In-the-know divers often put Wakatobi at the top of their list of dream dive destinations. But what about those who are new to the sport? Should they save Wakatobi for later, when they are seasoned travelers with more dives in the logbook? Our answer is no. Why wait? There are a lot of good reasons why Wakatobi is just as inviting and amazing for those new to the sport as it is for scuba veterans.

Getting to Wakatobi is a breeze. Our private charter direct from Bali takes just 2.5 hours. Guests arrive and dive on the same day. Photo by Wakatobi Resort

Easy arrivals

Wakatobi’s remote, small-island setting might lead those new to dive travel to assume that getting there is a complicated process involving all sorts of transfers, puddle-jumper aircraft, long bus rides, and white-knuckle taxi rides. In truth, a trip to the resort is probably easier than many destinations closer to home. That’s because we take care of you every step of the way. Just fly to Bali, where you will be met by our concierge team who guides you through customs. They can also assist with transfers, hotels for layovers, and can even arrange anything from Bali tours to procuring last-minute forgotten items. On the morning of your flight to Wakatobi you’ll relax in a private airport lounge while enjoying a light breakfast, then board a spacious turboprop aircraft for a flight of just 2.5 hours to our own airstrip. A short boat ride later, with the staff handling all your baggage, you’ll be relaxing in your Bungalow or waterfront Villa.

Welcoming waters

Warm, clear, calm, close and filled with life. These are the ideal conditions divers seek, and they will certainly find them at Wakatobi.

This is especially good news for new divers, as it means no struggling into extra thick wetsuits, no long boat rides through rough seas, and an underwater environment flooded by sunlight that makes navigation easy and brings out the colors of the coral reefs and marine life.

Thanks to a unique underwater topography where reefs rise from the depths to within a meter or two from the surface, many of Wakatobi’s 40-plus dive sites are beginner-friendly. Photo by Walt Stearns

And when it comes to marine life, Wakatobi is second to none. Not only does the resort lie in the heart of the world’s most bio-diverse marine ecosystem, but it also sits within a private marine preserve that allows corals to thrive in pristine condition. Many of the 40-plus dive sites located within the resort’s private marine preserve are beginner friendly. This is thanks to a unique underwater topography where many reefs rise from the depths to within a meter or two of the surface.

At nearby sites such as The Zoo, Table Coral City, and Teluk Maya, divers–and snorkelers–can comfortably explore the upper portions of the reef, which feature intriguing and colorful shallows and a plethora of unique marine life. Photo by Walt Stearns

At these sites, divers can choose their depth based on their personal comfort and experience level. In many cases, the upper portions of the reef can be the most intriguing and colorful, and at these depths, there’s less concern with air consumption, so even heavier-breathing novices can enjoy hour-plus immersions.

Wakatobi’s expansive House Reef starts right off the resort beach and has been named the World’s Best Shore Dive. Dives can begin from shore or from the resort pier. Photo by Didi Lotze

The shore with more

With three daily boat trips leaving from our resort jetty, there’s never a rush to meet early departure times. And for those who want to ease into the water at their own pace, there’s also the House Reef. This expansive site starts right off the resort beach and has been named the World’s Best Shore Dive, and for good reason. Between the seagrass shallows, the coral formations and the steep outer edge of the reef, divers, and snorkelers can speed entire days seeking out thousands of species of fish and invertebrates. Dives can begin right from shore or from the resort pier, our on-site staff monitors the reef via both a log-in procedure and visually during daylight hours and night dives are monitored until 10:00 pm. We also operate a fleet of small Taxi boats to take divers to more distant parts of the site up to 500 meters north of the jetty.

Wakatobi’s fleet of custom-built 21-meter/70-foot dive/snorkel boats provide lots of personal space, shade, and easy water exit and entry points. Photo by Didi Lotze

Space ships and helping hands

Getting into dive gear on the crowded bench of a small boat can be a challenge for any diver. Fortunately, that’s something you’ll never have to experience at Wakatobi. Our fleet of custom-built 21-meter/70-foot boats provide ample seating, personal space, and equipment storage for each guest, along with the comforts of a shaded deck, spacious bathroom, shower, and easy water exit and entry points that are well away from the boat’s engine exhaust. More about our spacious dive/snorkel boats here.

Our experienced guides provide each diver and snorkeler with an appropriate level of individualized attention and assistance and are very knowledgeable on the intricacies of all the reefs. Photo by Glen Cowans

In addition to ample elbow room, new divers enjoy another advantage when boat diving with Wakatobi, and that’s our staff. They not only transport and set up the gear, they provide each diver with an appropriate level of individual attention and assistance, whether that means offering a helping hand getting back aboard, staying close by in the water to provide peace of mind, assisting with buoyancy control or other skill requirements, or pointing out small and hard-to-find marine life. Our guides know the intricacies of the reef and are expert critter spotters.