Onemay – small village in Tomia district, Wakatobi regency, Southeast Sulawesi
Onemay is a smaller settlement in Indonesia's Sulawesi Tenggara (Southeast Sulawesi) province, located in the southeastern part of the Celebes island group. Administratively, it belongs to Kecamatan Tomia district, which forms part of Kabupaten Wakatobi regency. Based on its coordinates (approximately 5.7 degrees south latitude and 123.9 degrees east longitude), it is situated on Tomia island, one of the islands in the archipelago surrounding the Banda Sea. The capital of Southeast Sulawesi province is Kendari, and in the first half of 2025 the province had approximately 2.85 million inhabitants; the province's land area is 38,140 km² and its marine area is 110,000 km².
General overview
No independent, settlement-level statistical sources are currently available for Onemay; therefore, the following characteristics of the broader district — Kecamatan Tomia and Kabupaten Wakatobi — serve as context. Wakatobi regency derives its name from four main islands: Wangi-Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia, and Binongko — the name "Wakatobi" is composed from their initial letters. Onemay is located on Tomia, the fourth of these islands, which is relatively small in extent but is home to communities that participate in the regency's administrative and cultural life. The settlements of Kecamatan Tomia district are characteristically based on fishing, small-scale agriculture, and local services related to tourism. Wakatobi regency as a whole is known internationally for its exceptional coral reef system: the Wakatobi National Park (Taman Nasional Wakatobi) ranks among the world's protected areas with the richest marine biodiversity, and this broader context defines the perception of the entire region — and thus of Tomia island and Onemay located there.
Real estate and investment
No specific real estate market data is publicly available for Onemay settlement. The real estate market of the broader region, Kabupaten Wakatobi, has generally become more active over the past decade in parallel with tourism development, particularly near Wanci city on Wangi-Wangi island and near the main tourism hubs. On Tomia island — where Onemay is located — real estate transactions are relatively modest in scale, characterized by local community-level and small-scale hospitality development. Generally speaking, land prices and development opportunities in Southeast Sulawesi's archipelago are highly dependent on the accessibility of transportation infrastructure, port and airport connections, and environmental use regulations tied to the national park. Under the general framework of Indonesian land ownership regulations, foreign private individuals cannot acquire direct ownership rights (Hak Milik) over property in Indonesia; instead, Hak Pakai (use rights) or other indirect legal structures are available to them, the details of which require local legal advice for each individual transaction.
Safety and security
No independent, settlement-level statistics are known regarding public safety in Onemay. Southeast Sulawesi province as a whole — based on available general assessment — is considered among Indonesia's relatively peaceful regions, where the rate of serious violent crime is low. The islands of Wakatobi regency consist of small villages with strong community bonds, where local social control traditionally plays an important role in maintaining everyday security. This naturally does not replace the need for current, specific information about the actual situation, which is recommended for any visitor or investor to obtain before travel or making decisions, from local authorities or through reliable local contacts.
Tourist attractions
No named attractions identifiable from sources are associated with Onemay settlement. However, the broader district of Tomia island and Kecamatan Tomia district are located near or partly within the area of Taman Nasional Wakatobi — the Wakatobi National Park. This national park is one of the world's most renowned diving and snorkeling destinations, with coral reefs known for outstanding species richness. On Tomia island, exploring the underwater world, visiting local fishing villages, and learning about the traditional Bajo (sea nomadic) cultural heritage represent the main attractions for visitors to the region — though the specific connection of these places to Onemay cannot be made with certainty due to lack of sources. Access to Wakatobi regency is generally possible through Wanci airport or by sea crossing; Tomia island is a more remote and less touristically developed area compared to Wangi-Wangi, making it a quieter and less visited location compared to Wakatobi as a whole, which is noteworthy.
Summary
Onemay is a small, poorly documented settlement in Kecamatan Tomia district, Kabupaten Wakatobi regency, Southeast Sulawesi province. The available, verifiable information allows for substantive characterization only at the province and regency level: Wakatobi is an archipelago with exceptional natural assets, its marine national park being known internationally. Onemay itself is situated within this broader environment that is valuable in natural and cultural terms; however, acquiring detailed information about the village requires local sources and personal research.
