The lush green of the Togean Islands and the crystal blue ocean make for an ideal environment that has drawn many visitors in recent years. Travelers make the lengthy journey in quest of the mythical beach paradise, and many stay for longer than planned. Sunbathing on the beach, beachcombing, diving, snorkeling, and exploring the lush forest interiors — the simple life can be enticing.
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Togean Islands with meandering, mountainous coastlines, and equatorial waters, cast a magnificent spell of green, yellow, and blue in every color imaginable over a 90-kilometer stretch in the heart of Tomini Bay. The Togean Islands, sometimes known as the Togian Islands, are a group of 56 islands and islets located in the Gulf of Tomini, off the coast of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Batudaka, Togian, and Talatakoh are the three largest islands. The islands are home to 37 communities.
The paradise for unspoiled nature and endless diving
It takes determination to travel to the Togean Islands, but even more, determination to depart. You’ll go from one forested golden-beach island to the next, where hammocks abound, anxieties are few, and the welcome is real. Most islands only feature a few family-run guesthouses, but popular Kadidiri offers a modest but active beach scene with nightly bonfires and chilled beers all around.
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Divers and snorkellers are drawn to the enormous diversity of marine life and the amazing coral formations; there are several professional scuba schools for training, courses, and leisure dives. Una Una is the ideal location for genuinely spectacular diving. On land, there is a startling diversity of species to be seen in the unspoiled and wild jungles, as well as additional distant beaches to be discovered. This region is home to seven ethnic groups, but they are all friendly and welcoming to visitors.
Which Togean Island to go to?
The three main islands in the Togeans are Batudaka, Togean, and Una Una, with the majority of visitors arriving at the port of Wakai on Batudaka. The main islands have adequate accommodations and services, but the hidden riches are on the unspoiled tiny tropical islands scattered across the Tomini Gulf.
Kadidiri
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By Togian standards, Kadidiri is touristy, and it is one of the small islands with the most resorts. Having folks who are familiar with the area and services here made it simple to plan additional expeditions from Kadidiri. The diving was excellent, with immaculate reefs and crystal blue water.
Katupat
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This is the spot to go if you really want to get away from it all. Fadhila Cottages, located on a small island off Katupat, are the only places to stay. On Katupat, there is a little fisher community called Lembanato, as well as the jellyfish lagoon Mariona Lake.
Malenge
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Malenge Island is a true off-the-beaten-path paradise, consisting of two small islands – Papan and Kakoda Islands – joined by an 1800-meter-long wooden overwater trail. Snorkeling from Malenge was enjoyable.
Pulau Papan
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It was fascinating to observe how these nomadic saw gypsies live, continuing compressor diving and spearfishing with conventional gear, in this small Bajo community connected to Malenge Island by a long wooden bridge. Remember to ask around and stayed with some of the locals; it should be a fantastic experience; they prepared rice for tourists and fried some of the fish speared by them. Alternatively, the island now has a number of guesthouses.
Una Una
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Una Una is a magnificent volcanic island with black volcanic sand and coconut palm trees bordering black beaches with emerald waters. Diving is fantastic on this Togean Island, with large schools of barracudas and horse-eye jacks, as well as immaculate healthy coral reefs, turtles, rays, and reef sharks. It is relatively remote from the other islands.