Stanfords Blog

Last month, Venetia Rainey travelled to the Togean Islands, an unspoiled Indonesian archipelago off the coast of the Central Sulawesi province.

As the boat sails past yet another tiny white sand beach tumbling into glassy turquoise waters, the captain taps me on the shoulder.

“Poyalisa Cottages,” he grunts, pointing past me to a distant smudge of green. I try not to get my hopes up.

Getting here has taken 30 hours: eight reclining on a luxury, air-conditioned coach with a book; 13 battling travel sickness on a rickety bus clinging to perilous mountain roads; five on the bumpy back seats of a minivan traversing a barely-built road; and now four on the ‘Farthur Star’, a wooden boat captained by a man with eight fingers and one thumb. And that’s not counting the three stopovers in towns across Indonesia‘s oft-ignored Sulawesi region.

But 20 minutes later, the boat does indeed putter up to a small island made up of two immaculate coves, bamboo bungalows on stilts and palm trees. I haul myself and my backpack onto a small wooden jetty and notice a sign: ‘Poyalisa Island’. A smiling woman leads me to a lunch of freshly-grilled fish, spicy noodles and cold Coca-Cola. I’ve finally arrived on the fabled Togean Islands.

A remote paradise

Located in the north of Indonesia, the volcanic archipelago of the Togeans consists of 56 islands with scenery straight out of a Robinson Crusoe picture book. Phone reception comes (and goes) in bursts, internet is non-existent, electricity generator dependent and running water a luxury. Only a handful of resorts accept cards, making lots of cash a must.

Bomba

I started my two-week journey in Bomba, the Togeans’ southern-most point. Situated on its own island, Poyalisa Cottages charges 150,000 Rupiah (roughly £10) per person per night for a bed in a private beachfront bungalow, a private bathroom, a large porch, three delicious meals a day and afternoon cake.

Also included (as if that wasn’t enough) are daily snorkelling trips, and I soon learned that while lazing on a stunning beach is one thing, swimming in a tropical open-water aquarium is quite another.

From clownfish to lionfish, giant napolean wrasses to tiny blue damselfish, every day threw up a different underwater landscape comprised of forests, valleys and plateaus of rainbow-coloured coral growing in every shape imaginable.

The only thing I spent extra money on was Bintang, Indonesia’s ubiquitous and tasty beer, Arak, the potent locally-brewed palm wine, and soft drinks. With nothing else to do after dinner, guests hung around drinking and swapping travel stories until the generator cut off and plunged the island into darkness. Needless to say, a torch is essential.

Kadidiri

After Bomba, it was on to Kadidiri, a much larger island close to the Togeans’ main port, Wakai. For travellers short on time, this is the best place to stay and enjoy the area. It also offers the biggest range of accommodation options and excellent scuba diving.

Three wet hours later, my boat arrived at Black Marlin, a British-run dive centre. At 200,000 Rupiah (roughly £14) per person per night, it was pricier than its two competitors, but with lovely, bright rooms, a pool table and fast boats it was worth it.

On top of snorkelling, I joined a horrific-sounding trip to go swimming in a salt-water lake swarming with jellyfish. Uniquely, however, they don’t sting, making for some fantastic photos. I also rented a sea kayak to explore the coastline’s numerous postcard-perfect deserted beaches. Dive options included a drop-off by local volcano Una-Una (rife with sea turtles) and a B-24 bomber plane wreck, both of which fellow guests raved about.

Another route in/out

Leaving the Togeans involved a lot of will power and a very carefully-planned schedule. Only two boats a week make the northward overnight journey between Wakai and Gorontalo city, where I went on to Manado, northern Sulawesi’s transport hub. After two weeks of living off the sea – both physically and dietarily – the mainland came as a surprisingly welcome relief.

Togean Islands Factfile

• The Togean Islands are an Indonesian archipelago located in the Gulf of Tomini off the Central Sulawesi coast.
• They consist of 56 islands and islets. 
• The three largest are Batudaka, Togian, and Talatakoh. 
• The islands are home to 37 villages. 
• Getting there: Daily flights operate from Jakarta to Gorontalo, from where overnight ferry and speedboat services serve the islands.

> Discover more of the Togeans with the Sulawesi regional map, which features an enlargement of the islands. For further information on Indonesia, browse our collection of Indonesia travel guides and maps.