Gilis or Bali - please help I'm desperate!

[keiron]

Just another take on this - Dived gillis 3 or 4 years back - marked my comeback to diving, topside life was great - really laid back, but with some night as well. Diving though, could have been better.
Bali If you don't fancy the hassle of the Kuta/ sanur area I would suggest north Bali, Dived there many times and I have just got back from another trip.

The diving around menjagan island is awesome with great coral gardens and walls, there are also some good dives around pemuteran with good reefs, plus some reef projects, and underwater temple.
Topside in pemuteran there is no hassle with hawkers, there are about 5 - 6 hotels on the beach, plus a few local homestays, so nightlife is low key what there is based around the hotels BTW found a new hotel with great opening specials ADI ASSRI HOTEL - Mountain View and Beach Front Cottages

Tulamben probably the most well know and promoted wreck dive in Bali have dived there a few times now I would say the wall is better than the wreck mainly because of the numbers of people diving the wreck - it is a bit like piccadilly circus, time square , or pitt street at times - you see more divers than wreck! Not sure about accomodation in that area - only dived on day trips from elsewhere.
Hope this helps
K

 

[Vcelson]

We will be diving for a week in the Sangalaki, Derwan, Kakaban area on a liveaboard and then a week split between Lembeh and Manado. I would like to go to a third area that might be a bit different. I was considering Lombok - and everywhere else except Bali until I read what you wrote and I liked the look of the ADI ASSRI HOTEL - Mountain View and Beach Front Cottages - How did you arrange for the diving from there?
I appreciate any suggestions. It has been 20 years since I last visited Indonesia and 40 years since my first trip there, when Kuta beach was a place that hippies slept on the beach.
Thanks, Vickie

 

[keiron]

There is a Dive centre at Adi Assri - Sea Rovers Dive Bali, The Pirates who Dive just opening when I was there the owner/ instructor is Paul a Brit who has been diving the area for years. I love the sound of the rest of your trip - enjoy it K

 

[Vcelson]

Thanks, Keiron. If we decide on Bali, we'll look up Paul and let you know how it all works out. V.

 

[Elke]

Went diving last year in october from Nusa Lembongan, one of 3 islands just off the southern coast of east Bali. Real great diving there, mostly around Nusa Penida. Good corals, lots of fish, some sharks and mantas and: Mola-Mola (also called moonfish or sunfish)! Diving places vary from shallow and sheltered reefs to very demanding drift dives in the channel between Nusa Penida and the other islands.

Stayed on Nusa Lembongan, thus much shorter drives to the diving places then from Bali mainland. Nusa Lembongan is really relaxed, laid back, very nice beaches and tourist are or honeymooners or divers or surfers, beeing some good surf spots around.
Dived with "world diving" who were real good, but there are some more divecenters on Nusa Lembongan. People coming over from Bali having dived there, too considered diving around Nusa Lembongan best diving around Bali.
Haven't dived Tulamben or Pemuteran, so I cannot compare by myself.