Wakatobi Dive Resort

★ 3 · Hilary E. · 2011-09-19

I had always wanted to visit Wakatobi; the reviews for the diving were almost always fantastic. The resort itself was lovely but then it should be as it is very expensive as are any extras - Nitrox was the absolutely most expensive we have ever experienced. The dive boats are very good, large and well appointed, the dive guides were all really good and good fun. The diving though - I have never dived anywhere where so many of the morning dives were dived on west facing walls, this coupled with the overcast/rainy weather conditions, made for some very murky sites. The corals were mostly pretty good, though no better than many other parts of the world we have visited. The corals on some dives were badly damaged but that was on sites when the currents were running the wrong way to actually dive the sites we had been aiming for. The fish life was pretty good, lots of the usual reel fish and some dogtooth tuna, barracudas and a mobula ray; there were a lot of pygmy sea horses of different types. However, the lack of other creatures such as octopus, cuttlefish (we saw only one), frogfish, pipefish (some but not many), quite a few nudis but only 4/5 different species and most of them not of the particularly flambouyant type, etc etc; this was what made the trip very disappointing for us as we had expected more. Other parts of Indomesia are much better.

★ 5 · Kristin P. · 2010-10-18

We just got back from a week in Sulawesi at the dive center. Resort is located on a beautiful spot at the outer edge of a small island in the Wakatobi marine park. Because the resort has teamed up with the local communities to protect the reef systems there is an abundance of fish. Pelagics are beginning to return in some areas they haven't been seen for quite some time. That said, if you need to dive with sharks every dive go to Tahiti. However, if you seek a variety of wall dives and reef top/pinnacle dives with a tremendous variety of fish, crustaceans, corals, sponges, turtles you will find everything you are hoping to see. Current is strong in some places but the walls go on for ever so it's entertaining way to cover reef on some dive sites. The bungalows are nice (outdoor shower area a real plus when diving 3-4 times a day). Food offered is mix of local and continental (ask for more local if you want to and they can make it for you). Staff is super friendly and helpful. On the boats it's low stress because staff helps with gear and dive masters are assigned to between 2 and 5 customers. That makes for a very personalized service level. On our boat (one of 4 the resort sent out for 50 people the week were there) we had 12 people and 3 dive masters, 4 boat crew and a captain. Wakatobi employs as many local Indonesians as possible and they really know the reef systems. We had a dive master from Germany named Jens and he was great. Each dive they ask for feedback and try to make it the best dive experience you can ask for. Not cheap, but on the other hand excellent value for the money and you are indirectly helping preserve a precious part of the world's marine areas.