“You don’t need a special occasion to treat yourself to Wakatobi. Wakatobi is the special occasion you’ll never forget,” write snorkelers Rick and Candace Oberschulte, who recently celebrated their 45th anniversary at Wakatobi. “It was the perfect diving honeymoon,” say divers Andrei Diacon and Brittany Kay. Robert Mallet states “I am 70 years old and have visited or worked in 58 countries and visited all 7 continents. The best week of my life was at Wakatobi.” Guest Rick Gonder was equally impressed, and says “from top to bottom, Wakatobi is a 10 out of 10.”

“I am 70 years old and have visited or worked in 58 countries and visited all 7 continents. The best week of my life was at Wakatobi.”
~ Robert Mallet, January 2024

The point of sharing these comments is not to give ourselves a pat on the back. What these guests have in common is that they all visited the resort in the first weeks of January 2024 — the start of what has traditionally been known as the “slower season” in diving/snorkeling circles. We say slower, not slow, because the resort still enjoys an enviable occupancy rate, but usually has spare accommodations available. This is in contrast to holiday periods such as December when the resort is booked and sometimes unable to accommodate all the reservation requests we get.

Several likely factors for the seasonal respite in occupancy begin just after the New Year. It’s a time when a lot of people are sated from holiday season travel and ready to get back to business. Northern Hemisphere vacationers might be planning a ski trip, while our Southern Hemisphere clientele are winding down their summer vacations and heading back to school and office.

Wakatobi enjoys significantly more sunshine than most other regions of Indonesia. Photo by Wakatobi Resort

The one thing that our guests like those quoted above can attest to is that this seasonal slowing has nothing to do with the quality of the diving or the resort experience. For travelers who are free from work obligations or other commitments and have flexibility, the first quarter of the year is a wonderful time to visit Wakatobi. These months are known for comfortable mid-range water temperatures and good water clarity. It’s a season when scattered showers could be a bit more common, but overall Wakatobi enjoys significantly more sunshine than most other regions of Indonesia. To quote from our own website “In Wakatobi you can enjoy diving 365 days a year. There is no period or season unsuitable for diving.”

Vacationers who have the flexibility to visit us during the first months of the year may find there are some added benefits to booking during this period. As mentioned, there is a greater chance of securing reservations for a desired week without necessarily having to book years in advance. In addition, peak-season airfares of the holiday season can often drop during the first months of the year, along with corresponding ease of congestion at passenger terminals and security checkpoints.

We encourage you to get in touch with your guest experience consultant and find out about opportunities and reasons to come see us early in the year. Why not enjoy all the Wakatobi has to offer sooner than later? We would love to have you join us.

Contact us >here.  Email: office@wakatobi.com

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