Asik OriginalFrom
$458
Luwuk Banggai, Central Sulawesi
Luwuk Banggai 6D5N: Waterfalls, Paisupok Lake & the Banggai Islands
6 Days 5 NightsSmall groups
Labengki & Sombori 4D3N: Lagoons, Caves and Twin Lagoon
Labengki & Sombori, Southeast Sulawesi4 Days 3 NightsAsik Original
An Asik Original, run by us
Planned and run end to end by the Asik team. You book and deal directly with us, start to finish.
Overview
The version we recommend most often. The extra day buys you the whole Labengki side, which the three-day trip has to skip.
Four days is the point where Labengki stops being a stopover and starts being a destination. The three-day trip covers Sombori well and then runs out of time. This one keeps the full Sombori day and adds a dedicated Labengki day: Twin Lagoon, Toros Kampali, the Blue Lagoon, Small Labengki Beach, the lighthouse and the Swimming Pool Cave.
The islands are drowned limestone, which is the reason for the shape of everything here. Ridges of karst break the sea into enclosed lagoons, some of them cut off enough to warm up and change colour through the day. Snorkelling is mostly shallow and sheltered, so it works for people who are competent in the water rather than expert. Currents are mild inside the lagoons and stronger on the outer edges, and your guide will tell you which is which.
Take this one if you want to see both islands properly without committing to a week.
Itinerary
1Day 1
Kendari to Labengki, Long Sand Beach
Transfer, crossing, and an easy afternoon.
Day 1
Kendari to Labengki, Long Sand Beach
Transfer, crossing, and an easy afternoon.
- 08:00
Pick-up in Kendari and transfer to Tanasa Port
- 09:00
Board the wooden boat for the crossing, about two and a half hours, with the karst appearing long before landfall
- 12:00
Check in and drop bags. Rooms are simple, twin share, with a shared bathroom
- 13:00
Lunch, usually served on the boat between stops
- 15:00
Long Sand Beach (Pantai Pasir Panjang), a wide bank of white sand backed by leaning coconut palms and almost always empty
- 16:00
Snorkelling from the boat over shallow coral, sheltered and easy
- 19:00
Dinner, cooked on the island and eaten together
2Day 2
Sombori in full
Caves, beaches and both Kayangan viewpoints.
Day 2
Sombori in full
Caves, beaches and both Kayangan viewpoints.
- 07:00
Breakfast at the accommodation before the boat goes out
- 08:00
Cross to Sombori, the more theatrical of the two islands, where the limestone rises straight out of the water
- 09:00
Red Sand Beach (Pantai Pasir Merah), a short stretch of rust-orange sand that photographs unlike anywhere else on the trip
- 10:00
Allo Cave (Goa Allo), a limestone chamber at the waterline that you step into from the boat
- 11:00
Air Kiri Beach (Pantai Air Kiri), a swimming and snorkelling stop between the cave visits
- 12:00
Diamond Cave (Goa Berlian), named for the way daylight catches the wet limestone inside
- 13:00
Lunch, then the short steep climb to Puncak Kayangan over sharp limestone. Shoes with grip matter here
- 14:00
Kayangan viewpoint two
- 15:00
Snorkelling from the boat over shallow coral, sheltered and easy
- 16:00
Back to the accommodation before dark
- 19:00
Dinner, cooked on the island and eaten together
3Day 3
Labengki: Twin Lagoon, Blue Lagoon and the lighthouse
The day the shorter trip does not have room for.
Day 3
Labengki: Twin Lagoon, Blue Lagoon and the lighthouse
The day the shorter trip does not have room for.
- 07:00
Breakfast at the accommodation before the boat goes out
- 08:00
Twin Lagoon (Danau Kembar), two pools linked inside the limestone and calm even when the open water is not
- 09:00
Toros Kampali, a snorkelling stop over shallow coral
- 10:00
Blue Lagoon (Laguna Mahumalalang), an enclosed basin below steep forested cliffs and the best swim of the trip
- 11:00
Snorkelling from the boat over shallow coral, sheltered and easy
- 12:00
Lunch, usually served on the boat between stops
- 14:00
Small Labengki Beach, a quiet strip on the smaller of the two islands
- 15:00
The Labengki lighthouse, a short walk up for the long view back down the island chain
- 16:00
Swimming Pool Cave, a flooded chamber you swim into rather than walk
- 17:00
Back to the accommodation before dark
- 19:00
Dinner, cooked on the island and eaten together
4Day 4
Kimaboe Hill, Teluk Cinta, return
One last viewpoint before the crossing back.
Day 4
Kimaboe Hill, Teluk Cinta, return
One last viewpoint before the crossing back.
