SOUTHEAST SULAWESI

Wakatobi

CORAL REEFS & BAJAU VILLAGES

Wakatobi

Wakatobi is an acronym of its four main islands: Wangi-Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko. They lie in the Coral Triangle. Some 942 fish species are recorded in the national park.

The Bajau, a seafaring people, live in stilt villages in the park, at Mola on Wangi-Wangi and at Sampela near Kaledupa. Visiting a Bajau village is part of any honest trip here, and best done with a local fixer — not a hotel desk.

Six nights is the floor; ten pays back. Homestays on Hoga, with meals and daily dive boats, are the cheaper way to dive the park.

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Wakatobi in pictures

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Wakatobi National Park, Southeast Sulawesi: four main islands in the Coral Triangle, reefs close to shore and Bajau villages. October is calmest.

When to go and how to get there

Rain in Wakatobi, month by month, and the journey in from the nearest airport.

Driest months

Jul – Oct

August is the driest month, with 30 mm of rain on average. January is the wettest, with 260 mm.

Driest months
In between
Wettest months

Rain: CHIRPS v2.0, Climate Hazards Center, UC Santa Barbara, average of 1991-2020. See the weather in Sulawesi by month

Getting there

01 · Fly
To Wangi-Wangi (WNI)
From Kendari with FlyJaya on Tuesdays and Fridays, about 50 minutes. From Denpasar with TransNusa three times a week (October 2026). There is no flight from Makassar.
02 · Ferry
Wangi-Wangi → Kaledupa / Tomia
Inter-island ferries a few hours each. Speedboat charters cut the time.
03 · Boat
Resort transfer
Wakatobi Dive Resort flies its guests from Bali to its own airstrip on Tomia. Other stays meet you by boat: ask them how.

Wakatobi weather by month

The average rain, temperatures and sea of each month, measured over many years.

Month	Rain (mm)	High / low (°C)	Sea (°C)	Rough for small boats (% of time)
January	260	30 / 27	29.1	5
February	223	30 / 27	29.1	5
March	253	30 / 27	29.3	1
April	191	30 / 27	29.5	1
May	242	29 / 27	29	6
June	194	29 / 26	28.1	15
July	87	28 / 26	27.3	13
August	30	28 / 25	26.9	9
September	32	28 / 26	27.4	4
October	41	30 / 26	28.4	0
November	103	30 / 27	29.5	0
December	223	30 / 27	29.7	4

Rain: CHIRPS, 1991-2020. Temperatures: NASA POWER, 2001-2025. Sea temperature: NOAA Coral Reef Watch, 1991-2020. Waves: NOAA WAVEWATCH III, 2017-2026, in the open sea about 21 km away. Bays and straits are calmer. Rough means waves of 1.25 m or more, BMKG's warning level for small boats.

See Wakatobi on the live weather page

Wakatobi travel guides

The Sulawesi.com guides that cover Wakatobi.

Experiences in Wakatobi

Day trips and activities in and around Wakatobi. Each one has its own page.

Full dayWakatobi: Diving and Snorkelling on the Coral ReefsReefs close to shore around the four main islands of Wakatobi National Park, a UNESCO biosphere reserve in Southeast Sulawesi.See the experience

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Where to stay

See all 24 places to stay in Wakatobi

Local businesses in Wakatobi

Contact each business directly.

See all 5 dive centres in Wakatobi

So, ready to start?

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