Little Lolly's Small Adventures: Komodo Island, Indonesia. Tour: Secret Village of Kampung Komodo.

In the tender with the pilot, getting ready to head to shore

After 2 days at sea the Maasdam dropped her anchor in Slawi Bay, just off the coast of Komodo Island. It was a very hot outside and guests were warned to drink plenty of water during the day. Guests who had not pre-booked a tour were not allowed to go ashore due to the possible dangers of encountering a komodo dragon. Although they look heavy and clumsy, even perhaps sleepy - they can move very fast if they want a meal. As it was the ship's offered tours were sold out and some guests had pre-booked private tours ashore. Getting off the ship was not 'organised chaos' as it can sometimes be. It was all very orderly. Guests went to the ship's showroom to get stickered up for their tour and waited until called for their tour. It seemed to go very well.

Paul had initially asked me to help out with testing out the wheelchair lift but yesterday Amy from Shore Excursions called me and asked me if I would like to go on a tour even though I had not put my name down for one. I was a bit hesitant at first because it involved going to a beach and I wasn't really keen to go ashore and 'sweat it out' let alone going to a beach with the possibility of getting cremated by the sun. Very few crew had volunteered to be an escort for the "Secret Village of Kampung Komodo" tour as they all wanted to do the Komodo Island Trek - be it as a ship's escort or on the crew tour. So I accepted Amy's offer for a tour and Paul had to find someone else to help him with testing the wheelchair lift.

Ananda, from the shops, was on the earlier village tour but unfortunately had missed her group. The group and colour sticker had been called but to her, her sticker looked orange rather than red. I must admit to me the red stickers looked like neon pink to me, rather than red - but it depends on the light. Anyway, we

both went ashore with my group in the tender and she hoped to be able to catch up with her group but it had gone ½ an hour earlier. In the end she joined my group and I enjoyed her company throughout the tour - it's not often that ship's tour escorts end up going on tour together!

The wooden boat we sailed in from the pier

After our guide explained what to expect during the tour and also safety aspects with regard to coming across a komodo dragon, we headed along a dusty path running parallel to the beach to a concrete pier. One of the guests really struggled with walking and started to get behind. Fortunately we were accompanied by 2 or 3 Komodo Park Rangers during the tour so one of them stayed with him during his slow walk to the boat while Ananda and I brought up the rear of the main group of guests along with another park ranger.

Guests talking to and playing with the primary school children

At the pier we climbed aboard a wooden boat. Yep, climbed aboard. There were no steps nor gangway so guests had a bit of help stepping down into the boat. Ananda and I got permission to climb up over the railings of the second level of the boat which were well within reach. The slow-walking guest caught up with us and boarded the boat - with a lot of help from the park rangers. I admired the guest's determination to go on the tour even though it was categorised as 'difficult'.

A street in the village

Aboard the lovely boat we left the jetty and sailed along the coastline to the village of Kampung. We tied up beside another wooden boat and made our way off our boat, across the one we were tied up to, and onto the jetty leading into the village. There were adults and children on the jetty greeting us with friendly smiles. Some of them followed us through the village to the primary and secondary schools were we went into classrooms to meet and speak to the children and teenagers. The classrooms were rudimentary but provided shelter from heat and rain. The guests spent a while visiting each classroom in the secondary school (3 or 4 classrooms). Just around the corner was the primary school and children were playing in the dusty playground. Guests spent a bit of time speaking to the children or playing with them.

Our wooden boat's navigator

Eventually it was time to continue with the tour. We were heading towards the main part of Kampung's village when our guide stopped and asked the guests whether they wanted to continue on to the village or head over to Pink Beach and spend a bit more time there. Being hot, the guests were in favour of going to the Pink Beach and spending more time so we did a 'u' turn and headed back to the pier via a waterfront boardwalk. The very slow-walking guest had got way behind but we met him back at the boat. He, along with a park ranger, had decided not to walk further to the village but walked straight back to the boat to wait for us there. He didn't have to wait very long for us fortunately.

