I get up eager to meet the day and embark on our paddle to the World Heritage-listed Komodo National Park, home of the komodo dragon.

Seven days of paddling around the pristine waters off Flores in Indonesia sounds like paradise. Just over an hour's flight from the maddening Bali crowds, this trip offers a rare chance to relax, travel under my own steam and see one of the world's most fascinating reptiles.

As we paddle towards the island of Rinca, one of only four Indonesian islands the dragons inhabit, the light reflecting off the water is dazzling in its brilliance. Our excitement building, we land at the jetty to be greeted by a greedy throng of monkeys and, to our delight, a lone dragon, blending superbly into the surrounding rocks.

Despite their fearsome reputation, the eight dragons we sight on the island are invariably lolling about – the curvature of their mouths hinting at more of a smile than a snarl. Yet last year a local fisherman was killed by two, and a Rinca Island ranger still bears the scars of a close encounter with a dragon that attacked him while he was sitting at his desk.

Discover the island
Walking tours around the island are a must and we opt for the longer 5km hike around the nesting and feeding sites and up to the highest point in the area. Our ranger guide carries a wooden stick with a fork at one end as our only protection.

At the nesting site is a young female defending her eggs. Dragons dig two or three decoy holes before burying their eggs and will guard the site against predators for up to three months. The motherly love stops there, however, as these carnivores are known to come back and eat their slower offspring upon hatching.

Up close, the dragons are striking; from the fine patterns made by their scales to the long curving nails on their spread-eagled feet. Their eyes appear kind. One reptile's eyes seem to twinkle in amusement at my antics trying to capture him on film while keeping my distance. He tilts his head to the side, like a parent might when presented with a curious child. The dragons are the world's largest lizards. They can grow to a length of 3m and can weigh as much as a man.

For my companions, Englishman Ian Dunning and his family, the tour provides both a challenge and the chance to do something very different as a family. Initially, he'd thought of doing a trekking holiday, but found the walking ratings difficult to judge. Kayaking appealed, as it seemed less strenuous. To build his fitness, he completed three months of training in the gym on rowing and arm-crank machines.

"It exceeded what I hoped," he says of our adventure. "It was a whole mixture of things: the sea, the islands, the company, the food, the dragons, the walk around Rinca, the coral. You imagine it is good, but you're not sure. It all came together."

Despite recommendations by tour company No Roads that potential paddlers should train and get some kayaking experience, Ian's wife and his 18-year-old daughter, Francesca, have never been in a kayak, though both are reasonably active. This makes the first day quite a challenge.

"The first day on the kayak, the first 15 minutes, I could feel my muscles burning," Francesca says.

"The paddling seemed to get easier as the days went on. Now I've done this, I really want to do more holidays like it. It wouldn't be as much fun to catch a boat to see the komodo dragons."

Sea life is a highlight
We start most days with a pre-breakfast snorkel. The coral and the fish are like nothing I have ever seen before. The intensity of the colours is mind boggling, from electric blue to purple, to rainbow-coloured fish, to those with leopard prints and black-and-white polka dots. There are lionfish and hermit crabs, manta rays, sharks and threatening sea urchins that sit on the bottom of the sand like marine bombs, waiting to explode.

The ability to switch off and submerge into a new world is invigorating, especially when the biggest decisions of the day are which reef to snorkel and where to lie down for a quiet read and nap after lunch.

The 11-day trip departs from Bali and the seven days of paddling are fully catered. All camping and paddling equipment is supplied and snorkelling gear is available for hire.

Anyone concerned about the quality and quantity of the food need not worry. The meals are simple, yet delicious. Vegetable curries, freshly grilled fish (usually bought from fishermen as we paddled by), calamari stir-fry, fresh fruit and omelettes tantalise our palates. Western tastes are also catered for with french fries and fried chicken.

We sleep in tents, beneath a tree, by the edge of the beach. Travelling in August, at the peak of the dry season, balmy winds caress the flyscreen. We don't encounter any mosquitos and sleep comfortably beneath a sheet on a Therm-a-rest. All that exercise means we retire about 9pm and are awake at dawn.

I sink back in my bed beneath a sprinkling of stars, with the Southern Cross hovering close to the horizon, the water lapping gently against the shore and a warm breeze carrying me off to sleep. There is nowhere in the world I would rather be.

 Details
No Roads Expeditions’ 11-day Komodo Kayaker starts at $1999 a person, twin share, including internal flights from Denpasar to Labuan Bajo on Flores Island. The best time to visit is between March and November, outside the monsoon season.
More: (03) 9598 8581 or see www.noroads.com.au

 Travel Tips: Indonesia Destination Guide