From$230
3 days · 2 nights
Labengki Sombori Express
Three days, two nights across both island groups. Private wooden boat from Tanasa Port, all meals, guide and photo documentation. Homestay or cottage.
- 2 lagoons
- 2 caves
- 3 beaches
5 days · 4 nights · Pick-up in Kendari, departing from Tanasa Port
Lagoons and Sea Nomads
Five days on a private boat across both island groups. The further lagoons, the Bajo stilt village at Mbokita, and time to swim rather than tick off stops.
Itinerary, day by day
Open any day to see the stops, what each one is, and a photograph from it.
01Kendari to LabengkiGetting out there · 8 stops
Pick-up on the mainland, the run to Tanasa Port, and the crossing to Labengki by wooden boat. Check in, eat, then Long Sand Beach and a snorkel before dinner. On the longer trips this first day matters less as an itinerary and more as a reset: the days that follow are full, and starting them tired is how people end up skipping the climbs.
- 08:00Pick-up
- 09:00Arrive at Tanasa Port and head to Labengki Island
The crossing from the mainland, by wooden boat.
- 12:00Check in
- 12:00Lunch
- 15:00Long Sand Beach
The long white beach on the Labengki side, and usually the first stop off the boat.
- 16:00Snorkelling
Reef time, at whichever site the crew judges best on the day.
- 17:00Return to accommodation
- 19:00Dinner and rest
02Kayangan and Mbokita villageViewpoints and the stilt village · 9 stops
Red Sand Beach first, then a reef stop, then both Kayangan viewpoints back to back. The afternoon is the one the shorter trips do not reach: Mbokita, the Bajo stilt village built out over the water, followed by a swim at Air Kiri. Mbokita is a place people live, not an attraction, and how you behave there is covered before you step off the boat.
- 07:00Breakfast
- 08:30Red Sand Beach
A distinct reddish-orange strip, strongest at the waterline where the sand is wet.
- 09:30Priyanka snorkel spot
A named reef stop the crew uses on the Sombori side.
Both viewpoints on the Kayangan ridge, one after the other.
- 12:00Lunch
- 13:00Mbokita Village
The Bajo stilt village, built out over the water.
- 14:00Air Kiri Beach
A swimming stop on the Sombori side between the caves.
- 15:00Return to accommodation
- 19:00Dinner and rest
03Caves, lighthouse and the lagoonsCaves, lighthouse, lagoons · 10 stops
A full Labengki day, worked in the order the water allows. The swimming pool cave first, then the lighthouse above the village and the beach on the smaller island, then Blue Lagoon before lunch. The afternoon runs Twin Lagoon, Toros Kampali and a snorkel, finishing at Tobelo Lake if the tide is right. That last one is written as a maybe on purpose, because it is one.
- 07:00Breakfast
- 08:00Kolam Renang Cave
The swimming pool cave, entered from the water.
- 09:30Lighthouse and Small Labengki Beach
- 11:30Blue Lagoon
Laguna Mahumalalang, where fresh and sea water mix over white sand.
- 12:30Lunch
- 13:30Twin Lagoon
Two connected bodies of water enclosed by karst on the Labengki side.
- 14:30Toros Kampali and snorkelling
- 15:30Tobelo Lake (tide permitting)
Only reachable when the tide allows, which is why it is written as a maybe rather than a promise.
- 16:20Return to accommodation
- 19:00Dinner and rest
04Jellyfish Lagoon and the Sombori cavesJellyfish, then the Sombori caves · 10 stops
Back south to Sombori for the lagoon with the stingless jellyfish, then a beach stop before lunch. The afternoon takes the two caves, Diamond and Allo, and ends at the Five Lagoons, a cluster of connected water in the karst. Four days in, the crew knows what you like doing and the order of an afternoon like this bends around that rather than around a printed schedule.
- 07:00Breakfast
- 08:00Start Sombori exploration
- 09:30Jellyfish Lagoon
An enclosed lagoon holding stingless jellyfish.
