Indonesia is the nation with the most effective diving on the planet, that’s my expertise touring diving and dealing as a dive teacher for years. The 17 000 islands making up this island nation supply spectacular diving it doesn’t matter what you like whereas diving; clear water, nonetheless water, or robust currents and the whole lot from the smallest bizarre critters and uncommon species to the world’s largest fish and superb marine mammals. The water temperature is good for diving throughout Indonesia. The principle islands are the best to succeed in by direct flights, from there smaller home flights, ferries, and a brief boat trip are normally the best way to get to the most effective diving locations.
The Greatest Scuba Diving in Indonesia – The place to Go
Indonesia is populated by about 2500 fish species, which is greater than double The Crimson Sea or the Nice Barrier Reef. For unbelievable biodiversity, Raja Ampat is likely one of the finest locations to go. This nation is a Mecca of muck diving, you’ll find the blue ring octopus, furry frogfish, flamboyant cuttlefish, pygmy sea horse, and lots of different fantastic creatures, the Lembeh strait is the place to go. Do dive in robust currents with large pelagic species like tunas, sharks and faculties of huge manta rays go to Komodo Island. It is a bucket listing vacation spot for scuba divers. Searching for an actual distant dive spot? The Banda Sea is likely one of the final frontiers to discover. Together with the Banda Islands, Seram, Ambon, Wetar, Kai, and Aru Islands with steep drop-offs and big faculties of fish, the pelagic species, critters, and hammerhead sharks make a liveaboard journey to the Banda Sea very particular.
Muck Diving in Indonesia
Muck diving is a kind of Macro diving, you don’t dive in mud or sewage in shallow waters, the dive circumstances might be nice. Throughout muck diving, you hunt for small, bizarre, and fantastic creatures that most individuals don’t even know exist! The Lembeh Strait is my favourite muck diving spot, see our Lembeh Dive Information, dwelling to among the strangest and most uncommon marine animals in existence. Ambon Island and the north of Bali round Amed even have glorious muck diving.
Drift Diving round Indonesia
Round Komodo, there are some superb spots for drift diving with sharks, large fish, and manta rays. Diving in currents round Nusa Penida near Bali can be prime drift diving websites. Drift diving is commonly extra suited to superior divers so examine together with your dive operator.
Diving to discover the Biodiversity of Indonesia
Indonesia is within the coronary heart of the Coral Triangle, additionally known as the Amazon of the Seas, representing about three-quarters of the world’s coral species. Raja Ampat is likely one of the most biodiverse locations to dive on the planet with actually the whole lot, 1000’s of species of gorgeous corals and from the smallest alien critters to huge manta rays and whale sharks round these stunning islands in West Papua, Indonesia. Komodo Nationwide Park close to Flores and Wakatobi close to Sulawesi can be unbelievable.
Liveaboard Diving in Indonesia
With 1000’s of volcanic islands unfold over a big space and among the finest dive websites being very distant, liveaboard diving in Indonesia is likely one of the finest methods to discover the coral gardens and distant reefs.
Why dive from a Liveaboard Boat in Indonesia?
Many distant spots are accessible from the closest island, however you’ll be at these dive websites first within the morning whereas a whole bunch of divers are heading to the spots on sluggish boats, get within the water earlier than they arrive and scare the fish!
It’s superior to get up on the dive web site and roll into the water after breakfast!
Evening dives are sometimes solely doable at distant sights from liveaboard boats.
What might be higher than residing on a ship for a few days, waking up and diving among the world’s finest websites after breakfast after which all day…
Some Superior Liveaboard Boats in 2023!
Price range
Mid Vary
Luxurious
Dive Season in Indonesia
Indonesia can actually be dived all 12 months spherical for the reason that island nation covers such a large space. There are two seasons: the wet season and the dry season. In most of Indonesia, the moist season is from October to April, and the dry from Might to September. The preferred time to go to Indonesia is within the dry season, you possibly can dive all 12 months spherical. For the most effective circumstances and higher visibility plan to go within the appropriate season and you’ll all the time examine with an area dive operator when is a superb time.
