I visited Wakatabi between June 18-29th 2010. Although I must say I enjoyed my stay very much I feel it important to add a report so future guests can make an informed decision as to if they want to visit. I have worked for 10 years in the travel industry with up to 200 travel days a year in aprox. 40 countries.. This travel has ranged from expeditions through to luxury tours. I have spent nights in tents, bungalows, hotels and luxury resorts. I feel I have seen quite a bit of what the travel industry has to offer. Today I do not longer work in the business.
What Wakatobi probably does best is market itself. When you decide to go upscale and price yourself accordingly then you must expect closer observation.
Lets start with what definitely works well at Wakatobi:
1) The diving operation runs like clockwork. Well organized, efficient. Very good dive guides. This is crucial in a dive holiday.
2) The staff is what really makes or busts a place. You can be in paradise but if you are there with the wrong people it really is going to affect your experience. In the case of Wakatobi, the staff is genuinely friendly, interested and they know their job. They do not just smile because they have to.
3) The food is good although its takes more for me to be able to call it gourmet. Nevertheless, what Wakatobi is good at is at changing the routine around meals. For example, today well eat outside, tomorrow its Mongolian barbecue and your meal is prepared in front of you, etc. Smart with this sort of variation.
4) And of course the location is fantastic.
and now what I objectively think Wakatobi needs to improve.
1) In my opinion Wakatobis weakest point is the accommodation. The standard beach and garden bungalows are really not much more than that: a plain bungalow. Yes the setting is good, but ours had a peeling wall, many big leaks from the thatched roof, a worn out and torn shower curtain, and a bare bulb in the bathroom. I have stayed at dozens of similar bungalows in Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil and even Bali at a fraction of the price. What they also lack is a personal touch or signature, I feel. On that same Indonesia trip I stayed in bungalows in northern Bali (Siddhartha) and in Komodo (Angel Island Resort) and the quality and workmanship of the accommodation was vastly superior. And the price was considerably lower. Even a Wakatobi Villa still does not match one of the others standard bungalows. Mind you, I did not lose any sleep over any of this but just so you know
2) I have been informed by several contacts I have in Bali, some of which have friends which worked as dive guides in Wakatobi, that there is a discriminatory work policy with regards to the Indonesian dive guides. Indonesian dive guides are paid less than western dive guides, event though they do the exact same job. I believe in the principle of equal pay for equal work regardless of nationality, race or gender. I find this sort of practice unacceptable.
3) Although guest areas are kept spotless, they need to tidy up some of their storage and operational areas. There is a collection of old mattresses, scrap metal, broken chairs, etc. piled up in some of the service buildings.
4) Wakatobi should provide some sort of leisure activities for its staff. The local staff spend up to a couple of months in one stretch on the island and have really little to do in their free time. Maybe it doesnt require more than a ping-pong table or a dart board. Although this may sound silly, it is a complaint I heard from many of the Indonesian staff we became friends with while we were there. Invest in them, they are after all what make the place.
5) Wakatobi needs to definitely do something about their check-out procedure. The last day goes mainly into waiting to pay your bill. It feels like you are waiting to see the high school principal, in line with all the other guests. This we did from 8 am until noon.
6) Wakatobi was responsible for losing the luggage of two guests on their chartered plane. A bag with new photo equipment never showed up as was the case with a bag full of dive gear. By the time we left, the luggage was considered lost for good. I believe not just the logistics, but also the handling of the problem with regard to the affected guest needs serious improvement.
7) The scene at the airstrip with the return flight made us understand why luggage was most likely lost. Luggage was loaded and unloaded from the plane at least 5 times trying to make it fit. There was a crowd of at least ten experts dealing with this. Not only was the return flight delayed because of this, but luggage was left behind in the end. And, it just looks so amateur.
If you say you are the best and price yourself accordingly then you have no choice but to deliver the goods. Wakatobi is good, but, in my opinion not yet what it markets itself to be. And I repeat: I had a good time and did not let any of their weaknesses bother me. However, I do feel they charge about 20% more than what they should for what they in fact are able to deliver.
What Wakatobi probably does best is market itself. When you decide to go upscale and price yourself accordingly then you must expect closer observation.
Lets start with what definitely works well at Wakatobi:
1) The diving operation runs like clockwork. Well organized, efficient. Very good dive guides. This is crucial in a dive holiday.
2) The staff is what really makes or busts a place. You can be in paradise but if you are there with the wrong people it really is going to affect your experience. In the case of Wakatobi, the staff is genuinely friendly, interested and they know their job. They do not just smile because they have to.
3) The food is good although its takes more for me to be able to call it gourmet. Nevertheless, what Wakatobi is good at is at changing the routine around meals. For example, today well eat outside, tomorrow its Mongolian barbecue and your meal is prepared in front of you, etc. Smart with this sort of variation.
4) And of course the location is fantastic.
and now what I objectively think Wakatobi needs to improve.
1) In my opinion Wakatobis weakest point is the accommodation. The standard beach and garden bungalows are really not much more than that: a plain bungalow. Yes the setting is good, but ours had a peeling wall, many big leaks from the thatched roof, a worn out and torn shower curtain, and a bare bulb in the bathroom. I have stayed at dozens of similar bungalows in Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil and even Bali at a fraction of the price. What they also lack is a personal touch or signature, I feel. On that same Indonesia trip I stayed in bungalows in northern Bali (Siddhartha) and in Komodo (Angel Island Resort) and the quality and workmanship of the accommodation was vastly superior. And the price was considerably lower. Even a Wakatobi Villa still does not match one of the others standard bungalows. Mind you, I did not lose any sleep over any of this but just so you know
2) I have been informed by several contacts I have in Bali, some of which have friends which worked as dive guides in Wakatobi, that there is a discriminatory work policy with regards to the Indonesian dive guides. Indonesian dive guides are paid less than western dive guides, event though they do the exact same job. I believe in the principle of equal pay for equal work regardless of nationality, race or gender. I find this sort of practice unacceptable.
3) Although guest areas are kept spotless, they need to tidy up some of their storage and operational areas. There is a collection of old mattresses, scrap metal, broken chairs, etc. piled up in some of the service buildings.
4) Wakatobi should provide some sort of leisure activities for its staff. The local staff spend up to a couple of months in one stretch on the island and have really little to do in their free time. Maybe it doesnt require more than a ping-pong table or a dart board. Although this may sound silly, it is a complaint I heard from many of the Indonesian staff we became friends with while we were there. Invest in them, they are after all what make the place.
5) Wakatobi needs to definitely do something about their check-out procedure. The last day goes mainly into waiting to pay your bill. It feels like you are waiting to see the high school principal, in line with all the other guests. This we did from 8 am until noon.
6) Wakatobi was responsible for losing the luggage of two guests on their chartered plane. A bag with new photo equipment never showed up as was the case with a bag full of dive gear. By the time we left, the luggage was considered lost for good. I believe not just the logistics, but also the handling of the problem with regard to the affected guest needs serious improvement.
7) The scene at the airstrip with the return flight made us understand why luggage was most likely lost. Luggage was loaded and unloaded from the plane at least 5 times trying to make it fit. There was a crowd of at least ten experts dealing with this. Not only was the return flight delayed because of this, but luggage was left behind in the end. And, it just looks so amateur.
If you say you are the best and price yourself accordingly then you have no choice but to deliver the goods. Wakatobi is good, but, in my opinion not yet what it markets itself to be. And I repeat: I had a good time and did not let any of their weaknesses bother me. However, I do feel they charge about 20% more than what they should for what they in fact are able to deliver.
) - at that point I truly was happy.
