Komodo National Park | Komodo Watch

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May 2001

We have just returned from Komodo where we had the inaugural Earth Day Clean-up on May 22nd (a month after everyone else – below the equator style!!). The clean-up ranged over four days and involved well over three hundred people, including park rangers, conservation cadets, villagers and youth volunteers. We collected over 200 garbage bags of plastic which will be sent to re-cycling centers in Bali.

We wish to thank Grand Komodo Tours for the donation of the ship Keti for two days, as well as the Komodo Marine Tourism Authority for their sponsorship of the 250 t-shirts distributed to the participants. Special thanks to Paul Boleng, the head of the Labuanbajo branch of The Komodo Foundation for his energetic leadership of the event, and to Muriel Ydo of the Bali Clean-up committee for her invaluable advice on its organization.

This event helped crystallize a realization that West Flores and the Komodo National Park required an on-going involvement on our part to foster and expand on the initiatives begun. This has led us to open a Labuanbajo office under the guidance of Paul Boleng, the former head of Tourism for West Flores. Pak Paul is acutely aware of community needs and requirements, and his wealth of knowledge and contacts will prove invaluable in realizing those desires. We look forward to working together to develop a responsible program for eco-tourism in east Flores.

On a more mundane and practical level, here are the latest updates on travel in the region.

The two Sape-Labuanbajo ferries are now operating on a daily basis, leaving their respective ports at 8am, and arriving at 4pm in the afternoon. This ferry no longer stops at Komodo island. Access to KNP is via Labuanbajo where boats can be chartered to Loh Liang for approximately Rp 400-450,000, or to Loh Buaya for Rp 250,000.
Anta Tours has started a trice weekly ferry service from Denpasar to Labuanbajo via Lembar and Bima. The cost of a ticket is Rp 225,000. The ship leaves Bali at 7am and arrives in Labuanbajo at 9pm.
Air Mark will begin a new air service to Labuanbajo from Denpasar with three flights a week scheduled from June 3rd onwards. This ticket will presumably cost the same as the Merpati ticket – Rp 850,000. Meanwhile, Merpati is still operating its regular Monday and Saturday flights from Denpasar to Labuanbajo.
The backbacker boats from Lombok to Labuanbajo are running regularly and a couple seem to be arriving daily. At Rp 450,000 for four days of food, travel and companionship, the offer is obviously too good to refuse.

Komodo National Park
Balai Taman Nasional Komodo
Labuanbajo, Flores NTT Indonesia
Tel: 62.358.41004, 41005
Fax: 62.385.41006
E-mail : tnkomodo@indosat.net.id
The official website of The Komodo National Park: www.komodonationalpark.org

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