Wakatobi
National Park is one of popular place
that is designed for a marine national park. The
national park is situated in Sulawesi Island, Indonesia. The purpose of this
national park is to preserve underwater life. Wakatobi is actually the sort of
the four main islands in Sulawesi. They are Kaledupa, Tomia, Wangi Wangi, and Binongko.
For its contribution in preserving underwater life, the national park is listed as a tentative World Heritage Site. The national park preserves various marine flora and fauna, such as mountain rainforest, lowland swamp forest, coastal forest, mangrove forest, riverbank vegetation, lowland rainforest and coral reefs. More than 396 species of coral is found in this national park.
For its contribution in preserving underwater life, the national park is listed as a tentative World Heritage Site. The national park preserves various marine flora and fauna, such as mountain rainforest, lowland swamp forest, coastal forest, mangrove forest, riverbank vegetation, lowland rainforest and coral reefs. More than 396 species of coral is found in this national park.
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| Pictures By JennyHuang from www.flickr.com |
Location
Wakatobi National Park is situated in
South East Sulawesi. The geographical position of this national park is 05°12’-06°10’S
and 123°20’-124°39’E. Precisely, the boundaries of the national park is between
Banda Sea in the North East and Flores Sea in the South West. To reach
Wakatobi, you can go by plan. But if you want to save your budget, you can go
by boat. From Makassar to Wakatobi, it takes about ten hours. The flight to
Wangi Wangi, the capital city of Wakatobi is available every day. The flight
uses small-sized air planes for 30 passengers.
Activities
In Wakatobi National Park, you can do
various things, such as diving, snorkeling, beach hopping and be a volunteer
for turtles preservation in Wakatobi. The most popular marine activity is
diving. Wakatobi has many diving spots such as Patuno Gate,
The Zoo (Waelumu), Waha Wall, Wandoka Pinnacle and Turtle Transporter.
Doing such marine activities will bring valuable experience as you can enjoy
colorful beautiful underwater life. There are about 942 fish species and 750
coral reef species. Apart from marine activities, you can enjoy astronomical
activity, such as watching million of stars scattered in the sky of Wakatobi at
night. Unlike big cities, such as Jakarta, Wakatobi can be an alternative to
enjoy the beautiful sky at night. In addition, you can visit Bajo Village with
its unique Bajo tribe. The Bajo village lies in the middle of the sea. The bajo
lives in a nomadic way of life, without electrical and lights at night.
Accommodations
Wakatobi National Park has many
resorts, hotels and lodges to stay. You don’t have to worry about where you
have to stay when visiting this island. Staying in one of the local people’s
houses is the best choice. The rate for such lodges is quite cheap. You only
need to pay for Rp50,000 or $5.50 per night. Whereas for hotels, you need to
pay for Rp150,000 – Rp 300,000 ($16.00 - $32.00) per night, and for resorts Rp500,000
– Rp1,500,000 ($52.00 - $156.00) per night. It is better for you to stay at
Wangi Wangi as the island provides more means of transportation. You can go to
other islands by boat from Wangi Wangi.
This national park offers you various
things to do. You can try various activities that you have never done before. Wakatobi
National Park is the best choice to spend your holiday.
