Wakatobi is formally part of Sulawesi. The islands, much more about that in a sec, are away from the north-eastern coast of the mainland. They offer everything you’d expect in the island paradise. Jaques Cousteau allegedly said Wakatobi is one of the most amazing dive sites in the world along with the neighbourhood dive centres that have been living off the quotation since. The title Wakatobi comes from the first two letters of these islands below.
While you can find public ships that operate between the islands, this support is not frequent. It’s also tough to find details about the place to stay (however there are local home remains on most islands). So among the very first steps that you’ll need to do before going to Wakatobi is to decide which one island(s) you want to visit. To help you make your selection, we have given you a quick breakdown of the islands.
Wangi-Wangi Island
It is one of the busiest islands because it has numerous restaurants, hotels and ATMs, which you can’t find on the other islands. It hosts both the administrative funds, Wanci. All this makes Wangi Wangi an excellent starting point for a holiday.
There are plenty of little regional hotels and homestays around Wanci where you can remain. Still, the majority of them only offer to lodge. The best resort on Wangi Wangi is your Patuno Dive Resort. It is a bit out of the town, which means you will be stuck onto the hotel unless you have arranged transport. On the other hand, the rooms at the hotel are fine, and the food is equally great, if slightly pricey.
Kaledupa Island
It is the most fertile of the main islands. The island’s title is a bastardisation of “Kauhedupa” which means incense wood at the local terminology. It is surrounded by mangrove trees and edged by palm trees. It’s been settled for a while. There are an older fortress, a few ancient mosques and a great deal of stilt dwelling settlements, which seem fine in the distance.
Only across the strait out of Kaledupa is Hoga Island. It was very relaxing with tasty fresh fish and urged it on other travellers. You’ll discover local homestays on Kaledupa, most of which provide diving. As we stated above, we’d recommend staying in Hoga, which can be less developed and more beautiful.
Tomia Island
Tomia is the third island in the series. It’s a 3-4 hour journey in Wangi Wangi by people boat. The island is occupied by three different tribes, also known locally as Kawati. The settlements around the island linked together by a single street that you may drive around. It’s easy to explore the island, and there is enough to see to make it a fun diversion for an evening. Tomia is the home of the well-known Wakatobi dive hotel. It’s the one and only 5-star quality resort in all Wakatobi. They operate direct flights from Bali to Wakatobi for guests. Anyway, there are numerous dive resorts on the island catering to travellers on a lower budget.
Binongko Island
Years past Binongko Island was famous because of its blacksmiths. In fact, the whole of this Wakatobi was known as the Tukang Besi Archipelago, and it is a good illustration of positive rebranding. The island is well known locally for the quality of the machetes and other farming instruments.
Binongko is an island of steep cliffs, rugged mountains, coconut coves and lovely beaches. The climate of Binongko is a lot drier and much more humid than the different islands of Wakatobi. Unfortunately, you won’t find much information regarding lodging on Binongko online. There are scores of base homestays and hotels on the island, even though you will have to ask around when you’re searching for recommendations.
Whether your trips take you to a long stroll on beaches, delicious cuisines, relaxing spas and resorts or urban attractions, extra research will give you the best experience for your visit. Get to know more about Wakatobi by visiting Wonderful Indonesia.