Originally Posted by
chinmoylad
If not sticking to one resort, why not do the Komodo trip with Aman
Some people here may have read that the Indonesian government is to close Komodo Island for all visitors from January. The initial talk is of a year's closure and then hiking up the visitors' fee from the current $10 or so to perhaps $1000, making it in line with gorilla treks in Africa.
This move is due to over-tourism - specifically the large numbers of cruise ships which dock and send sometimes thousands of people ashore to see the dragons. Unsurprisingly, this stupidity and greed of the authorities has led to a catastrophic decline in the environment and also a decline in the deer which are the dragons' main prey. I think the pink beach area of the island will remain open. I'm not sure about the neighbouring island of Rinca where dragons reside in smaller numbers and where I went ashore a few years back.