Reserving the entire Reconnect resort on Buka Buka Island means every one of the 20 rooms, the dive center, the kitchen team, and the boats are working for your group alone. We recommend booking a full buyout 3 to 6 months ahead for groups over 15 people, and up to 12 months ahead if your dates fall in the July to September peak season. A deposit secures the hold, a second payment confirms logistics, and the balance is settled before arrival.
TL;DR
- Full resort buyouts (all 20 rooms) need 3-6 months lead time off-peak, 9-12 months for July-September dates or wedding groups.
- A deposit (typically 30%) holds your dates; the remainder is staged across planning milestones, not paid in one lump sum.
- All-inclusive full-board pricing starts from EUR 60/night per room category, with 8 room and villa types to allocate across your group.
- We coordinate the full transfer chain: private car from Luwuk Airport to Ampana, then a 30-45 minute speedboat to the island.
- Dive courses and the Togean Day Trip excursion are booked and paid separately from the room rate.
What Does "Booking the Whole Resort" Actually Mean at Reconnect?
A full buyout means every room across our 8 accommodation types, from the Beachfront Glamping Hut to Villa Athena, is reserved under one group.
Nobody else checks in.
Booking a buyout is different from reserving a single villa. A buyout reserves kitchen capacity, dive center staffing, and boat scheduling for a single group's itinerary, not just a bed.
Groups book full buyouts for three recurring reasons:
- Weddings - exclusive use of the beach, dining area, and all guest rooms for a wedding venue setup.
- Multi-family or friend-group trips - 15-20 travelers who want shared common spaces without other guests mixing in.
- Corporate retreats and content shoots - groups needing the dive center, boats, and staff dedicated to one production schedule.
Because Reconnect has only 20 rooms total, a buyout is a defined, finite inventory problem, not an open-ended one.
How Far in Advance Should You Book a Full Buyout?
Lead time depends on group size and season, not on a single fixed rule. The table below reflects how we actually allocate rooms and staff once a buyout request comes in.
| Scenario | Recommended lead time | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Off-peak buyout (Nov-May), under 15 guests | 3-4 months | Easier to clear existing individual bookings on your dates |
| Peak season (Jun-Sep), any group size | 9-12 months | Overlaps with Europe/Australia school holidays and dive season demand |
| Wedding buyout, any season | 6-12 months | Needs extra lead time for catering, decor sourcing from Ampana, and guest travel coordination |
| Small group (6-10 rooms, not full buyout) | 6-8 weeks | Standard room-block lead time, not a full resort closure |
A buyout request inside 8 weeks of your dates is still worth sending-we will tell you plainly if it is workable.
How Does the Deposit and Payment Structure Work?
Booking a full resort buyout is staged, not a single transaction. Here is how the sequence runs in practice.
Step 1: Deposit to hold dates
A deposit, typically 30% of the estimated total stay value, confirms your hold on the calendar. This stops other individual bookings from being accepted for those dates across all 20 rooms.
Step 2: Logistics confirmation payment
Once room allocation, arrival dates, and transfer numbers are finalized, a second payment confirms transfer coordination: private car from Luwuk Airport to Ampana, a 5-hour drive, followed by a 30-45 minute speedboat crossing to Buka Buka Island. This stage also locks any add-ons like the Togean Day Trip or village visit excursion.
Step 3: Balance before arrival
The remaining balance is due ahead of arrival, generally 30 days out for most buyouts, with weddings sometimes set earlier to allow for final catering and decor commitments. Dive courses and the Dive-cation package are quoted and paid separately at this stage, since they sit outside the all-inclusive full-board rate.
What Happens Once You've Reserved the Whole Resort?
Once the deposit lands, your buyout moves from a sales conversation to an operations plan.
Room allocation. We map your guest list against the 8 room types. Couples typically take the Sunrise or Sunset Villas; families take Le Cabanon or Villa Athena, both sleeping up to 4; larger groups fill the Beachfront Glamping Huts and Pyramids.
Only the Beachfront Villa carries AC as standard. We flag this early if any guests need it, since Reconnect is one of the few Togean Islands resorts offering air conditioning at all.
Dive and excursion planning. If your group includes divers, our SSI-certified dive center schedules guided dives and any courses around your group's non-diving activities. Courses range from Discover Scuba Diving through Open Water and Advanced Adventurer.
Dive courses are booked and invoiced separately from the room rate.
Kitchen and staffing scale-up. All-inclusive full-board covers three meals daily plus afternoon tea and unlimited coffee, tea, and water. We plan this against your exact headcount, collecting dietary requirements ahead of arrival.
Your group draws on a 93% solar-powered system with on-site desalinated water. Large groups do not strain a municipal grid or bottled water supply that does not exist here in the first place.
How Does Reconnect's Buyout Process Compare to Other Togean Islands Resorts?
Reconnect is an island eco-resort with an on-site dive center, not a dive-only property, so a buyout here is built around full-board dining, snorkeling, kayaking, and paddleboarding alongside diving. Other Togean Islands accommodation options, including Sanctum Una Una and Pristine Paradise on Una Una island, The Cliff Malenge on Malenge island, Kadidiri Paradise on Kadidiri island, and Araya Resort in the Bomba area, are positioned around diving access on their own respective islands.
What we can verify about our own setup: 20 rooms across 8 types, direct reef access around Buka Buka Island by short boat ride, and coordinated transfers from Luwuk Airport through Ampana. Each property above sits on a different island with its own logistics, so compare lead times and inclusions directly with each before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can foreigners legally buy out or own an island resort in Indonesia?
Foreigners cannot own entire islands outright. Resort operations typically run through a foreign-owned company (PT PMA) holding Hak Guna Bangunan or Hak Pakai land titles, and must carry valid business licenses (NIB) under the correct KBLI classification. A buyout reservation is a booking transaction, separate from these ownership and licensing structures.
What languages can dive instruction be delivered in during a group buyout?
English, French, and Indonesian-useful for mixed-nationality wedding or friend-group bookings.
Can we visit other islands during our buyout stay?
Yes. Village visits and park excursions are organized as add-ons. The Togean Day Trip runs as a paid day-trip excursion.
What happens if our group gets smaller closer to arrival?
We adjust room allocation and catering to your actual headcount. The deposit holds the dates; we scale operations to your final numbers.
Reconnect
Reconnect is an island eco-resort with an on-site SSI-certified dive center, located on Buka Buka Island in the Togean Islands, Central Sulawesi. The resort offers 20 rooms across 8 accommodation types, runs 93% on solar power, produces its own desalinated water, and maintains a zero single-use plastic policy. For a full buyout inquiry, reach out through reconnect.id.
