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We originally booked this trip at the DEMA trade show in November, 2007, due to the fact that it is a complex and certainly not your average dive trip. As the months progressed from trip booking to the actual departure date, I worked very closely with our preferred dive travel agent Poseidon Dive Adventures to arrange flights out of Los Angeles, as well as hotels, tours, and various transportation needs.

Let’s get started, as this will be a lengthy report…I will break it up into sections for ease of reading and reference. Even though we spent two days before and three days after the Wakatobi portion of this trip in Bali, I won’t get into a lot of detail on those portions of the trip.

• Getting there
  As we had folks joining us from various parts of the country, we decided to meet everyone in Los Angeles for the Singapore Air flight from LAX to Singapore, and then on to Bali. This flight takes one from LAX to Tokyo, where there is about a 2 hour layover while the plane is cleaned, restocked, and the new crew boards. After Tokyo, we flew to Singapore, landing about 1am local time. Since our flight from Singapore to Bali left the next morning, we elected to arrange rooms at the transit hotels right inside the Singapore airport, rather than heading into the city.

  Once we landed in Bali, we were met by representatives from Wakatobi who assisted us with our luggage and helped us find our prearranged ground transportation to the Discovery Kartika Plaza hotel, located about 10 minutes from the airport. I’d highly recommend this hotel for the required stay before heading to Wakatobi, as it is close to the airport and is very comfortable and has many amenities, and fine restaurants…..especially the breakfast buffet!

  After the two days in Bali, we then went back to the airport for the private charter flight to Wakatobi. We were met at the domestic departure area by two Wakatobi staff who took care of our luggage and directed us into the terminal where we met Crispin Jones, the Wakatobi Bali office representative. I was extremely impressed at how efficient everything went once we arrived at the airport….from checking in, tagging our bags, being escorted to the private departure lounge, to the actual boarding of the charter flight. I can’t say enough about how organized and prepared Crispin was for our group…..with me being the group leader, he made me feel very welcome and put my mind at ease. He was very thorough in his briefing about the flight, what to expect at the airport, and other pertinent details. Once on board the plane for the charter flight, we completed our liability waivers and settled back for the 3 hour flight to Wakatobi. We had to stop mid way for a refueling stop, which allowed us to stretch a bit and get a quick glimpse of another of the smaller islands in Indonesia.

  Upon arrival at the airstrip on the island of Tomia, we were greeted by some colorful, functional, but sorely in need of refurbishing vans, which took us from the airstrip to the small marina, where we boarded one of the dive boats for the short trip to the island of Onemobaa where the resort is actually located. The walk from the vans to the dock is down a steep set of steps, but not to worry…there are Wakatobi staff there to carry your hand luggage for you. After everyone was on the boat, we set off for the 15 minute ride to the resort with welcome drinks in hand….a nice touch. Needless to say, once we rounded the point and got our first glimpse of the resort, our thoughts turned from the long hours of travel to thoughts of warm sand, friendly faces and fantastic diving….and we were not disappointed!

  

  On the way to Wakatobi

  

  First glimpse of Wakatobi Resort

  Once we arrived at the resort, we were greeted by the staff, each of whom were assigned to escort each couple to their respective bungalow, explain how everything worked in the bungalow, like the A/C, telephone, etc. What was a nice touch was the printed page of notes they used to explain everything was left with us to review. With all the excitement of finally arriving at the resort, sometimes reminders of when and where things are to take place are good until you get to know where things are.

  From the moment we stepped from the boat onto the jetty and were greeted by the staff, we were treated as friends, not customers. In fact within an hour of arriving the staff knew our names what we like to drink at meals. This is very refreshing in the dive industry, where many times a group of divers is looked upon as just another group of divers. Not so here……in my opinion, the service level at Wakatobi is unsurpassed, and can serve as a model for other dive operations.

• The Accommodations
  Our group had reserved three classes of bungalows..Garden, Beach, and Select Beach. Jean and I stayed in a Garden bungalow which was very comfortable. Those who stayed in the Beach or Select Beach had a few more amenities than we did, like an outdoor shower, and a bit nicer furniture, but no matter which level of accommodation you choose, you will not be disappointed. It is customary not to wear shoes indoors, so for 10 days were were literally shoeless! Each bungalow has a small reservoir of water near the steps to the front door to clean off any sand from your feet before entering your bungalow. Every day our bungalow was cleaned, the bed made smartly, and one of the large thirsty bath towels was arranged in a decorative way on the bed. It really showed how the staff treats their guests….as valued friends, not just another customer.
  

  Garden Bungalow

  The resort provides a laundry service, which many of our group used. There is a basket in each bungalow with a price list for each item, and you simply place your items to be laundered in the basket and it is taken by the housekeeping staff to be laundered by the local villagers . The only caveat is that it takes up to three days to get your clothes returned….so you don’t want to send anything out on the last few days of your stay. We sent out some t-shirts and shorts, and all came back very clean and neatly folded. So, it may make sense to under pack on some clothes, as the laundry service does a great job. Speaking of clothes, the attire at the resort is casual; meaning during the day, you are probably going to be diving so there is no need for anything other than shorts and t-shirts. During dinner many of the gentlemen would wear a collared shirt and nicer shorts, and some of the ladies would wear a lightweight dress of some sort or shorts and a nicer top. The dining room has a sign posted outside both entrances that asks that you enjoy the dining room without shoes and without wet clothes. So, after the first two daily dives/during lunch everyone is asked to wear dry clothes to the dining room.

