Why Wakatobi Resort remains one couple’s favorite diving and snorkeling destination

Will it be as good as the last time? That’s a question many of us ponder when preparing to relive a cherished experience, or return to a favorite place. For Pam and Wayne Osborn of Perth, western Australia, there’s no need to wonder when the destination is Wakatobi Resort. With five trips to the resort already in their logbooks, and a sixth visit planned for the spring of 2017, they continue to discover new reasons to return, and look forward to revisiting familiar pleasures while also discovering new possibilities.

Villa Two includes both a waterfront deck and private plunge pool. Photo by Marco Fierli

The villa experience

On their most recent visit to Wakatobi Resort, the Osborns reserved a waterfront Villa. “We’d always been extremely happy with the Ocean Bungalows on our previous visits, but this time we wanted to try something different,” Pam says. “We especially liked the wide verandahs and the refreshment of the outdoor showers after a day of diving or snorkeling. The villa introduced us to a whole new level of luxury and enjoyment.”

The Wakatobi Villas are located at the northern end of the resort’s beach, perched on a low limestone ledge right at water’s edge. “The elevated view of the ocean and the sense of privacy added yet another entrancing dimension to our sense of being in very a special place,” Wayne says. “The walled terrace creates privacy, and from the moment you walk through the gates you get a feeling of luxury,” Pam says. “The large windows bring the views inside, and when you are relaxing on the couches under the veranda, looking across the pool to the reef, you feel like you’re sitting right on the water.”

The Osborns appreciated the spaciousness offered by the villa. Photo by Marco Fierli

Wayne appreciated the spaciousness of the villa. “It wasn’t just a place to sleep,” he says. “It became our favorite place to hang out, process images, or relax with friends.” The Osborns last stayed in villa two, which includes both a waterfront deck and private plunge pool. This quickly became a favorite. “The pool was a great place to relax after a hard day of diving,” Wayne says. “Leaning on the edge with a drink in hand while watching yet another glorious Banda Sea sunset became a favorite evening ritual. The cooling waters were the perfect place to relax and reflect on the day. You wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Villas at Wakatobi Resort are serviced by personal butlers. “It was nice to know the service was available, and they kept us stocked in ice and snacks,” Pam says. “We didn’t end up taking advantage of some of the perks such as private dinner services, which would have been lovely in the villa setting. Instead, we found we still enjoyed eating in the dining room, and actually looked forward to catching up with the staff. After five visits, they are starting to feel like family.”

The private boat option “unleashes a whole new degree of freedom,” says Wayne. Photo by Wayne Osborn

Upping the ante

Both Wayne and Pam are avid and accomplished underwater photographers, though they pursue their passions in different ways. After years of diving, Pam now prefers to snorkel, and will often spend entire days exploring the House Reef with camera in hand. Wayne has devoted hundreds of hours to documenting the life of Wakatobi’s reef, and may sometimes spend the better part of an afternoon at one site. To facilitate this preference, he chartered a private boat during his latest stay at the resort. “Staying in the villa spoiled us, then the private boat experience really upped the ante,” he says.

“Having your own boat and crew, and being able to choose dive sites based on your own photographic desires unleashes a whole new degree of freedom,” Wayne says. “The boat captain and crew take great pride in their boat handling skills. The dive guides are not just excellent spotters, they are knowledgeable and understand the habitats, animal behaviors and subtle clues for finding exotic marine life or certain critter you have been hunting for years. Thanks to the guides and boat crew, many of whom I regard as friends, I can concentrate on my photography and easily complete three to four very productive and long dives each day.”

“Having your own boat and crew, and being able to choose dive sites based on your own photographic desires unleashes a whole new degree of freedom.”

The private boat also created some new opportunities for the Osborns to share their photographic pursuits. “Pam usually works the House Reef as a free diver, while I am out the boats.” Wayne says. “With the private charter, she was able to join me some days, and we would find an attractive reef that met both of our needs. Typically, she could remain working in the water during my surface interval – she really valued that additional time in the water. This was an unexpected bonus of the private boat and it worked very well.”

Pam captured this image of a rare leopard blenny during their last visit. “Each time we visit I find more new things, and never get bored,” she says. Photo by Pam Osborn

“The private boat opened up a lot of new possibilities,” Pam says, “and allowed us to return to some favorite sites repeatedly to capture particular behaviors or features. The boat staff always kept an eye on me, and it was nice having the freedom to explore.We spent several entire dives shadowing broadclub cuttlefish as they placed their eggs in the stag horn coral. Wade and I developed a fascination with the antics of skeleton shrimps, so we spent several night dives just lying on the bottom at Teluk Maya doing nothing else but shooting them in super macro. On one dive I shot a particularly brilliant (I thought) series of wide-angle shots only to discover I had screwed up my focus settings. Apart from the embarrassment, no problem. I simply went back on the next dive and reshot. That’s a second chance you rarely get. We will be back on a private boat [on our next visit] in 2017.”

A cloud of glass fish hover below a table coral at the site known as Barracuda. Photo by Wayne Osborn

Wayne found this stargazer at Teluk Maya, a favorite site of many resort guests. Photo by Wayne Osborn

Reasons to return

Over the course of five visits to Wakatobi Resort, Wayne has now made more than 260 dives on the surrounding reefs. “You might wonder why we would go back again after so many dives in the same area,” Wayne says. “We thought about that question a bit before we booked our upcoming sixth trip in 2017—but we didn’t have to think for long. There are certainly other places in the world that are attractive, and we will probably get to them at some point. But even after 263 dives at Wakatobi and counting, I don’t feel like we have exhausted the photographic creativity that Wakatobi offers. There are still un-captured opportunities at my favorite sites such as Cornucopia, Blade, Dunia Baru, Teluk Maya, The Zoo, Sawa Utara and Roma.”

“But even after 263 dives at Wakatobi and counting, I don’t feel like we have exhausted the photographic creativity that Wakatobi offers.”

Pam also continues to find new opportunities on Wakatobi’s reefs, and says there are few other places in the world that so perfectly match her needs as a free-diving photographer of marine life. “After what surely must be hundreds of hours on the House Reef, I love snorkeling there. Each time we visit, I find more new things, and never get bored.” Pam says. “On the latest trip, one of these finds was a Leopard blenny, which I have been told are very shy. I also found a snowflake Moray which I hadn’t seen for a few years, and hadn’t had the chance to photograph.”

Wayne and Pam Osborn. Photo by Wakatobi Resort

“The natural wonders of Wakatobi’s dive sites are reason enough for us to continue to visit,” Wayne says, “and when you add to that the resort’s unique service proposition, conservation ethic, support for local communities and skilled staff, it all blends together to make Wakatobi a compelling return experience.” It’s always a bit sad when the end of the trip comes round and we have to go home,” Pam says, “but of course we can always looking forward to going back again next year.”

Ready to book a return visit or enjoy your first Wakatobi Resort experience? Contact us at office@wakatobi.com or complete a quick trip inquiry at wakatobi.com.