Wakatobi Dive Resort

Dive resort · Indonesia · Tomia Island, Southeast Sulawesi · Official Website

Divers beside a sea fan on the Wakatobi reef

Dinner on the restaurant terrace by the ocean

Booking by Tour Leader Club

7 room types · more than 50 dive sites · house reef

Wakatobi is a private dive resort on Tomia Island in southeast Sulawesi, right in the heart of the Coral Triangle. The site was chosen deliberately: the founders looked for a place where climate, underwater topography and the highest marine biodiversity on earth come together. One of the world’s largest privately funded marine reserves was then built around the resort — local villages are paid not to fish these reefs, and the reef stays the way reefs were before industrial fishing.

The headline feature is the house reef directly in front of the resort. The drop-off starts 80 metres offshore, you enter from the beach or the jetty, dives run from 6 am to 10 pm, and shore staff monitor every diver in the water. It has been named the world’s best shore dive: first a lush sea-grass bed full of macro life, then carpets of hard and soft coral, then a wall falling from two metres to well over forty.

The outer reefs — more than 50 mapped sites — are half an hour to an hour away aboard locally built 21-metre wooden dive boats: wide decks, camera table, freshwater shower, toilet, oxygen, a maximum of 14 divers (usually 10–12). Guides average 3,000 dives each, and some hold cave and rebreather instructor ratings. Nitrox is included for certified divers, and technical diving, trimix and rebreathers are supported.

Accommodation is hand-crafted bungalows and villas along the beach, all air-conditioned, with satellite wi-fi and Asian-style outdoor showers. Villas come with a butler and a private dive guide. Full board is included: three meals a day in the beachfront restaurant, a constantly replenished buffet, special diets on request, and a jetty bar for sunsets.

You travel via Bali: the resort’s own 70-seat turboprop flies 2.5 hours to a private airstrip on Tomia, followed by a short drive and boat ride. Diving runs year-round — only four dives have been called off in the past ten years.

No markup

You pay exactly the rate the resort publishes. On top of that, only the actual bank costs of currency conversion and the international transfer — no commission of ours.

We run the deal

Correspondence with the resort, holding the room, the contract, booking confirmation and all paperwork are on our side. There is nothing for you to arrange yourself.

Card payment

We accept payment by card through Stripe and issue an invoice. The transfer to the resort is our job — you do not have to find a way to pay abroad.

Support all the way

We help you choose the room and dates, work out the dive package, answer questions about flights and gear, and stay in touch until you are home.

The exact amount is confirmed when we hold your booking: it includes the resort's rate at the day's exchange rate plus the actual transfer costs. No hidden fees.

About the resort

Country: Indonesia
Location: Tomia Island, Southeast Sulawesi
Nearest airport: Private airstrip on Tomia (1,500 m)
Transfer: Resort flight from Bali, 2.5 hours + boat
House reef: Yes — entry from beach and jetty, dives from 6:00 to 22:00
Dive sites: more than 50
Dive centre: PADI, SDI, TDI
Nitrox: Free for certified divers
Staff: 5 staff per guest
Internet: Satellite wi-fi in every room
Languages: English, German, Indonesian

At the resort

House reef 80 m off the beach

Beachfront restaurant, all meals included

Jetty bar

Spa with Balinese and European treatments

Library and media room

Longhouse lounge with drinks and snacks

Boutique and gift shop

Satellite wi-fi

Air conditioning in every room

Minibar, safe, hair dryer, coffee pot

Evening turndown service

Laundry and daily housekeeping

Diving

House reef — the world's best shore dive

3 guided boat dives of 70 minutes daily

Unlimited shore diving

More than 50 mapped dive sites

Nitrox included for certified divers

Technical diving, trimix, rebreathers

21 m dive boats for 14 divers

Taxi boat drop-offs along the house reef

Guides averaging 3,000 dives

Private dive guide (PDEM) on request

Climate-controlled camera room

Full rental gear available

PADI, SDI, TDI and nitrox courses

Oxygen, GPS and radio on every boat

Staff carry the gear: tanks, cameras and kit are taken to the boat and back, and rinsing and drying is handled for you. The only exception is a shore entry on the house reef.

Dining

Three meals a day, all included

Beachfront restaurant facing the reef

Buffet with a menu that changes daily

Indonesian, Asian and international cuisine

Vegetarian and gluten-free menus

À la carte breakfast in your room

Room service through the day

Private dinner for two on the beach

Jetty bar for sunsets

Coffee, tea, juice and water throughout

Tell the resort about diets and allergies in advance — the kitchen cooks separately. Alcohol, wine and cocktails are charged on account.

Beyond diving

Snorkelling on the house reef and by boat

Kitesurfing with an instructor (June–September)

Kayaks and paddleboards through the mangroves

The Onemobaa nature trail to the village

Visit to a neighbouring village and market

Spa — massage, body treatments, facials

Evening marine life presentations

Birdwatching and monitor lizards

Rooms

Bungalow in the palm grove

from $415 per person per night

View: Garden and palms

Beds: King, can be split into two singles

The best-value option: a bungalow in the second row among palms and tropical planting, a couple of minutes from the beach. Inside it is the same as every other category — air conditioning, en-suite bathroom, verandah, full service and all meals.

Verandah shaded by palms Air conditioning Minibar and safe Satellite wi-fi

Beachfront bungalow

from $530 per person per night

View: Ocean and house reef

Beds: King, can be split into two singles

Front row on the water: a wide verandah with loungers, a view of the reef and the sunset, surf two steps away. Bathroom inside, plus a spacious Asian spa-style shower outside. The best balance of view and price.

