The Komodo National Park Indonesia is part of the Republic of Indonesia and is located 8 to 9 degrees south of the equator between Java Indonesia on the West and Lombok Indonesia and the rest of the Lesser Sunda Islands Indonesia (Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba and Timor) on the East.

Komodo National Park Indonesia was established in 1980 and was declared a World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1986. The park was initially established to conserve the unique Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), first discovered by the scientific world in 1911 by J.K.H. Van Steyn. Since then conservation goals have expanded to protecting its entire biodiversity, both marine and terrestrial. The Komodo National Park encompasses 1,817 square kilometers of spectacular land and marine wilderness, including the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Padar, and Gili Montagne and their surrounding waters. The signature land attraction on your Komodo Dancer LiveAboard cruise will be an encounter with the world’s largest lizard - the flesh eating Komodo Dragon.

The majority of the people in and around the Park are fishermen originally from Bima (Sumbawa), Manggarai, South Flores, and South Sulawesi Indonesia. Those from South Sulawesi are from the Suku Bajau or Bugis ethnic groups. The Suku Bajau were originally nomadic and moved from location to location in the region of Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara and Maluku, to make their livelihoods. Descendents of the original people of Komodo, the Ata Modo, still live in Komodo, but there are no pure blood people left and their culture and language is slowly being integrated with the recent migrants. There are about 583 languages and dialects spoken in the archipelago. Bahasa Indonesia is the national language. In all tourist destination areas English is the number one foreign language.

Little is known of the early history of the Komodo islanders. They were subjects of the Sultanate of Bima, although the island’s remoteness from Bima meant its affairs were probably little troubled by the Sultanate other than by occasional demand for tribute.

Bali/Komodo National Park Indonesia is a popular tourist destination and ensures a great land-based extension to your live-aboard vacation. A wide range of accommodations are available to suit a variety of tastes and budgets. Stay a few extra days and experience Bali’s one-of-a-kind culture and the natural hospitality of her people. Contact LIVEABOARD VACATIONS for details.