Diving in Wakatobi is incredible and as much as I would like to share the experience with my family I was a tad apprehensive about bringing in my non-diving husband and four children. When we had to fly to Bali for my brother's wedding, and my two older children (Jonas 13 yrs. and Meggie 11 yrs. old) received their Junior Open-Water Certifications I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share my love of the sea with them.

We swung by Wakatobi and the kids had a fabulous time. They took care of everything. Jonas & Meg had an amazing time diving with their favourite dive guide Andrina. My husband Rob and 9 year old son James enjoyed snorkeling with their private snorkel guide Muji. While baby Jethro (5 months old) just loved taking naps on the dive boat, playing with the crew, and swimming with me at sea.

 

They thought of everything. The three older kids had fun in their own bungalow. It looked like a luxurious campsite in there, with each bed decked out with its own netting. A beautiful handmade baby crib and diaper changing table were waiting for us in our family bungalow, and when the baby is asleep we had the option to either leave the baby in the room with the baby monitor (as the restaurant is only a few paces from our bungalow), or have him sleep in a lounging baby crib that was already in the restaurant. Unbelievable. To top it off I didn't have to cook, clean, or make baby food. Though baby Jethro is still mainly nursing he had just started on solids. I had brought along the Baby Bullet to mash his food. Did not use it once. Andy became the family's favourite chef; he had made a gourmet baby menu for the entire duration of our stay. Suffice it to say Jethro learned to love solids in Wakatobi.

My daughter and I bonded as we did yoga on the beach. Vinessa is an incredible yoga instructor as she managed to have Meggie fall in love with yoga. It was also the first time the kids were away for Halloween and for us this was a big thing. The F&B staff was so accommodating. They had pumpkins ready for the kids to carve, and the kids still got to wear their costumes for the evening's festivities.

It was comforting for me to know that while I am diving my family is also having a great time. I cannot think of another dive resort that would go all out to ensure their guests will have a great stay. I managed to practice my fluorescent underwater photography skills, sneak in a few massages at the spa, and spend some quality time with the family.

In the end we all made it to the wedding in Bali. Jonas and James (the ring and coin bearers) with a bit of a tan, my husband looking much more relaxed, baby Jethro with a wide toothless grin, and Meg (the flower girl) with a bit of a sunburn on her nose. Everyone asked, "What happened?" Meg smiled and shouted out, "We went to Wakatobi!!!"

Thank you to all the Wakatobi Staff for making our family holiday so special. You all make a great team! Looking forward to our next visit...

Love,

The Livingston Family