- 07:00
Breakfast at the accommodation before the boat goes out
- 08:00
Kimaboe Hill for the view down onto Teluk Cinta, the heart-shaped bay (Love Bay) below
- 10:00
Load up and start the crossing back to the mainland
- 12:30
Arrive back at the harbour, where the vehicle is waiting
Getting there
Everything starts in Kendari, the capital of Southeast Sulawesi. Haluoleo airport (KDI) takes daily flights from Makassar, and Makassar connects to Jakarta, Bali and Surabaya several times a day. We collect you in Kendari at 08:00 and drive 40 minutes to Tanasa Port, then it is about two and a half hours by wooden boat to Labengki. Plan to arrive in Kendari the night before. Same-day connections do not work.
What the accommodation is actually like
Simple, and worth knowing in advance. Rooms are twin share with a shared bathroom, either in a homestay or in a cottage a step above it. There is no air conditioning, hot water is not guaranteed, and the electricity comes from a generator that runs from about 6pm to 6am, so there is no power during the day. Mobile signal is patchy on Labengki and mostly absent around Sombori. People who come expecting a resort are disappointed; people who come for the water are not.
A note on price
The per-person rate falls sharply as the group grows, because the boat, the guide and the fuel cost the same whether one person or six is aboard. Two people pay roughly double what six people pay each. If your dates are flexible, tell us and we will try to pair you with another small group. Cottage accommodation is available on every departure for a supplement.
What's included
- Wooden boat transport for the whole trip
- 3 nights accommodation on Labengki (twin share, shared bathroom, homestay or cottage)
- All meals while island hopping, three per day, plus drinking water
- Entrance and retribution fees at every stop
- English or Indonesian speaking guide
- Trip photos and video, DJI action camera and iPhone
- Snacks and soft drinks
Not included
- Flights to and from Kendari
- Hotel in Kendari before or after the trip
- Snorkelling gear (rented in Kendari or on the island)
- Personal medication
- Alcoholic drinks
- Personal spending, tips and souvenirs
Gallery
1 / 7 Full size
Good to know
How do I get to Labengki and Sombori?
Fly to Kendari (Haluoleo, KDI) in Southeast Sulawesi. Makassar has daily flights and connects onward to Jakarta, Bali and Surabaya. We pick you up in Kendari at 08:00, drive 40 minutes to Tanasa Port and cross by wooden boat, which takes about two and a half hours. Arrive in Kendari the night before; there is no same-day connection that works.
Is this the same as Raja Ampat?
The geology is similar, both are drowned karst, and the aerial views look alike. Raja Ampat has richer reefs and far better diving. Labengki and Sombori are much cheaper, much quieter and much easier to reach from Makassar. If you want world-class diving, go to Raja Ampat. If you want empty lagoons without a long haul east, Labengki and Sombori are the easier trip.
Is snorkelling gear included?
Not in the price, but you can rent a set on Labengki for about IDR 40,000 a day. Bring your own mask and snorkel if you have them anyway, because a mask that fits your own face is worth more than a rented one, and fins are worth having for the outer sites.
When is the best time to go?
The drier, calmer months generally run around April to October, and the crossing is the part most affected by weather. Rougher seas in the wet season can force the guides to swap exposed stops for sheltered ones. Tell us your dates and we will be honest about what they usually look like.
Do I need to be a strong swimmer?
You should be comfortable in open water. Most snorkelling is shallow and sheltered inside the lagoons, and buoyancy aids are available, but some outer sites have current and the boat drops you in deeper water. Non-swimmers can still do the caves, the viewpoints and the beaches.
Why does the 4-day price change so much with group size?
The boat, the fuel, the guide and the crew cost the same whether one person or six is on board, so the per-person rate falls steeply as the group grows. Two people pay roughly double what six pay each. If your dates are flexible we will try to pair you with another small group.
Is this an open trip or a private trip?
It is a private trip by default. The boat, the guide and the itinerary are yours, and the per-person rate is set by how many of you travel, which is why a party of two pays more each than a party of six. If you would rather share the cost, tell us your dates and we will try to pair you with another small group, which is the open trip arrangement. We will not put you with strangers without asking first.
Is there a resort on Labengki or Sombori?
Yes, one: Labengki Nirwana Resort, and we can arrange a room there on request. Our standard trips use homestays and simple cottages or beach huts instead: twin share, shared bathroom, fan rather than air conditioning, and generator power in the evening and overnight rather than around the clock. The homestays are Bajau family houses in the village itself; the cottages sit on their own on Labengki Besar with a beach in front and only the kitchen crew and other guests around. Sombori has no accommodation at all, so you sleep on Labengki and visit Sombori by boat. Ask us if you want the resort, but the appeal of these islands is how little is built on them, not the comfort of the beds.
Booking and cancellation terms
- A deposit confirms your booking. The balance is due before the trip starts.
- Cancel 14 days or more before the start date: full refund of what you have paid.
- Cancel 7 to 13 days before: 50% of the total paid is refunded.
- Cancel less than 7 days before, or do not show up: no refund.
- If we cancel the trip, you choose a new date or take a full refund.
Full terms are confirmed with your booking. Bank transfer fees are paid by the sender.