- 11:30White Sand Beach
A beach stop on the Sombori side, usually paired with the caves.
- 12:30Lunch
- 13:30Diamond Cave
The second of the Sombori caves, named for the way light catches inside.
- 14:30Allo Cave
A cave in the Sombori karst, reached from the water.
- 15:30Five Lagoons
A cluster of connected lagoons in the Sombori karst.
- 16:20Return to accommodation
- 19:00Dinner and rest
05Kimaboe Hill, then homeOne climb, then home · 4 stops
Kimaboe Hill in the morning, back to pack, then check out and the transfer to Kendari. The five-day trip ends earlier in the day than the shorter ones because the crossing is the same regardless, and there is no sense arriving somewhere at dusk with a flight to catch. Plan the onward leg for the following morning if you can.
- 07:00Breakfast
- 08:30Kimaboe Hill
A short climb on the Labengki side, looking down over Love Bay.
- 09:30Return to accommodation and pack
- 11:00Check out and transfer back to Kendari
About this trip
Five days, four nights. This is where the trip stops being a circuit of well-known stops and starts being time spent in an archipelago.
The difference is not really the number of places. It is that you stop moving between them at pace.
What five days changes
The further stops come into range. A three or four-day trip works the accessible core of both island groups because that's what fits. On five days the boat can reach lagoons and beaches that a shorter schedule simply can't justify the running time to.
Mornings stop being about getting somewhere. On the shorter trips there is always a next stop and a reason to move. Here there is room to stay somewhere because it is good, swim for an hour longer, and let the crew pick a lunch beach rather than a lunch slot.
Weather stops being a threat. By day five, anything the tide or the sea refused you earlier has usually had another chance. Goa Allo needs the water to drop. Some lagoon entrances need the same. Crossings need a workable sea. With four nights out there, the crew is planning around conditions rather than betting on them.
The village becomes a visit rather than a stop. More on that below.
The comparison against the shorter options is on how the five-day Labengki itinerary compares.
The sea nomads
The name of this trip comes from the Bajo, and this is the length where that part of it gets proper room.
Mbokita is a Bajo village built on stilts above the water on the Sombori side. The Bajo are a maritime people with a long history across this part of Indonesia, and Mbokita is a working village. People live there, fish from there, and build boats there. It is not a heritage exhibit and we do not treat it as one.
What that means in practice: we go at a reasonable hour rather than at dawn, we ask before photographing anyone, and we buy something if there is something to buy. Those are not rules we impose on guests so much as the ordinary courtesy of walking through somebody's neighbourhood.
On a shorter trip Mbokita is a stop between other stops. On five days there is time to sit, which is a different experience and a better one. More on the Bajo village at Mbokita.
The water
Five days is the length we would point a keen snorkeller at, with one honest caveat.
This is a karst, cave and lagoon destination with snorkelling attached. It is not a dedicated reef destination and we would rather say that plainly than have you find out on day two. If world-class reef is the reason you travel, read whether Labengki is worth it for you before booking anything.
What five days does give you is time in the water rather than time getting to it. Longer stops, more swimming, and the chance to go back somewhere that was good.
It also gives room for the conservation side of this place. Around Labengki Kecil there is long-running work relocating kima, the giant clams of the genus Tridacna, onto reefs the community treats as no-take zones. Look, photograph, do not touch and do not stand on anything. More on the Labengki Kecil giant clam no-take zone.
How the trip runs
Pick-up in Kendari at around 08:00 on day one, road transfer north to Tanasa Port, then a wooden boat out to the islands.
From there the days answer to the water. We publish no hour-by-hour schedule because it would be fiction. The crew reads the tide and sea each morning and builds the day accordingly, which on a five-day trip means genuine choices rather than a fixed loop.
Most landings are wet. No piers. You step off into shallow water and walk in, so anything that must stay dry lives in a dry bag for the whole trip.
Accommodation
Two tiers, homestay and cottage. Identical itinerary in both. The only differences are where you sleep and what the trip costs.
