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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".
 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.
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.
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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.
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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. |
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Premium
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.
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Cliff
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).
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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.
Prior
to 2001, the trip to Wakatobi took a minimum of 2 days,
including a 20 hour boat ride in open seas!
Thankfully the resort now 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
gliding 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, serene 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 between late March and the end of December
each year.
Included in the package costs are accommodation as booked,
chef-prepared meals, all day snacks, boat dives and unlimited
beach diving 24 hrs a day.
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