Diving in Indonesia - where to go

[ClairevL]

HI everyone,

Mid-September I plan to go to Indonesia for holiday with my boyfriend and we would love to do some diving there. We fly in and out of Asia through Bali. We planned to do a one-week liveaboard in Komodo (with divekomodo). and we are now trying to decide where to spend the rest of our holiday; we will have two weeks left. We would love to do some more diving as well (perhaps a somewhat shorter liveaboard), but we were not sure where to go. Are there any great dive sites around Bali? Or within easy reach from Bali or Lombok? Raja Ampat seems absolutely wonderful as well, but it seems like a bit more of a hassle to get there...so that would potentially better for a longer liveaboard next time we go.So far, we have not done any diving in South-East Asia, but we have heard Komodo must be spectacular. I really hope you can give me some advise!
Thanks very much in advance!

Claire

---------- Post added April 19th, 2015 at 12:53 PM ----------

I should perhaps add that if a dive site somewhat further away is totally worth it, we wouldn't mind an extra flight/drive. So, we definitely still consider Raja ampat. We were also thinking of diving at Pulau Weh, combined with a jungle trip around Ketambe. So I'm very curious to hear how this compares to other dive sites in Indonesia!

 

[dirtfarmer]

Komodo diving is epic. Bali has some great diving also. The diving all over Indonesia is really good, I wish I could tell you Raja Ampat is great from firsthand experience but that will have to wait till November when I'm done with my two trips there. But I've booked two trips there so I'm pretty confident that all the divers I've spoken with haven't set me wrong. Lembeh-Bangka-Bunaken are also great diving destinations. Problem is Indonesia is addicting. Go post over on the Indonesia board and you'll get lot's of feedback and help.

 

[ClairevL]

Komodo diving is epic. Bali has some great diving also. The diving all over Indonesia is really good, I wish I could tell you Raja Ampat is great from firsthand experience but that will have to wait till November when I'm done with my two trips there. But I've booked two trips there so I'm pretty confident that all the divers I've spoken with haven't set me wrong. Lembeh-Bangka-Bunaken are also great diving destinations. Problem is Indonesia is addicting. Go post over on the Indonesia board and you'll get lot's of feedback and help.

Thanks so much for your reply, dirtfarmer! I'm very happy to hear you think Komodo is epic...can't wait to go there! Are there any spcific sites or company near Bali that you would recommend? We were a little bit afraid that after diving in Komdo Bali would potentially be a bit less spectacular. But it seems like you think, it would still be amazing to do some diving at Bali? We would love to see mola molas as well, could you recommend a dive site for this (ideally one that is not overcrowded)?

How does the diving around North Sulawesi compare to Bali in your opinion? And do you perhaps know what would be the easiest way to get there (I found a flight from Bali to Manado, so I assume from there it is quite easily reachable)? Could you recommend any dive shop around Lembeh-Bangka-Bunaken?

I can imagine it is addictive... I can't wait to go there. Good idea to post at the Indonesia board! Sorry I didn't do that right away...I don't really no my way here yet

 

[nomadasdiver]

Hi...

North-East Bali have some serious good diving around Tulamben- Amed Area. Great macro live and soft coral reefs. The us Liberty wreck is there also. You can dive land based either in Amed and Tulamben plenty dive centers and hotels around. Another Good places is Nusa lembongan & Penida area, where the hard coral walls and plataforms are the main attraction ( drift as Komodo ). Possibilties of dive with manta rays and Mola Mola in the dates you are coming by Mid-Sept. Planet Nomadas dive resort offer I nice dive safari that combine both places.

 

[charlier]

Although Bali offers very nice diving, the overall health of the coral reefs, marine life, and diversity is way better in Komodo Islands and Raja Ampat. September is still a good time to go to Komodo, but its my feeling that its not the best season for Raja Ampat. Of course, many divers go to Raja Ampat year round, but the season does not really shine until later in the autumn. One other place you might consider is Alor (actually Pantar Island). From Denpasar, a short light to Kupang with a connection to Alor. Then a 45 min drive to the west end of Kalabahi Bay, followed by a 30 min or so boat ride to Pantar Island.

Diving Komodo and Alor can be challenging, so make sure that you are comfortable in strong currents. My personal opinion is that Komodo and Raja Ampat offer much better diving than either Bali or N. Sulawesi.

 

[dirtfarmer]

We would love to see mola molas as well, could you recommend a dive site for this (ideally one that is not overcrowded)?

