Wakatobi Dive Resort is built on a small island separated from the western shore of the island of Tomia by a narrow, shallow channel. Since it first opened in 1995, Wakatobi has become a model for sustainable ecotourism, although ‘sustainable’ is perhaps not quite sufficient to describe the impact that the resort has had on the local coral reefs. They haven’t just been sustained - they’ve been significantly improved.
The central longhouse, constructed using traditional Indonesian methods and materials, looks very much at home within its surroundings, backed by a jungle of palm trees and fronted by a white sand beach.
Far from simply being a dive and snorkel resort, the establishment was founded upon environmental conservation principles by working in partnership with the indigenous population - the Wakatobi Collaborative Reef Conservation Program.
Put simply, in return for the locals not fishing in certain locations, and not using destructive fishing methods such as dynamite and cyanide, Wakatobi pays to lease stretches of reef, provides employment opportunities and supplies the village with electricity and freshwater.
2 июн 2024
