Three hours from Ampana and at the western end of Batu Daka, BOMBA comprises two dozen houses and a mosque facing north across a pleasant bay. There's a long beach 5km west of town, but it's the sea which warrants a visit here, with the Togians' best snorkelling an hour distant at Catherine reef . The coast roundabout is interesting, too, with the possibility of seeing crocodiles in remote inlets, and some islets east of Bomba completely covered by villages, their sides reinforced with hand-cut coral ramparts. In Bomba itself, dockside Losmen Poya Lisa (under $5) is a fine place to stay with excellent food; immediately offshore on a hump of rock and trees, Sicilia Bungalows (under $5) has friendly management and a monopoly on views; opposite Sicilia is a small stretch of sand and cabins (under $5) on little Pulau Poya ; or try the unusual Tandongi Homestay (under $5), built out in the bay over a reef. Ferries back to Ampana and on to Wakai leave Bomba most mornings.

At the eastern end of Batu Daka, about five hours from Ampana and two from Bomba, WAKAI is similar to the dock area at Ampana, though with far better accommodation at the white timber Togian Islands Hotel ($5-10). New arrivals from Ampana heading to KADIDIRI should go straight to the hotel for transfers. Half an hour by motorized outrigger from Wakai, Kadidiri is one of the nicest of the islands, 3km long and with fine beaches and ample lodgings. The best accommodation is provided by the Kadidiri Wakai Cottages (under $5), whose safety-conscious scuba team, led by an English expat, organizes dives to nearby reefs such as Taipi Wall, as well as the submerged wreck of a B-24 fighter plane or volcanic Pulau Una-Una. Nearby is the excellent-value Lestari Cottages (under $5). Just offshore, there are secluded cabins on Pulau Taipi ($5-10), run by Wakai's hotel and, if you stay here, transport between Wakai and Kadidiri is free (otherwise, it's Rp2500).