Indonesia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 301

Lila Graha Jl Lombok 20 T 0374 42740. Friendly place
near the market with two entrances and a labyrinth of
rooms inside, though it's quite gloomy; it's worth spending
a bit extra to g et one of th e a/c rooms with TVs. Decent
restaurant too. Rp120,000

Komodo and
Rinca
Off the east coast of Sumbawa lies Komodo
National Park , a group of parched but
majestic islands, home to the Komodo
dragon, or ora as it is known locally, which
lives nowhere else. he south coast of the
main island is lined with impressive,
mostly dormant volcanoes, the north with
mainly dusty plains, irrigated to create rice
paddies around the major settlements. he
two most-visited islands in the national
park are Komodo and Rinca .

DIRECTORY
Banks The BNI on Jl Hasanuddin changes foreign currency
and travellers' cheques; it has an ATM, as does the BRI next
to the sports field.
Internet There's a 24hr internet café across from the
bus station.
Pharmacy Jl Kaharuddin.
Post o ce Jl Hasanuddin, at the corner of Jl Datuk Dibanta
(Mon-Sat 8am-3pm).

SAPE
SAPE , where you'll find the port of Bugis,
is a quiet, dusty town where livestock
wander the streets and local fishermen ply
the harbour at dusk. here isn't much to
see, but it is a pleasant enough place to
stay the night. Nearby Gili Banta makes
a good day-trip, with nice beaches and
a burgeoning turtle population; if you
get a group together, you can charter a
boat there from the harbour for around
Rp100,000-150,000 per person.
Otherwise, there's the dark-sand Papa
Beach, 10km out of town, which is a
peaceful spot for a picnic; take an ojek.
Most of the town's facilities, including the
post o ce and an ATM, are on the main
road down to the port.

KOMODO
Most visitors to Komodo Island o oad at
the PHPA (park service) camp at LOH
LIANG , where you'll find all the facilities.
Although the practice of feeding live
goats to the dragons stopped a long time
ago, you may still feel as if you've stepped
straight into Jurassic Park if your visit
coincides with big tour groups. hat said,
the longer treks around the island,
especially out of high season, should
guarantee you some peace and quiet, and
with a good guide you can enjoy the full
primordial experience.

4

Treks and excursions
he full-day's walk from the PHPA camp
to the top of Gunung Ara , the highest

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus Buses to and from Bima (1hr 30min) operate from
Sape harbour, from where they leave every hour or so until
3pm; from Bima it's easy enough to catch onward transport
to Sumbawa Besar or Lombok.
By ferry The ASDP ferry o ce is at the harbour, about
2km east of the centre ( T 0374 71075). There is a daily
ferry service to Labuanbajo on Flores (8am; 6-9hr), and
two weekly services to Waikelo on Sumba (Fri & Mon
10pm; 9-12hr).

THE KOMODO DRAGON
Varanus komodoensis , the Komodo
dragon , is the largest extant lizard in the
world. The biggest recorded specimen
was well over 3m long and weighed a
mammoth 150kg, but most fully grown
males are around 2m and 60kg. The
dragon usually strikes down prey with its
immensely powerful tail or slices the leg
tendons with scalpel-sharp fangs. Once
the animal is incapacitated, the dragon
eviscerates it, feeding on its intestines
while it slowly dies. With larger prey, the
dragon may simply bite the animal, then
trail it until the wound becomes fatally
infected from the reptile's toxic saliva.

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Arema Right next to the port. The best place to eat, with rice
and noodle dishes for around Rp20,000 and internet access.
Losmen Mutiara Near Arema T 0374 71337. The
best-established hotel in town and the one that most
travellers hea d to, but r ooms are average and staff can
be apathetic. Rp50,000