Rinca Island

Second major island of Komodo National Park, closer to Labuan Bajo

Rinca Island is the second-largest island in Komodo National Park and the preferred destination for many visitors because it is considerably closer to Labuan Bajo (about 45 minutes by speedboat versus 2 hours to Komodo Island). Dragon sightings at Rinca are at least as reliable as on Komodo, particularly around the ranger station at Loh Buaya where the animals congregate.

Rinca also offers excellent hiking. The hills behind Loh Buaya rise to viewpoints with panoramas across the park's islands, dry savanna, and the surrounding sea. Water buffalo and deer are common, macaques are everywhere, and orange-footed scrubfowl scratch around the forest floor. The combination of dragons, birds, and landscape makes Rinca feel like a more complete wildlife experience than Komodo Island, which is primarily visited for the dragon encounter alone.

things to do sight
A story
The ranger station at Loh Buaya on Rinca is known for the dragons that regularly camp out around the kitchen — attracted by the smell of food over decades, they have become semi-habituated to human presence and are far less likely to flee when approached than wild dragons elsewhere in the park. Some of the most photographed Komodo dragon encounters happen here simply because the animals are so relaxed they allow visitors within a few metres.