The cottage tier gives you more comfort and more privacy. Both are basic against a mainland hotel, for structural reasons: no grid electricity, no plumbing network, a generator running for part of the day, and rooms sleeping two.
Four nights is long enough that this matters more than it does on a short trip. Book knowing what you're getting.
What is included
- Private wooden boat and crew for the whole trip
- Four nights accommodation, in your chosen tier
- All meals during the trip, plus mineral water
- Snacks and soft drinks
- All entrance fees
- Your guide
- Photo and video documentation, shot on a DJI action camera and iPhone
What is not included
- Flights to and from Kendari
- Hotels in Kendari before and after the trip
- Snorkelling gear
- Alcohol
- Personal expenses and personal medication
Practical notes
Telkomsel is the SIM that works. Buy it in Kendari; other networks largely do not reach.
No ATM on the islands. Bring cash, and slightly more than you would for a short trip if you plan to buy anything at the village.
Generator power only, for part of the day. Over four nights a decent power bank matters more than it does over two.
Snorkelling gear is not provided. On this trip in particular, bring a mask that fits you. Five days is a long time with a leaking borrowed one.
Drones are welcome at our sites with no permit needed from us. Indonesian national rules apply and change, so check them before you travel.
This is a private trip. The boat is yours and the route is yours within what the sea allows.
Common questions
Is five days too long? If long days on the water sound like the cost rather than the point, yes, and four days will serve you better. If they sound like the point, no.
How much of it is Sombori and how much Labengki? You sleep on the Labengki side and reach Sombori by day boat. On five days both sides get multiple days, which is not true on the shorter trips.
Will we definitely visit Mbokita? It is a normal part of this itinerary, subject to sea conditions on the day like everything else out here.
Is this the right trip for snorkelling? It is the best of the four for time in the water. It is still not a dive destination and we won't pretend otherwise.
Can we do a day of nothing? Yes, and on five days it is a reasonable thing to want. Tell the crew.
What if the weather is bad for two days? It reorders the trip rather than stopping it. Five days absorbs that far better than three, which is much of what you're paying for.
What's included
- Boat transport (wooden boat)
- 4 nights accommodation, shared bathroom, 2 people per room
- All meals during island hopping, breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus mineral water
- Entrance fees to every destination on the itinerary
- Tour guide
- Photo and video documentation (DJI action camera and iPhone)
- Snacks and soft drinks
Not included
- Personal medication
- Personal expenses
- Alcoholic drinks
- Hotel stays before and after the trip
- Snorkelling gear
Good to know
Most days are easy, but there is no pier at many stops, so expect wet landings: you step off the boat straight into shallow water and wade in. The viewpoints at Kayangan and Kimaboe involve a short steep climb on rock and wooden steps. You should be comfortable in the sea and able to manage uneven ground.
This itinerary changes with the weather, the waves and the tide. If a stop cannot be reached safely, the guide reorders the day and returns when conditions allow. Several stops are marked tide permitting for that reason.
What to bring
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
- Hat and swimwear
- Personal medicine and supplements
- Insect repellent
- Power bank
- Trekking sandals or shoes
- Dry bag
- Telkomsel SIM card
- Cash for local purchases
- Snorkelling gear
Group size
| Group size | Homestay | Cottage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 people | $921 | $975 |
| 2 people | $600 | $630 |
| 3 people | $469 | $561 |
| 4 people | $423 | $478 |
| 5 people | $375 | $450 |
| 6 people | $347 | $425 |
On this trip
Other trips
Same islands, a different amount of time. Every trip is a private boat for your group.
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4 days · 3 nights
Karst, Caves and Twin Lagoons
Four days across both island groups on a private wooden boat. Two full days on the water, the Sombori caves, and room to go back when the tide says no.
- 2 lagoons
- 3 caves
- 4 beaches
From$358
6 days · 5 nights
The Slow Archipelago
Six days on a private boat with no schedule to keep. First light at the viewpoints, repeat visits, and enough attempts to actually get the shot.
- 5 lagoons
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- 4 beaches