Wakatobi

Wakatobi is the acronym for four islands — Wangi-Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia, Binongko — that sit at the dead centre of the Coral Triangle. The reef-fish diversity here is the highest measured anywhere; even a casual snorkel feels like a documentary.

The Bajau, a sea-nomad people who built villages on stilts and reefs, have lived in this archipelago for centuries. Visiting a Bajau village is part of any honest trip here, and best done with a local fixer — not a hotel desk.

Six nights is the floor; ten pays back. Soft coral cover on Tomia is among the most intact in Indonesia, and the homestays on Hoga keep the budget version honest.