Ananda and I settled ourselves down on the boat, just in front of the pilot's wheelhouse, and relished the cool breeze as we sped across Slawi Bay to Pink Beach. It was a change from the sapping heat in the village. Not far from Pink Beach our boat tied up to another wooden boat and also dropped an anchor for extra security - the other boat was due to leave in about 1/2 hour's time. On talking to our guide, Ananda learnt that the boat that we had tied up to was the boat that had brought the earlier tour group to the beach - the group she was supposed to have been with. She decided to stay join her original group so that she could get back to the ship earlier - to start work. She could have come ashore for a bit but decided not to in case she missed the ride back.

Baby Komodo dragon - looks like a lizard at this stage

I joined the rest of the guests from our group and we were taken in a small fibreglass motorised dingy to beach. There we had a good hour or so to swim, snorkel or just relax. There was a small group looking up into a tree so I joined them. A park ranger explained that there was a baby komodo dragon which had gone to a bird's nest to look for eggs, which it would then eat. A few minutes later it made an appearance, heading back down the tree. It blended in so well with the trunk of the tree that it was difficult to spot it. Fortunately the sun caught it in just the right way and I saw its bluish head and yellowish neck and body's spots. Its colours will eventually disappear as the komodo dragon gets older. For the time being the youngster looked like a lizard and was only about 6 months old. Baby komodo dragons, when hatched, climb up trees - an instinct to get away from the larger komodo dragons who will eat them if they got a chance. The young komodo dragon eventually headed down the tree and dashed across the sand to another nearby tree where it took refuge. The park rangers kept an eye on it and also kept guests and other tourists at bay, giving the youngster space. It is amazing how people didn't listen when the park rangers told them to 'get back' away from the tree. Yes, they want to take photos but they MUST listen to the park rangers - there is a reason for giving the baby komodo dragon its space.

Eventually I headed down the beach and did a bit of snorkelling along the coral reef. There was a large, beautiful, variety of fish including a few whose scales had different colours of the rainbow - really lovely. Time passed very quickly and soon it was time to get back to the boat, via the fibreglass dingy. As we headed back to the tender pier the smell of something cooking wafted past our noses. Shortly afterwards our guide and his team produced plates of banana fritters. I'm not a fan of cooked, let alone partly cooked, bananas but I tried a fritter and it tasted really nice - as good as it had smelt when cooking.

On the wooden jetty - heading towards the ship's tender

We arrived at the pier and walked back to the tender jetty. There were local folk selling arts, crafts and other goodies at an open air market but I resisted the temptation to have a wander. Time was marching on with 'all aboard' looming and last tenders going out. Also last year, when Paul and I visited Komodo Island on a crew tour, we visited the market and were almost (I'm sorry to say) pestered by people to buy things.

It was good to get back on board the ship, the cool cabin a welcoming sanctuary. A nice shower and change of clothes and I was ready (or not quite so ready) to face the world again. After the Maasdam's anchors were lifted and the ship set sail Paul came in search of me. Apparently the testing of the wheelchair lift went ok

Sea Krait - picture off the internet. Something similar to what came on board

without me. In between the testing he got a call from the gangway. A small black and white snake had slithered on board. Not taking any risks, crew stopped tender operations, a fire hose was brought out and the snake was 'blasted' away, back to the sea. On doing further research - the snake turned out to be a Laticauda Colubrina, also known as a banded sea krait, which spends much of its time hunting for food under water but coming on to land to digest, rest and reproduce. Its venom is potent. Just as well nobody tried to pick the snake up. It had probably come onto the gangway landing to rest a bit! Once it was washed away tender operations began again. So Paul's day had been rather interesting to say the least!

Please feel free to look at photographs from last year's Komodo Island visit when Paul and I did a crew trek to see adult Komodo Dragons. Here is the link: Komodo Island Trek 01/11/2016

Our route to Bali

We have set sail for Bali, arriving later morning due to strong currents. Even though it will be a later start to the morning, it will also mean a later departure. Many crew are looking forward to getting off and spending time with their families or have their families come on board for a visit.

PHOTOGRAPHS