How does the diving around North Sulawesi compare to Bali in your opinion? And do you perhaps know what would be the easiest way to get there (I found a flight from Bali to Manado, so I assume from there it is quite easily reachable)? Could you recommend any dive shop around Lembeh-Bangka-Bunaken?

For Mola-Mola the place is Nusa Lembongan- I think it might be Mola season in September, but I'm not sure. The reefs in the Lembongan area are very healthy and there are some really nice drift dives there. And the island is charming... not to overdeveloped.

North Sulawesi Vs Bali- North Sulawesi has of course Lembeh-Bunaken-Bangka ( I've not dived Bangka so can't comment on it.) The area's I've dived off Bali are Nusa Lembongan and Tulamben. Bunaken is mostly very healthy walls and good fish life, and loads of Turtles. I would rate it as even on par with the reefs of Lembongan-Tulamben.

Now for Muck comparing Lembeh to Tulamben is hard. Lembeh is many peoples favorite destination for Muck, and then some might prefer Tulamben.
There are advantages to both. Tulamben is mostly shore diving, and the resort I've used 2x's ( Liberty Dive Resort) let's you chose your schedule and since I'm a single diver I have a private guide. Free Nitrox there also.
In Lembeh I've used Two Fish 3x's and it's a great budget operation. They do have low diver to guide ratios too. I would say the macro life in Lembeh is a bit more wide than Tulamben but both are excellent destinations. And Yes it's an easy flight from Bali to Manado.

 

[Luko]

As I already mentioned in reply to another of your posts, neither Bali nor N./Sulawesi can be considered lesser quality destinations. In my book, both are (very) good, that's why I stop there at least a week every year, combined with other indonesian destinations.
When going to Alor or Komodo it's usually Bali,
When going to Raja Ampat or Ambon, it's N/Sulawesi...
...and sometimes it's Bali AND N/Sulawesi.

N/Sulawesi is a combination of soft coral dives with lots of fish and pygmy seahorse (Bangka) and pure muck for strange critters (Lembeh). I would skip Bunaken which is not on the level of the other dives, IMO.

Bali has almost everything : coral dives (Tulamben, Amed, Nusa Penida), muck/macro dive (Tulamben, Seraya, Padang bai,) but also blue water/bigfish dives (Padang Bai, Nusa Penida : molamola, manta rays, sometimes threshers ) that N/sulawesi doesn't have.
As mentioned in Tulamben LDR is great, while Gekodive in Padang Bai is good on both Padang Bai and Nusa Penida dives.
i am not a big believer in a single company handling all the dives for all Bali divespots.

Someone suggested Alor, as much as I love Alor a combination Alor-Komodo would be to close in my mind in terms of dive conditions (lot of current, great visibility, loads of corals)..and you would need to prepare for a current marathon...

 

[ClairevL]

Thanks so much for all your replies! They are very helpful. One thing is for sure, I'll need to go back to Indonesia for more diving.

I also wrote the same post in the Indonesia forum and I guess I will only continue that post (where I got many reactions as well), since I don't want to make a mess of the forum. I combined all the reactions from both posts in my reply in the Indonesia forum:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/in...g-out-bali-where-go.html?posted=1#post7393980

 

[Hintermann]

Mid-September in Bali? Without a doubt spend a few diving days around Padang Bai & Candidasa area and include a day or two of boat trip(s) to Nusa Penida and environs. Apart from having very good diving overall, it will still be peak season for the very rare Ocean Sunfish (aka Mola Mola).

 

[andriyus]

I was in una una island volcano central sulawesi togean island indonesia.
I just had the best dive of my life in this magnificent island.
https://youtu.be/Caf9AYJEVs0
i posted a video in a divesite full of fishes, huge barracuda tornadoes, jackfishes shoal, yellowfin tunas, skipjacks, potato grouper as big as 100 kgs, napoleon fishes. eagle rays
so many fishes.
I never imagine there is still a place like this in the world. its not even expensive.
Raja ampat is so much more expensive but the diving is the same!!

everything from pelagic fishes to macro stuuf, like pipefishes, scorpion fishes, nudibranches, and seahorses is also available.
no bombing no poisoning, the sea is really natural and minimal from human distubance pollution.
however there is only one dive operator there. its Sanctum Una Una.
www.unauna-sanctum.com.

i just feel i have to share this experience!!!
br
andri