Beware of scams at Wakai port (Togean Islands, Sulawesi) (page 2 of 2)

Thanks so much, Marion, for your enlightening and well-reasoned message—I totally agree with you. I was lucky enough to cross paths with you, and I know all the energy you put into preserving the Togian Islands. Modestly, you didn’t even mention the association you founded in 2012, EVERTO, which has done amazing work, especially in Katupat. Hope to see you soon!

Thanks Marion for your such enlightening and well-argued message—I agree with you completely. I was lucky enough to cross paths with you, and I know all the energy you put into preserving the Togians. Modestly, you didn’t mention the association you founded in 2012, EVERTO, which did amazing work, especially in Katupat. Hope to see you soon!

Martine, Martine... who took Ida to Bali? So great to hear from you!! Thank you so much for your message—it really touched me. I know you’ve traveled through quite a few countries over the years, always engaging with the context, seeking out local encounters, and striving to understand their daily lives and challenges. So glad there are travelers like you!

Yep, EVERTO—my first steps into waste management, diving into this tough but fascinating issue. Seven years already, time flies! Do you remember the trash bin stencil-painting sessions in Katupat? Such great moments shared between locals, travelers, and the association.

Are you still coming to the Togean Islands? Would be awesome to see you again :) Big hugs.

I’ve been traveling to Indonesia for 20 years, and honestly, I might’ve doubted the usefulness of paying the park entrance fees—just like Djalma did—but your reply really convinced me otherwise. 🙂 It’s awesome that you took the time to write such a long, detailed response. It really sets the record straight!!!

I’ve been visiting Indonesia for 20 years, and honestly, like Djalma, I could’ve doubted whether paying the park entrance fees was worth it. But your reply really convinced me otherwise 🙂 It’s really great that you took the time to write such a long, detailed response—it really sets the record straight!!!

Thanks so much, Vikingboy—I’m so glad I convinced you 🙂

I totally get travelers’ hesitations, the doubt, the fear of getting scammed (maybe because it’s happened to them before). All of that makes sense (which is why I posted about scams in Wakai). But be careful not to go to the extreme and dismiss everything outright, like saying all national parks are useless. What a shame! It’s good to be cautious, but you’ve also got to stay curious and do your research.

I think if you have those kinds of doubts, it’s best to do a little research before visiting a region—find out what’s going on there, any potential entrance fees, the initiatives in place, etc. We’re lucky to have the internet, this amazing tool that gives us access to so many valuable resources!

That’s why I took the time to write such a detailed reply: first, because the topic is really close to my heart, but also because I think travelers need this kind of information.

I truly believe that all of us, no matter where we are, have the power to make a difference in the world. And if I, living in the Togean Islands with firsthand knowledge of the context, can share this kind of info to make it accessible to as many people as possible, well, that’s already my way of contributing and making a difference.

Thanks again for your kindness and honesty. I’m really happy my words resonated with you 🙂🙂 Wishing you amazing travels.

The waste in the Togean Islands is shocking because it's so visible, and I’m the first to regret it. But we mustn’t forget that the West produces far more waste than rural Indonesian and Southeast Asian regions in general, which are often outside the consumer society. The people there don’t buy cars, washing machines, dishwashers, or the latest smartphone when their current phone still works—and that’s just the start. Here in the Togean Islands, people consume little, repair, and reuse, not for ecological reasons, but simply for economic ones.

In the West, on the other hand, we’re in a cycle of overconsumption and produce an astronomical amount of waste. The difference is that this waste is much less visible than in the Togean Islands or other developing regions simply because it’s "managed." So we get the impression that everything is clean. But beware—just sorting your waste for recycling and having garbage trucks and collectors isn’t enough. Do you know where your old washing machine goes when Darty delivers your new one and takes the old one away? Do you know where your recyclables end up? Are they *really* all recycled? Do you have proof? Did you know that 91% of the world’s plastic isn’t recycled? What we need—on a global scale—is to REDUCE our consumption to create as little waste as possible. The zero-waste movement is heading in the right direction and, in my opinion, is an excellent driver for changing mindsets worldwide.

Along the same lines, did you know that many European countries (including France), as well as the U.S. and Australia, export waste they don’t want to recycle to Asia because it’s cheaper? We sort our waste thinking we’re doing the right thing, but some of it ends up in nature in Asia (maybe even in the Togean Islands!). A painful statistic: every year, France exports several hundred tons of household plastic to Malaysia (which, by the way, is now sending it all back, just like other Asian countries).

