Togians (Togeans)- Worth the hassle to get there?

wahlaoeh · Feb 24, 2009

Hi, I planning another dive trip back to Indonesia in Sept and is considering between going back to Ambon or to the more remote Togian islands. Getting to Ambon is no easy task but the latter is even more difficult & costly to get to (takes about 1.5-2 days from Spore). I've read contradicting reports on the diving there. The latest report that I found was from 2006 and the writer said that it was not worth it! Other past reports suggest otherwise.
Togian: a plane/car/boat ride too far Unspun

Has anyone been there recently that could share with me your first hand experience? Is it worth the effort & extra costs?

Many thanks,
Jovin-

jcclink · Feb 25, 2009

Dove Ambon last year. Easy trip - Bali/Makassar/Ambon (same day). Dove Togians the year before but from a liveaboard. Great wall dives with huge sponge & gorgonian, good fish schools & a couple of muck diving sites, very good water conditions. Apollo Reef was the hot spot. Good diving but not at the top of my list of places to return to. Like you say its hard to get to unless you're on a boat. Gorantalo is supposed to be good but haven't dove there yet. I've really enjoyed muck diving in Bali. Just depends on what you're looking for.

wahlaoeh · Feb 26, 2009

jcclink:
Dove Ambon last year. Easy trip - Bali/Makassar/Ambon (same day). Dove Togians the year before but from a liveaboard. Great wall dives with huge sponge & gorgonian, good fish schools & a couple of muck diving sites, very good water conditions. Apollo Reef was the hot spot. Good diving but not at the top of my list of places to return to. Like you say its hard to get to unless you're on a boat. Gorantalo is supposed to be good but haven't dove there yet. I've really enjoyed muck diving in Bali. Just depends on what you're looking for.

Thanks jcclink. I just dived Ambon last month and love the diving there. The muck dives were incredible. Most likely I'll go on a day trip to Pulau Tiga to try to see the pelagics if I'm going back. Diving Togians has been on my plan for such a long time but due to hassle of the travelling, I'm always putting it off. My aim is to dive all the good places before they are gone ;-)

Regarding Gorontalo, I've been there two years back. The wall dives were fabulous with huge sponges and corals with no sign of damage. Simply put- prinstine! Diving is seasonal and can only be done from mid Nov to May. My friend, Rantje (Equatorial Diving in Gorontalo, northern Sulawesi
) runs the only dive shop there. He nows has bulit his own bungalows so making things even easier

I'd love to go back some day. My trip report
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/in...ip-report-north-sulawesi-hidden-paradise.html

Happy bubbles,
Jovin-

Live_in_Sin · Feb 26, 2009

Dived at Walea in last Sept. condition was perfect. great viz and beautiful corals. small to big stuff... Not so difficult to get there as the resort arrange all the transfer from Manado.
WALEA - Dive Resort North Sulawesi Indonesia

some pix from there

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=58884&id=706964917&l=53dd5

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=58876&id=706964917&l=31fb8

barracuda · Aug 15, 2012

hi,

anyone have any updates on diving and getting to/from Gorontalo, Walea and Tongian Islands ? Last reports only from 2009 !

Wisnu · Aug 17, 2012

barracuda:
hi,

anyone have any updates on diving and getting to/from Gorontalo, Walea and Tongian Islands ? Last reports only from 2009 !

We visited Gorontalo and continued to Togean (Kadidiri) last year. Seem you missed this report http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/indonesia/377217-gorontalo-togian-toraja-march-2011-a.html

We also recently visited Walea from 14-19 July 2012, and then continued to Manado. I'm too lazy to write a report - but here scuba diving, Melati D. Walea & Manado - 2012 my daughter report.

Her sister video footage with gopro is here
[video=youtube;WfGdL7RZSJw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfGdL7RZSJw[/video]

I agree with her. You will be disapointed if you expect Raja Ampat or Komodo - but if you want to relax on nice resort, white sandy beach, and great indo-italian cuisine, here the place.
Please note - we dived not deeper than 25m - so what we saw does not really justice the walea diving.
We met with Italian pro. videographer - with his massive rig of 5 hartenberger light system - not sure if he just want to be polite - but according to him, the soft coral of walea at 40-60m are among the best in the world.

mrrworld · Aug 19, 2012

ok, my experience is now 14 years ago so take it for what it is worth but the highlight was actually getting there since it was so difficult. The diving, however, was so-so. There are so many better places in Indonesia with less hassle.

pughio83 · Aug 21, 2012

Wisnu did you manage to see the walea Pygmy seahouse?

Wisnu · Aug 21, 2012

pughio83:
Wisnu did you manage to see the walea Pygmy seahouse?

Pughio
we dives the house reef everyday and my daughters spent lot of time checking the soft corals at other sites as well but luck is not is our side;
same as our trip to Togean Kadidiri last year, no sign of walea pigmy seahorse.
we asked the other guests - none have seen it.

pughio83 · Aug 21, 2012

That's a shame, obviously is one of the more tricky To find and lower populated spp!!! I met one guy in lembeh who had seen one but that's it!

Togians (Togeans)- Worth the hassle to get there?

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