Category: Diving in Indonesia

 

Diving in Indonesia is one of the best in Asia-Pacific with famous diving spots such as Bali, Komodo National Park and Raja Ampat and famous dives such as the Liberty shipwreck and Crystal Bay. Indonesia is a great destination for scuba divers who love muck diving and coral reefs. It is one of the underwater photographers’ favourite destinations for macro photography. A little less known, you can also give a try at diving in North Sulawesi.

The marine life in Indonesia is mostly about mola molas, manta rays, reef sharks, pygmy seahorses and nudibranchs. It’s the right place to go for experienced divers mainly. Due to the water temperatures, regarding scuba gear, it is most common to scuba dive there in a 5 mm wetsuit. The best time of the year is often from May to October, but the islands can be dived year-round. The best dive sites can be reached by boat or from the shore.

Below you will find all my best scuba diving stories from diving in Indonesia. I share my top tips on how to organise your trip, my favourites dives, what is the best itinerary or how to do it without breaking the bank. From a travel budget point of view, Indonesia is a lower budget destination, so you may need to save up but not as much as you think.

Where to recover from jetlag in Bali?

Once you arrive at Denpasar Airport, the journey to the best dive sites in Bali is still quite a while longer. If you arrive from America or, like me, from Europe, you may need some serious rest after often more than 20 hours of flight. Besides, Bali is in the GMT+8 time zone, so there is a 13-hour time difference from NYC (12 in

2 weeks in Bali: my ultimate road trip itinerary for scuba divers

Bali is a dream destination for many scuba divers. After two trips there, I can easily understand why. The island of the Gods is a paradise for adventure seekers and culture lovers while being very affordable. If you look at scuba diving package holidays you might have been shocked by the price tag whereas it is simple to plan a trip to Bali by

Diving in Menjangan Island: Bali coral wonderland

When going diving in Bali, many scuba divers forget to put Menjangan Island on their itinerary. However, the island of the deer (its name in Indonesian), located on Bali north-west shore, is a dream place for snorkelers and scuba divers avid of clear turquoise waters and colourful coral gardens. Indeed, the island is part of one of the oldest national parks in Indonesia: its

Diving in Tulamben: the legend of the Liberty shipwreck

When going diving in Bali, you absolutely need to go to the northeast shore of Bali. At the end of a curvy road, up and down the hills, between the jungle and the rice fields, lies a black pebble beach the village of Tulamben. Without the periodical wrath of Mount Agung, Tulamben would have stayed a tiny village in the middle of nowhere. Due

Diving in Nusa Lembongan: Mission Mola-Mola in Bali

The Mola-Mola, or oceanic sunfish, is certainly the best ambassador of scuba diving in Bali and maybe Indonesia. Meeting the heaviest bony fish in the world (it can weigh up to 1000 kg) is like searching for the Holy Grail for most scuba divers coming from all over the world. Located on Bali south-east shore near Sanur, the island of Nusa Lembongan is the

Scuba diving in Komodo

How I unexpectedly ended scuba diving in Komodo, Indonesia

For my first trip to Indonesia, I initially only had in mind a road trip to scuba dive and get around Bali. Yet, this is how the magic starts within a journey: when you let enough space for spontaneous adventures.  After one month in Indonesia, I actually discovered more of Indonesia beyond Bali with a trip to Flores Island where I went scuba diving

Jukung on Amed beach

The charm of a jukung dive in Amed

Located on the northeastern coast of Bali, Amed is one of the most popular scuba diving destinations on the island of the Gods. Dive sites such as the Wall and the Pyramids are some of the best dive sites in Bali. Scuba divers can frequently see underwater anemone fish and nudibranchs. Amed is about muck diving and is perfect for beginners thanks to its