We crossed from Ampana to Kadiri Island in the Togean Islands.
We have come a long way from Tana Toraja and finally landed on the Togean Islands.
Buy boat tickets from Ampana to the Togean Islands
We went from Ampana to Wakai in the Togean Islands. It takes approximately two hours by speedboat and the boat fare was Rp 160,000 per person.
Speedboats leave daily at 9am and 12 noon, but the 12 noon boat could be cancelled if there are not enough passengers. It is therefore recommended to take a ticket for the 9am boat.
We were told that it is better to book in advance as the 9am speedboats is a small boats with less than 30 seats. So we arranged boat tickets through someone recommended by Noni at the Victory Hotel where we stayed in Tentena. We were not charged any commission.
The boat tickets were brought to the Hotel Oasis where we stayed in Ampana. There we paid the boat fee to that person. He was also a shared taxi driver and gave us a quick sales talk about his transportation options after our stay in the Togean Islands.
To the boat landing for the Togean Islands
We were told that the boats leave at 9am, so the next morning we went to the boat terminal at 8.30am. It is a few minutes’ walk from Hotel Oasis.
When we arrived at the pier, it was crowded with people. We went into the building with the ticket office and waiting room and showed our tickets to the staff inside, who told us that the boat had not arrived yet and we should wait a bit. They said it would probably be ready to leave at 9.30am.
Before boarding the boat, you have to pay the Togean Islands Park entrance fee. The entrance fee is Rp 150,000 per person for foreigners and Rp 5,000 for Indonesians.
It can be paid at the Tourist Information Centre.
Payment of Togean Islands Park entrance fee
Once inside, a woman sat at the counter and asked me to show my passport.
The Tourist Information Centre was brightly lit and had a variety of information displayed.
The following blackboard indicates that there are no ATMs on the Togean Islands.
After paying the entrance fee, the tickets and leaflet were handed to us. The ticket must be presented when visiting the Togean Islands, so make sure you don’t lose it.
Then we waited for our boat to arrive…
Boarding the boat from Ampana to the Togean Islands
The boat finally arrived after 9.30am. There were 20 passengers today and all large luggage is secured on the roof.
It was almost 10.00am when we had boarded the boat and left Ampana harbour. There were a few other foreign tourists on board besides us, and we were reunited with some of the people who had stayed at the same hotel in Tentena.
Departure for Wakai: 10:00 am
We had already booked the Kadidiri Paradise Resort & Dive Centre on Kadidiri Island in the Togean Islands, which was to pick us up at the dock in Wakai.
The distance from Wakai to Kadidiri Island is just over 5km, but we were told that the boat would cost Rp 150,000 per boat. Luckily, a Dutch couple who had taken the boat from Ampana to Wakai also wanted to stay at the same resort, so they agreed to share the boat from Wakai.
Arrival at Wakai
We arrived at Wakai at 11:20am. The journey took one and a half hours, which was faster than expected.
The Paradise Resort boat had already arrived and we were met by the captain. However, the Dutch couple who were supposed to be with us wanted to buy sun cream, so we had to wait until they had finished shopping before we could leave.
The direct distance to the resort is about 5 km. As you can see in the picture above, it is a small boat, but the place where we boarded was at the edge of the landing area and we had to use a gap in a broken pillar as a foothold for passengers.
Arrival at Kadidiri Island: 12.15 pm
The sea was relatively calm, but the boat was going slowly. It was a small boat with only one engine, but the speed was so slow. I am sure it could go faster. We arrived at Kadidiri Island just as I started wondering whether the boat was going slowly because if we arrived too soon, we would think the boat charter price was too expensive:) The journey from Wakai took about 30 minutes.
Initially, the boat from Wakai to the resort was 150,000 rupiah for the two of us, but when we decided to share the boat with two other people, the price of the whole boat somehow went up to 200,000 rupiah. Anyway, we arrived safely at Kadidiri Island.
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