Dive Review of Wakatobi Dive Resort in
Indonesia

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Wakatobi Dive Resort, Sep, 2014, by Margaret Jorgensen, TN, US ( Reviewer 6 reports with 7 Helpful votes). Report 7760 has 3 Helpful votes.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	My review is colored by my extraordinarily high expectations for Wakatobi. Those expectations were met by the resort, but the diving was very disappointing. The corals are great as are the reef fish, but there isn't very much else. Less than a week after I left, Undercurrent published a review in the October 2014 issue that is almost exactly what I'd say about the diving. The resort is very expensive. The service is very good and the food is very good. I do not think it is worth the price, though. I stayed in the least expensive (shared) bungalow and the cost is more than double what I paid for single accommodations at Layang Layang and at SeaVentures (Sipadan/Mabul) and the diving in both places was better than at Wakatobi. There are no large fish at Wakatobi and not a lot in the way of small critters. The accommodations don't reflect the price. Our bungalow was nice but not above the ordinary in any way. Amenities were in large bottles, which I suppose is environmentally friendly. The arrival service at DPS is good, and the transfer at the DPS airport is very smooth. The lounge was crowded and not very good. The flight to Wakatobi was in a tiny plane. The crew blocked off the back half of the plane for carryons which meant that we were all crowded into small seats with no leg room. It would have been nice to have been able to spread out. After we landed, we were met by a caravan of station wagons. We loaded up and drove a few minutes to where the boats to take us to the actual resort were docked. Porters met us and helped us with the luggage. We were taken to our bungalow and then left. We wandered to the dive shop where we were told that we had not gotten the info we should have, but one of the dive guides explained everything. We did not dive on the arrival day and on the day before departure, we were limited to two morning dives. The complaints. I asked about the departure and arrival times for the plane (by email). I was directed to the FAQs. Which are incorrect. DO NOT SCHEDULE A FLIGHT FROM BALI ON THE DAY OF DEPARTURE FROM WAKATOBI. The FAQ indicates that the latest the plane will arrive back at Bali is 4:00 pm. That is not the case. Our flight arrived around 5:00 pm. I thought we were nickeled and dimed. Nitrox is $25 a day. One tank or 4, it's $25 each day. Cappuccinos were $6 and expressos were $4 at breakfast (Most places I've stayed special coffees are free at breakfast. No one indicated a charge and the slips appeared at check out without our signatures.) We were charged for a coke from our mini bar which we had not had. They took it off the bill with no hassle and I wouldn't mention it except that at the same time we were checking our bill, I overhead another guest with the same complaint. Service was excellent until check out and beyond. It's very much a hurry up and wait situation with no one knowing exactly when the transfer to the airport will occur. And from the boat dock to where the cars are to take us to the plane, is a long walk and a climb of 57 steps. While there were porters to help take carry on bags down, there was no one to help with bags up. Someone finally came to help me with my bag, but one fellow almost collapsed on the climb carrying his photo gear. I suppose it's such an iconic place you might feel you must do it, but there are cheaper places with better diving.
Websites	Wakatobi Dive Resort
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Bonaire, Grand Cayman, Red Sea, Sipadan, Puerto Galera (Philippines) Lembongan, Lembeh, Bunaken (all Indonesia), Great Barrier Reef, Layang Layang, Wakatobi, Fiji, Yap, Palau, Hawaii, Maldives
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	dry	Seas	calm
Water Temp	-°F / -°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	- Ft/ - M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	25 meters, 70 minutes
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	The boats have an area for camera. There is a nice camera room which I did't use because I have a small camera and there were a plethora of huge camera outfits.

Report currently has 3 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of Wakatobi Dive Resort in Indonesia

Wakatobi Dive Resort, Sep, 2014,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Wakatobi Dive Resort in
Indonesia