  There is plenty of storage space for all your clothes and other belongings, and at no time did we feel like we were living out of our suitcases. After the first night, we asked for extra pillows, and there were provided cheerfully. One afternoon after returning from the third dive of the day, we noticed we did not have any hot water. Jean went to the front desk to alert them, and literally within 10 minutes someone was at our bungalow correcting the problem. Talk about fast service! It is obvious that anything that is not to a customers’ liking or is malfunctioning is corrected post haste!

• The Food
  In a nutshell, simply amazing. Breakfast starts around 645am, with a wide selection of hot and cold entrees, eggs made to order, assorted breads, fruit, juices, pastries, and other breakfast favorites. There was always something on the buffet line for everyone, even the most picky eater will find something here…if not, the staff would be pleased to fulfill your request.
  Lunch was typically around 1230, with another full buffet of salads, fish, chicken or beef (sometimes all three) and plenty of side dishes and soup to round out the meal.
  Dinner was at 7pm, again a buffet, but with even more selections and specially prepared soup, on the menu. I was not aware of anyone leaving the dining room unsatisfied with the food.
  Probably the most important location at the resort other than the dining room was the jetty bar…..where happy hour was from 430 to 530pm daily. There is nothing better than sitting down with friends and some of the staff for a cold drink and a snack while watching the amazing sunsets from your waterside chair.
  

  The Jetty Bar

• The Diving
  Ahhh….the diving. This is what it’s all about. Wakatobi has some of the best diving anywhere on the planet, with coral reefs that are almost indescribably pristine and beautiful. There was very little if any evidence of bleaching or damage. The dive guides really go out of their way to emphasize proper buoyancy control and respect for the environment. There is an abundance of marine life…from the smallest nudibranch and pygmy seahorse, to large schools of barracuda and clouds of other tropical fish.

  The dive boats are extremely comfortable….Wakatobi prefers having only 12 divers on each of the 60 foot dive boats, with that group of 12 split into two groups of 6, each with their own guide. This was a blessing for those in the group who were photographers. The guides are more than that…they are guides/divemasters, yes, but they are also adept at identifying the critters you see. They take the time to write out the name of the animal on a slate so that everyone knows what they are seeing. They move slowly enough so that the image makers have enough time to compose their shots properly.

  

  Wakatobi Dive Boats

  In terms of the boat and crew itself….the service is again top notch. We never set up our own gear, and never changed tanks between dives. After each dive, we were helped back aboard, our gear carefully secured, and we were offered a dry towel and our choice of tea, hot chocolate or water, along with snacks. Some questioned the hot tea or hot chocolate, but after making the typical 70 minute dives either one was welcome to help warm us up. Each of the boats has plenty of space for gear and cameras. There is even a toilet on each boat…….which really came in handy after some of the 70 minute + dives! The boats also offer plenty of shade from the blistering sun. The water temperature was a steady 82-83 on almost all the sites; current was minimal, and if a stronger current did spring up, the dive is simply changed from the moored dive to a drift dive.

  On the dives on the house reef (which by the way is not to be missed) the dive staff is ready to lend a hand with fins, tanks, whatever. Jean and I did a shore dive one afternoon, and while we were getting our gear assembled, out of nowhere two of the dive staff appeared ready to assist us with our gear and cameras. We walked into the water, donned our fins, and while we were doing that each of the crew also walked into the water carrying our cameras very gently, and handed them off to us when we were ready. We made about a 30 minute dive, and while we were heading back into shore, I noticed the same two staff waiting for us on the beach so they could again assist us with our cameras and gear. Simply amazing service.

  Each dive is thoroughly briefed, with descriptions of conditions, possible current, expected marine life and well drawn maps of each dive site. One of the guides would enter the water, check the conditions and then allow the divers under his/her control to enter the water to start the dive. What was especially impressive was the recommendation of what type of photography was best for each site….wide angle or macro.

  You are assigned a dive number and a gear basket….all you need to do is make sure anything you want on the boat is in your basket before 645am….as the dive staff loads all the gear for you. If you don’t want to make a particular boat dive you simply placed an X next to your name on the dive board and your gear would be removed from the boat and placed in the dive shack. The hardest thing we did for the entire time we were at Wakatobi was analyze tanks for nitrox use.

  

  Tanks ready for analyzing

  

  The Dive Board

• Other Considerations
  The resort has a separate camera room dedicated to keeping the diver’s camera gear safe and provide a convenient area to change lenses, ports, charge strobes, etc. It offers both 110 and 220 volt outlets for chargers, along with cushioned work spaces. I would recommend getting a spot as soon as one arrives, as the work areas fill quickly, especially if there are a lot of image makers on the trip.
  

  Camera Table

  At the longhouse, which is the central meeting place at the resort, there is always water and snacks available. Also contained at the longhouse are the lounge with the small library and internet access (slow) and the boutique ( very nice!)

  The resort also has a spa, where massages and other beauty treatments are available.

  On the last day of diving, the resort puts cleaner into the large rinse tanks for everyone’s use and erects a set of racks right on the jetty so everyone’s gear has a better chance at drying before the flight home. This was greatly appreciated, as many of our group were just inside the weight restrictions coming to the resort, and having wet gear for the trip home would have put them over the weight limits.

  

  Gear Drying Racks

• Overall Impressions
  Wakatobi has to be one of the best places I have ever seen. Their level of service is one of the things everyone in my group commented on when we were at the resort and when we left for the journey home. All the staff…from the housekeepers, to the groundskeepers to the dining room staff to the dive guides understand the concept of what it means to give good service and make patrons want to return.

  As we said on our comment card at the end of our stay….under pack on clothes, over pack on memory cards for your camera, because you’ll need it!