Wakatobi Winter Wonderland

We are gearing up for another exclusive winter break at the exquisite luxury resort of Wakatobi next June/July.

Quite possibly one of the most beautiful places you'll ever visit, this private island paradise can only be reached by the resort’s private charter flight from Bali. It’s the perfect location for anyone seeking a genuine and remarkable coral reef discovery, coupled with exemplary hospitality and luxury.

Wakatobi was built in 1995 and has become a global standard in sustainable tourism. Management mirrors the ecosystem on which it has been built. Four hundred staff combine individual skills, adding up to an incredible level of service for only about forty-five guests (that’s a staff to guest ratio of 10:1).

Investment in seventeen local villages is what it’s taken to secure the long-term protection of over 25 kilometres of pristine coral reef.

‘Wakatobi is only ten per cent a snorkel/dive resort’, owner Lorenz explains, ‘for the rest we run a conservation business’, adding, ‘the reef wouldn’t still be here if we hadn’t come.’

Wakatobi’s magic is in the little things. The orange clownfish hiding in anemones, neon damsels in the seagrass or Pontohoi pygmy seahorses in the halimeda. Also, 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. Wakatobi’s mantra is to provide everything to ensure you have the perfect stay.

From the very moment staff meet us on arrival, to the second we disembark back in Bali, every second is meticulously planned. The gardens are verdant and lush. The rooms exquisite and the communal areas comfortable and quiet.

Wakatobi’s cuisine is exceptional. Every diet is catered for. Every dish is an artwork. The cocktails are divine! There are homemade doughnuts, cakes and fresh sliced fruits every afternoon, served with tea, coffee and delicious coconut water in the Long House. If you’re out on any one of several day-trip boats, you’ll choose from an onboard lunch menu plus a smorgasbord of cakes and fruit.

Our groups include people who have hardly ever snorkelled before, non-divers and divers.

Hiring a private boat for some days, allows us flexibility to visit the outer islands. Together we enjoy one-on-one attention from our wonderful Indonesian reef guides who are excellent at pointing out the weird and curious animals that make the reef ‘tick’. There are plenty of hot towels, homemade ginger tea, warm fluffy linen for drying and an abundance of smiles and laughter.

For the remaining time, our guests decide what they want to do. Some prefer a less submerged schedule. There are standup paddleboards or even kitesurfs (one of the owner’s sons is competing in the Paris Olympics this year). There is plenty of private space for relaxation to sunbathe or leisurely birdwatch. After all, there is hardly anyone else for hundreds of miles.

Wakatobi’s centrepiece though, is its house reef. The top is absolutely teeming with fish. Huge turtles pass by. Even dolphins sometimes. Cool currents from the Banda Sea keep the coral healthy and there are water taxis and lookouts on constant watch to keep you safe and ferry you around.

Wakatobi is the perfect place to explore your senses, perhaps challenge yourself and fall in love with nature. Several of our guests even decided to do discovery dives.

This is such a rare place to be. The resort isn’t there because of the reef, the reef is there because of resort. Where else, and how else, can visitors see a perfectly intact and naturally stocked coral plateau of this magnificence?

To find out more about Wakatobi, visit https://wakatobi.deluxelife.com.au/