A SHALLOW WATER UTOPIA

Floating in the water above colourful coral and marine life, you'll easily forget about the outside world. Coral reefs are the ocean's most bio-diverse ecosystems and the ones surrounding Indonesia's Wakatobi Dive Resort are considered among the best in the world. We dive in for a look.

- MEGAN HOBSON

Crazy about coral?

Divers from around the globe are lured here to explore the private marine preserve outside the Wakatobi resort. And many of the same underwater sites that wow divers are equally as rewarding for snorkelers.

The crown jewel of these coral gardens is the Wakatobi House Reef. This vast expanse of shallow-water coral heads and seagrass meadows begins right at the resort beach and stretches for more than a mile to either side of the entry point. It has been named the world’s best shallow water dive and snorkel site.

Trading feet for fins

While you could easily spend entire days enjoying the warm water and discovering the treasures of the House Reef, experienced snorkellers can also take advantage of dedicated “taxi boats” to reach more distant parts of the reef for a leisurely snorkel back to the resort jetty.