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Published: October 25th 2012
Bolilanga = > Fadhila = > Malenge = > Gorontalo = > Manado It is not the first time. It has happened before. We researched and we planned and yet we ended up doing completely different thing anyway. Why? Because we met some travelers on the way who told us stories that altered our plan. Some French family in Poyalisa/Bomba was just one of those instances. Sarah, Bas and us planned to go to Kadidiri after Bomba and we even booked bungalows for a specific date. Then we wanted to go to the remote Malenge Island after which we would have traveled back to Wakai (port very close to Bomba) for the ferry to the other side of Sulawesi.
The family told us that they just did the trip but other way round and that we wouldn’t really have to come back to Wakai but just take a ferry from Dolong (eastern side of Togeans and very close to Malenge, see details below) which is somehow not mentioned by any guidebook or any guesthouse. They knew the exact hours and dates of ferry departures so we planned our trip around them. They also told us about the islands they
visited and really criticized
Kadidiri. Apparently it is very resort-y type of a place, with high prices for every extra activity and with the crew constantly nagging you to buy something or sign up for tours etc. Also people really complain about food and about how hungry they are all the time. The thing about all the places in Togeans is that all meals are included and there are no restaurants or shops around. If they serve small portions there is nothing else for you to eat ;-( I believe they said that people were literally fighting for food in Kadidiri which seemed just so bad.
When we heard their stories we all decided to skip our booking and head straight to
Bolilanga, tiny island with just one guesthouse/resort on it. It was highly recommended by this family and they compared this place to Poyalisa. We were sure we would just love it. Once again we were worried there would be no place for us but when we arrived it was almost empty. We did not want to wait for an afternoon local boat so we hired a private one (10$ each) to be able to get there earlier
than others. It paid off as we were able to choose our bungalows (200,000/20$ each all inclusive) – the place was full by the evening so we were lucky ;-) We just loved it there. Bolilanga has a beautiful beach with bungalows alongside it and another tiny beach on the other side that is only accessible with low tide. When full it is only enjoyed by 20 people so we always felt like we were almost alone. The management was fantastic as well and they wanted to make sure everybody felt great.
We spent majority of our time swimming, snorkeling and reading books on the beach or on our veranda. In the evenings we all sat at the beach, play cards and watch magnificent sunsets while sipping cold Bintang. We met some nice people over there but one guy especially – Bostjan from Slovenia – seemed like a close friend to us. He was in transit to New Zeland, traveling through Indonesia as part of his holidays before settling down. He happened to have his Bday when we were there and we all decided to surprise him and made him some presents. We were carrying some shells from Philippines
with us so made him a pendant and a string and wrapped it in a palm leave – so eco ;-) We also asked the owner for a cake and in the evening we switched the lights off and lit the candles for him. He was so surprised to receive this kind of attention from people he barely knew that he said it was his best Bday ever;-) We were very happy to do that as well – it was a fun evening.
Just next to Bolilanga lays another small island –
Pagempa that hosts
Fadhila Resort. It is nice but a little bit luxurious for our liking. Having said that we heard about the amazing food they serve there every day. After 10 days of rice and fish for every meal we really craved for something different. We also heard that they have some cheap rooms over the restaurant (mainly for people waiting for a hut) and because we were running out of cash we wanted to save a little bit of money. That was another thing about Togeans. Even though initially we planned to stay for less than 10 days we did not want to leave. There
are no ATMs over there so we had to be smart with our money to be able to make it for longer. We asked the owner in Fadilah about the rooms and he agreed for us to take them for 125,000R /13$ per person. When we arrived to check in we found out that there was a misunderstanding and they had 2 more people booked for the cheap rooms. The owner asked us for help and if we could all 4 share one room for a significant discount. We had no trouble camping on the floor for a night anyway so we agreed on 75,000/8$ pp, food inclusive and he was very grateful. We had some spare change for Bintang left so we were all happy too;-) Fadilah is a very nice place but not as exclusive as Poyalisa or Bolilanga because it is much bigger. We had a great time though, playing volleyball on the beach and enjoying amazing food they served in the evening. And all that for 8$ per person – what a treat;-)
We convinced Bostjan to join us in
Malenge Island few day later and surprisingly he agreed. His plans seemed to have changed
whoops...not handling it well
guys were trying hard against strong currents but got wet anyway;-)on the way as well. It is always about the people you meet. He had previously visited Malenge but this time we chose a different guesthouse -
Malenge Lestari Cottages – so he was happy to come along. Again we arrived without a reservation (there is no phone connection in Togeans so you cannot really book anything unless through tourist office in Ampana) hoping to get some space. We were put in 2 rooms by the restaurant (85,000R pp) and were promised bungalows (100,000-150,000R pp) the next day. Just after we checked in two German couples arrived, were offered to sleep on the floor in the restaurant and were told that they would get the bungalow the next day as well (we met in Poyalisa actually). So there were 9 of us waiting in line for a hut.