Greatest Time to Dive Round Indonesia
Gili Islands July-Aug, Dec-Jan
Wakatobi All 12 months, finest diving March – Dec and July-Aug
Komodo All 12 months, Might/June and Sep/Oct finest diving, Dec – Feb Manta season
Raja Ampata Sep-Apr Manta season, Good viz Nov-March
Bali Greatest diving Might – Nov, Mola Mola Aug-Oct
Ambon Nov – Might
Lembeh July – Aug
Banda Islands Mar-Apr, Sept-Dec
Pulau Weh Might – September
Flores Island
Komodo Nationwide Park is a world heritage web site and one of many new seven wonders of the world. The closest one of many important islands to the park is Flores Island.
Diving round Komodo Island
Massive Colleges of Manta Rays
Pelagic Fish; Canine Tooth Tunas, Big Trevally, Reef Sharks
Greater than 1,000 Species of Tropical Reef Fish
Diving in Komodo Nationwide Park in Indonesia, surrounded by huge Manta Rays, pelagic fish looking, and 1000’s of various colourful tropical fish continues to be among the finest diving I’ve ever achieved. To achieve Komodo Nationwide Park most journeys depart from Labuan Bajo on the Island of Flores. The park is a UNESCO world heritage web site that comprises the three bigger islands Komodo, Padar, and Rinca, and 26 smaller ones. For extra about touring to Flores and Komodo see our journey article Komodo Island and Flores full information.
Attending to Komodo Dive Websites
Most diving is completed from Flores Island on day journeys or on liveaboard boats. Take a look at some superb Liveaboard dive boats round Komodo.
Day by day flights depart to Labuanbajo in Flores from Bali (DPS) and Jakarta (CGK). You can even take a bus-ferry mixture from Lombok or Gili Trawangan, it’s a low cost choice, however is exhausting and in whole takes about 24 hours. Taking a 3-day boat journey is the favored price range choice taken by many backpackers. We focus on choices to get from Bali to Flores on this article.
Batu Bolong is our favourite dive web site within the central a part of the park, diving right here is like floating in an ideal aquarium with giant Napoleon wrasse, large inexperienced turtles, barracudas, and a spectacular array of colourful marine life that dwell on the gorgeous coral reef.
Manta Level is a spotlight diving Komodo, a shallow drift dive floating over a manta cleansing station, divers are sometimes surrounded by as much as 20 giant manta rays whereas hanging within the present witnessing the spectacle on the cleansing station.
The park has much more incredible diving to supply, Citadel Rock and The Cauldron in North Komodo are extra unreal diving with loads of sharks, turtles, and big big trevallies and manta rays are typically discovered at these websites.
The Komodo dragons on Komodo and Rinca island are an added bonus to not miss and you’ll go to the islands on a diving day.
Sulawesi Island
The large island Sulawesi is surrounded by Borneo to the west, the Philippines to the north and Flores to the south, you possibly can simply think about the superb dive websites surrounding Sulawesi!
The island is understood for spectacular coral reefs and among the world’s finest dive websites at locations equivalent to Bunaken Nationwide Park, the Togian Islands, Wakatobi Nationwide Park, and Lembeh Strait. To get to dive spots within the south equivalent to Wakatobi and Bira, fly to Makasar and make your manner from right here. To get to websites within the north equivalent to Bunaken and Lembeh, fly to Manado and proceed touring from right here. See right here for Liveaboard boats round Sulawesi.
Diving Lembeh Strait
Unreal Muck Diving
Mimic Octopus, Rhinopias, Mandarin fish, Pygmy seahorse, Blue ring octopus, a really lengthy listing….
Lembeh Strait is famend for the most effective muck diving on the planet. Lembeh is a small island situated to the north of Sulawesi Island. Between Sulawesi Island and Lembeh Island, runs a slim strait known as the Strait of Lembeh. Scuba diving on this strait you possibly can see among the most unusual and spectacular creatures alive. See our Lembeh Strait Dive Information for my expertise and proposals! See right here for Liveaboard boats in Lembeh Strait.
Attending to Lembeh Strait
The closest large metropolis is Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi, catch a direct flight right here from Singapore or an area flight from Bali or Jakarta. From Manado take a taxi or public bus to Ruko Pateten Pier and take a ship to Lembeh.
Diving Bunaken
Spectacular Wall Dives
400 species of coral
Greater than 2000 species of fish
Bunaken Island is situated north of Sulawesi with crystal clear water and spectacular coral partitions providing nice blue water diving and among the finest snorkeling I’ve ever achieved. The island is actually a lovely, tropical jungle surrounded by mangroves operating into the ocean. Bunaken Marine Park was one of many first marine protected areas in Indonesia established within the early nineties. Steep partitions drop into the deep lined by an incredible range of sentimental and arduous corals. The drop affords glorious wall dives, keep watch over the reef for species equivalent to mantis shrimp and variety of nudibranchs, go searching you within the blue for a lot of turtles, large Napoleon wrasse, and enormous pelagics; sharks, tunas, and faculties of barracuda. Diving round Bunaken you possibly can see 400 species of coral and greater than 2000 species of fish.
