Wakatobi info please

[RobinC.]

Hey Guys.
To answer you question about the chamber. It has been installed if i am not wrong in 2014 in the public hospital of Wangi-wangi and is indeed owned by the government.
As frequently in Indonesia it has been installed and not really maintained, hence the need to send people to Makassar (way closer than bali) for a while but It has been fixed again 2 years ago along with the installation of an oxygen generator
The government has been struggling to get reliable operator and we had a temporary hyperbaric doc from Jakarta for a while. We are now trying to secure an operator through the tourism integrated masterplan. Haven't been yet updated on this issue but will let you know here for sure.
I'll try to send you some pictures of the beast in the upcoming days !

 

[RobinC.]

Hey Guys.
To answer you question about the chamber. It has been installed if i am not wrong in 2014 in the public hospital of Wangi-wangi and is indeed owned by the government.
As frequently in Indonesia it has been installed and not really maintained, hence the need to send people to Makassar (way closer than bali) for a while but It has been fixed again 2 years ago along with the installation of an oxygen generator
The government has been struggling to get reliable operator and we had a temporary hyperbaric doc from Jakarta for a while. We are now trying to secure an operator through the tourism integrated masterplan. Haven't been yet updated on this issue but will let you know here for sure.
I'll try to send you some pictures of the beast in the upcoming days !

 

[chris kippax]

Not sure if anyone is interseted but this is the maps I made after our trip to Hoga island in 2012. It was trip organised by the university of Essex. We had a great time and it was quite the adventure. Wanci wanci the pirate town was an eye opener as was the Bajo village of Sampela

Fly Brisbane to KL

 

[chris kippax]

Fly KL to Jakarta

 

[chris kippax]

Fly Jakarta to Makassar

 

[chris kippax]

Fly Makassar to Kendari the Bau bau

 

[chris kippax]

Drive over a mountain in a crazy bongo van that was trying to carbon moxide poision us from Bau bau to Pasawarjo

 

[chris kippax]

Catch a traditional Indo boat from Pasawarjo to Pulua Hoga

 

[RobinC.]

Thanks chris for your map that reminds the old days. Nowadays the transportation is more streamlined, you can fly directly from Jakarta to kendari then from kendari to Wangi-Wangi, the main island of the archipelago.

Fun fact : Wakatobi is the modern name of the archipelago, coming from the name of the four main islands WA-KA-TO-BI , WAngi-wangi KAledupa TOmia Binongko.
The traditional name is Kepulauan Tukang Besi, or in english the Blacksmith arquipelago. Indeed there is a very old tradition of machete forging in Binongko.

 

[BFRedrocks]

Hope your trip works out and you write us a review when you get back. Got a question. Like many people, I'm aware of Wakatobi via those beautiful ads in dive magazines I saw years ago, and I, too, was put off by the price. I've never even been to that side of the world.

On ScubaBoard, while I've seen reviews and discussions about quite number of destinations in the Coral Triangle region, Raja Ampat and Komodo get a lot of the attention, as do the Philippines if taken collectively.

What specifically appeals to you about Wakatobi as a destination, as it's apparently not the famous, high-priced Wakatobi resort? As opposed to Raja Ampat, PNG or another option? The info. might be helpful to others researching their options.

I've been to Wakatobi before (2019), and I'm returning in a couple of months. The reason it appeals to me is the seclusion of the resort and diving, the ability to have a "personalized" DM accompany me while I'm diving, the diving itself, and the quality of the resort and amenities. Yes, it is NOT inexpensive, and I feel very fortunate to have been able to see it in person, let alone actually get a return trip there. There are other places with similar diving or even similar resort amenities, but because it is (currently) affordable for me, it is my destination of choice. Raja Ampat, PNG, and other spots in the region are on my radar, but I had such a great time in 2019 at Wakatobi, I am super excited to be able to experience it a second time.