Togian Islands: bounty island paradise
Paradise can be found everywhere on Sulawesi, but the Togian Islands do take the crown. The islands are among the most beautiful islands of Indonesia, but most people have never heard of this. Not because it is not incredibly beautiful, but because it is harder to reach. But believe me, it’s definitely worth the trip. We have never seen water so clear and beaches so white.
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Budget for the Togian Islands
You will now think, such a paradise with hardly any tourists must be something very exclusive. Absolutely not. The Togian Islands consist of several small islands where you will find small homestay / “resorts” to spend the night. Because there is nothing else, an overnight stay is always full board. On average you pay for an overnight stay around 30-40 euros for 2 people. No money so. However, do not expect luxury resorts. Your house is simple, but has everything and the environment … Well, no 5-star resort can beat that.
Discover more than one island
The Togian Islands consist of different islands. The largest and most visited island is Pulau Batudaka. Now you can enjoy yourself here for a few days, but it is much more fun to discover the rest of the islands. Una Una is the perfect place for diving enthusiasts and you will find beautiful deserted beaches on Malenge.
What to do on the Togian Islands
Swim, relax, eat, sleep and repeat! Island life is nice and simple on the Togeans. You can choose to stay on the island all day, but there is of course much more to do in the area.
Jellyfish Lake
It is perhaps one of the most special snorkeling spots in the world. At Jellyfish Lake you can, you guessed it, snorkel with jellyfish. Super cool to do and completely painless, because the jellyfish can no longer sting. The jellyfish have changed over the years into friendly creatures. They no longer have natural enemies in the lake and therefore no longer need tentacles. The lake is really full of jellyfish. Thousands swim gracefully around you. A bit strange in the beginning, but perhaps one of the most unique things I have ever been allowed to do. Absolutely do it!
Visit a traditional village
About 25,000 people live on the Togian Islands, of which a large part belongs to the Bajau population. They are also called the Sea Gypsies. The Bajau people live and live on the water. They learn to fish from an early age and they do this by swimming to the bottom and waiting quietly for a fish. They can easily reach a depth of 12 meters and stay under water for a few minutes without any tools. Very impressive. A visit to a traditional village is definitely worth it. The people, and especially the children, welcome you with open arms.
Hornbills spotting
On one of the islands you can spot a group of Rhinoceros every evening coming back from the jungle. On a large hill you are waiting for the birds to fly over during sunset. They literally come from everywhere.
Diving at Una Una
Although Bunaken in Sulawesi in particular is known for its beautiful diving environment, you can also make great dives on the Togian Islands. The most unique dive spot is Una Una. Here you will find giant fish, such as Groupers and Napoleon fish, and you have the chance to spot sharks and turtles.
Snorkeling
From small seahorses, giant rays to dolphins; the underworld of the Togeans is bursting with life. From your beach you can often dive into the water and spot the most unique fish. Even so, a snorkeling trip is a big tip. You stop at the most tropical beaches which you often have to yourself.
Chilling out on Karina Beach
One of the most beautiful beaches of the Togians Islands is Karina Beach. A visit to this beach is certainly worthwhile. We visited Karina Beach during our trip to JellyFish Lake and were able to enjoy a delicious lunch here.
Practical information about Togian Islands
- Make sure you take the route you want to travel into account in advance. Here you can then adjust your accommodation and transport by coordination.
- You have no reach on the islands. So unfortunately (or rather nice) no internet
- You cannot withdraw money, so take enough money with you
Recommendations to stay in Togian Islands?
The accommodation options on the islands are still very limited. It is therefore wise to book your accommodation in advance. There will probably still be room somewhere, but popular accommodations are unfortunately fully booked up quickly. You always eat together on the Togian Islands. This creates a cozy and warm atmosphere. Often the entire table is set for lunch and dinner and you can all sit down together. The food is simple in most places, but very tasty. The meals consist mainly of lots of vegetables, tempe, rice and freshly caught fish.The nicest accommodations of Togian Islands
Finding a nice accommodation on the Togian Islands can be quite a search. There are plenty of fun options, but often a bit harder to find online. Try not only to look on Booking.com, but also consult Airbnb, Google and Tripadvisor. When searching for accommodations you will probably be the first to encounter Kadidiri or Black Marlin. We recommend that you opt for something else. These resorts are a bit larger than the rest and therefore a lot more impersonal. We have been allowed to spend 1 night at Karidiri and this was fine, but less fun than the previous islands.
We spent our first 2 nights at Araya Dive resor. From Ampana (here you usually take the boat) this is the first "resort" you encounter. We booked a luxury house here and that was really great. The rooms spacious, clean and had a beautiful view. The food was great and the people super friendly. There were also two very cute dogs. The only drawback was that you didn't have a beach, but you did have a beautiful house reef. You could go straight into the water from a jetty. If you prefer to go to the beach, you have to swim a little to the other side.
Our third night we spent the night at Poki Poki. A super cozy and beautiful "resort" with all kinds of small bungalows on the beach. However, the cottage was very simple and we had a lot of vermin. After all, you're in the jungle so they probably can't do much about it. The water here was also less beautiful. In contrast, the food there was great and the people super friendly.
Tip! Een accommodatie waar wij heel graag hadden overnacht, maar helaas al was volgeboekt, was Ale beach Togean Islands. Wij hebben hier fantastische verhalen over gehoord en schijnt echt een paradijsje te zijn.
How do i get to Togian Islands?
Transportation to the Togian Islands
Reaching the islands is easy, but can be quite a journey. If you depart from Ampana you can take the boat every day. However, if you are coming from the north of Sulawesi, you will have to take the ferry into account. The ferry from Gorontalo leaves only 1x in 4 days and takes about 11 hours.How do I get from Ampana to the Togians
We came from Tentena and first decided to spend the night in Ampana. In Ampana there is pretty little else to do. We only arrived there in the evening, had a delicious dinner and went straight to the boat the next morning to go to the islands. The port is really one big chaos. There are several people who indicated that you should buy a ticket through their organization. However, this is not the case. You simply buy a ticket at the counter. You can also arrange snorkeling trips etc. at your resort and therefore not at the port. Once you have your ticket, take a small boat to the islands. The first island is Batudaka where most people spend the night, and so do we. After about half an hour we already reached our resort. However, the travel time by boat depends on the island you are going to. The islands are quite apart. Your boat trip can therefore take just 4 hours. So pay attention to this before you book an accommodation. If you still spend the night on another island, you can arrange transport to your new accommodation via the resort. Tip! Book a snorkel tour and ask if they can drop you at your new accommodation at the end. If you want to travel further to Gorontalo you will also have to take the ferry into account. This also goes back once every four days. If this doesn't work out, you can also choose to go back to Ampana and fly from Palu or Poso.How do I get from Gorontalo to the Togian Islands
If you want to reach the Togian Islands from Manado or Gorontalo then you will have to take the 11-hour ferry. This often leaves in the evening. Make sure you book a business class or a private cabin, otherwise you will get a seat. Business Class, by the way, does not represent much, since they are just thin mattresses next to each other. [caption id="attachment_6198" align="aligncenter" width="563"]
Business Class Veerboot naar Gorontalo (11 uur)[/caption]
