Into the future: Diving in Bali or Gili T for Chinese New Year

[charlier]

Hi all – Great, I finally have a suggestions and some heated discussion.

OK, Done – based on many suggestions and from my only dive experience in Bali (3 dives), we will go to Bali for Chinese New Years. It’s super easy from Singapore. During my last work trip to Bali, in April, we ended the trip in CandiDasa and commuted to Nusa Penida – Crystal Bay, with an out of season Mola2, Toyapakeh, and SD Point during a rapidly falling tide. Due to a high April swell, we could not go to Manta Point. As I mentioned earlier in an earlier post , my wife and I prefer sites that have pelagics, healthly coral reefs, schooling fish, and a general lack of people pressure. Also the freedom for an off-schedule or afternoon trip from Lembongan to our uncrowded dive sites...

So our choices are to stay in Nusa Lembogan for four days of diving (3 dives/day), stay in Candidasa and commute to Nusa Penida, or stay in Pandang Bai, dive locally and commute to Nusa Penida. Off-thread: We still want to go to Belongas Bay, Lombock (e.g.,. Magnet), but its so dependent on conditions, I am not sure when we will get the chance to see hammerheads in Lombok. charlie

 

[8u88les]

Good for you!
And poor me, I'll take Tulamben and Penida, hoping SportDiver and ScubaDiving will carry on purchasing my photos from Bali as they did the 2 past years

good for you! i'd purchase them too, as im sure that good photos from those areas are VERY rare!

 

[zivva]

he won't deny he's lobbying hard for ground coffee.

Hehe I am, definitely !

You're still planning to visit Laurent this summer ? Would be nice to meet over a descent coffee

---------- Post added June 16th, 2013 at 01:44 PM ----------

Off-thread: We still want to go to Belongas Bay, Lombock (e.g.,. Magnet), but its so dependent on conditions, I am not sure when we will get the chance to see hammerheads in Lombok.

No experience overthere, but DiveZone which is the only reputable op arranging trips to the Magnet states the season starts from end of June till October.

Blongas Lombok Dive Sites, Belongas Bay - DiveZone Lombok - Discover South Lombok ? Dive the Difference!

 

[divewench1]

good for you! i'd purchase them too, as im sure that good photos from those areas are VERY rare!

Clearly narked.............back atcha

 

[Luko]

Hehe I am, definitely !

You're still planning to visit Laurent this summer ? Would be nice to meet over a descent coffee

Yep. Meet you end of august then.
Btw my fav is Torajan but Kintamani is great too.

 

[matts1w]

Just to add my two cents....the Gilis get a bad rap. For a long weekend with some easy, affordable diving AND some laid back fun at night, Gili Air really is a good place to be. I will be the first to admit the coral is rough, but when the water is right simon's reef is as beautiful as any dive in Bali. Sharks are common, turtles are plenty, schooling bumpheads all over, and I have been in the water with a whale shark twice off Turbo Deep. Blue Marlin's trip to the Chinese (?) shipwreck is a solid dive too. When you factor in that the Gili's actually have nightlife, they are a good time. Lembongan is certainly the best diving, but the complete Gili experience is my favorite.

 

[TheWartHog]

I too will stick up for The Gili Islands – I love it there, the diving is good, the people are great, beaches and islands are beautiful and as matts1w says it's a really good place to be. Why do people moan all the time saying "Oh, this place or that place is no good, don't go there, it's horrible" when other people absolutely love the place. After all, if everywhere was exactly the same, imagine how boring would that be. I like diving in the Gilis and in particular remember one dive when we watched 3 smallish sharks playing around some coral, it was almost as if they were playing tag – fantastic.I also have dived the sites off the east Bali mainland itself but the horrendous traffic puts me off, I much prefer the islands such as Lembongan (great diving there) and the Gilis. Sure, there's other places in Indonesia that have wonderful diving compared to the Gilis but for an all-round destination (topside and diving) I think it's hard to beat but then again that's just me.

 

[charlier]

Just to add my two cents....the Gilis get a bad rap. For a long weekend with some easy, affordable diving AND some laid back fun at night, Gili Air really is a good place to be. I will be the first to admit the coral is rough, but when the water is right simon's reef is as beautiful as any dive in Bali. Sharks are common, turtles are plenty, schooling bumpheads all over, and I have been in the water with a whale shark twice off Turbo Deep. Blue Marlin's trip to the Chinese (?) shipwreck is a solid dive too. When you factor in that the Gili's actually have nightlife, they are a good time. Lembongan is certainly the best diving, but the complete Gili experience is my favorite.

Good points about Gili Air, but for this four day dive trip, we are more focused on diving. So will go to Nusa Lemgongan. Does anyone have suggestions for dive resorts that can accommodate two experienced divers that want flexibility in dive sites, time underwater, and MOD. Plus, we are really easy going. cheers, charlie

 

[TheWartHog]

In Lembongan try Two Fish, World Diving or Blue Corner.

 

[Luko]

Personally dived with TwoFish and WorldDiving and can recommend both (more customers at WD but also a bigger boat).
I am sure Big Fish, Blue Corner and Lembongan Dive center are recommandable too.