
It’s easy to overlook Bali when it comes to diving in Indonesia, there are a number of other more remote and off the beaten track destinations which all too often steal the limelight, however having spent considerable time diving here, including many locations throughout the country I can honestly say that you should give Bali a go at least once. What makes Bali special is the range of dive sites they have and the variety of marine life that can be found, if you like reef diving head to Menjangan Island off the north western coast, the walls are rich in soft corals and gorgonian fans – corals as good as you’ll find in Sulawesi. For the muck diving enthusiast then Putri Jati, again on the north shore offers black sand muck diving as good as many dives you’ll find in Lembeh with everything from mimic octopus to frog fish and nudibranchs.
There’s the Liberty Wreck which is a great dive for anyone who needs a metal fix, it’s 120 meters long and has attracted a rich diversity of life including a large school of jacks which often circle overhead and a mass of encrusted soft corals cover the structure making it an ideal dive for photographers, especially as it’s accessible from the shore. Like big fish? well then there’s Nusa Penida and Crystal Bay, this is one of the few places in the world where it’s possible to get regular sightings of mola mola which show up in the shallows during the months of July to October, squadrons of manta can also be seen here, often in large numbers. The site is thought to be of importance for both reproduction and as a cleaning station. Combine this with plenty of quality reef dives off the east coast including sites around like Tepekong and Mimpang and you have a great scope of diving to experience. Generally you should split your time between the east coast and the north coast, although with 10 days of dicing you could easily just focus on the eastern shores and Nusa Penida region whilst 3 – 4 days of diving in the north would be ideal. For more details why not give me a call on 0800 955 0180.
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