“We’re a no-shoes resort” says Crispin, Operations Director at Wakatobi, as we arrive by boat and step barefoot onto the resort jetty.
This welcome sets the tone for a fantastic week of diving, snorkelling and indulgent relaxation with a taste of luxury.
Wakatobi Resort is famous in diving circles for its pristine reefs and landmark conservation programs.
Set on a small, remote island in Indonesia’s Banda Sea, this iconic property has evolved from a simple diver’s outpost into a world-class boutique beach resort providing five-star service and gourmet dining experiences.
Our eclectic group included divers, non-divers and novice snorkellers. We arrived via the resort’s charter guest flight from Bali to a private airfield, enjoying spectacular views of Lombok’s Mount Rinjani en route.
Wakatobi’s warm, helpful hospitality team took care of everything from then on, leaving us to relax over lunch in the dining hall overlooking the ocean. This was the first of many over-indulgent meals we enjoyed.
The Wakatobi staff knew all our names before arrival and personally greeted us every morning with a smile. There was nothing we needed to ask for. Our accommodations proved equally delightful.
We stayed in hand-crafted wood and stone bungalows tucked into a beachside palm grove and waterfront villas with added amenities such as private plunge pools, shower gardens and catered dining.
Avid divers and snorkelers can explore Wakatobi’s underwater world from dawn to dusk and beyond, while those seeking a less submerged schedule, can relax on the beach, go paddleboarding or kitesurfing, hiking and birding on nature trails, enjoy Balinese massages, cooking classes, village tours and island hopping by private boat.
On the House
That said, the coral reefs are the main attraction and none are finer than the House Reef, which encompasses a vast area of coral gardens and seagrass meadows in front of the resort.
The site is monitored and is the perfect environment for young and new snorkellers and divers to experience the underwater world. It is equally prized by die-hard underwater enthusiasts who spend entire weeks exploring this site.
Our group enjoyed the House Reef’s taxi boat service to more distant parts of the reef. Sometimes we would explore the shallows and admire the kaleidoscopic displays of soft corals. Other times we would follow the precipitous slope of the reefs’ outer edge, as though flying above a dramatic drop-off.
Wakatobi operates a fleet of spacious dive/snorkel boats that make daily excursions to more than 40 sites within the private marine preserve.
These boats are extremely comfortable, with shaded seating, plenty of storage, large deck-level bathrooms with full showers and niceties such as lemongrass-scented towels, homemade ginger tea and an abundance of smiles and laughter.
Wakatobi’s magic is found not only in the magnificence of the surroundings and the waters but also in the tiny details that add up to a place that has been described as one of the best resorts in the world; a moniker you will come to realise isn’t an understatement.
DeluxeLife are Travel specialists in exclusive luxury and nature tours. The Wakatobi Winter Break will be available each year in July, offering the chance to escape the cold and discover the magic of Wakatobi for themselves.
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