What's the diving in Wakatobi and surrounds like?

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I am friends with one of the concierge at Wakatobi; he meets you at the airport and steers you through to your departure to the island. Personally, I have never dived Wakatobi, but it is on my bucket list. My husband has stayed and dived on Hoga (a neighbouring island to W), and he thoroughly enjoyed the underwater world. He said the corals were pristine.

As for the service you will receive at W, it should be first class, as they claim to be 'without equal' . Enjoy and safe diving x
 
We were there during the month of October a few years ago. You will not be disappointed. Great service and excellent diving. We had very good weather during our visit. Hopefully you will have the same luck.
 
We were there during the month of October a few years ago. You will not be disappointed. Great service and excellent diving. We had very good weather during our visit. Hopefully you will have the same luck.
Thank you. Wakatobi Resort's own site and Dive The World indicate that September to November is a great time to dive there but it is always nice to have direct, personalised information. :)
 
October having been and gone, this is a tad late but the latter part of the year almost guarantees dry weather and flat seas. It also conincides with (surprise, surprise) Wakatobi's high season. There are generally more critters around as the sea transitions from the colder temperatures towards the warmer.

If you see this post, it would be great to get your impression of diving both the livaboard and resort.
 
I have a dissenting opinion about Wakatobi. The service and facilities are excellent. The diving is ho hum for Indo Pacific diving. If this is your first experience of Indo Pacific, then you'll probably be blown away. There are many places with just as good (and better diving) that are far cheaper. Layang Layang and Sipadan are just two. In fact, Sipadan IMHO is the best diving anywhere. Now I haven't made it to Raja Ampat or the far east of Indonesia, so they may be even better.

While the service is great on arrival, on departure, not so much. Most of our departing group was left to manage heavy carry ons (camera equipment) up the 57 steps from the dock to the road to the airport alone. (On arrival, we were swarmed with folks offering to carry bags down.)

Also, speciality coffees are not included at breakfast and no one mentioned this to us nor did they give us a check to sign. We discovered this only upon departure.
 
I have a dissenting opinion about Wakatobi. The service and facilities are excellent. The diving is ho hum for Indo Pacific diving.


Wakatobi Dive Resort, Indonesia: Undercurrent 10/2014


Excerpts


• There was no dive group feeling about this place, only individual service -- which, I learned later, does put some damper on socializing.

• The roomy dining area, open to cool sea breezes, was set with tables for two to four; six tables were set outside in a courtyard. The food was interesting and excellent.

• I had always thought of Wakatobi as a dedicated dive resort, but it seems to have morphed somewhat into a family resort -- they have a kids' club and a babysitting service -- and for their many snorkelers, they run special boats. They also offer kitesurfing and boat service to a private beach to "get away from it all." They now advertise in Australia as a family resort. Clearly, Wakatobi is no longer a dedicated dive resort.

• When I arrived at Wakatobi's airport, porters carried all my luggage from the van to the boat for the transfer. Going home, no porters for heavy carry-ons, which meant carting my own luggage up some 50-plus steep stairs to the roadway. Clearly a nitpick, but at Wakatobi's prices, an expected service.

• I can say Wakatobi is a good place to start, but it is no Raja Ampat, no Layang Layang in Malaysia, or even Fiji, for that matter.
 
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