Spot Komodo Dragons and More in Labuan Bajo

I am in Komodo National Park, observing an endangered Komodo dragon rest its paunch on the soil.

- Shawn Hoo

The indolent lizard hardly moves — it feels almost inert — emboldening the tourists to inch closer, give up their better prey instincts and pose behind its venomous heft.

I should be marvelling at this scene — fewer than 3,500 Komodo dragons remain in the world — but instead, am squinting and sizing up its familiar face.

The world’s largest lizard reminds me of the Asian water monitor, a common sight in Singapore — slightly smaller than the specimen in front of me but not by much.

Even before low-cost carrier Jetstar launched twice-weekly direct flights to Labuan Bajo, Indonesia’s sequestered gateway to Komodo National Park, friends have been asking me if the cluster of islands by the harbour is worth the hassle.

With everything halved from March 20 — two flights are now one, seven hours of travel have been trimmed to slightly over three, and $500 flights now cost around $237, based on checks by The Straits Times in March — my “yes” is twice as emphatic as before.

Just do not make the mistake of thinking the only highlight is the harbour town’s poster child — the Komodo dragon. Bobbing in the cerulean waters of the Flores Sea, encircled by a kaleidoscope of landforms in the archipelago, I remember that I am swimming in one of the world’s biodiversity hot spots.

With Bali struggling to cope with the impact of overtourism, such as traffic congestion and waste management issues, the small town of Labuan Bajo is a mellower Indonesia weekend getaway. Here are five things to do there.

1 Spot animals in Komodo National Park

There it sits, chewing on fallen leaves, flapping its ears and flaunting its antlers — not bothered by the trail of humans who are, in turn, indifferent to its existence. My tour group walks past the Javan rusa, eyes transfixed on the vision of an ancient dragon.