I think we didn’t quite understand each other... I’m fully aware of the problem, and my criticism isn’t really aimed at the Togean Islands or even Indonesia... And it’s not just about waste management—it’s a much bigger issue you touched on: overconsumption, which is primarily a Western problem (though not exclusively, since China opened up to tourism). And we’re not really ready to turn the tide! This overconsumption goes hand in hand with the overexploitation of natural environments due to ever-increasing tourist concentrations in small areas. I started traveling in Southeast Asia in the early 1970s, and I’ve seen how the natural environment (both land and sea) on an island like Samui, which was almost untouched, has gradually degraded over the years—and I understand why. Back then, these islands were home only to fishermen and copra farmers who trained monkeys to pick coconuts... No roads, no electricity, and no plastic! Just pristine beaches, coral, and fish... The few backpackers at the time got by with very little. We slept on mats on the sand, in palm-leaf huts; we ate fish, rice, and a few fruits. That was the daily life of these islanders... A few years later, mass tourism developed, driven by demand for comfort—so concrete, roads, electricity, and consumer products with their plastic packaging started arriving from all over Thailand and abroad... Then came the airport and its ever-growing waves of tourists... Some countries, like Cambodia, were spared for political and historical reasons until recently, but China has now set its sights on them, and anarchic concrete development is flooding in with its ugliness, along with hordes of Chinese tourists on the coast and islands... Money rules everywhere... If the Togean Islands and other lesser-known islands are still spared, it’s because they’re relatively hard to access (it takes time) and lack comfort—but developers (as everywhere) will be stronger than the managers of the "natural park," and I’m convinced there’s no reason the Togeans, or Bunaken, or Raja Ampat, should escape the ecological disaster that’s already hit Samui, Phuket, Phi Phi in Thailand, Boracay, and El Nido in the Philippines... I think the most effective way to protect these sites is to stop luring tourists with advertising...

Conclusion: Avoid going to the Togean Islands—it’s starting to get dirty and polluted, the coral is bleached, and on top of that, it’s infested with malaria-carrying mosquitoes and beaches overrun with sand fleas. Am I pessimistic or just realistic?

Thanks for this beautiful, intelligent clarity—it restores dignity to the word "commitment" and shows it’s possible to engage respectfully in a foreign place.

A question’s been nagging me since reading the first post, even before the discussion took off... Maybe it’s off-base (like Djalma), but I’ll ask anyway: With names, photos, and precise details, you’re calling out a small local mafia under your full identity and showing your (lovely) face.

Courage, recklessness, or peace of mind... Have you thought about the risk of retaliation?

Good afternoon Marion, Thanks for this really valuable info. I went to Fadilah twice a few years ago but never ran into this guy. Just so you know, in 2017 I was in Tomia, which is part of Wakatobi Park, and there was also an entrance fee of 150,000 IDR (a park rep came to my guesthouse to collect the money and gave me a nice receipt valid for the duration of my stay in the park). By the way, kudos for your contribution to preserving the environment in the Togians. Best, Patrick

Hello, I find Maboo’s messages really insightful in more ways than one—I completely agree, even if I have to say that during my vacations, I don’t think I’d go so far as to join a beach cleanup campaign. And even though I share the idea that, like the hummingbird, everyone should do their small part to help put out the fire, I still remain extremely pessimistic about how things will turn out. I’m only talking about the effects of tourism or overconsumption without even getting into the even more disheartening fact that several leaders of the world’s most polluting countries have no ecological awareness whatsoever—in fact, quite the opposite...

So, much like you all do, I don’t share—or no longer share—certain spots I’ve discovered, hoping they’ll stay preserved from the ravages of mass tourism for a little while longer (though let’s be modest, my influence isn’t exactly huge).

When you see the damage that a single Instagram photo or the filming of a movie or music video can cause due to mindless, herd-like tourism...

Totally true about Ulfa or Miss Harbour! She sold us ferry tickets Wakai/GORONTALO that never existed! Avoid her—she’s a real scammer.

Hi Marion. Thanks for your post and especially for your involvement and local help. I’m looking for news about a freelance guide based in Rantepao we traveled with twice. His name is Wempi Yarmin, and he’s perfectly fluent in French. Maybe you’ve heard of him? The contact info I have doesn’t work anymore, and I hope nothing’s happened to him. Wishing you a lovely day. Armindo.