Komodo National Park in NTT is blessed with exotic beaches. Like Taka Makassar and Pink Becah, but unfortunately the beach sand is taken by tourists.
Recently, detikTravel received information from a trusted source, that many bottles containing beach sand were confiscated at Komodo Airport. Most likely it is the work of some tourists who want to take it home as souvenirs. There is white sand, some are pink.
Head of the Komodo National Park Office, Budhy Kurniawan, confirmed this. He said, the beach sands came from Taka Makassar and Pink Beach.
Ardiansyah, one of the guides in Komodo National Park shared a story about Taka Makassar and Pink Beach. But before that the tourists who took the beach sand there and put it in a bottle, he also knew.
"If at Pink Beach, there have long been tourists who took sand from their beaches and put them in bottles to take them home. Yes, we, as people here, are also sad, our nature can be damaged later," he explained.
The man who is familiarly called Ian explained, Pink Beach has been popular as a favorite destination for tourists. The location is on the east side of Komodo Island.
"Pink Beach is famous from the past. If Taka Makassar, its name is again famous as a spot of photographs," Ian explained.
"Makassar Taka is a sandbank in the middle of the sea. Usually in the tour package, we invite tourists here before going to Manta Point," Ian explained.
The color of the beach sand in Taka Makassar is unique, some are white and some are pink (just not as much as in Pink Beach). The sand contour is smooth.
"Can also snorkel around Taka Makassar. Most fun to bring drones here, because if from above it looks like a boomerang," Ian said.
Later, Taka Makassar became a favorite spot for tourists to take pre-wedding photos. Ian emphasized that tourists are prohibited from taking beach sand and taking it home because there are rules from the Komodo National Park.
"We, as guides, have also been told about the prohibition on taking anything in the Komodo National Park. We have explained many times, but still there are those who take the beach sand to take home," Ian concluded.