Basic Bali advice

[NYC-Diver]

Hi Guys,

I finally got a decent chunk of time off and plan to spend it in Bali.

But, I'm a bit overwhelmed. Any recommendations for nice towns, with decent diving (and diveshops) decent hotels or cottages near the beach (preferably with kitchen) and mellow but lively nightlife.

I'm looking for a place with close reefs, because my companion doesnt dive, so I can't be away all day... looking for a place where you can do a two-tank trip and be back for lunch.

So, far the guidebooks are no help. They just say everything is wonderful with no context.

Also, should I bring my two-piece 5mm wetsuit or a 3mm? Whats the water temp?

And, sorry for the basic questions.

 

[pakman]

Unless you're willing to consider full day trips, you can probably rule out lively nightlife...

All the good shore diving are in pretty quiet locations. Maybe if you stayed at Candidasa, there is more of a town there. Would highly recommend Tulamben, but for the non diver, not much to do there ( rocky beach - albeit beautiful scenery).

You could also try staying at the resort on Lembongan Island so you're just a short boat trip to Crystal Bay and Manta point. We did a quick stop there and the resort looked actually nice (from the outside..).


Otherwise, maybe stay in Sanur which has plenty of restaurants/ bars, but is not as crazy or loud as downtown Kuta and where most of the boats dive depart for Lembongan and Nusa Penida. I think the day trips leave around 8-9 and get back around 2-3pm (2 dives).

If you're diving Nusa Penida, 5mm +hood. Tulamben, 3mm full or shortie is fine. FYI, the dive shops should have pull over shorties to rent if you don't want to drag your 5mm half way around the world.

Suggest you shoot off an email to some of the dive shops as most can provide various itineraries/ tours and can book hotels for you.

Tons of dive shops in Bali. A few that I always hear good things about are the following (I've only used BIDP). I'm sure others will recommend their favorites as well.

Bali Scuba Diving | Bali International Diving Professionals, Bali
Bali Diving, SCUBA Dive Bali Indonesia with AquaMarine Diving Bali

 

[NYC-Diver]

Thanks!! I'm going to start researching them now... I guess I'm spoiled by Philippines diving in Puerto Galera and Boracay, where everything was in walking distance.... beach, diveshops, reef, and a bit of nightlife.

 

[Divehappy]

Would second Hammerhead, and add that in Tulamben, Tony Medcraft at Tulamben Wreck Divers (www.tulambenwreckdivers.com) has built some pretty impressive villas a short drive outside of the village proper. I went and saw them in October. The villas are classic Aussie style, not luxury but definitely upmarket - have their own pool and lots of space - perfect for your partner to relax. You can do a couple of dives in the morning and be back for lunch no problem, but little else to do in that area. No pix on his site, but if you email him he might have some to send you.

Pemuteran to the far west of Bali has some great diving around Menjangan island and there are plenty of quite posh resorts to stay at, although food is a bit hit and miss. I stayed at Villa Amertha which was super private

I'd suggest you might want to strike a bargain with your partner that you'll do a few days in Tulamben and Pemeturan and then head to Seminyak which is full of good restaurants, boutiques and hotels as well as beach stuff - no diving there but good for fun. Similarly Ubud in Bali's centre is dive-free but fantastic for sampling Bali culture. Sanur is ok, but a bit dull after a day or so.

 

[naga]

A 3mm long is fine for all of Bali, there is absolutely no need for a 5mm plus hood; yes, the currents are cold, but they are not that cold.

Avoid Kuta like the plague, it is simply horrible. Stay in Sanur, still touristry, but a lot quieter than Kuta; be advised it is rainy season in Bali now and some diving may be limited; also, the currents change considerably now and become quite dangerous, especially in NP. Plenty of divers kill themselves in Bali every year by doing stupid things, like not taking local advice re conditions.

I strongly recommend Air Diving Academy, they are all inclusive service (from airport pick-up to hotel, then provide DM's for trips). They will also assist in finding good accomodation to planning your dive schedule, they will even assist with the other half's activities. You should recieve an itinerary from them after agreement, and you only pay one bill at the end of the trip (exclusive of certain meals and alcohol).

Diving in Bali is fantastic and underrated...enjoy.

 

[Kupu]

I go straight to Padangbai from the Denpasar airport. Nice town with good diving close by, two dives and back for lunch. Also can do trips to Nusa Penida (Manta Point & Crystal Bay) from there and still be back by mid afternoon. Its a small town but still has a few nice restaurants and places have a drink.

Tulamben is worth checking out, really it is best to stay close by so you can dive the wreck early in the morning before the day trippers get there. But it would be a boring place for a non diver, maybe your companion has a good book to read? Most diving is shore based so you will not be gone all day. And since there are only a few spots to dive there, a couple of days will be enough to check it out and then you can move on. However, if you don't want to stay in Tulamben, Amed is a nice place to stay and is close by for day trips to Tulamben.

I took my 5/4 full suit and was glad to have it. Water temps where mostly 78-82 F but a few dives were in the mid 70s and even hit mid 60s around Manta Point and Crystal Bay.

 

[Depth Gauge]

Definitely spend some time in Ubud while on Bali. It's a very special place up in the highlands and was my favorite spot while on the island. Look into the Komodo Dancer for a liveaboard trip. If you show up at the dock, without a reservation, and they have a space, it's HALF PRICE!