Short dive trips in Indonesia: healthy corals/fish without too many bubbles!

[charlier]

My wife and I are experienced divers and currently live in Singapore. We are interested in dive sites that have pelagics, healthly coral reefs/walls, schooling fish, and a general lack of people pressure. It would be nice to have a close to home dive vacation, such as Gilitrawangan, Bunaken, or Bali. We can access these areas with direct flights from Singapore. FYI, I left Thailand off of our list, since it was our feeling that the coral reefs have not fared well during the last bleaching events, overfishing (even in protected areas) and too many people. We are thinking of a three day trip, not including travel on either end with 3 dives/day. Let us know about our best options and any suggestions.

 

[vladimir]

Pelagics are the hard part. I go to Bali on my three-day weekends. I usually go up to Tulamben (I stay at the Mimpi, but there are many cheaper alternatives). I like the fact that I can shore dive and solo dive, and I often have the reef to myself in the off-season. I did see a blacktip reef shark on my last trip, but large fish are pretty rare. But if you dive Lembongan/Penida (I use Bali Diving Academy) you have a good chance at mantas and molas, depending on the dive site and the season.

 

[Luko]

I usually go up to Tulamben...I did see a blacktip reef shark on my last trip, but large fish are pretty rare

I remember last year coming out from the Liberty on an afternoon dive, we had the usual school of trevallies and while I stopped 5-8m deep taking a few shots of a juve frogfish in the coral garden near to Ocean View, 2 blacktips came 50cm close to check us up, me and my guide.
As we were unkitting, a DM from one of the diveshop asked me : did you see the whale shark? I thought it was a joke but it happened that while we were more concerned shooting the pygmy seahorses, a small whale shark was swimming above the Liberty wreck.
That said I agree large fish are exceptions.

Nusa Penida can be very rewarding in that respect, I prefer diving those sites with local dive centers such as World diving or Twofish, rather than coming from Sanur. On top of that, I prefer staying on Lembongan which is much quieter than Bali.

 

[gekodivebali]

Bali is probably the easiest with most flights and operators that can take care of you straight from your arrival at the airport. Prefer low seasons since traveling in August-September does mean a lot of divers on some dive sites (Tulamben-Manta Point). Other dive sites are still fine. You can expect reef sharks, mantas, jackfish, barracudas and lots of macro. The Balinese specialty aka mola-mola can also sometimes be seen (esp during high season). Bali can either be treated as one dive location by staying in a central spot like Padang Bai allowing to dive everywhere or many different spots by choosing to focus on one area during each 3-day escapade.
Bunaken is also quite easy. Corals are great. Pelagics were absent when I was there in April. Some turtles though. Nice wall diving, but not my best overall experience.
Gili Trawangan can be easy to get to via the new Lombok airport, a bit of a pain through Bali... Corals are no good at recreational depth limits. Some sites have pelagics, like barracudas, dogtooth tunas, etc. many turtles can also be seen.
If you feel more adventurous, why not try places like Alor: still accessible and much less people.

 

[matts1w]

Contact DiveZone Lombok (Dive Lombok - the southern Gili islands - DiveZone Lombok - Discover South Lombok ? Dive the Difference!). South Lombok, especially Belongas Bay, is everything you are looking for. No people pressure, pelagics, healthy corals. The only downside is the swell can get really big. Outside of RA and Komodo, Belongas Bay is as good as it gets.

 

[Bubble Junky]

Check out Big Fish on Lembongan, and also Lumba Lumba on Pulau Weh... Both are nice relaxed dive centres with awesome diving on their doorsteps...

