though situated in the tropics, they have few trees and are mostly covered with dry grass.

Lush, green rainforest, however, thrives on the main island of Flores, where jungle trekking is popular. Tourists get to see numerous waterfalls, caves and volcanocrater lakes.

I was more interested in the diving, particularly in Komodo National Park, where there are so many dive sites that it's impossible to see them all in one trip.

We tried out four of them, and they were the four most amazing dives I've ever enjoyed, with visibility exceeding 30 metres.

There are reef fish of every colour, and giant trevally, dogtooth tuna, snapper and mackerel, great mantas and spotted eagle rays. Depending on the season there might also be whale sharks.

I also saw huge Napoleon wrasse, a species unfortunately craved by Chinese gourmands.

Strong currents affect some of the dive sites, so you should be well qualified or experienced enough for drift diving.

A "safety sausage" - a surface marker buoy - is an essential part of your gear, likewise a whistle or a Dive Alert air horn to attract the boatman if he doesn't see you when you surface.

The water temperature normally varies between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius, but it can drop, and a 3mmthick wetsuit is recommended.

Getting there is an adventure in itself. Most flights originate from Bali, so an overnight stay is necessary before catching a flight to Labuan Bajo in West Flores.

We stayed at the Bintang Flores, the town's first multistorey, fourstar hotel. You can catch some lovely sunsets from the beach or the adjacent swimming pool.

If you're not in a hurry to get to the national park, you can board one of the many traditional boats from Labuan Bajo harbour.

Yos Marine Adventures, the dive centre at the hotel, will handle all the arrangements. The boat ride takes more than an hour, but the route is laden with scenic islands, and Yos will soon have at least four speedboats that will reduce the travel time.

The little town of Labuan Bajo is reminiscent of the small towns of yesteryear with its unhurried way of life. Here is a place ideally suited if you need to slow down and take a breather.

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Get out your map

Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, extending east from Java. There are daily flights between Flores and Denpasar.