Wakatobi is a small archipelago, regency, and national park in South East Sulawesi in Indonesia.

Understand

Sunset at Wakatobi.

Wakatobi is well known among divers as one of the world's best dive sites. The name is an acronym of the four largest islands in the area: Wangiwangi, Kaledupa, Tomea, and Binongko. Wakatobi forms a regency, of which the capital is Wangiwangi. The regency is also a national park.

Get in

By plane

• 1 Matahora Airport (WNI  ^IATA) (on the island of Wangiwangi). The scheduled flights to Wakatobi are on Wings Air (a subsidiary of Lion Air) from Kendari, the provincial capital. Or use Garuda Indonesia every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.  

Another option is to fly to Betoambari Airport (BUW ^IATA) near Bau-Bau on the island of Buton, which has direct flights from Makassar operated by Wings Air and Garuda Indonesia. There is also a public boat from Bau-Bau which goes overnight to Wanci.

Most divers arrive in Wakatobi via the Wakatobi Resort's scheduled chartered flights from Bali.

Drink

• Tanah Toraja coffee is famous.

Sleep

• Wakatobi Dive Resort. Five-day packages from US$2,280, including all dives and meals, but excluding transfers. 

Go next

• Back to Makassar, then to the north to see Butterfly Paradise in Bantimurung Waterfall area and then spend a few nights in Tanah Toraja.