Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia Words & Photos by Fiona Mustain '20
M
y hair whips around my face as we make our way along the bumpy, dusty road down the coast to Labuan Bajo. The deep blue water reflects against the sun making it sparkle, and I can't wait to get in. The town of Labuan Bajo is located in the West Manggarai regency of Indonesia on the island of Flores. It has become a popular scuba diving base and gateway town for tourists to enter the Komodo National Park. My friend Garda, raised in Jakarta, begins to point out the numerous hotels, travel agencies, shops, restaurants, and dive centers along the main road. As we pass the third dive center in a row, he remarks how much the sleepy fishing village has changed in the years he has been coming to dive. Awe-struck tourists swarm off of diving boats, back from their morning excursions. Adara and Lino–our two other travel companions–grin at each other with excitement.
The next morning, my alarm rings bright and early. Our plan is to head to the Komodo National Park, one of Indonesia's oldest national parks. Komodo is composed of multiple islands and 1,214 square kilometers of marine habitat. The park, known for the famous 'Komodo dragon,' is also home to thousands of coral species, fish, rays, dolphins, turtles, and sharks and is considered a UNESCO world heritage site. The diving boat arrives; we begin to make our way between the picturesque hilly islands towards Manta Point. Several other boats head towards the same direction, and Garda explains how divers' numbers grew exponentially over the last five years. "The first to come were the Australians, then the Europeans and finally the Americans." Suddenly, the boat slows and our Captain points out a shadow deep in the water–a manta ray. Enthralled, we drop into the cool turquoise water and begin our descent to the reef.
34 30 "NUSA TENGGARA, INDONESIA" BY FIONA MUSTAIN
