:: Wakatobi Islands - Southeast Sulawesi Travel
Guides ::
The
Tukang Besi Islands ( WAKATOBI ISLANDS )
The Tukang Besi Islands are located in the
northeastern part of the Flores Sea, southeast of the
island of Buton. There are five main inhabited islands —
Wanci, Kambode, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko — and a
number of smaller, mostly uninhabited, islands. The
islands previously formed part of the realm of the
Sultanate of Buton, but since 1964 they have been part
of the province of Southeast Sulawesi (Sulawesi Tenggara).
The capital of the province is the sprawling town of
Kendari, located on the shores of Kendari Bay. Until
recently, the Tukang Besi Islands were part of the
Regency of Buton, with its administrative centre at
Baubau, and the region was divided into four
sub-districts (kecamatan): Wangi Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia
and Binongko (Map 2-2).
The chain of islands is adjacent to one of the largest
and most biologically diverse coral reef systems in
Indonesia (Tomascik et al. 1997: 754). In July 1996 the
Tukang Besi Archipelago was declared a Marine National
Park by the Directorate General of Forest Protection and
Nature. The Wakatobi Marine National Park [1] includes
all the reefs and islands in the archipelago and covers
1.39 million he
ctares
(13 900 km2), which make it the second largest
designated marine protected area in Indonesia (Stanzel
and Newman 1997).
The Tukang Besi people are well known throughout
Indonesia and beyond as ‘daring seafarers, shipbuilders
and maritime traders’ (Evers 1991: 147). The maritime
economy in the Tukang Besi Islands developed because
these relatively infertile islands can only support a
limited amount of small-scale agriculture, mainly during
the period of the west monsoon. During the dry or east
monsoon season the economy focuses on maritime
activities, including collecting, fishing and trading.
The trading routes can range as far as Singapore,
Malaysia, Java and West Papua, and the trade involves a
range
of cargoes including timber, salt, tubers, second-hand
clothes, copra and spices. These are mostly derived from
other parts of Indonesia, particularly from Maluku and
Java.
The main town of Wanci is located in the metropolitan
Wanse-Pongo area. Government departments and services,
junior and senior high schools, and a losmen (guest
house) are all located in Pongo. The main market was in
Pongo, but a few years ago was shifted to the village of
Mandati I, which is the closest land village to Mola
Utara. [3] Wanci can be reached by a number of routes,
all involving long and arduous journeys. From Baubau,
the capital of Buton, buses travel to the village of
Lasalimu on the eastern coast of Buton, which is usually
a three-hour trip. From here a Wanci-based ferry, and
more recently a passenger speedb
oat,
travel daily between the islands, which is usually a
two- to three-hour trip. Ferries also make a 16-hour
trip directly from Kendari to Wanci, usually once or
twice a week.
The old capital of the vassal state of Kaledupa was
Buranga, but now Ambeua is the official capital of the
kecamatan which includes Kaledupa Island, the nearby
island of Hoga, and the two uninhabited islands of
Lintea and Tiwolu. There are ten desa on Kaledupa. Daily
transport operates between Wanse
Come and Discover Indonesia Islands with us!