To get to Bunaken fly to Manado and take a ship from Manado Harbor to Bunaken.
Dive the Togian Islands
Dive on Una-Una, an lively volcano
WWII B24 Bomber wreck
314 species of corals,541 species of mollusk, 819 species of tropical fish
The Togean Islands is an archipelago of 56 islands and islets off the coast of Central Sulawesi. Take a look at our journey diving within the Togian Islands. The islands are identified for clear water, white sand, and rainforests. If you wish to discover an off-the-beaten-track paradise, the Togians is a spot to go, you possibly can solely get right here by boat and it took me a few days of journey to make it right here. The water is crystal clear diving in Tomini Bay, referred to as the calmest bay on earth. Apart from the superb reef and number of marine life on this crystal clear nonetheless water, there are some very fascinating issues to discover across the Togian Islands. Diving in a WWII B24 Bomber wreck was my first aircraft wreck. Staying with native folks in a close-by Bajua ‘sea gypsy’ village was a really fascinating expertise and swimming in a ‘Jellyfish lake’ was superb, one in every of a handful of locations on the planet the place jellyfish misplaced the flexibility to sting over tens of millions of years of geographic isolation.
Attending to The Togian Islands
The Togeans wouldn’t have an airport, the closest airports are Gorontalo within the north and Ampana within the south, from each airports you need to take some connecting flights to get onto worldwide flights. Getting from Ampana in Sulawesi to Kadidiri within the Togian Islands was an fascinating mixture of ferries and boats that took about 2 days. See the favored Liveaboards across the Togian Islands
Diving Wakatobi Islands
World Well-known Macro Diving
Dive websites with the very best coral reef biodiversity on the planet
Spectacular Wall Dives
Unreal biodiversity Turtles, sea snakes, nudibranchs, mantis shrimp
Wakatobi Nationwide Park is a marine nationwide park located south of South East Sulawesi. Wakatobi is an acronym for the 4 important Tukangbesi Islands: Wangi-Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia, and Binongko. With crystal clear water ranging between 26 and 30C Wakatobi is well-known for among the world’s finest macro diving with unreal critters to be discovered on among the healthiest coral reefs on the planet. Wakatobi may be very distant and never simple to get to. It’s a in style space for liveaboard diving.
Attending to Wakatobi
West Papua
West Papua is situated on the japanese fringe of the 1000’s of islands comprising Indonesia. The province of West Papua is made up of two peninsulas, the Bomberai and Hen’s Head peninsula in addition to greater than 2000 islands surrounding islands. Many of the diving in West Papua occurs within the Raja Ampat and Triton Bay areas.
Diving Raja Ampat
Most biodiverse diving on the planet
1427 reef fishes
over 600 coral species (75% of the world’s coral species)
Whale sharks
Manta rays
A big number of pelagics; e.g. sharks, tunas, kingfish and extra
Nice macro diving
The Raja Ampat Islands comprising a whole bunch of jungle-covered islands are an archipelago off the northwest tip of Hen’s Head Peninsula in West Papua. These islands located in the midst of the Coral Triangle are referred to as probably the most marine bio-diverse place on earth and the highest bucket listing spot that many dive vacationers dream of.
Spectacular colourful reefs lined in arduous and gentle corals are dwelling to swarms of small fish equivalent to damsels and fusiliers, larger reef fish equivalent to batfish, surgeon fish and sweetlips, very giant species e.g. bump head parrot fish and napoleon wrasse and pelagic species together with faculties of tuna, trevally, barracudas and mackerel. Between these spectacular reefs teeming with fish, you additionally discover the world’s largest fish, the whale shark, and majestic mantas gliding over the reefs. Raja Ampat isn’t solely in regards to the large stuff it’s an incredible dive spot for macro lovers, there are frogfish, pipefish, blue-ringed octopus, pygmy seahorses, and nudibranchs solely to call a couple of.
