GoEco > Asia > Indonesia > Komodo Dragon Conservation

Indonesia – Komodo Dragon Conservation

Fast Facts

Please Note: This program is temporarily unavailable. Check out our alternative programs in Asia or schedule a one-on-one call with one of our expert volunteer advisors.

Volunteer to assist in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Komodo National Park, which is home to over five thousand indigenous komodo dragons! Through this wildlife conservation volunteer program, you will gain hands-on experience working in a national park and conservation organization.

Program Highlights:

Assist the professional rangers of a National Park created to conserve the komodo dragon
Ethical wildlife volunteering
Gain experience working for a UNESCO site
Learn about these exquisite creatures and help to educate tourists about the park’s conservation efforts
Experience the beautiful Pink Beach and the deep green forests during free weekends

Your Schedule at a Glance (Minimum Two-Week Commitment):

Day 1, Sunday: Arrive at Komodo Airport (LBJ) in Labuan Bajo. You will be picked up by the local team and will get to meet your fellow volunteers. Overnight in Labuan Bajo.

Day 2, Monday: Following breakfast, volunteers will take a boat to Komodo National Park. Volunteers will go on an orientation trek to become familar with the park, its rangers and komodo dragons.

Day 3-6, Tuesday-Friday: Rewarding volunteer work at Komodo National Park. Volunteers will travel by boat to the park each morning and return by boat to Labuan Bajo each evening.

Remaining Weeks: Volunteers will have weekends free and will work at their volunteer program Monday-Friday. (Check out “Travel Highlights” below for suggestions!) Departure is on a Saturday.

Location of the Project: Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia

Project length: Min 2 weeks – Max 8 weeks

Arrival Airport: Komodo Airport (LBJ)

Volunteer Work: Park ranger assistance

Age: 18-65

Number of Volunteers: Up to 20 international volunteers

Important Note: All placements must be confirmed at least 4 weeks before starting date. All participants are expected to follow instructions and advice given by the coordinators and adhere to the rules, regulations and safety measures established by the park.

What’s Included

Accommodations: Shared, dorm-style rooms

Food: Three meals are provided on weekdays and breakfast and dinner are provided on weekend days

Airport Transfers: Airport pickup is provided on arrival day

Orientation: Volunteers will receive a program orientation on their first Monday.

Support: Comprehensive and professional pre-departure travel guidance, 24/7 GoEco emergency hotline, experienced local field team.

What’s not Included

Flights, visas, travel health insurance, lunches on weekends, transfer to airport on departure day, personal expenses. All volunteers must apply IN ADVANCE for B-211 Social visa.

Location

This project takes place in the city of Labuan Bajo, which is a part of the beautiful Flores Island, located in the eastern part of Indonesia. From the stunning sand of Pink Beach to the deep green forest area where giant komodo dragons live, East Indonesia is a destination unlike any other, even in comparison to other Indonesian islands. Labuan Bajo in particular is well-known for its vast variety of marine life.

Volunteer Work

The Komodo National Park was created with the purpose of conserving indigenous Indonesian wildlife, the komodo dragon in particular. There is also a marine conservation area of the park, where shark, manta ray and turtle populations reside. As a volunteer on this project, you will be working as an assistant to the park rangers. Most days you will be trekking and hiking alongside the rangers, leading tourist groups through the National Park and educating them about conservation and the komodo dragons as you go along. You may also be involved in recording and collecting data for research purposes and even preparing some educational materials for the tour groups. Your volunteer work will allow you to get real hands-on experience working for a UNESCO site and National Park.

Some of your tasks may include:

Trekking through the park with rangers and tourist groups
Researching and recording information
Preparing educational materials
Assisting in other ranger tasks and park maintenance tasks

Typical schedule: Volunteers will work Monday-Friday and have weekends free. Volunteers will take a boat to the park in the morning and work from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM. Lunch will be from 12:00-1:00 PM and be followed from more work from 1:00 – 4:00 PM. At 4:30 PM volunteers will take a boat back to Labuan Bajo.

Please note: All participants are expected to follow instructions and advice given by the coordinators and adhere to the rules,regulations and safety measures established by the park.

Living Arrangements

Internet icon Internet: WiFi is available in public areas.

Laundry icon Laundry: There are laundry facilities located around the village that may be available for an additional fee.

Accommodations icon Accommodations: Volunteers will stay in shared, single-gender rooms with up to seven other people in a dorm-style center with shared bathrooms. The accommodations are located in the city of Labuan Bajo, and are walking distance from restaurants, grocery stores, ATM’s and laundry facilities. Volunteers take a boat in the morning from the mainland (Labuan Bajo) to the island of the Komodo National Park and return by the boat in the evening.

Food icon Food: Three meals per weekday and two meals on weekend days are provided. Typical lunches and dinners include Indonesian dishes such as fried noodles or rice with vegetables and an occasional Western-style dish. Breakfasts vary and may include fruit, toast or pancakes. Vegetarian diets can be easily accommodated.

Requirements

Please take note of this project’s minimum requirements:

Basic level of English
Police clearance
Good level of physical fitness
Signed rules, regulations and code of conduct before starting

Travel Highlights

Culture Week (Highly Recommended):
This week-long introduction is a perfect opportunity to meet your fellow volunteers and surround yourself with the local Flores community! You will tour the area of Labuan Bajo, visit the famous Mirror Cave, explore a traditional village and participate in a cooking class and Bahasa language and dance classes. The orientation program runs from Monday through Friday, giving you the weekend to relax or explore the area on your own before you start work at your project.

In addition to seeing the unique komodo dragons each day, volunteers may go to the park during their free weekend to dive and/or snorkel in the park’s protected marine areas. For those who want to venture further, a few travel destination suggestions are listed below:

Kelimutu National Park
Also located on Flores Island, Kelimutu National Park, with its volcano and three vibrant crater lakes, is one park that is definitely worth a visit!

Liang Bua Cave
Liang Bua Cave (Hobbit Cave) is a limestone cave that has become a popular tourist destination. Its archeological findings have included ancient human skeletons, and debatably, the skeletal remains of another Homo genus species. There is a small museum just outside the cave.

Love Hill
Love Hill is right outside the city of Labuan Bajo and is the most popular destination for watching the blazing Indonesian sunsets.