FAQ

Una Una is a proper remote island, there are easier and less easy travel routes to reach this little gem. But be prepared to put a little effort in. The most used route is either via Ampana (harbor city in the South) or Gorontalo (harbor city in the North) to Wakai, the central hub in the Togian Islands. From Wakai onwards most of our guests take a chartered boat to Una Una, this takes around 2,5 hours and costs Rp 700.000. Often we can combine arriving guests so these costs can be shared. Alternatively we can arrange direct transport from Ampana or Marisa (west of Gorontalo) to our resort. This is definitely the easiest route, but is a bit more expensive. The cheapest option is a public boat connecting Una Una with Wakai. Leaving early morning from Wakai to Una Una on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. From Una Una to Wakai on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. See our ‘Direction’ page for more information or drop us a message. We’re happy to help you.

There are a couple airports that give you access to the Togian Islands. Fly to either Gorontalo (GTO), Luwuk (LUW) or Poso (PSJ). Flights are reliable and delays are rare. From all airports onwards we can help with arranging transport. To book your flights please use Traveloka.com or Tiket.com, these search engines include all local flights, some western search engines don’t. Ampana airport is currently under construction, once flight come available we’ll let you know!

Yes! We can help with all transport starting from any city surrounding the Togian Islands, Gorontalo, Marisa, Ampana, Luwuk, Poso, Tentena or Palu. Let us know and we’ll help figuring out your easiest route, booking tickets and ensuring a comfortable trip towards the islands. For more information and/or arranging transport from Gorontalo and Marisa, you can contact our friends Harry&Mimin via Whatsapp; +62 81342035519. For help and info from the South (Ampana, Luwuk, Poso, Tentena or Palu) please contact Adnan via Whatsapp: +62 85242108719.

Ampana to Wakai (and further to Malenge)

• The daily speedboat Herkules, leaving Ampana at 9:00 and Manacara, leaving Ampana between noon and 13:00 to Wakai are the fastest option to Wakai. It takes less then two hours and the boat brings you straight to Wakai. The ticket costs Rp 130.000 per person. Buy your ticket at the harbor at the official ticket point. For Wakai back to Ampana the same boats are operated at 9.00 AM and noon / 13.00 PM.
• KM. Wamburabura brings you to Wakai on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Leaves Ampana around 10:00 and takes less than two hours. This speed boat is a little bit bigger than the other two and can take up to 100 people. After Wakai it continues to Malenge.
• The speedboat Touna Express should go every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday about 10:00 to Wakai, and continue to Malenge. This boat is often privately chartered, our contact in Ampana can tell you if it is going the next day.

Gorontalo to Wakai

• The night ferry “Tuna Tomini” runs three times a week from Gorontalo to Wakai (takes about 12hrs). It leaves Gorontalo every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday at 17:00, arriving in Wakai the next morning early. The ferry makes the return trip to Gorontalo on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, leaving Wakai at 16:00 and arriving the next morning early in Gorontalo. Please note that every first Saturday and Sunday of the month, the ferry is docked.
• Economy class ticket is Rp 65.000/person, ticket for a place on the open sleeper area Rp 73.000/person. You can rent a mattress for an additional Rp 10.000. Business class (bunk beds, airconditioned) available for Rp 89.000/person and a cabin with up to 4 beds for Rp 500.000 (excluding the economy ticket fare). Tickets can be booked in the harbor.

Wakai to Una Una

• The public boat called Arjuna is operated between Wakai and Una Una, takes about 3,5 hours and costs rp 50.000 per person. It leaves Wakai on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday mornings around 8.00 or 9.00 AM. For the other way around, it leaves Una Una on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays around 7.30 AM. It is not always easy to be in Wakai early morning to take the public boat to Una Una. The route from Una Una back to Wakai is often used by people who visited Una Una, it connects to the ferry to Gorontalo on Monday and Saturday and connects to the 12/13.00 PM speedboat from Wakai to Ampana. 
• Best option for the Wakai to Una Una route is to arrange a charterboat, takes around 2 to 2,5 hours, Rp 700.000 for the boat, which can be shared with 6-8 people. Often we can arrange arriving guests to share the boat and costs. This boat can be arranged on any day at any time. Let us know!

Direct charters from the mainland to Una Una

• We can arrange a direct speedboat transfer from Ampana to Una Una. The ride takes about 2 hours and costs Rp 3.000.000. Can be arranged any day at any time. This boat fits max 2 to 3 people. For a group bigger than 3 people we can arrange a bit bigger boat for Rp 3.500.000.
• From Marisa (3 hours by car from Gorontalo) we can arrange a transfer for Rp 3.500.000 for a boat that takes around 4 to 5 hours. For a speedboat transfer that takes 2,5 hours the price is Rp 4.500.000.

Please contact us for more information or arranging one of above mentioned boats.

• The weather in the Togian Islands is stable at clear blue skies with a rare cloud here and there. Holiday weather as you want it! It’s not that it never rains, but if it happens it’s mostly early morning, you’d need your sunglasses again before you’ve finished your breakfast. Many weather apps however fail to provide proper forecasts for this area of Sulawesi. Most apps will show you storm and rain all day long, every day of the week. That’s luckily completely wrong! The Togian Islands are almost on the equator, away from the mountainous Sulawesian mainland. The eventual clouds pass over the islands, only to drop their rain once they reach the elevated mainland. 
• We have been around now for a couple years, and in our opinion there is no such thing as a rainy season here. There were months that we didn’t see a single cloud, there were months that had a bit more clouds, but this period seems not to be the same over the years. The thing that is seasonal is the direction of the winds, which definitely do influence the weather a bit, but not much. Temperatures are stable around 30 degrees on land and 29 degrees Celsius in the water. Weather and with that dive conditions are good all year round!
• The Togian Islands do have a high and a low season though. The busy months are mainly from July up until September, the rest of the year it’s going to be easier to find a place to stay. In our opinion this is mainly based on the fact that July until September are in general the months Europeans take their holidays. Weather is perfect all year round.

• Recently a proper 4G tower was built in Wakai (the central village in the Togians), covering part of the islands with the Telkomsel network. A little of it reaches Una Una, enough to send an SMS or have a phone call. With a bit of luck even a Whatsapp message is send or received. But don’t worry, it takes some effort and if you want to be disconnected, that’s easy. If you are planning to buy a local SIMcard we would advise the Telkomsel one, they have the best coverage in remote places like the Togian Islands.
• To give us a more reliable way of communicating with the rest of the world we installed a satellite WIFI receiver. It is a proper and stable connection that enables the use of Skype, banking apps etc. We offer it to our guests, but against a fee, given it is expensive data going through. So again if you really need to get in touch with the outer world it is possible, but if you are looking forward to be disconnected, Una Una is the place to be.

There are no ATMs on the Togian Islands, Ampana or Gorontalo are the last places where cash can be taken. Many, but certainly not all, resorts by now have found some way to accept digital payments. Our satellite connection allows payments via Banktransfer (Euro) and Paypal. Via Transferwise payments with creditcard are possible as well. Cash Euro is accepted if none of the other options is possible. Cash Rupia always works.