Dive Review of Wakatobi -- Pelagian/Wakatobi resort in
Indonesia/Wakatobi- SE Sulawesi Sea

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Wakatobi -- Pelagian/Wakatobi resort: "Returning to Wakatobi after Covid", May, 2023, by Peggy Goldberg, FL, US ( Sr. Reviewer 11 reports with 2 Helpful votes). Report 12744.
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
Snorkeling
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	This was our third trip back to Wakatobi- we dove the first week on the Pelagian, and the second week at the Resort. The diving is different on each, and should be experienced. You would fly into Bali, and get their 2 1/2 hour charter flight to the island, where the resort boats pick you up for the final leg to their island. It is highly suggested to get to Bali several days before, and not only rest, but get to experience Bali. Wakatobi has a consierge service that we highly recommend - where you get a guide in Bali, they meet you at the airport and get you through so much quicker, get you to your hotel and arrange all tours. On your return they will get you through customs in a flash, and checked in painlessly. Since Covid, they were shut down for 2 years, and the company kept most of their employees, even the dive guides, where they renovated, repaired, and built even more infrastructure and boats.The dive guides patrolled the protected dive sites, etc. On the unprotected sites away from the resort, Covid forced the locals to fish because they had no jobs, and had to feed their families. We noticed fewer schools of fish since the last trip in 2018. We also noticed more rubble on the reefs especially on the Pelagian, as that boat goes out much further away from the protected reefs. That said, it is still incredible diving, and even though I thought I hadn't seen as many species, my photos showed us we still saw as much, and even more than before. The staff goes overboard, both on the boat and resort to make sure everything is running smoothly and you are happy. We are very easy to please, but some guests seem to require more attention and the staff did their best to comply. The food was fabulous and diverse, and they seem to have several staff for each guest. The boat accomodations are luxurious and spacious, with a huge dedicated camera room. On the Pelagian, you dive off a tender, with a guide for 4 people. The resort boats are stable, spacious, covered and have a head. You dive 2 dives in the morning, and 2 in the afternoon. The house reef is great, and we did skip some resort boat dives to dive the house reef wall and shallows, and saw lots of strange marine life....lots of subjects to photograph. The resort has a dedicated camera room, with individual spaces for each person, with charging stations. We were there in mid to late May- and the windy season was starting. That meant higher waves, lower viz, and ripping currents. We had a bunch of "E-ticket" rides. So, do check the times of year for the windy and rainy season. We have been there in late November and April/may in the past. Be aware this is a Muslim country, so alcohol is very expensive, but that is not an issue with us not to be drinking at that time. There really is nothing but good things to say about Wakatobi.
Websites	Wakatobi -- Pelagian Wakatobi resort
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	All over the Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida, Hawaii, Socorro, Cocos Island, Fiji, Solomons, Indonesia
Closest Airport	Denpasar, Bali	Getting There	From Orlando Florida to Dubai to Denpasar, Bali, with Emirates Air. No premium economy with the planes available. Flight to Dubai about 14 hrs, about 9 houre to Bali. We had been taking Korean Air to Seoul, from Atlanta, then to Bali, in the past. trip still takes almost 42 hours either way. the older you get, the harder. Economy was miserable, but Business class was $26k.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy	Seas	calm, choppy, currents
Water Temp	80-°F / 27-°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	40-100 Ft/ 12-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	limit depth to nitrox mix, every 2-4 divers had a guide.
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	Crew helps carry your equipment to the boats, puts in rinse tanks after dives, and will help carry back to the resort. On the boat,, crew assists getting your gear in tender, and putting in rinse tanks upon return. Camera rooms are spacious, lots of charging stations. They also have some cameras for rent. Do check into what they have.

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Dive Review of Wakatobi -- Pelagian/Wakatobi resort in Indonesia/Wakatobi- SE Sulawesi Sea

Wakatobi -- Pelagian/Wakatobi resort: "Returning to Wakatobi after Covid", May, 2023,

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 -- Pelagian/Wakatobi resort in
Indonesia/Wakatobi- SE Sulawesi Sea