WAKATOBI: EXPLORE THE HEART
OF THE CORAL TRIANGLE
ESCAPE TO WAKATOBI
WAKATOBI, RASCAL-STYLE
Jump into a tender to go searching for spinner and bottle-nose dolphins, while also keeping an eye out for false-killer, sperm, melon-head and blue wales; take a cooking class between dives and learn how to create Rascal's famous spicy sambal; go birdwatching ( the area is rich in frigates and boobies), or turtle-spotting (Wakatobi's waters are home to Green, hawksbill and olive ridleys); visit the coconut -palm-covered Moromaho Island, where Cousteau made his base, and where farmers harvest copra (coconut flesh), the delicious source of coconut oil, milk and cream.
WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHT:
DAZZLING UNDERWATER GARDENS
Wakatobi is located within the so-called Coral Triangle, a 6 million km2 marine area spanning Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands. Wakatobi itself comprises 25 groups of coral reefs - including fringing reefs, atolls and barrier reefs that are home to 750 of the world's 850 corals. (In comparison, the Caribbean has a mere 50 and the Red Sea just 300.) They include the fabulously named torch, table, leather, cactus, elkhorn, smooth-cauliflower, sun, wrinkle and brain corals.
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE:
MEET THE MERMEN
The Bajo people are seafaring nomads, famed for their freediving fishing skills. Armed with only a mask and a speargun, they can reach depths of 60 metres and hold their breath for over 5 minutes. Scientific researchers have dicovered that the Bajo have enlarged spleens (much like marine mammals), which store oxygenated blood and allow for world-beating bouts of breath-holding. Our Bajo friends love to demonstrate this extraordinary natural ability to guests - as well as providing the freshest catch of the day straight to the yacht's head chef.
EXPLORE OUR YACHTS
EXPLORE other destinations in indonesia
KOMODO NATIONAL PARK
Covering almost 2,000 sq km, Komodo National Park consists of 29 islands that offer superb opportunities for hiking and wildlife spotting including the iconic Komodo dragon. Offshore, the park’s rich marine ecosystem (which includes 1,000 species of fish and 260 types of coral), affords unforgettable undersea adventures for divers and snorkellers on a par with Raja Ampat.