Well today is another exciting day. I booked a 2 day 1 night boat trip a couple of weeks ago and today was the start day! This was all part of my plan to make my birthday as memorable as possible!
Our first stop was Rinca island. This is one of the two islands in the world where you can find Komodo Dragons. These beautiful creatures can grow to 5m in length. They are also incredible predators. The bacteria in their saliva is fatal to all mammals. Their tactic to hunt is to bite their pray and then follow them until their inevitable death. Arriving at the ranger station there were a group of dragons sitting in the shade. Like snakes and lizards they are cold blooded and tend to be less active during the day. They were absolutely stunning creatures. I’m not going to lie I found it hilarious the way that they walk. The ranger informed us they can reach speeds of 15-20kmh. We trekked around the island admiring the views of the ocean.
The second stop was to a beautiful beach. We snorkelled here and saw some really beautiful reefs and fishes and even a black tip reef shark.
The third stop was to Komodo itself. As expected there were some more dragons and a beautiful view.
Today was so magical. Indonesia has surprised me so much. I initially did not see the appeal in Bali but since leaving there I have seen and experienced so much more than I would have ever thought possible.
The day started at 5am with a hike up to the top of a hill on Padar island. We really wanted to catch the sunrise. It was a short 30 minute hike to the top and can I say... it really did not disappoint. Rarely you find somewhere after travelling for 6 months that really hits you, it’s like the backdrop to a fairytale. This was one of those places.
The second stop was to pink beach. This is a small beach where the microscopic animals called Foraminifera which produces a red pigment on the corals mix with the sand give off a pink effect. The world is crazy beautiful in ways you don’t even think are possible. There was however one problem. As soon as you turn around from facing the beautiful pink sand and turquoise ocean you see a tonne of plastic washed up on the beach. It truly is an Instagram vs reality moment.
The third stop was an exciting one. It was a snorkel trip to manta point. I had heard so much about manta rays and I was so desperate to spot some myself! These beautiful creatures can reach between 5-7m in width. Unfortunately these creatures have been overfished over the last 20 years and are now classified as ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCNs red list of endangered species. There is a huge trade in Chinese medicine for these creatures and due to the long gestation period with usually a single pup the populations cannot keep up with demand. I can say I was absolutely privileged to see 4 Manta’s today whilst snorkelling. They glided in the ocean below us with so much grace and elegance.
The next stop was to snorkel and see turtles. Here I saw one of the saddest things I have ever seen. I witnessed a turtle eating a plastic bag. This is soul destroying. We as humans are giving these beautiful and magnificent animals objects to eat which are not suitable. They cannot digest plastic. I know I bang on about it but it is so important that we get better at managing our waste.
The last stop in a busy day was to Kanawa. This is a beautiful beach where relaxing and reading a book was high on the agenda. Overall this weekend has been things of dreams. I have had the best time and absolutely loved it. I have ticked so many things off my bucket list.
‘Life is a fairytale. But to see it, you must open your eyes’
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