Recommendations for Bali dive sites

[NautilusCairns]

I would suggest the best three areas for you would be Menjangan, then Tulamben/Amed, then down to Padang Bai. Once you are down with diving you could then base yourself somewhere in the south or in Ubud area and enjoy a bit more time for shopping, eating, and temples etc for the last few days before you fly out. You can also see a lot of cool things from the first 3 places when you aren't diving.

Well that confirms I have made a good choice for my trip this May. Staying at both Permateran and Tulamben. Hope to get some nice photographs and I'll post the best few on the various forums including Mike's wide angle forum. Although I guess most of the photos will be macro.

 

[Makhno]

Manta Point at Nusa Penida for a very good chance of manta ray encounters. Last August I did two dives there and each time I saw at least 5 or 6 different manta rays. One of them circled around and around within a few meters of us for about 30 minutes. I've seen a number of mantas over the years, but that was an amazing encounter I will not forget.

Crystal Bay at Nusa Penida for possible mola mola encounters. Last August I saw only one mola mola, for only a few seconds, but that's more than most divers will ever see of that rarely-seen fish . . . and there were also ghost pipefish, frogfish, etc. at that site.

 

[Leland_WB]

I'm not sure about specific dive spots, but I do know that "Adventure Divers Bali" (Adventure Divers Bali - Amed - Reviews of Adventure Divers Bali - TripAdvisor) are a really great bunch of divers that I took my OW course last year with.

As to an actual dive plan, I saw this WishBeen - Design your travel plan on wishbeen.. seems to have some good dive sites there so take a look around.

 

[Mike Veitch]

Well that confirms I have made a good choice for my trip this May. Staying at both Permateran and Tulamben. Hope to get some nice photographs and I'll post the best few on the various forums including Mike's wide angle forum. Although I guess most of the photos will be macro.

Oh you should definitely shoot wide at Menjangan, some great corals and fish life there. The Liberty also begs for at least one wide dive. Then you can post em on the Wide Angle page! Have a great trip

 

[sumfingwong]

Thanks everybody for their suggestions! We almost cancelled our trip because the flights alone jumped all the way to $1600. But last night it dropped to $1100 (Canada to Bali), so now we are officially booked! and stoked!

I will go through all the suggestions tonight and try to plan something out!

Thanks again! and if there are any more suggestions, please keep them going!

 

[fantarara]

I've dived most Bali sites. This is what I would do:

- Padang Bai: 2-3 days, and to get you oriented, also if you're ok with current then off to Nusa Penida for Manta Point where you'll see the friskiest mantas ever!)
- Tulamben: 2-3 days (including Candidasa, Liberty wreck early morning, Amed, nightdives, etc; if you like muck diving, don't miss Seraya)
- Pemuteran 2-3 days (if you like muck diving, don't miss Gilimanuk Bay/Secret Bay, and night dives are nice just off the beach!)
- Ubud: 1-2 days to relax, decompress, eat eat eat shop shop shop

Have fun!

 

[sumfingwong]

Hi All,

Quick update, our itinerary is now as follows:

Seminyak
Lovina
Gili Islands (Looking at Manta Dive Op)
Amed (Looking at Adventure Dive Op)
Ubud
Sanur

If there are any other suggestions, please let me know!

Thanks All!

 

[UrbanJungle1966]

Your travel is going to be huge. Seminyak to Lovina is about 3.5 hours driving. It is a nice drive though. Then Lovina to Gillis is a 4hr drive to the airport, 1/2 hour flight, 2 hour drive to Bengsal (sp) harbor, 20 minute boat trip. Or 4 hour drive to Padang Bai, 2.5 hour boat trip which can sometimes be unpleasant. Amed is 2.5 hours from the airport or 1 hours from Padang Bai. Either way 4-7 hours travel depending on what mode you took. Basically 5 days of your holiday are going to be pack up drive unpack days which is not what I would do . Plus imho the Gilli's is a very very overrated dive place. Hmm ok it is rubbish compared to Komodo, Lembongan, Southern Lombok, Menjangan Island, Amed, Tulamben, Pandang Bai plus the snorkeling is crap as most of the shallow corals are bleached out. Just saying, some people do like it and wont agree .

It's always a hard call recommending things but here is what I would do for 21 days. Hmm ok well I am in August September .

Long flight get off you just want to unpack and relax so start at Sanur. Nice intro place close to the airport and easy to get to traffic wise, great food, lots of it and spend a couple of days there to unwind.

