A Week at the Wakatobi Dive Resort…
Text by Jeremy Cuff/www.ja-universe.com
Photography by Jeremy & Amanda Cuff/www.ja-universe.com
Our long-awaited and much anticipated trip to Wakatobi was supposed to happen back in the period of time that became the nightmare of the Covid-19 pandemic, where lots of plans were either put on hold or cancelled. Once everything had settled down in the aftermath, we did the trip as we’d originally planned it; first, a week onboard the Pelagian Liveaboard followed by a week’s stay at the Wakatobi Dive Resort itself. Here’s an account of “Part 2” of our trip, of our time at the Wakatobi Dive Resort…
A visit to the remote Indonesian dive mecca of Wakatobi had been on our “must do list” for quite some time, and at some point, we just had to let it bubble up to the top of our list and make it happen. We’d had some good “intel” from some underwater photographer friends who’d visited the area pre-pandemic, and we’d also had an interesting chat with the Wakatobi representatives at one of the UK dive shows, with whom we made our initial enquiry. From there, one thing led to another and we made our booking…
As Wakatobi is a place you might only visit once (unless you’re incredibly fortunate, and yes, we did meet some dive travellers who were repeat bookers!), we took the view that “if you’re going to do it, do it properly”. What that means in translation is that we would do both the Pelagian Liveaboard and the Wakatobi Dive Resort itself (in that order).
The logic of “liveaboard first, resort second” is a rule that we apply to any similar dive trip that we undertake, in that if one or both of us develops ear problems as a result of lots of diving, it’s better to have them on a resort later into a trip where there’s other things to do, rather than on a liveaboard. And why hammer your ears with a week or ten days of resort diving and then be unable to dive when you join a liveaboard afterwards?
For the journey out there, we flew direct from London to Singapore followed by an onward connection to Denpasar in Bali where we stayed a couple of nights at the airport hotel to rest up (it’s surprisingly good). To get to Wakatobi itself, one has no option but to travel to Bali, from where all guests join a charter flight direct to the island.
Though of course it’s possible to stay anywhere in Bali depending on available time, it’s highly convenient to stay at the airport hotel the evening before, as the Wakatobi charter flights also leave from Denpasar’s main airport immediately adjacent, so you can walk a short distance into the terminal from where the Wakatobi representatives will meet you and get you checked in. They even provide you with a dedicated lounge with a selection of snacks and drinks. It’s all very easy, pleasant and straightforward.
The flight from Bali to Wakatobi is about 2.5 hours, and if the weather is clear, passengers will get spectacular views enroute of volcanoes, islands of all shapes and sizes, and numerous reef systems. As you’re travelling into a remote area with little significant infrastructure, you will also share the charter flight with some of the supplies needed to feed and look after the guests.
The Wakatobi Dive Resort (and place of embarkation for the Pelagian Liveaboard if you’re including it in your trip itinerary) is located within the Wakatobi National Park, which covers a large area to the Southeast of Sulawesi. The national park was designated in 2002 and includes a variety of marine habitats including coral reefs, mangroves, sandy expanses and sea grass “meadows”. Jacques Cousteau is said have described the general area around Wakatobi as “underwater nirvana”.
The story behind the entire Wakatobi dive operation is an interesting one as quoted from their website; “…built from scratch, we generate our own power and our own fresh water; we built our own airstrip to make us easily accessible (previously an overland and local ferry trek of several days was required to get here). An unseen logistics operation coordinates guests’ transfers to and from Bali, the bringing in of food and supplies, such that our guests often forget that they are totally ‘off the grid’. And we continue to develop our infrastructure to give added facilities and convenience to our guests.”
“A vital part of our ‘infrastructure’ is of course the coral reefs. We have set in place extensive conservation efforts including the creation of a unique reef-lease conservation program to protect and enhance the coral reefs for the long term benefit of the island and its communities.”
It was great to be finally visiting Wakatobi after our long Covid affected wait. Our first impressions were incredibly positive and things continued to be positive for the entire trip; everybody was friendly and welcoming, and our room on both the liveaboard and the resort proved to be excellent.
In advance of our trip, we were asked about any dietary requirements we needed, which we duly gave; Amanda is a vegetarian and I’m a pescatarian, so it was good to know we’d be fully catered for (which they did with aplomb). As the resort meals are based around a buffet supplemented by some items being cooked for guests upon request, it was easy to get more than your fill and the choices were good. It was also nice how quickly the waiters and restaurant managers learned and remembered our names, and it was clear that resort team took a great pride in their work and were eager to provide a high-end dive experience for their fortunate guests.
