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tamarinera

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Messages
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Location
United States
# of dives
200 - 499
Hi all,

I'm an experienced diver (200+ dives, 17 years), arriving in Bali Oct 12. This will be my first time in Indonesia: dove Thailand liveaboard (meh), Cairns liveaboard (pretty great), Red Sea liveaboard (simply spectactular) and Caribbean (Bonaire! and some others: good ol' standby, love the detail, pity there's lots of dead coral).

I'm going to Bali with two new snorkelers (good swimmers). I'd like to dive two days out of our 10 day visit (it's a teaser...might go back to Indonesia in the future to get a divemaster). I'm a backpacker type traveler usually, this time will do a little more comfort but not a fan of overbuilt overcrowded resorty places. Prefer white sand beaches over black volcanic, and love biodiversity: am hoping for the awe of Indonesian diving (first time there) and for some mola molas.

We'll spend the first two days at an AirBNB in Nusa Dua waiting for the third friend who gets in later (I know...it's crowded and resorty but there's a cultural festival and white sand beaches while we get over our jet lag). I had thought I should aim for Nusa Penida (for the manta rays and mola molas), leaving from Nusa Dua, and then head to Liberty Dive in Tulamben. But I'm wondering if I should consider Padang Bai instead of one or both of those? Or, Nusa Lembongan?

Here are thoughts/questions, with many thanks in advance for advice that will help stop the swirling information overload that's in my head.

1. Where is the best colorful mind-blowing biodiverse sea life? You know, orange-colored chromis everywhere, tangs, damselfish, tiny shrimp, gobies, intact coral, etc. I like macro, doesn't have to all be pelagics...color, architecture, etc... (I'm not taking photos underwater)

2. I understand Nusa Penida can be sketchy based on weather. Manta rays are of course jaw-dropping, but mola molas would be a priority for me if I had to choose. Would Padang Bai be better than Nusa Penida?

3. Where is the best snorkeling? Would love to know places where my friends can snorkel while I'm diving (maybe on the same boat), and also places we could just go to on our own on the days when I don't dive.

4. Would it make sense to go to Nusa Lembongan instead of Tulamben?

4. Appreciate any tips on operators. I've contacted Scuba Bali (expensive and only do two dives on Nusa Penida) and Joe's Gone Diving (three dives on Nusa Penida but no trips my first few days).

Thanks very much!
 
Last November my wife and I spent a couple of weeks in Bali with two fish geek, snorkel-only friends. We snorkeled Amed, Tulamben, Pemuteran, and Menjangan Island. I dove at the last two of these locations.

Lipah Bay and especially Jemeluk on the Amed coast offered great, easy snorkeling, nice white sand beaches, and a laid-back vibe. Loaded with colorful damsels, anthias galore, fusiliers, angels, butterflies, fantastic parrots...

Beaches at Tulamben are cobbly, not real snorkeler-friendly in our limited experience.

Pemuteran has a nice beach, but snorkeling not as good as Amed. We all took a boat (Sea Rovers—highly recommended) from Pemuteran to Menjangan, where both the diving and snorkeling were great. Probably too far out of the way for your trip though.

We're going back in a few weeks, this time for more diving and less snorkeling. Plan to divide most of our stay between Amed (with a day trip or two to nearby Tulamben) and Pemuteran (with trips to Menjangan), and also try Padang Bai for a couple of days.
 
Thanks so much for this full answer! Especially since you know about Pemuteran...I was wondering if it's worth heading all the way out there...sounds like maybe on a next trip. Did you stay on the Amed coast?

Hopefully others might respond with opinions on Padang Bai vs. Nusa Penida...

:)
 
If you stay in Padang Bai or Candidasa you can very easily do , in two days ...the Liberty Wreck, local sites in Candidasa or Pb and one trip to Manta Point. Staying in Lembongan is nice , but it take thirty minutes more to get to Manta Point from Padang Bai than from Lembongan. Thee seem to be lots of molars and mantas there at the moment so good luck !
 
