Fodor's Expert Review Kampung Komodo

Settled into the lee along the island’s south side, this quiet, friendly kampung (village) is a cluster of stilt-raised, thatch-roofed shacks by the bay that is home to about 600 ethnic Bugis, famed seafarers with roots in Sulawesi (Celebes). This Muslim community descends from convicts exiled from neighboring Sumbawa by a local sultan during the 19th century. Villagers mainly earn their living by fishing; colorfully painted bagan boats line the brown beach. The main catch is squid, and men head out at night to attract them by dangling lamps underwater. Some villagers are also skilled wood- and stone-carvers who hone models of the famous dragons out of local materials. The community is a rocky, 2-km (1-mile) walk around the coast from the Loh Liang dock—but the journey should be made at low tide only, as sections of the track are covered by water at other times.