Hi there,
Bali has some great diving to offer. So I would definitely add on some dives in Bali. Each side of the island has a different type of diving, so it depends a bit on your preference which part is best.
Nusa Penida/Nusa Lembongan
As already mentioned above it is mola mola (sunfish) season in August and you have a great chance to see these around Nusa Penida. Nusa Penida has some great wall dives, usually drift dives and you've got your best chance to see mantas there at Manta Point - a cleaning station. Dives are generally more advanced here due to the current. Nusa Penida has just been declared a designated marine conservation area.
Tulamben
Most famous for the USS Liberty Wreck. A great dive site with very rich marine life. There are also several other sites around this area worth visiting such as Seraya. A great spot to find the harlequin shrimp. In general more easy diving.
East Bali
You will find a vast variety of dive sites here. Well known dive sites here are Gili Mimpang, Gili Tepekong and Gili Biaha. Beautiful dive sites with large school of fish and a shark cave at Gili Biaha. You will regularly often find the mola mola here as well. These sites are more advanced dive sites. Easier dive sites can be found in the Amed area and some of the Padang Bai sites are more easy.
North Bali
Most famous location here is the National Park of Menjangan Island. Beautiful dives with healthy soft and hard coral gardens. Easy diving on this side of the island.
Muck diving
Finally there are some great muck diving spots on Bali where you can find some fascinating critters. Puri Jati is a personal favourite. You'll find the mimic octopus, frog fish and a variety of other critters here.
If you want to see the best of Bali you are best of taking a dive safari around the island which basically means you drive around the island with a dive guide and stay in accommodation close to the dive sites. But if you have just done a liveaboard you might find that a bit too much. Alternatively you can do daily dive trips to a variety of locations from places like Sanur or stay in one area and do diving there, like Tulamben.
So it really depends on what you are after. We are a dive center based in Sanur and organise dive safaris around Bali and daily dive trips to Nusa Penida, Tulamben and East Bali from Sanur. More information on the dive sites can be found on the
Bali dive sites section of the Joe's Gone Diving website.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to drop me an email directly or through the
Joe's Gone Diving website. Either way best of luck with your planning and enjoy your diving in Indonesia!