Advice on where to stay in Bali

[Clairelewis]

Hi,

I am currently in Jakarta working for an NGO but am going to Bali from Oct 7th and am planning to do an OW course there. There are so many options of where to go and which dive centres to use though I really could do with some advice!!

I will be travelling on my own and am new to diving so someone where it is easy to meet fellow travellers would be very good. I am travelling on a relatively low budget and will probably have at least a week if not a little more to spend in Bali.

I have heard that Kuta is the most lively area but then also read there are a lot of other locations that have really good diving. Is it possible to do diving from Kuta or do you think it's best to chose another base?

Any recommendations of both locations to stay and dive centres would be very very welcomed!!

Thanks for your help!

Claire

 

[Wisnu]

Claire
If you want to maximize your diving in Bali, suggest to be certified in Jakarta. Most DS in Jakarta offer PADI but you can get POSSI - CMAS certificate for less than $200 including 2 dives ussualy at Thousand Island or Anyer.
There;s so many choice of budget accomodation in bali. Yes, Kuta - is very lively, many people hate it and more people (specially non-divers) love it.
You can spend few days at candi dasa & Tulamben - then enjot non-diving activities at Kuta if you like Kuta.

Cheers

 

[Kevster]

Have you considered going “next door” to Lombok instead?
I done my PADI OW in the Gili Islands 4 years ago.
IMO Bali has great diving but the best sites are to the North where it is quiet & there are not so many single travellers around. I spent a week in Tulamben in June , diving was great but the topside was boring in the evenings.
If you stay in Kuta you will have to do a lot of travelling each day to get to the dive sites ( up to 3 hrs each way) Doing this for 5 days ,the time it will take you to do the course would be too much for me.

The Gili islands are really nice, small,cheap & have a lot of young European travellers. The nightlife is nice; it is really small friendly and laid back. No cars or big clubs…The beach is great. All dive sites are very close by and you will stay very close to the dive shops. You will be able to walk to the boat instead of sitting in a car for 2-3 hrs.

For a beginner the diving at Lombok would be fine. Lots of turtles. Unfortunately there is quite a lot of dead coral. There will probably be less current compared to Bali.

Just a few thoughts for you to consider. It is coming to the end of the season in Lombok, normally it’s a bit windy after Oct.
Bali has better diving but Lombok was the better stay.
I was happy using Dream Divers in Lombok.
If you do decide on Lombok I recommend you actually stay on Gilli T.

 

[Kevster]

If you are heading to Bali to do your course I suggest you travel up North.
The dive sites to the south are not so good for beginners as the currents can be unpredictable.
IMO avoid Kuta. If you live in Jakarta with all the nightlife, restaurants & shopping available; Kuta has no other attractions. The beach there is not so good.

In Bali I stayed at Tauch Terminal for 1 week.3hrs north of Kuta. This would be a good place to do your course as the resort is right on the beach(black sand). The dive sites are also just off the beach, its all shore diving. The guides were good. I done my AOWD here. The diving was great. There is a wreck & they have the best house reef I have dived.
I think accom cost was about 50 Euros a night. The resort was nice but was really quiet when I was there. No one else in the bar. It would be ok if you are looking to just dive & relax after staying in Jakarta but if you are looking for nightlife, shopping this is not the place for you.
Amed also had nice diving and there is budget accom available, but again these places are not so good for single travellers.

Where ever you go I strongly suggest you stay near your dive shop/resort.

I stayed in Jakarta for 1 year and I really miss the place!! There are just so many great diving options available!!!

 

[littlce]

For my stay in May this year in Bali I used Aquamarine... I could not be happier. Both the attitude and the service were excellent. They arranged all of my accommodations, meals on diving days, and a guide. Everything was VERY smooth. I would recommend them to anyone! In fact, I am using them to plan my honeymoon next year, so that tells you a little about how much I trust them.

The places I stayed were -
Kuta Area: the Dusun (gorgeous villa accommodations at affordable prices) It is only a short motor drive to Kuta and the dining and beach there are wonderful...

NE Bali - Tulamben - Mimpi resort Tulamben: I liked the accommodation there, although there was no TV. The hotel was the furthest from the USAT Liberty wreck but closest to "the black reef" It just depends on which you would prefer to be closer to. The closest place to the USAT Wreck is Tauch Terminal, however I have heard some not-so-friendly things about this place. I would recommend reading up on reviews of each place you are considering. There is one place called Paradise that is right next to Tauch Terminal that is very good. In fact our divemaster and instructor stayed there and it appeared most divers preferred to stay there for their staging area... it is quite good with separate camera and equipment baths, showers, "dressing" areas, hooks galore and as much seating as you could use.

I did stay in Ubud for a visit and I highly recommend it to anyone going there. the place I stayed was at Tegal Sari. their service and price was very good and if you can get the villa with the hot tub it is WORTH IT!

I agree with the previous posters in that you should certify in Jakarta so you can get the most out of your time in Bali. the diving is quite good there... at least in my limited experience i thought it was.

If you go with Aquamarine, tell the folks that Christopher says hi.

 

[Valwood1]

Sanur is also in the Denpasar area, to the east, not as hip as Kuta but still nice. I stayed at the Hotel Parigata in July; the room was $70US/night and very good. The downside to Sanur is that the main diving is a 45 minute boat ride to the east, and the diving might be a bit rugged since you have no experience.

 

[leadweight]

Kuta is a great place to party with Aussies, but not where the good diving is. The best bet is the area around Tulamben and Amed. If you have time Sanur. I stayed at the Coral View in Lipa Beach and dove with Euro Dive.

 

[cuppajoe]

I was supposed to stay at Paradise. I walked into my room, turned around and walked right out. The place is filthy and run down. The reason the DM's stay there is because it is dirt cheap, pun intended, and Aquamarine pays for the food & lodging. Even the DM's think it's a dump.
Nevertheless, there are divers who love the place. I understand that it used to be a nice place, many years ago.
On a hunch, I went to Scuba Seraya to check room prices. The owner was there for the week and was happy to work within my budget constraints. For $10 more per night, I had a beautiful and clean accomodation at Scuba Seraya. Their shore diving is excellent. I highly recommend the resort to anyone interested in diving Tulumben.
best wishes,
cuppajoe
p.s. I was very pleased with the DM and mini van driver I booked thru Aquamarine.