Verandah with loungers by the water Outdoor spa-style shower Air conditioning Minibar and safe

Larger bungalow

from $605 per person per night

View: Turtle Beach, ocean

Beds: King, can be split into two singles

An expanded version of the Ocean Bungalow, set in a palm grove at the southern end of the resort by quiet Turtle Beach. More room inside, a bathroom with double sinks, and an outdoor shower with two rainfall heads and its own entrance from the beach — so you can rinse off after a dive without tracking sand through the room.

Bathroom with double sinks Outdoor shower with beach entrance Spacious ocean-view porch Air conditioning

Two-bedroom bungalow

from $680 per person per night

View: Turtle Beach, ocean

Beds: Two bedrooms, a king in each

The same Turtle Beach bungalow with two bedrooms — for a family or two couples, up to four people. Each bedroom has its own bathroom, and the second one has a separate entrance. The living area, the enlarged outdoor shower and the ocean-view porch are shared.

Two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms Separate entrance to the second bedroom Living area Enlarged outdoor shower

Villa with butler service

from $815 per person per night

View: Ocean, sunsets

Beds: King

The villas sit at the northern end of the beach on a low ledge above the house reef: an open view of the ocean and the sunsets, and a wide deck with steps straight into the water. The rate includes a butler and a private dive guide who shapes the diving around you rather than around a group schedule.

Butler (private resort experience manager) Private dive guide (PDEM) Steps from the deck into the ocean Outdoor spa-style shower Olympus TG or GoPro for two dives

Villa with a private pool

from $1,105 per person per night

View: Panoramic reef and ocean

Beds: Two bedrooms, a king in each

The largest category at the resort: two bedrooms with their own bathrooms, a private pool, a deck with steps down to the beach and a panorama of the reef. Villa two also has an ocean-view bathtub. A butler, a private dive guide for the first two guests and a second guide for additional adults are included.

Private pool and large deck Two bedrooms with bathrooms Private stretch of beach Butler and private dive guides Outdoor shower, ocean-view bathtub

Residence for 8+ guests

on request

View: Ocean, courtyard with pool

Beds: Two master suites and two additional rooms

A resort within the resort for a family or a group of friends: two master suites plus two rooms that can serve as further bedrooms, an office or an underwater photography room. Its own butler, its own kitchen team, its own boat and crew and private dive and snorkel guides. Dives, dinners and sunsets run on your schedule, not the resort's. Unlimited activities are already included.

Pool in the central courtyard Dedicated butler and chefs Private boat with crew Private dive and snorkel guides Unlimited diving included

Rates

Accommodation 2026

Category	Standard rate	Holiday season
Palm Bungalow	$415	$475
Ocean Bungalow	$530	$605
Turtle Beach Bungalow	$605	$700
Two Bedroom Turtle Beach Bungalow	$680	$785
One-bedroom Villa	$815	$940
Two-bedroom Pool Villa	$1,105	$1,270

Per person per night based on two guests sharing, in US dollars. Holiday season — 30 March–13 April, 14 September–16 November, 21 December–1 January.

Accommodation 2027

Category	Standard rate	Holiday season
Palm Bungalow	$465	$545
Ocean Bungalow	$545	$635
Turtle Beach Bungalow	$620	$730
Two Bedroom Turtle Beach Bungalow	$695	$820
One-bedroom Villa	$835	$980
Two-bedroom Pool Villa	$1,135	$1,330

Holiday season 2027 — 22 March–9 April, 13 September–15 November, 20 December–3 January.

Unlimited diving and snorkelling 2026

Nights	Diving	Snorkelling
3 nights	$500	$370
4 nights	$750	$555
7 nights	$1,500	$1,110
10 nights	$2,140	$1,580
11 nights	$2,375	$1,760
14 nights	$3,090	$2,285
21 nights	$4,500	$3,330

Per person for the whole stay. Unlimited packages are only sold when booked in advance. Activities are already included for the Courtyard Residence.

Single dives and add-ons

Service	Price
Single dive	$110
Single snorkel trip	$85
Private dive or snorkel guide, per day	$290
Kitesurfing, per day	$205
Bali — Wakatobi flight, return	$890

Kitesurfing is resort-only and runs June to September. A private guide is booked for a minimum of four days.

Rates and availability can change. Message us — we will confirm current dates and prices.

When to go

Best timeYear-round — there is no season unsuitable for diving here

Water temperature26–30 °C

Air temperature26–30 °C

Visibility20–50 m, 35 m on average

Easterly winds blow from June to October, westerlies from December to April, with May and November as transitional months. July and August bring slightly more wind and cooler air, but visibility holds: there are no rivers nearby, so rain does not cloud the water. Rainfall is about a quarter of the Indonesian average. The warmest water comes in late October, the coolest in the second half of August.

Getting there

The route runs through Bali. Most major airlines fly into Denpasar, and the resort meets you at the airport and helps with baggage and customs.

From there it is the resort’s own flight: a 70-seat turboprop covering the 2.5 hours to the private airstrip on Tomia, followed by a short drive and a boat ride. Flights usually run on Mondays and Fridays, leaving in the morning and arriving in time for lunch. Full international baggage allowance, breakfast before departure and a snack on board are included. The flight costs $890 per person return for stays of three nights or more.

Doing it independently is possible too: fly Bali — Makassar or Kendari, then a local flight to Wangi-Wangi, an overnight stay and a ferry to Tomia. The resort’s 1,500 m airstrip also takes private jets.