Head over to Lembongan. I use World Dive. Insane diving not much to do other than dive, snorkeling is really good, some good restaurants. Very relaxing place. The 25 minute boat ride leaves from Sanur so all nice and easy. I use Rocky Fast Boats to get to and from this island.

Then head back to Tulamben. Amed is good Tulamben much better, well easier. Even if you don't dive anywhere else it has enough to keep you going for days and it is all right in 500 meter stretch. Amed is a 10km stretch and the dive sites are spread out. You can always do a day trip to them from Tulamben. I usually spend 5 full days there and that is not enough. It is my favorite place to dive due to the variance and ease of diving.

Next stop Ubud. Here is where you do most of your tours, eat incredible food and start buying stuff. 3 -4 full days there easy. Also lots to see on the way so the trip there is not wasted. Trust me rice fields and mountains get a bit meh after a couple of hours of stop start traffic so I use travelling between places to see other things which saves taking a tour on another day.

Then end the holiday in Seminyak. Close to the Airport, bit upmarket yuppyville but good restaurants and bars, good shopping and only a short Taxi ride into Legian and Kuta for the full on shopping places. We always end in this area so we don't have to lug stuff around for the rest of the holiday.

The above is a circle so no going back on yourself. Bali is small but travel can be painfully slow. Hope this helps a bit.

 

[sumfingwong]

Your travel is going to be huge. Seminyak to Lovina is about 3.5 hours driving. It is a nice drive though. Then Lovina to Gillis is a 4hr drive to the airport, 1/2 hour flight, 2 hour drive to Bengsal (sp) harbor, 20 minute boat trip. Or 4 hour drive to Padang Bai, 2.5 hour boat trip which can sometimes be unpleasant. Amed is 2.5 hours from the airport or 1 hours from Padang Bai. Either way 4-7 hours travel depending on what mode you took. Basically 5 days of your holiday are going to be pack up drive unpack days which is not what I would do . Plus imho the Gilli's is a very very overrated dive place. Hmm ok it is rubbish compared to Komodo, Lembongan, Southern Lombok, Menjangan Island, Amed, Tulamben, Pandang Bai plus the snorkeling is crap as most of the shallow corals are bleached out. Just saying, some people do like it and wont agree .

It's always a hard call recommending things but here is what I would do for 21 days. Hmm ok well I am in August September .

Long flight get off you just want to unpack and relax so start at Sanur. Nice intro place close to the airport and easy to get to traffic wise, great food, lots of it and spend a couple of days there to unwind.

Head over to Lembongan. I use World Dive. Insane diving not much to do other than dive, snorkeling is really good, some good restaurants. Very relaxing place. The 25 minute boat ride leaves from Sanur so all nice and easy. I use Rocky Fast Boats to get to and from this island.

Then head back to Tulamben. Amed is good Tulamben much better, well easier. Even if you don't dive anywhere else it has enough to keep you going for days and it is all right in 500 meter stretch. Amed is a 10km stretch and the dive sites are spread out. You can always do a day trip to them from Tulamben. I usually spend 5 full days there and that is not enough. It is my favorite place to dive due to the variance and ease of diving.

Next stop Ubud. Here is where you do most of your tours, eat incredible food and start buying stuff. 3 -4 full days there easy. Also lots to see on the way so the trip there is not wasted. Trust me rice fields and mountains get a bit meh after a couple of hours of stop start traffic so I use travelling between places to see other things which saves taking a tour on another day.

Then end the holiday in Seminyak. Close to the Airport, bit upmarket yuppyville but good restaurants and bars, good shopping and only a short Taxi ride into Legian and Kuta for the full on shopping places. We always end in this area so we don't have to lug stuff around for the rest of the holiday.

The above is a circle so no going back on yourself. Bali is small but travel can be painfully slow. Hope this helps a bit.

Thanks UrbanJungle. My wife originally had our trip planned in a more efficient travel itinerary (circle around the island). Unfortunately, we had to change our plans to accomodate the other couple that is joining us (they only have 2 weeks in Bali). So we are trying to spend as much time with them, and parting ways after Gili Air.

 

[maat1976]

If you have to trim down on days, I agree that Tulamben is better than Amed. I just did two dives in Amed and 10+ in Tulamben.

My my husband and I did The Jetty in Padangbai with Geko Dive and I could go back there again. In fact, as I write this, the husband is doing a night dive there.

I could have done without Gili Mimpong and the other one that starts with a T.

You will love it.