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Wakatobi - The "liveaboard" resort with its own beach !

Wakatobi Dive Resort is an eco-friendly resort located in the Wakatobi archipelago in remote Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Situated on the beautiful tropical island of Onemobaa, Wakatobi Dive Resort offers, arguably, some of the best reef diving in the world. What makes this resort so unique is the extent to which it envelops the surrounding area into a sustainable marine protected area. Underwater photographers in particular enjoy the ease of diving with spectacular critters on the world famous "house reef".

Package Dates and Prices 2009

Package Dates and Prices 2010

Location

Wakatobi is located on the Wakatobi archipelago in remote Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, and is the only licensed dive tourism operator in the region. The resort itself is situated on a small island the natives call Onemobaa. The island resort is beside Tomia Island, one of four major islands covering an area of 821 sq. km.

Dive Sites

Wakatobi started making headlines in the diving community in the mid 90s and by now many divers have found their way to Wakatobi at the southern tip of Sulawesi and all of them agree that it is more than worth the trip. Long boat transfers are not necessary as the dive sites are within minutes of the resort.
The hundreds of kilometers of reef structure in the National Marine Park provide every imaginable marine animal including whales, dolphins, sharks, rays, tunas, barracudas, marlin and more.
Most of the dives are drift dives along colorful, dramatic walls of coral. Partial drop-off dives are also offered along with seamount dives, slopes and a 40m-long Japanese freighter,here are just a few examples of the many dive sites within easy reach of the resort:

Wakatobi House Reef
Six different sites are actually accessible directly off the beach in front of the resort. It’s only 80 yards from the shoreline to the drop-off. Highlights include a great variety of fishes, invertebrates, macro subjects, beautiful soft corals, gorgonians, tunicates, whips, sponges, overhangs—all totaling a spectacular rainbow of color.

Inka’s Palette
Beginning as a gentle slope, Inka’s Palette plummets into the depths with multiple overhangs. There are very large tube sponges, huge leather corals, a giant Tridacna Clam, good fish life and a colorful palette of hard and soft corals.

Mari Mabuk Turkey Beach
This is a long ridge running from 15 feet down to 80. It features huge sea fans, coral heads adorned in bright soft corals and feather stars blooming in the frequently swift current. The saddle that bridges the reef contains Blue ribbon Eels, leaf fish, Crocodile fish, scorpion fish, nudibranchs and more.

Lorenz’s Delight Roma
Begin by plunging deep, where forests of immense yellow wire corals spiral 15 feet or higher off the steeply sloping wall. Then work your way up to the 60-foot range, where an overhanging ledge harbors big sea fans framed in colorful soft corals. Flush with schooling fish life, the brightly-hued coral continues to within a foot or two of the surface.

Onamobaa Cavern
An extension of the house reef, this is an excellent soft coral dive. Often compared with Hanging Gardens at Sipadan. Every part of the reef is covered with color and life.

Package Dates and Prices 2009

Package Dates and Prices 2010

The Resort

The main building of this beautiful resort, known as the "Loungehouse" is built near to the accommodation bungalows spaced along an exquisite beach.
Wakatobi Dive Resort is a destination that caters to divers and nature-lovers looking for world-class diving off the beaten track and far from the madding crowds.
The Loungehouse contains all the common guest facilities such as the dive centre, rental equipment room, dining area, kitchen, video lounge and marine life reference library as well as storage rooms and the bar.

The main house was designed in the traditional architectural style of the Indonesian longhouse. It was constructed by local craftsmen with traditional(hand tools. The team of top-trained Balinese Chefs prepare delicious, ample and healthy meals using fresh produce that we fly in from Bali and overseas. Added to this are loads of day-fresh tuna sashimi, excellent soups, barbecued fish, fresh fruits, steaks and oriental specialities. Meals are generally served buffet or family-style in the Longhouse dining area. We'll also host a beach luau or two during your stay. Special dietary needs can be happily catered for with prior notice. In the lounge we complimentary instant coffee, tea and cookies are supplied around the clock.

Accommodation

Wakatobi offers three categories of Bungalow accommodation. All are of equal floor size but what sets them apart is location and interior equipment / decor standard. All come with a King-size bed as standard but two twin beds are available upon request as an alternative. All bungalows are equipped with a sofa, coffee table, wardrobe, minibar with fridge, a bathroom with (of course hot and cold) shower, LAN internet connection, ceiling fan and a spacious balcony as well as private sun chairs and umbrella in front.

Garden Bungalows These very comfortable "cabanas" are located slightly behind and in-between the front-row bungalows amidst beautiful palm trees and other tropical plants.
Beach Bungalows Front row with an ocean view on the beach facing south. See the fish jump, hear the gentle waves and listen to the birds - all while seated on the balcony or in one of the comfortable lounge chairs in front of your Bungalow. These are the units with the best breeze from the ocean and is an excellent choice for those who prefer to enjoy a holiday in the tropics without the use of air conditioning.
Select Bungalows Are of the same construction and size as the Beach Bungalows, but are located on the western beach facing the sunset. A little extra care has gone into their interior and they have small upgrades such as own marine life library, torch for walks at night, in-room orchids and more.
Wakatobi Villas Located on the northern end of the beach these Villas are perched on the cliffs with superb views over the ocean and sunset. They offer more space existing Bungalows and are equipped for an even higher level of luxurious comfort and relaxation. Ideal for both couples & families of up to four (one king and double-decker twin).

Dive Service

Wakatobi offers guests three types of diving options:

Shore diving directly off the beach - simply gear up and go !

Diving from the House Reef tender boat - this allows you to explore dive sites on the house reef normally not accessible from the Resort. Due to the house reef being so expansive this adds several sites for you to enjoy.

Scheduled Boat Dives - There's over 40 dive sites within 10 to 60 minutes boat ride from the resort. The boats used are based on traditional Indonesian boat designs and are especially made locally with divers in mind. They are 24 meters (70') long and feature a large camera platform, rinse tank, toilet, fresh water shower, oxygen, GPS and marine radio. The boats have a range of 70 miles and can comfortably cruise at 11 miles/hour. They can comfortably accommodate 14 divers (usually 10-12). Entry is by "giant stride" to port or starboard.

A full range of dive equipment is available for rental complete with dive computer. NITROX and rebreather facilities are available.

Getting to/from Wakatobi

Getting to and from Wakatobi is easy!
The resort flies you direct to the island from Bali on their own private air service.
The resort has it's own private airstrip with a 1-mile long paved runway, so you can wake up in Bali, enjoy a comfortable two and a half hour flight to Wakatobi with breakfast on board and by early afternoon you'll be diving along those beautiful reefs !
As the charter flight depart from Bali early in the morning, you will need to stay for at least one night in Bali. We do recommend that you try to fit in at least 3-4 days in Bali as it's one of the most beautiful and amazing tropical islands in the world. Here you can enjoy everything from superb spa treatments, village tours, great shopping, massages, beach walks, surfing, rafting, volcano and rice field treks and, of course, more excellent diving.
On the day your Wakatobi trip starts, you will need to get to the domestic departure terminal of Denpasar airport (there is only one major airport in Bali) where Wakatobi staff will take care of you from there.

Packages & schedules

Wakatobi offers a timetable with scheduled stays of 7, 10 & 11 nights duration year round.
Included in the package costs are accommodation as booked, chef-prepared meals, all day snacks, boat dives, unlimited shore diving and a meet & greet service at Bali airport.