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The bewitching Tomia Island Festival 2016 in wonderful Wakatobi

 

This November, the Wakatobi Islands in South East Sulawesi province will again spark up with activities when  the Tomia Island Festival 2016 takes place from the 3rd to the 6th November 2016. The festival follows the successful Kaledupa Festival held last September on this archipelago,renowned for its spectacular underwater beauty. The name Wakatobi, in fact, is the shortened form of the 4 names of the main islands called Wangi-wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko, once better known as the Tukang Besi islands.

 

The festival will feature a wide variety of cultural attractions, a culinary fiesta, fishing competitions, and many more. The island of Tomiaitself has a number of unique cultural traditions such as the Safara ceremony that is held annually in the month of Safar following the Islamic Calendar and the Bose-bose in which people decorate traditional boats, loading these with offerings and then parade the boats along the shore. Also performed will be the Sajo Moane sacred dance and the Saride Sea dance which symbolizes unity and togetherness.

 

The bewitching Tomia Island Festival 2016 in wonderful Wakatobi

 

“Along with its magnificent underwater splendors, Tomia Island has unique well preserved cultural traditions. And that is the reason why the Tomia Islands Festival 2016 will offer a truly exciting experience” said Arie Prasetyo, the PIC of Wakatobi Destination of the 10 Priority Destinations Teams in the Ministry of Tourism. He also added that the island has magnificent diving and snorkeling sites since it is located a  distance from Wangi-wangi Island where is the center of activities of  the Wakatobi population.

 

Wakatobi is widely recognized as having the highest number of reefs and fish species in the world. The islands are also famous as the largest barrier reef in Indonesia, second only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Here can be found fringing, atolls and barrier reefs besides offering more than 50 divespots easily accessible from the major islands. This is the haven for large and small fish species, the playground of dolphins, turtles and even whales. Wakatobi alone is said to have 942 fish species and 750 coral reef species from a total of 850 in world's collection, which, when comparing to the two world's famous diving centers, the Caribbean Sea counts 50 species, with  the Red Sea in Egypt owning 300 coral reef species .

 

Wings Air will fly from Makassar to Wakatobi at the end of October, while Garuda Indonesia plans to fly Bali-Wakatobi towards the end of the year, facilitating tourists in Bali to fly direct to Wakatobi. 

 

Image Source: http://www.tomiascubadive.com/

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