Your wife will have an amazing experience, based on what we saw as "only snorkelers." We paid extra for a snorkel guide. The advantage of this was that he became our advocate, ensuring we got on the boat that was going to the most snorkelable spots each time. He also showed us critters we would have missed and really added to the experience.
Wakatobi info please
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I think for someone who hasn't been diving in Raja or Alor etc. Wakatobi is great especially for a romantic expensive get away. For me I was unimpressed with the diving and kept asking the guides if they were taking us to the best dive sites. They assured us it was the best of the area. We found a couple Halimeda Ghost Pipe Fish so that was cool, but compared to the Alor diving we had just experienced it was pretty meh. Saying that, meh diving in Indonesia still beats most diving around the world. Have fun and enjoy!
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Hey guys,
I am Robin, manager of www.sulawesidivetrek.com . We are operating out of Baubau and Wakatobi.
Our dive center is based in Wangi-wangi island and are offering diving in the arquipelago. Feel free to ask any question on this thread if you want more information about the location.
Wakatobi always has been "victim" of the luxury reputation of WDR but actually if you dive with other operators, price are "normal" according to the average price of diving in Indonesia.
So far the access is made through kendari. It is pretty easy if you're coming from jakarta. You can take night flight from Jakarta to kendari and Kendari Wakatobi early morning. Coming through Bali will require to add a stop in Makassar.
Looking forward to answer any of your questions.
I am Robin, manager of www.sulawesidivetrek.com . We are operating out of Baubau and Wakatobi.
Our dive center is based in Wangi-wangi island and are offering diving in the arquipelago. Feel free to ask any question on this thread if you want more information about the location.
Wakatobi always has been "victim" of the luxury reputation of WDR but actually if you dive with other operators, price are "normal" according to the average price of diving in Indonesia.
So far the access is made through kendari. It is pretty easy if you're coming from jakarta. You can take night flight from Jakarta to kendari and Kendari Wakatobi early morning. Coming through Bali will require to add a stop in Makassar.
Looking forward to answer any of your questions.
drrich2
Contributor
Good to know. As you indicate, the name Wakatobi is associated with a premium luxury reputation, and many divers don't have premium luxury bank accounts, so they move on. On the other hand, Wakatobi Dive Resort had the premium luxury reputation as a competitive selling point for those who willing to pay the price (either as a painful sacrifice or because for them it's not such a sacrifice).
More budget Wakatobi region options change the situation. What do you see as the selling points/advantages for people traveling to Indonesia to dive choosing your business/location over, say, heading to Bali or Raja Ampat?
Total trip cost, value for money, quality of diving, specific creatures more likely to be seen, topside options, whatever... I just want to know what makes Wakatobi preferable and for whom?
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You're definitely right, Wakatobi Dive Resort does provide luxury for a competitive selling point for those who can afford it. I have been around for 6 years and still haven't step foot on their private island but believe me i wish 
Now you're asking me a tough question and asking me to compare to very specific spots. I would say that Bali, Raja, Komodo, Wakatobi have definitely different kid of diving and different vibe.
Why would i go to Wakatobi ? It's remote, there is literally nobody there. In six years diving i have once saw other diver in the water. There is so few people that we just change site if we see one of the very very few diving boat. The coral is pristine, lot of variety and very healthy. The scenario of deep walls is dramatically amazing ( i am a big fan of wall dives). The arquipelago is empty of tourist, and that is a special experience on my opinion. Cherry on the cake , there are some cenotes available for cavern tour.
I am trying to be objective and not overwhelmed by my love of the area that made me move there. Creatures like, as someone said earlier in the post, there are less big fish that in Raja and komodo, we do spot very frequently reef sharks, napoleon, eagle rays. Now that i am starting to explore the greater depth i am kindof suspecting that the big boys are hiding past 60 meters under the thermocline. I have seen some big stuff there but this is still under investigation.
Topside options are mostly gonna be about nature and landscape but diving is definitely the main attraction around here.
As for pricing, you have several accommodations options available in the main island (Wangi-wangi) ranging from 10 usd a night to 60+ . Most of them are not available online but i can assist on booking if needed. Food is as usual in indo, very cheap. Note that they are mostly not any western food restaurant on the arquipelago so you will have to go local I would say that the value for money is ok, diving may be a tad more expensive than shore dive in Bali due to remoteness and rising price of gas. Our DC organize diving around Wangi wangi where there is a lot of dive sites. We also have popular seafaris where we would go all around the arquipelago with our boat and sleep on land. The more you are the less its expensive as the extra gas costs will be divided by the number of divers.
Eventually i would say that Wakatobi has the potential of being amongst the big names of dive destination in Indonesia when it comes to value for money and quality of diving. It just lacks easier access and better promotion from local government.