 

[charlier]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions. This is one of my first posts, so its nice to read such helpful suggestions. Based on everone's comments, a quick get-away to Bali is perhaps the best option for us. Other than the healthy coral, the feeling I get is that Bali is still a better than Bunaken. I realize that big fish are probably not going to be present in Bali, but healthy reefs should support large numbers of schooling fish, such as trevally, dogtooth tuna, or white tip/gray reef sharks and barracuda. If we go to Bali in low season and pick our dive sites, we might even miss the crowds. Is this possible? I have heard that during Mola2 season, its almost impossible to dive without many other dives and boats in the area. I like the suggestion of using local dive centers, such as Twofish in Lembongan. Adventurous is fine – Alor is again more flight transfers for a quick get-away. At that point, we might as well take a bit more time and go to Komoto – perhaps this is not a fair comment. What are your thoughts?

Its too bad that that recent (?) bleaching events have affected the coral at Gili Trawangan; perhaps it is still worth a trip to the quiet side of the island. Or should we stick to Bali? Lastly, thanks to matts1w suggestion about Belongas Bay. It would be fun to see scalloped and great hammerheads. Since Belongas Bay is on the SE side of Lombok, are the corals still in good shape or are they affected by overfishing and dynamite fishing? Can I assume that given the conditions at Belongas Bay, its not crowded, nor do the dive operators put too many people in the water at one time? I leave today for Bali (work trip to Batur), but on Saturday, we will dive at Manta Point + two other sites, depending on conditions. Suggestions for Nusa Penida dive sites? We are staying near Candi Desa.

 

[matts1w]

1. The diving around Lembongan/Nusa Penida is solid. You will have a good chance at mantas. The dive sites like Crystal Bay can be crowded, the coral is good, and the currents can be ripping. Depending on the swell and the season, sites like Manta Point and Manta Bay can be crazy rough. Nothing wrong with a long weekend diving off Bali.

2. To say Bunaken is not as good as Bali is completely inaccurate. They are different, but to say one is better than the other is very wrong. Honestly, I would rather spend a week diving around Bunaken/North Sulawesi than around Lembongan. Conditions can make Lembongan a PITA.

3. I have always enjoyed diving around the Gilli Islands, and odds are good you will see more sharks there than you will in Lembongan or Bunaken. Yes, the coral is beat up, but there are places and dives that rival anything I have done in Komodo. With the right water, spots like Simon's Reef are amazing. The dives are always easy, and, for me, topside is best in the Gili's...especially on Gili Air. It is laid back, quiet, still a bit to do, inexpensive, and pretty much absent drunken idiots. Bali is too big a party for me, and Bunaken has zero nightlife. Glil Air fits just right.

4. Belongas Bay is magical. The corals on the Magnet and Cathedral are pristine. The diving is seriously as good as it gets. It is was off the beaten path, and odds are very good you will be the only ones there.

 

[Wingy]

I would not agree that Bali provides better diving than Bunaken..as Matts1w has said, different type of diving..and different type of getaway. You have a Manado from Singapore so thats another option...or for something wildly different if you like soft corals check out Cubadak island in Padang. That is absolute bliss if you are after nice easy diving with lovely corals and peace and quiet.

 

[Luko]

I would not agree that Bali provides better diving than Bunaken..

Like said by other posters above never been impressed with Bunaken while I keep coming back to Bali, and also Bangka and Lembeh, but this is NOT Bunaken. Personally I like to stay a week in Bali (Lembongan or Tulamben), Bangka, Lembeh or even Mainland Manado... but really not that much on Bunaken.

Belongas Bay is magical. The corals on the Magnet and Cathedral are pristine.

I find it tricky to recommend Belongas bay esp. Magnet which can be dived only when certain conditions are met, and on the other hand claim that conditions on Nusa Penida can be "a PITA" (sic). Nusa Penida dive spots benefit from multiple sea and wave exposures, there should always be a leeward side, not like Belongas AFAIK. And if you want corals, I hardly know a place besides Komodo, Bangka and Banda Sea where corals are so colorful than Toyapakeh or SD in Penida.
Other than that, south Lombok Sekotong didn't impress that much (and that's an understatement), after one day I even flew back to Bali.