Labengki

Pulau Labengki consists of two islands, Labengki itself and the small Labengki Kecil. Especially the great Labengki is an oasis of nature, both above and below water. The rock formations that protrude above water are reminiscent of Raja Ampat.
Labengki Kecil is a small village with more than 100 families. A dozen families have furnished the house as a homestay. Lagoon Lovers homestay is our favorite. The owner, Pak Omar takes good care of Western guests. He also accompanies guests on tours on and around Labengki.
Labengki Kecil has a few attractions; the lighthouse, a cave and turtle beach. Here in the months of December and January the sea turtles lay their eggs on the beach.
Labengki itself is wonderful for snorkeling and diving. At the Nirwana resort there is a conservation area for the huge oysters, which can sometimes be up to 50cm in size. The Blue Lagoon is also worth a visit, although you have to climb fifteen minutes on and over sharp rocks.
The nearby (1.5 hour sailing) Sombori island is also called 'Little Raja Ampat', because of the resemblance to the rock formations at Fam island. After a steep climb you have a beautiful overview of the bay and the small islands.
During our visit (May 2018) there was very limited network coverage. WiFi is nowhere present. Electricity is limited available (from 18:00 to 07:00).
From Toli Toli (an hour's drive from Kendari) it is about 2.5 hours by speedboat to the island. If the Banda Sea is rough you can drive via Wawolasea. Along the way there are beautiful stops at a Bajo (sea nomadic) village and a hotspring and it is still 2 hours sailing with a local wooden boat in a more sheltered environment.

Best season for Labengki is from October to April. The other months the wind blows from the east and the Banda Sea can be too wild. During our visit in the month of May, two out of five days it didn’t stop raining.