Whilst still in Bali prior to travelling out to Wakatobi, I’d started to feel slightly bunged up, and sure enough, whilst onboard the Pelagian, my worst fears unfolded; I’d caught a heavy cold and sinus infection, meaning I’d have to battle through the diving in a less-than-ideal circumstance during the entire trip. I would somehow manage to participate in most of the dives, both on the Pelagian and afterwards at the resort. The facilities and attentive service offered by the Wakatobi team certainly helped things a lot for me as our trip unfolded.
In terms of dive related facilities, there’s a sizeable camera room next to the gear storage area (and convenient to the jetty from where the boats depart) where batteries can be recharged and equipment can be fettled and maintained between dives. Also, the Wakatobi dive team are very used to handling underwater camera and videography rigs with care and respect, both onshore and onboard the day boats.
As a general statement, the diving around the Wakatobi resort from the day boats is predominantly reef and wall diving, where you’ll see a superabundance of corals, sponges and other assorted reef growth in massive profusion. That said, there’s a great deal of variety and difference from one site to the next, so it’s worth participating in as many dives as possible.
You’re also likely to experience some drift dives at some sites, as strong currents regularly sweep through the channels between the reefs and islands. On those types of dives, you can expect to see turtles and pelagics, and closer in (and if you’re not being swept past at speed!) there’s Scorpionfish, Leaf Scorpionfish, Lionfish, Crocodilefish, Barracuda, sea snakes, crustacea, cephalopods, Pygmy Seahorses, Pontohi Pygmy Seahorses and many species of nudibranch to look out for. The excellent dive guides have great knowledge and spotting ability, so it’s good to ask them if there’s something specific you’re wanting to see or photograph.
So, for our week of resort-based diving, we visited a selection of excellent reefs and drop offs among the Wakatobi island group (sometimes known as the Tukangbesi), all within the Marine National Park. Sites we visited included Vivien’s Reef, Liabale East, Dunia Baru, Batfish Wall, Turkey Beach, Inka’s Palette, Starship and Spiral Corner, though there are many other spots that are possible to dive and may be chosen by the dive team depending on the precise time of year and prevailing conditions.
Sites that are worth singling out for special mention are the House Reef (which should perhaps be more accurately named as the House Drop Off), Roma and The Zoo. We ended up diving the House Reef in a rainstorm, so we didn’t experience it in the best conditions and light, but expect to encounter sea snakes (constantly active in their quest for food around the jetty) and there’s also good possibilities for passing turtles and jacks along the drop off.
Roma is another excellent site, characterised by some spectacular formations of disc coral (Turbinaria sp.) that are often thought to look like giant underwater roses. And then there’s The Zoo, which is one of Wakatobi’s signature dives, where you can marvel at the fabulous corals and seek diver favourites such as Cuttlefish, which can frequently be found there. I was also shown a Stonefish that was almost completely buried in a small sandy expanse, so it’s worth checking before you kneel down!
Additionally, there’s a site called The Blade which often gets mentioned in features and blogs about Wakatobi, and although we didn’t get a chance to dive it during our week, a bit of Googling can quickly reveal images of this spectacular narrow reef ridge. If we returned, I would definitely ask to have it included in our dives. But it seems not to matter where you go, they’re all really worthwhile.
Out of the water, and other than the busy hub of the restaurant, one place worth a special mention is the end of the jetty where guests gather to watch the sunset once all the diving is done for the day. Drinks are available there, and you’ll often be joined by the resort dive guides. It’s quite a chatty place.
In terms of the accommodation itself, it was very good. We booked an Ocean Bungalow room, though other room types and even villas are possible to book depending on budget, with the options for duration of stay being built around the charter flight days. And whilst you’re staying, it’s possible that nesting turtles can haul up anywhere on the island (usually at night), even laying underneath the bungalows, so it’s worth keeping a watchful eye as you go about island life.
So how was it overall? To be honest, we really enjoyed it; like the Pelagian liveaboard, the standards of accommodation and service at the Wakatobi Dive Resort were top notch, the food was excellent, and the diving was enjoyable, varied and memorable. Trips like this aren’t cheap, so in order to feel value for money, it really has to be good. Which it was.
And so, after a week onboard the Pelagian followed by a week at the Wakatobi Diver Resort, and with very punished ears thanks to my cold and sinus infection, we returned to the Bali for a few days to rest up in the artisan town of Ubud before heading home, where we reflected on our excellent trip.
Postscript; Afterwards, we sent a few images to the Wakatobi resort manager who kindly displayed them on the digital screen in the reception area. He sent me photographs of them, proudly on display for guests to see….