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Togean Islands Travel Guide: Where to stay and best diving
The Togean Islands (sometimes also spelled Togian Islands) are one of Indonesia’s most underrated island destinations. These islands are located in Central Sulawesi and still not that easy to get to, but that’s part of the charm. Their isolated location helps preserve the marine life and local culture. Around these remote islands you will find world-class diving and snorkeling, pristine coral reefs, traditional Bajau villages, and some of the most secluded beaches in the country. You’ll get the best experience if you island hop, so you can see all this area has to offer. However, if you’re short on time this guide will help you decide where to go. In this guide I will describe what there is to do on the Togean Islands, the best islands to stay on and how to get there!
What to do in the Togean Islands
Before discussing all the different islands that are part of the Togeans, l will tell you more about the most important to do’s around these islands in the gulf of Tomini.
Diving
The main reason for a lot of people to visit the Togean islands is to go diving. You can find dramatic drop-offs, vibrant pinnacles, beautiful pristine reefs. You can find moray eels, turtles, schools of barracuda, nudibranchs, reef sharks and if you’re extremely lucky whale shark or dugong as well. I’ve heard there is even an advanced dive near Una Una where you have the possibility to see hammerheads.
Snorkeling
Many of the islands have beautiful reefs right on the shore and both of the places I stayed at had beautiful house reefs. So even if you’re not a diver, you can still enjoy the Marine life in the Togean islands.
Visit a Bajau village/ Sea nomads
Visiting the Bajau tribe was a longstanding dream of mine. As a free diver, I’d already heard about this indigenous tribe, also called ‘sea nomads’ that live in stilt villages on the water. Several documentaries have been made about them. It is said that the Bajau have a genetically larger lung capacity than average, and that they can spend six minutes underwater on just one breath. They also have a 50% larger spleen. Not only did I visit them with Uma Resort, but they arranged for me to freedive with one of the spear fishers. This was a once in a lifetime experience!
Jellyfish Lake
Swimming in between stingless jellyfish in Mariona Lake. The jellyfish have lost their ability to sting, because of their isolation in the lake. There are only a handful of areas in the world where you find a similar phenomenon. The population used to be much larger, but if you’re near, it’s still a super interesting experience!
Chill on secluded beaches
The Togean islands have some of the best beaches! Why? When places are harder to get to, they are naturally more protected and
Where to stay in the Togean Islands
Buka Buka Island – Reconnect
The small island Buka Buka is home to Reconnect, a boutique eco-resort. This island is either the perfect start or the perfect end of your trip around the Togean islands. It’s located in the South, only a 30 minute boat ride from Ampana. Therefore it will be either the first or last island you pass by. However, it’s definitely not convenience that is making me recommend this magical place. Reconnect is truly something special. The rooms feel luxurious, the island is very private, the diving and snorkeling uncrowded, the food is amazing, but above all it’s the feeling they’ve created that sets it apart. They’ve got a lot or repeat visitors and I can see why, because I was sad to leave and can’t wait to go back myself.
A day here for me would look like this: getting breakfast (especially enjoying their homemade sourdough), going diving at a private dive spot, coming back to relax and have a delicious lunch, then snorkeling or reading a book and enjoying the sunset with a cocktail. After sunset dinner was waiting for us and they always provided me with a veggie version, which was very much appreciated!
Uma resort on Pulau pangempang
Uma Resort is a gorgeous fairly new resort located on a small island just north of the big Pulau Togean. Its located at the heart of everything! From here you have easy access to beautiful dive sites, the jellyfish lake and Bajau Village. That’s why, if you have limited time, this is a great spot to see a lot. They’ve got stunning bungalows with beach view, a beautiful restaurant (where the best dog ever Molly will often greet you) and a jetty that’s perfect to watch te sunset.
The dives I did here had vibrant corals, lots of reef sharks and on the way back we saw some dolphins that followed our boat for a while. They do trips to the Bajau village, but also helped me arrange free diving with one of the spearfishes so I could photograph him. This was a once in a lifetime experience!
Una Una
Una Una is one of the largest Togean islands.This volcanic island is known for exceptional diving! Maybe the best in the Togean islands. Some well known dive sites are Apollo, which has big schools of fish and the Black Forest reef. The Black Forest features massive hard corals, some shaped like big towering trees. It is estimated that these unique coral structures are thousands of years old.
