Wakatobi National Park is a marine national park located at South East Sulawesi province, Indonesia, between the Banda Sea to the north-east and the Flores Sea to the south-west.
The name of Wakatobi is an acronym of the four main islands in this archipelago are Wangi-wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia, and Binongko. Beside those four larger islands it also consists of many small islands such as Tokobao, North Lintea, South Lintea, Kampenaune, Hoga and Tolandono. The highest elevation is 274 metres (899 ft) on Wangi-Wangi, followed by Lagole Hill (271m) on Tomia, Terpadu Hill (222 m) on Binongko and Mount Sampuagiwolo (203 m) on Kaledupa.
Wakatobi National Park has very high marine resource potential, in terms of both species and uniqueness, with enchanting submarine landscapes. In terms of configuration, the marine waters of the park generally start flat and then slope seawards, with sheer precipices in some parts. The water depth varies, the deepest parts reaching 1,044 metres (3,425 ft) with sand and coral at the bottom.
The types of vegetation found in the Wakatobi National Park are mangrove forest, coastal forest, lowland swamp forest, riverbank vegetation, lowland rainforest, mountain rainforest and coral reefs. The Wakatobi Archipelago has 25 groups of coral reefs (the total circumference of the coral islands is 600 km) including fringing reefs, barrier reefs and atolls, which make this beautiful archipelago as one the best Marine Tourism object in the world.
The indigenous people who live around the Park belong to the
Bajau tribe. Locals still commonly use spear-fishing. The uniqueness of the islands makes
Wakatobi Archipelago as a perfect place for marine tourism activities such as diving, snorkeling, fishing, and swimming. It also a great place for camping and hiking. April to June and October to December is the best time to visit this amazing place.
