There were 3 places in the world that took only 20 mins into being on their land for my heart to sink. Komodo National Park in Indonesia (the others being Munich and Auchwitz) was a place of great sorrow but also of great interest because of the people and animals that inhabit this land. The people are extremely poor and have the children of the Island come up to you and ask for any type of money you can spare, an experience not fit for the faint of heart. If you have money to spare when you arrive here and want to give it to the local children feel free or you could also buy their handmade souvenirs which I'm sure also stimulates this economy (which relies heavily on tourists). If you can make it past the swarm of children asking for your help, you will make it to the main attraction of prisoners that are kept on this Island; the Komodo dragons. These creatures, similar to the drug induced animals of Thailand, are incredibly fascinating and worth grabbing a few photos of if you aren't terrified of the thought. Be aware, these animals are kept at bay by the tour guides that must accompany you on this trip (for obvious reasons) but even in their slow turtle like state they are still worth seeing in person. It is incredibly rare that you will see one strolling along the beach because a lot of these animals are purposely found and placed through-out this Island but the guides will try and convince you that catching one on the walk is rare and should be hailed as a gift if spotted. This experience is the only reason anyone would really come to this remote location.
General Consensus: This is a very niche visit in my opinion; if this is an animal you specifically want to see or this is a destination on your cruise around Asia it is worth seeing. I wouldn't spend more than an hour or two on this Island because between the children begging for money and the drug induced dragons this Island will only break your heart and make you wonder why the world is such a cruel place.
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