Besides diving, you can also climb the volcano on this island, which might be a nice change of pace for a day. The hike takes you through a jungle-covered, and untouched inner caldera of Central Sulawesi’s only active volcano. On the hike you’ll see boiling sulfur springs and bubbling mud pools.
The best places to stay on Una Una are Sanctum Una Una Eco dive Resort and the brand new Lavana Dive & Nature resort
At Sanctum you have waterfront bungalow with a fantastic sunrise view. The entire complex is very well-maintained, including the pool. Although I didn’t stay here myself, I’ve heard very good things about the food and staff. The diving is known to be very professional, with well maintained equipment and experienced guides.
Lavana Dive & nature resort: This place only opened last year and both diving and the house reef are supposedly amazing. Their brand new bungalows look beautiful!
Other islands: Pulau Kadidi and Malenge
For me the islands I already mentioned above would be the perfect spots to hop around and explore the islands, but some other good options are staying on Kadidi or Malenge. both Kadidi and Malenge have some really nice dive sites nearby and would make for a nice stop. There are many more islands, but I think these are the islands I’d choose from and make for a well rounded trip in the Togean islands.
How to Get to the Togean Islands
There are a few different ways to get to the Togean islands, but there is a lot to keep in mind. Usually you’ll first have to travel to Wakai, which is a central hub in the Togeans.
Ferry from Gorontalo (Tuna Tomini):
If you are coming from the North, you will be taking the overnight ferry from Gorontalo It takes 12 hours and only runs on Tuesdays and Fridays at 17:00. However, when I was in Sulawesi in May, the ferry was out for the whole month of May for maintenance.
Arrival: Wakai (the central hub of the Togeans) around 06:00 the following morning.
Price: Rp50,000 to roughly Rp230,000 depending on your choice of deck class or a cabin
From Wakai you can get your hotel to pick you up with a smaller boat. Or depending on where you’re going and if you time it right, you can take another public boat. There is a public boat to Una Una and a public boat to Katupat/Malenge. See paragraph below for the schedule. If you need to go to Una Una, Uma resort or Malenge, this will be the cheapest option.
Ferry Wakai – Gorantalo
Speedboat from Ampana
The daily speedboat Herkules, leaving Ampana at 9:00 and Manakara, leaving Ampana at 13:00 to Wakai are the fastest option to Wakai. The speedboat usually takes less than two hours and the boat brings you straight to Wakai. Once in Wakai the boats from the hotels will pick you up to bring you to their resorts.
Price: IDR 130.000 per person, children up to 7 years old pay half. Buy your ticket at the harbor at the official ticket point or message Adnan to reserve a ticket for you. His number is +62 852-4210-8719. He helped me book my ticket and arrange transportation from Ampana to Tentena later.
Public boats
Ampana – Katupat – Malenge (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays)
- Ampana Departure: leaves around 10:00.
- Wakai departure: leaves around 12:00
- Malenge arrival: Arrives around 15:00
- Cost: ~130,000 IDR per person
Malenge – Kataput- Ampana (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays)
- Malenge departure: Leaves around 7:00 AM.
- Wakai departure: Leaves around 8:00 AM.
- Ampana arrival: Arrives between 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM.
- Cost: ~130,000 IDR per person
Public boat Arjuna Wakai to Una Una
- Wakai to Una Una: Operates on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday mornings, departing Wakai around 08:00 or 09:00 AM.
- Una Una to Wakai: Operates on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday mornings, leaving Una Una around 07:30 AM.
Practical tips for the Togean islands
No Atms
Some of the resorts will allow you to make a transfer with Wise or Revolut, but it’s good to have cash on you as there are no Atms.
Limited wifi on some islands
Both Uma resort and Reconnect had really good wifi, but I’ve heard some more basic accommodations may not have good signal.
Limited electricity on some islands
Most island accommodations rely on diesel generators that operate during specific dark hours (usually 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM). During the day, power is often completely shut off. Reconnect did have power all day long and the rooms at Uma Resort only during dark hours, but it was possible to charge something at the reception if needed.
Best time to visit
The best time to visit the Togean Islands is during the dry season from May to October During these months, you will experience the calmest seas and best underwater visibility (25-30 meters) for diving and snorkeling.