Attending to Raja Ampat
To get to Raja Ampat you need to first fly to Domine Eduard Osok Airport (SOQ) in Sorong, the most important metropolis of the Indonesian province of West Papua. There are not any worldwide flights, so that you first must fly to Jakarta, Makasar, or Manado. The simplest flights to those airports are from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. Flying Bali – Makasar – Sorong is a well-liked route.
To get from Sorong to the Dampier Strait islands of northern Raja Ampat, go to Wasai on the island of Waigeo the capital of the Raja Ampat regency by public ferry, pace boat, or fly, all of those depart a number of instances per week. It’s a mission to journey to the world and Raja Ampat Liveaboards are the most well-liked option to dive what’s by many seen as the most effective diving on the planet. See the highest Liveaboard boats diving round Raja Ampat.
Bali
The spectacular Bali is legendary for its volcanic mountains, rice paddies, seashores, and coral reefs. By far probably the most touristy of the 17 000 islands in Indonesia, Bali is well-known for good purpose, it’s stunning. Bali isn’t just a preferred vacation spot, it has some world-class diving. There’s some good diving to be achieved from the primary island, but additionally from the small surrounding island Nusa Penida and the Gili Islands. Apart from diving there’s incredible browsing round Uluwatu, procuring, partying, and seashore life within the vacationer hub Kuta and if you happen to like meditation and yoga retreats Ubud is the place to go. Take a look at our Full Bali Diving Information, for the whole lot you have to know to plan a dive journey to his superb island.
Diving from Bali
There’s a wide range of nice diving to be achieved from Bali, the primary island, and the small islands situated pretty shut by. Nusa Penida in Nusa Lembongan is commonly dived from Bali as a day journey or you possibly can keep on these islands. The Gili Islands are 3 small islands nearer to Lombok than Bali, however they’re fast and straightforward to succeed in from Bali. There’s good diving across the Gilis with heat water, sea turtles, moray eels, and a wide range of different marine species. The Gili islands are too removed from Bali for doing day dives, you need to dive the websites from one of many Gili Islands or from Lombok.
Wreck Diving – The USAT Liberty – this huge wreck might be probably the most well-known wreck dive in Indonesia. It’s a shore dive ranging from solely 4m deep and descending to over 30m at its deepest finish. The gorgeous wreck is 120m lengthy and you’ll see faculties of huge bump-head parrotfish, barracuda, turtles, stingrays, and even some good muck diving across the wreck on the black sand with pygmy seahorses on followers, quite a few species of nudibranch and different superb critters. Dive guides take you from the seashore to do probably the greatest wreck dives in Indonesia.
Muck Diving round Bali – within the north of Bali there are many websites with black volcanic sand providing some incredible muck dives with critters like frogfish, dragonettes, rhinopias, ghost pipefish, flying gurnards, nudibranchs, mimic octopus, blue ring octopus and extra. Many of those websites are shore dives and might be reached by automotive equivalent to Seraya and Secret Bay. Among the dive websites in Padang Bay are a brief boat drive away. Amed within the north of Bali has some world-class muck diving and good drift dives.
See the prime Liveaboard Boats from Bali.
Diving Nusa Penida
Manta cleansing station
Mola mola sunfish
Wonderful drift diving
Mola Mola and Manta Rays – Bali is likely one of the most well-known locations on the planet to dive with mola mola (the oceanic sunfish) and manta rays. The dive websites to swim with two of probably the most outstanding giant creatures within the ocean are across the small close by islands Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan separated from Bali on the east aspect by The Bandung Strait. There’s some incredible diving round Nusa Penida, the highlights are the unbelievable cleansing station at Manta Level and swimming with mola mola at Crystal Bay. Mola mola, generally referred to as the oceanic sunfish is the heaviest identified bony fish on the planet weighing as much as 1,000 kg! Nusa Penida might be dived as a day journey from Padang Bai in Bali. It’s, nevertheless, cheaper to dive round Nusa Penida from the island itself than from Bali and there’s a lot to discover round Nusa Penida, spectacular cliffs, pristine seashores, bat caves, temples, and waterfalls, we loved staying right here for a few days diving. See our detailed Information to Diving round Nusa Penida.
The Gili Islands
The Gili Islands are a gaggle of three tiny islands; Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air close to the coast of northwest Lombok Island. The Gili Islands are well-known for sandy seashores with palm timber, crystal clear water, and colourful coral reefs.
