Togean islands - worth the effort?

[val&tim]

We are planning our first trip to Indonesia in November. We will definitely be diving north Sulawesi and RA (tee hee )
Is it worth the time and effort to go to the Togean Islands as well?

 

[Wisnu]

we visited togean 5 years ago. here's the report
Gorontalo - Togian - Toraja March 2011
many information still valid;

I heard there's new resort in Una-una island. Still in my wish list; hopefully this year.
Many told me the barracuda tornado in una-una is amazing.

 

[val&tim]

we visited togean 5 years ago. here's the report
Gorontalo - Togian - Toraja March 2011
many information still valid;

I heard there's new resort in Una-una island. Still in my wish list; hopefully this year.
Many told me the barracuda tornado in una-una is amazing.

Thanks, Wisnu. Great pix. It looks like that reports we've read of dead and dynamited coral in the Togean aren't accurate. Can you compare the diving there with Bangka, Bunaken or Raja Ampat?

 

[Wisnu]

Indeed, there some area where I saw lot of dead corals due to dynamite years back. Nice thing, it had been slowly recovering.
Togean is nice but certainly not same level as Raja Ampat, difficult to compare with Bunaken and I like Bangka more than Togean - but please note, I have not visited Una-una; so take my comment with a pinch of salt.

 

[gilbubblefish]

i would rate Togian a bit better than north sulawesie, but still depending what you call north sulawesie, as there is different spots, of course it is not possible to compare with Lembeh as there is no muck diving in Togian...but definitely Togian has less fish than raja rapat ( but where is there more fish than R4 ?) . the coral at the dive site is in very good shape, of course there is a lot of bomb fishing by the past and some area are completely destroy, but it is the same ALL OTHER INDONESIA, after it all depending how the dive center care for you to not see the destroy area or no, sometime it is a pretty difficult job...i call this surgical diving : meaning being very precise on where to start the dive, where to end , where to pass a certain depth to avoid a damage area ect..and Togian is a lot about that , Una Una has the best diving, including the barracudas...Worth the effort : yes !!! , the atmosphere is very relax at the resorts, very beautiful top side scenery, far from everything..i would stay few days in Una Una and few days in Kadidiri, other places does not have good dive sites close by...
i still must be the person with the bigger number of dives in Togian after working 3 years in Kadidiri and 3 years with the Wallacea dive cruise ( Togian and Banggai where their first destinations for years )...

 

[val&tim]

Thank you Gilles, that's really helpful. "Surgical diving" - great expression! - would account for the very different reports of reef damage that we have read.

Wisnu, it seems that Black Marlin is also opening a resort on Una Una this year.

All in all, it's looking like we're going to have to try to fit a trip to the Togean into our schedule.

 

[Wisnu]

V&T,
good to hear BM is opening their resort in una-2;
will see if we can visit una2 this year,

 

[gilbubblefish]

there is a new resort in Una -Una , but it is not operated by Black marlin, black marlin add a lot of Una Una key word to their web site, but they only organize day trip , same as kadidiri paradise do , both resort are situated in Kadidiri island.
there one dive resort in Una una and it is this one : http://www.unauna-sanctum.com/....don't know if they are good or no , i just state them from what i found on the internet...what i can say for sure is that una una has the best diving around Togian !!

 

[Wisnu]

Giles,
BM mention in the blog that their new dive resort in Una-una will be ready on the high season this year.

 

[gilbubblefish]

Giles,
BM mention in the blog that their new dive resort in Una-una will be ready on the high season this year.

yes very true, i missed that one...but no photo yet, so probably not finished...