Bali March 8-17. Tips?

[Mike1967]

Nah, we got hotel points.

Thats awesome, half your luck!

2nd - 13th of June for me.
23 dives over 8 days in three different locations. This will be my first diving specific holiday, I can't wait.

 

[Luko]

So I think we finally decided on Hyatt in Sanur Beach. Looks like there are a number of dive shops nearby?

That means a lot of driving in the morning and back in the evening to go diving in the East of Bali (2,5 hrs drive each leg).
It's more convenient for diving Nusa Penida, it will take 30-45 minutes boat ride.

 

[Dan]

I'm doing a dive safari in June and you've mentioned everything I've got planned, happy I'm on the right track

I did similar to your diving safari style back in August 2014 for a week from northwest of Bali (Menjangan) to southeast (Nusa Penida) including Pemuteran, Tulamben, Padangbai, staying 1 to 2 days in hotels next to the dive sites along the way.

Similar to what we did for safari vacation in Tanzania. However, instead of seeing land animals, we saw the fish & sea critters underwater. We hired a van, a driver and a DM. Afterwards they dropped us in Benoa to go on Mermaid 1 from Bali to Komodo and back to Bali.

That was a blast of safari diving adventure. In Nusa Penida, we were at full moon in mid August and saw 9 mola mola (one of them as shown in my avatar)

 

[Divesanywhere]

That means a lot of driving in the morning and back in the evening to go diving in the East of Bali (2,5 hrs drive each leg).
It's more convenient for diving Nusa Penida, it will take 30-45 minutes boat ride.

Oh no, really? I thought we would be near where dive boats will be leaving. So then where is the best area to stay for the shortest transport rides?
when I look at the different dive shops, they don't say where they leave from.
Thanks again!

 

[Dan]

Bali is a fairly big island. That’s why you need to do diving safari, if you want to cover most of good dive sites around the island.

 

[Divesanywhere]

So if we wanted to stay in 2 places max, what areas? Not a big fan of changing hotels, packing up gear etc.

 

[Dan]

The other hotel would be in Tulamben, like Puri Madha Beach Hotel Dive Resort - Home, Mimpi Resorts Bali, etc., depending on your budget.

 

[Mike1967]

That was a blast of safari diving adventure.

Wow, that does sound like a blast!

I've got 3 nights/8 dives at Pemuteran, 3 nights/8 dives at Tulamben, then 5 nights/7 dives at Lembongan/Nusa Penida. I booked all my own accommodation but left all transfers and dives in the hands of Dive Concepts, fingers crossed they know what they're doing lol

 

[Dan]

Wow, that does sound like a blast!

I've got 3 nights/8 dives at Pemuteran, 3 nights/8 dives at Tulamben, then 5 nights/7 dives at Lembongan/Nusa Penida. I booked all my own accommodation but left all transfers and dives in the hands of Dive Concepts, fingers crossed they know what they're doing lol

I went with my Balinese DM, Today (short name for I Ketut Gede Somadhyana) at aqua cat bali, the best travel to scuba diving / dive / diving in Bali, Indonesia for the last 10 years.

 

[Luko]

So if we wanted to stay in 2 places max, what areas? Not a big fan of changing hotels, packing up gear etc.

From Sanur you can rather easily get to Nusa Penida, since it's speedboat dives, will take you 10 minutes drive to the embarkation area then 30-40 minutes speedboat, otherwise Tulamben where the USAT Liberty is will take you more than 2 hours drive, you'll be coming with all the other shops diving in a jacuzzi with all the Sanur based divers.

Its' very easy to transfer from one place to another it'll take you 2 hrs in the morning, you don't even need to pack your dive stuff, put'em all in a large plastic bag all wet and you give them back at the dive centre, they'll take care of it for the next dives.

if you want to optimize your dive time and minimize transfers then settle to Padang Bai where you will go to Nusa Penida the speedboat departing right from the beach.
...Then move Tulamben (Liberty dive resort, free nitrox and private guide). Personally I don't like safaris because the local dive guides who dive their spot everyday are often better and more knowledgeable about the current conditions/ the new critters than the ones who go around Bali (for instance Tulamben and Nusa Penide are totally diffrent kind of diving, one is moe about searching critters in a calm environment the other is about mastering currents in blue water).

I do not recommend going all that way to Pemuteran/Menjangan which for me is wasted time (min 4hrs drive), few critters, very few fish.
Also someone slipped in Dive Concepts, it's a french owned very basic dive operator, they often use gringo guides, one of them without any experience lost her group diving Nusa Penida a few years ago, (luckily they were recovered drifting at night), i often see them on Tulamben or Amed with herds of budget divers loaded at the back of a truck. To me its cattle diving, Bali doesn't deserve this kind of operation, you will be much better off with a more comfortable operation.

Honestly, there is no need to book a safari or a tour beforehand, Every balinese warung or cornershop is or has a relative who's a driver, it will cost you something at most like 60-70 USD for a full day tour, 50USD for a half day, you can find many drivers and tour guides on the internet who you can discuss with on whatsapp. I can give some some hints for Tulamben based drivers.
I don't like paying a premium to the dive centers when i can deal directly with locals and small businesses.