I haven't dove Padang Bai and Amed, but here are my thoughts,
  1. Tulamben. Liberty wreck is easily the best dive there. Even compares to Penida / Lembongan. The wreck is also visible for snorkelers.
  2. Mola mola is a bit tricky. There are instructors / DMs who lived there for a couple of years, they've only came across it like once or twice. Then there are discovery scuba groups who saw 2 on their first dives at 9m. I haven't done Padang Bai, but for me, Penida is kinda meh.
  3. Tulamben is easy for snorkelers too if you stay there. Many resorts will include the snorkeling gears for free. But it's not sandy white beach. It's a black, rocky beach.
  4. IMO, Tulamben is better by a mile.
  5. I went with dive concepts at Lembongan. I can highly recommend their op, but only if you bring all of your own gears. They ran things nice and tidy like a clock, but their rental gears sucks. They'll do 2 dives for Crystal Bay and Manta Point area. and 3 dives for around northern area (Toyapakeh, Mangrove, etc). North is better overall, but higher chances for mola mola at Crystal Bay. Manta point is like 100% chance of manta, like you'll see just 4-5 of them, or 20+.
 
Bali diving in a nutshell from my POV (10 times or so in Bali, first dives in 99 and returning every year since 2011 ongoing record...)
1- best corals : Nusa Penida : try Toyapakeh for instance, that said the Liberty Wreck in Tulamben is amazing for soft colorful corals (check my Flickr gallery). I prefer to get to Nusa Penida from Padang Bai with gekodivers
2- best macro by a mile : Tulamben with a good spotter. No brainer : stay at Liberty dive center they provide guide and nitrox for free. The liberty wreck is probably the best snorkeling site in Bali.
3- Mola mola chasing : stay in Padang Bai;
4- forget NW like Pemuteran and Menjangan, far away, second to everywhere else.
5- Amed is okayish when diving is only a second purpose. Most of Amed dive sites are mundane and populated with backpacker divers (Jemeluk bay is a hellhole for trucks unloading beginner divers). Japanese wreck is the best dive in Amed but you have to find the dive center that will take you there (30min drive from Amed village) and know how to dive it, The wreck is not interesting by itself unlike the Liberty, it's the coral garden in the back that is amazing.
 
Staying in Lembongan is nice , but it take thirty minutes more to get to Manta Point from Padang Bai than from Lembongan. Thee seem to be lots of molars and mantas there at the moment so good luck !

Thank you for your comments!

I am intrigued by Lembongan, as the beaches look lovely and I like low-key places in general. Is there good snorkeling there too? Do you know how one gets out there? Can we hire a private boat in order to go at odd hours, like very early or at sunset?

Many thanks!
 
Thank you for your comments!

I am intrigued by Lembongan, as the beaches look lovely and I like low-key places in general. Is there good snorkeling there too?yes Do you know how one gets out there..there are regular speedboats and fats ferries from Sanur. Can we hire a private boat in order to go at odd hours, like very early or at sunset? Wouldn’t recommend this at all as the seas can be treacherous and the ferries should in theory only go when it’s safe to do so. Bali being Bali people will probably offer this for a price , but don’t !

Many thanks!
 
Luko gave you the best advice for diving Bali but it sounds like beaches are of more concern? Can't say Tulamben is beachin', just great diving.

A note of possible insight. If you plan a vacation in the States you are usually able to stick to a reasonable schedule (which hardly makes it a vacay but that's just me). Bali? Well, getting around is rarely as expedient as one might wish. Bring your best meditations and enjoy the beautiful scenery. You won't find ground travel to be rapid but you will find the Balinese people to be gracious. Kinda balances out. // ww
 
Thats an awful big list for two days of diving in Bali: mind blowing diversity, white sand beaches, mola mola, great snorkel-scuba combo sites, backpacker-ish prices... Honestly, all that ain't happening in one place. Figure out your priorities and use Luko's list as a starting point. Mixing divers and non-divers in Bali really is challenging and requires compromise.
 
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