Holidays with Dragons

Q: We are planning to holiday on Lombok Island in Indonesia and need advice on the best way to get there and where to stay, our preference being for a comfortable, small hotel on the beach. During our holiday we would love to see the famous Komodo Dragons. Is this possible from Lombok? - Daphne Johnson

A: The quickest route to Lombok would be to fly from Johannesburg to Singapore on Singapore Airlines and then connect directly to Lombok's Mararam Selaparange Airport on Silk Air. (You can also travel via Denpasar in Bali, but that is a longer route). There are many hotels to choose from, most available through internet websites. A stylish place to stay is Qunci Villas, which offers 20 luxury rooms with stunning sea views (www.quncivillas.com). Another great place to stay is the Puri Mas Boutique Hotel, which offers comfortable bungalows and ocean villas in a tropical garden alongside Senggigi Beach (www.lombokboutiquevilla.com). You can arrange to visit the Komodo National Park on a private tour arranged by one of the travel operators on the island. However, if you want to catch a public ferry you need to get to Sape in Sumbawa and Labuan bajo in Flores. However, there will be plenty of information available on the island about trips and tours. The Komodo dragons, the world's largest lizards, have become a major tourist attraction in the region.