Hope i answered your questions, feel free to ask more if you need to !
Now you're asking me a tough question and asking me to compare to very specific spots. I would say that Bali, Raja, Komodo, Wakatobi have definitely different kid of diving and different vibe.
Why would i go to Wakatobi ? It's remote, there is literally nobody there. In six years diving i have once saw other diver in the water. There is so few people that we just change site if we see one of the very very few diving boat. The coral is pristine, lot of variety and very healthy. The scenario of deep walls is dramatically amazing ( i am a big fan of wall dives). The arquipelago is empty of tourist, and that is a special experience on my opinion. Cherry on the cake , there are some cenotes available for cavern tour.
I am trying to be objective and not overwhelmed by my love of the area that made me move there. Creatures like, as someone said earlier in the post, there are less big fish that in Raja and komodo, we do spot very frequently reef sharks, napoleon, eagle rays. Now that i am starting to explore the greater depth i am kindof suspecting that the big boys are hiding past 60 meters under the thermocline. I have seen some big stuff there but this is still under investigation.
Topside options are mostly gonna be about nature and landscape but diving is definitely the main attraction around here.
As for pricing, you have several accommodations options available in the main island (Wangi-wangi) ranging from 10 usd a night to 60+ . Most of them are not available online but i can assist on booking if needed. Food is as usual in indo, very cheap. Note that they are mostly not any western food restaurant on the arquipelago so you will have to go local
I would say that the value for money is ok, diving may be a tad more expensive than shore dive in Bali due to remoteness and rising price of gas. Our DC organize diving around Wangi wangi where there is a lot of dive sites. We also have popular seafaris where we would go all around the arquipelago with our boat and sleep on land. The more you are the less its expensive as the extra gas costs will be divided by the number of divers.Eventually i would say that Wakatobi has the potential of being amongst the big names of dive destination in Indonesia when it comes to value for money and quality of diving. It just lacks easier access and better promotion from local government.
Hope i answered your questions, feel free to ask more if you need to !
drrich2
Contributor
I was intrigued enough to check your website. I see something else that might appeal to some ScubaBoard members (though not me; I'm strictly a recreational diver) - technical diving.
At a glance, it looks like you have a pretty strong offering. CCR diving, Triton CCR instruction, full cave training, advanced recreational trimix and more. Your site also notes Wakatobi has a recompression chamber. It notes "First and only technical diving center available in Sulawesi Tenggara."
I make an issue of this because dive centers with strong technical diving support are a fraction of dive centers, and being in what some might consider a 'tropical paradise' narrows the number of competitors further. While it's not for me, we may have some technical (or aiming to be) run across this thread.
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Glad i've intrigued you
We also do a lot of technical diving indeed . The water conditions are just ideal for that. No current, super visibility and deep walls close from the shores. We stock everything to support this kind of diving and believe me it has been a pain !
I did not know that this sub-forum was also followed by the technical diving community. If some of you guys want to know a bit more about what we're doing in this remote place of Indonesia let me know !
We also do a lot of technical diving indeed . The water conditions are just ideal for that. No current, super visibility and deep walls close from the shores. We stock everything to support this kind of diving and believe me it has been a pain !
I did not know that this sub-forum was also followed by the technical diving community. If some of you guys want to know a bit more about what we're doing in this remote place of Indonesia let me know !
drrich2
Contributor
On ScubaBoard, there are 2 menu functions some of us use. What's New lists the recent posts in order of posting; New Posts does the same but omits those we've viewed with no new posts since our last view.
In other words, some of us don't go digging into sub-forums most of the time, and we see content from nearly all the forums (a few are op.-in sections, like the Pub). A wide range of divers will see this topic.
drrich2
Contributor
I was surprised, too. Sulawesi Dive Trek's Technical Diving Page says (way down under Locations and Setup):
- Hyperbaric chamber available in Wakatobi.
I went to Wakatobi Dive Resort's FAQ Page and under Diving FAQs is says:
Where is the nearest hyperbaric chamber?
Bali.
Also note this question in their FAQ:
How do you handle decompression emergencies?
In case of a DECO emergency, our first-aid trained dive managers would immediately stabilize the diver's condition with non-baric medical oxygen. If deemed necessary, we would then evacuate the diver by a sea level cabin pressure flight (day-time only) directly back to Bali where there is a good re-compression chamber.
In our resort medical center, we carry a good stock of medical gear and medication. Should that not be enough, there is a basic hospital on the island neighboring Wakatobi (sufficiently equipped for most general treatments).
@RobinC. - what's the status on this? Does Wakatobi have a hyperbaric chamber on the island itself, or are patients sent to Bali?
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