Pink Beach

Pink Beach — Pantai Merah — is on the eastern side of Komodo Island, in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara, inside Komodo National Park. It is reached by boat from Labuan Bajo on Flores, two to three hours away, usually as part of a day or overnight trip.

The colour comes from a specific organism. Fragments of red organ-pipe coral, *Tubipora musica*, break down and mix with white coral sand, producing a pink that is subtle in the middle of the day and clear at the waterline and in low light. There are a handful of pink beaches in the world and this is among the most reliably coloured.

The park is the larger point. Komodo National Park was established in 1980 to protect the dragons — the world's largest lizard, found only here and on a few neighbouring islands — and was extended to cover the marine area, which holds some of the richest reef biodiversity anywhere. The snorkelling directly off this beach is excellent, with the reef starting a few metres out and strong currents in the channels beyond it.

Nothing is built. Park fees are payable, guides are required on the islands where dragons are present, and visitor arrangements have changed several times as Indonesia has revised its management of the park, including proposed fee increases that drew significant local opposition. Padar Island, on the same circuit, has the three-bay viewpoint that appears in most Komodo photography, and Rinca is where dragons are most reliably seen — the boats do all three in a day or two.

Red organ-pipe coral fragments in white sand, clearest at the waterline and in low light. The snorkelling starts a few metres out and is the reason to be here. Dragons are on the island, guides are required where they are, and the park fees have been revised often enough that you should check rather than assume.