In the evening another two German couples arrived and were told that the place was full. They took the owner for a walk and when they came back we were suddenly told that there would be not enough bungalows for all of us the next day. We were so surprised we started a discussion with the owner and he advised us
that those other people take two bungalows and the rest of us have to share whatever is left. We seriously think they paid him extra to bribe him!!! We tried to explain to those people that there was a waiting list but all we heard from them was:
‘It is not our problem’ and
‘We are not in Europe – queuing does not work in here’…. Are you kidding me? Have you got no decency? We got so angry that finally the owner said ‘
If you don’t like it, you go!!!’ Not the best way to treat people that pay your bills. In our experience this kind of behavior is common between Indonesians – they never seem to think it is their fault or their problem. Problem solving is not their strongest skill.
If not this place being so beautiful and if only we had other place to go to we would have probably left. The next morning all was solved as more people left and the owner realized he was very rude to us. Coincidently his name was Rudy hahha We all got our bungalows and had a very pleasant stay in Malenge till the end. The
beauty of this place is hard to describe. Located in a beautiful bay the guesthouse is surrounded by a beach and reef on one side and a stunning turquoise water lagoon on the other - fabulous place for swimming and relaxation as well as great snorkel spot for marine life lovers. There is also a sea gypsy village on the other side where you can either go by a wobbly bridge or use kayak to get there. We also did an evening trek to the bat cave – awesome experience of thousands of bats flying around you and we were able to see a coconut crab in a jungle (guide costs 25,000R pp).
We were sad to leave but 16 days in one place (well archipelago but still) seemed enough. We were so amazed by the beauty of it that we dare to say that Togean Islands are on par with stunning islands in Philippines which we just loved the most. We will be back for sure!!! We took the very cheap ferry (4$, 5h) back to the Sulawesi mainland and then made our way up to
Manado. It was the end of Ramadan so all the flights were
either fully booked or really expensive. We had to choose something and the cheapest we were able to find was a flight to Surabaya so we booked it. We thought we could skip Jakarta in the end. We also skipped Bunaken Island as we also heard of it to be extremely touristy and pricey. Maybe when we learn to dive we will be back;-)
In Manado, we all jumped at the first opportunity and had some fast-food. After 15 days of eating fish and rice and curry you really crave for some meet and fat. I don’t remember McDonalds meal to taste that well, ever hahaha. It was a sad time for us as we had to say goodbye to out Dutch friends that we came to love so much. We had so much fun and we got really close to one another. Surprising how life sometimes works out and you meet these incredible people just when you least expect it. We also loved these weeks we spent together as we traveled the old-school way. We listened to other travelers and make our plans as we went. We visited 5 islands instead of 2 and we stayed nearly a
week longer, just because it was so fabulous and we had so much fun. We will definitely miss them and miss this laidback approach to travel….
Additional Note: Togeans DIY •
Even in high season you don’t have to book anything which gives you better flexibility if you happen to change your plans. Just remember the public boat/big ferry schedules and move during these days as the boat day means people are leaving the islands. It is better to charter a boat and arrive in a new place before the public boat to secure your bungalow. We did it every time and we always found place. •
Here is a good website with boats and ferry schedules: http://www.waleakodi.com/schedule.html •
Rent a boat from a freelancer or in a village as they will charge you half of what the resort take for a trip •
If you didn’t bring enough money you don’t have to leave - ask for kitchen/restaurant rooms which are twice cheaper or some places even allow to camp there. They will charge you for food mostly then. •
If you look for a luxurious place look online and book them as majority of places are very basic so you may be disappointed.
•
Special places to visit in Togeans: Una Una volcano Island – you can climb the volcano if you want; the stingless Jelly Fish Lake (only two in the world, one in Derawan and another in Togeans, here is cheaper to visit but fewer jelly fish); Sea Gypsy villages around islands
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Sophie and Dale
Sophie & Dale
wow
Look at him! They really are such strange looking creatures.. like something from a horror story!