Island Retreat

This was our best holiday on the seaside ever. It's not often that you get the chance to stay in such a magnificent place without it being crowded. We fell in love with the people and the place. The setting is truly paradisiac, the bungalows are big and clean and the food was INCREDIBLE (fresh fish, fresh bread, amazing soups, pizza). We felt like being part of a family and we cannot wait to go back. Compared to other places in the Togean, the experience at Island Retreat is by far the best.

One of the most beautiful and magical places we have ever been toPositive-Incredibly beautiful, tropical paradise with private beach- Completely secluded and off the beaten tourist track, we were completely alone for most of our stay- The best food we had in Indonesia There were often fresh fish and once even soup and pizza- The people were just incredibly hospitable and nice, we felt like family right from the start. We even received handmade gifts at the end. Transportation to other nearby places by boat was free.- The bungalows were in a great location, right on the beach with a hammockNegatives- The rooms were much more basic than we would have expected. There was no shower, just a basin with a bucket and no waste garbage can for the toilet paper.- There were always small animals in the room including a rat that had more poo every daySummaryEven though the room itself was kept relatively basic, we would go back anytime and can recommend the stay 200%, we really loved it

Very fun and full of excitement

I stayed here for 2 weeks in October and it was the most beautiful and tranquil place I’ve ever been.The water is just so clear, sunrise is the best time to go for a swim. It’s like swimming in a tropical fish tank - the colours and number of fish are just a wonder to observe.You can ask to be taken to various snorkelling sites - which you must do. I still think the corals around the resort are such a close second place though. All you need to do is walk to the end of the jetty and you’re past the edge of the coral and beautiful snorkling awaits.The staff are fantastic, really friendly and the food was everything I needed. It was just the right mix of letting me relax but they where always about if I needed anything.I absolutely loved it here. I’m so glad to have made the effort to get out anyway from the usual tourist spots. Btw there is definitely a small plane service from Palu to Ampana - Susuair. It runs twice a week and is definitely worth using this rather than chartering a car.If you have time to get a bit further out into Indonesia, then just go.

The setting:- It’s right on a nice, secluded beach (although you can’t swim directly from the beach due to seaweed).- You can get here directly from Ampana - so it’s easier than a lot of the other Togean options.- There is no wifi and only phone signal if you stand in one small corner for a while and get lucky. Electricity comes on for a few hours each evening.- Food was mixed. Breakfast was consistently bad (either one small pancake or one slice of bread) - but lunch and dinner were mostly good (often with fresh fish).Some cons/challenges to be aware of:- The rooms are very rustic (even more than we’d expected). Everything is old and wooden, doors are off hinges, lots of holes in the roof (which is an issue when it rains).- Bathrooms are just a simple Mandi tub of water (which you have to request is topped up) and a bucket.- We had multiple bats in the room and of course many insects (since the walls were partially open). One room had a mosquito net but there weren’t enough for everyone.- Staff are very friendly and willing to organise trips /activities for us - but you do have to ask for things and information (eg on electricity, meal times, tours, for towels, bedsheets). You are kind of left to your own devices (both good and bad!).- Communication and organisation can be a bit difficult. Very little English is spoken. The place ran out of water twice.- And our boat out of there (which we were assured was pre-booked to collect us from the resort pier) sailed straight past without stopping so had to scramble over to the next village to catch it in a big rush/stress.

We spent 2 nights at Island Retreat. The place is beautiful and the staff very helpful. Good for snorkeling and relaxing.Too bad the place lacks comfort (no hammock, no cushions or other place to rest, only wooden chairs...). The bungalows are quite expensive and dilapidated compared to other resorts (bathroom with bowl and water restriction for 400-500k...). They just reopened, the place is probably still being renovated.Please note, the site is not up to date, it is not possible to do dives here.Very good for two nights but not five.

Island Retreat is still rebuilding after Covid, we (family with 2 children) were a bit shocked at first because some of the huts were not yet habitable and things like hammocks, etc. were probably stolen during the Covid period. However, our family hut was in a sufficiently good condition; the bathroom only had running water (mandi) in the evenings. We were there for 4 days, the place is wonderful, you can snorkel right in front of the beach. The food is absolutely delicious, the team around the manager Uyun is very nice and organizes everything you want, there are also a few craftsmen on hand, to make everything beautiful again. We felt very comfortable and would come back immediately. Dolphins accompanied us from the snorkeling trip in the area,We booked two half-day trekking tours in the hinterland, which were very entertaining with Abbo, who lives in Bomba, and with whom we had a lot of fun. So ask for Abbo if you want to go into the hinterland.

Island Retreat is a really nice place to just relax and enjoy the vibe of Togean islands. The beautiful resort has a lot of nice spots to just recharge your batteries, snorkel in front of the small cottages and enjoy the best food I had so far in Sulawesi. Diving is also possible at the diving school beside. And the staff makes it even more worth a visit. A true small paradise ... and not expensive at all.

A beautiful resort at a private beach with the best food we had in Sulawesi. Small cottages with sea view and very nice decorated. The staff was really friendly and made everything possible for us. We will definitely come back when visiting the Togeans again.

We have had several email contacts with silvie, the last one 2 days before arrival. As silvie herself was on bali at that moment we should be welcomed by gunther. …