Diving across the Gili Islands may be very in style with many operators with nice services on Gili Trawangan. Diving is good, however not world-class, it’s nevertheless a incredible place to do a dive course. The visibility is sweet and the water is heat. There are some good reefs with loads of turtles, I even noticed an enormous Napoleon wrasse and a few reef sharks on one in every of my dives.
Gili Trawangan (“Gili T”) is named the celebration island with a vibrant nightlife, many dive retailers, and loads of nice locations to eat. It is extremely in style with backpackers and is the most well-liked and developed of the three islands. It’s a great spot to fulfill different vacationers. I’m a dive teacher myself and I beloved hanging out on the nice dive facilities on the island. Gili Air is a tropical paradise, it’s a extra chilled island with an important steadiness of actions, eating places, some bars, nice diving, and peace and quiet. Alya did her open water, superior, and freediving course on Gili Air, she beloved the island vibe, residing on the seashore, studying and realizing everyone on the island after per week or two. Gili Meno is named the ‘honeymoon island’ it’s the least developed, not touristy in any respect, and nice if you wish to escape different vacationers.
Attending to the Gili Islands
Attending to the Gilli Islands – you may get to Gili Air or Gili Trawangan by quick boat from Padang Bai in Bali, the journey takes about 2 to 2.5 hours.
Sumatra
Sumatra, a big Indonesian island west of Java and near Malaysia, the island is understood for its tropical landscapes, wildlife, volcanoes, and among the finest browsing on the planet across the Mentawai Island chain. Sumatra isn’t a widely known diving vacation spot, with a lot of the diving being targeted across the small island of Pulau Weh.
Diving from Pulau Weh
Wonderful drift diving
Deep wreck dive on The Sophie Rickmers
Stunning Reefs
Large number of fish
Pulau Weh is a small lively volcanic island to the northwest of Sumatra and is a part of the Bandah Ache province. The encircling reefs supply some nice ‘off the overwhelmed monitor’ diving. We’ve heard tales about unbelievable marine life within the space. Our private expertise was that the diving is sweet, however not comparable with the most effective of Indonesia; equivalent to Komodo Nationwide Park or Lembeh Strait. Good diving with stunning reefs, pelagics equivalent to trevallies, barracudas, and reef sharks, we noticed huge faculties of small fish and good macro life equivalent to Leafy scorpion fish, Mantis shrimp, and Boxer banded shrimps. The Sophie Rickmers is a 134m lengthy wreck, scuttled in a sheltered bay. This wreck lies in deep water between 37m and 55m and is completed as a decompression dive just for skilled divers, dive faculties require a minimal of superior open water and rescue with 100 dives plus. See our Pulau Weh Dive Information.
East Kalimantan (Borneo Indonesia)
Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo is a really distant island area in Southeast Asia with few dive centres and sees comparatively few diving guests. With wholesome reefs, giant faculties of fish, good circumstances, and clear waters the Derawan Archipelago off the east coast of Kalimantan is a superb place to go to. Among the hottest dive websites might be discovered on the Maratua Atoll, dwelling to spiraling faculties of barracuda, sharks, bump head parrot fish, eagle rays, and hammerhead sharks, Sangalaki with a number of manta ray cleansing stations, and Kakaban with 4 species of non-stinging jellyfish.
Pack for a Dive Journey
For any dive journey I all the time pack my very own masks, dive pc, digital camera and a few small issues. The Mares Good is a really effectively priced pc that I’m very proud of.
Alya and I each dive with Mares Star liquid pores and skin masks, tremendous comfy, low quantity nice for diving and free diving.
Canon G7x digital camera together with an ikelite housing is a really good digital camera that changed the previous Canon G sequence, superb images with out carrying a large rig. The Go Professional Hero 11 is an incredible little motion cam, I like the video footage I handle with this little digital camera.
Listed below are some small issues value packing, Sipadan is drift diving I by no means dive with out my SMB on such dives!
SMB+REEL | RASH VEST | BUFF | KEY CHAIN O-RING KIT | ANTI-FOG | SURF HAT | POLARIZED FISHING SUNGLASSES | WATERPROOF DIVE LOGBOOK
Occurring a dive journey? – Dive Journey Packing Listing+Suggestions
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The robust half of Stingy Nomads, a nomadic aquaman that may be joyful to spend all his life within the water diving, browsing and spearfishing however typically has to compromise with Alya and go climbing as an alternative. Campbell is chargeable for all our marine adventures and following them with write-ups. He loves touring, braai (BBQ in South Africa), crimson wine and spending the day in a wetsuit.
