Indonesia
I visited Indonesia for the first time in 2019 and fell in love, especially with the diving scene. I started in Jakarta but soon felt the NEED to go into the water so my first dive stop was Bira on Celebes, then continued to Raja Ampat, Komodo, and finally Alor. I will happily go into the details of my trip below.
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In 2022 I started traveling full time and my first stop was: Indonesia. This time I went to Bali and Lombok since I skipped those on my first trip. And let me tell you: After 2 years of Covid, the urge to go diving again was huge.
A quick summary
Celebes - Bira
Maybe not the most obvious place to go diving when you're in Indonesia, however, well worth the trip. You can get to Bira quite easily from Makassar and just take a taxi (long ride) to Bira and stay on the beach there. Diving is different, exciting, and somewhat challenging. But you'll see more sharks than you can count!
Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat is on many a bucket list and for good reason. The area is remote, pristine, hard to get to, and absolutely gorgeous. Everything you've heard about Raja Ampat is true in a good way. The people care about their homes and the diving scene is one of the best you'll ever experience.
Komodo
Komodo is probably one of the main reasons people visit Indonesia. And for good reason. You can easily hop on a liveaboard for 3 or 7 days and go diving with Manta, sharks, and all the good stuff. It is exciting, challenging, and a blast. And most charters also include a half-day trip to the island to see the dragons!
Flores - Alor
Alor is one of those remote gems you've seen pictures from but never registered them as Alor. Although quite a trip to get there, the living is remote, and basic diving is almost non-existent, which is a good thing. The water is clean, wildlife abundant and people super friendly.
Bali
Bali might be the most popular destination for tourism and diving. And for good reason! The island is designed for tourists. Whether you like snorkeling, culture, diving, hiking, or surfing. It's all here, in abundance! Click below to read about my best experiences.
Gili Islands
The Gili Islands belong to Lombok but have gotten their reputation throughout the years. The 3 islands: Trawangan, Meno, and Air all have their own charm, but one thing in common: Excellent Diving!
Click on your desired location below to jump to that section:
Ultimate Itineraries Diving in Bali & Gili!
Want to go diving in Indonesia? No idea where to go exactly or how?
I got you covered with a few itineraries that might give you a better overview of how to organize your ultimate trip!
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Below I will describe the route, why you should go, and how to get there. There will even be some recommendations for diving centers you could look out for. You can click on the destinations on the map to start booking your diving trip!
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Have fun!
Itinerary: 1 week
You will probably land in Denpasar. You can easily get a taxi, scooter, or transfer to Sanur. From Sanur or Denpasar, you could also head straight for Nusa Penida via booking a ferry here. When only having the 1 week here I would honestly recommend staying in Sanur. If you want to see Amed bay and Tulamben you'd best try to dive with Dune Atlantis Diving as they organize trips to those more remote places.
If you want to have a more island feel and dive into all locations on Nusa Penida, head straight to Nusa Penida.
Stay here for 3-4 days and book your ferry to the Gili Islands.
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Choose your favorite Gili Island. In short:
Trawangan: The largest island, and most busy but lots of opportunities for diving, parties, and accommodation.
Meno: The smallest and most quiet. No parties but a real laidback Island feel.
Air: A mix between the 2. Still pretty quiet.
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Spend 3-4 days diving here before heading back to Bali.
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Itinerary: 2 weeks
You will probably land in Denpasar. You can easily get a taxi, scooter, or transfer to Sanur. From Sanur or Denpasar, you could also head straight for Nusa Penida via booking a ferry here. When having 2 weeks here I would head straight to Nusa Penida, and start diving here! It's a beautiful island you can easily stay for a week! However, I would recommend staying here for 3-5 days and booking your ferry to the Gili Islands.
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Choose your favorite Gili Island. In short:
Trawangan: The largest island, and most busy but lots of opportunities for diving, parties, and accommodation.
Meno: The smallest and most quiet. No parties but a real laidback Island feel.
Air: A mix between the 2. Still pretty quiet.
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Spend 3-5 days diving here before heading back to Bali, Especially Amed & Tulamben. You can easily get a transfer straight to Amed harbor from the Gili islands for around 400.000IDR ($22,-) per person. Bigger groups will obviously lower the price significantly.
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When in Amed you can spend your remaining days diving Amed bay, Tulamben, and perhaps even the Kubu wreck, before heading backing to Denpasar or perhaps 1 day Ubud which is always nice!
Itinerary: 2 weeks+
You will probably land in Denpasar. You can easily get a taxi, scooter, or transfer to Sanur. From Sanur or Denpasar, you could also head straight for Nusa Penida via booking a ferry here. When having 2 weeks here I would head straight to Nusa Penida, and start diving here! It's a beautiful island you can easily stay for a week! However, I would recommend staying here for 3-5 days and booking your ferry to the Gili Islands.
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Choose your favorite Gili Island. In short:
Trawangan: The largest island, and most busy but lots of opportunities for diving, parties, and accommodation.
Meno: The smallest and most quiet. No parties but a real laidback Island feel.
Air: A mix between the 2. Still pretty quiet.
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Spend 3-5 days diving here before heading back to Bali, Especially Amed & Tulamben. You can easily get a transfer straight to Amed harbor from the Gili islands for around 400.000IDR ($22,-) per person. Bigger groups will obviously lower the price significantly.
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When in Amed you can spend 3-5 days diving Amed bay, Tulamben, and perhaps even the Kubu wreck, before leaving for Lovina or Pulau Menjangan. This is amazing because not many people go all the way out here, so you'll have lots of space to move around underwater.
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If you still have a few days left I would recommend moving more south to Ubud or perhaps Sanur and catching a few dives in Padang Bai before flying home or further.
Good To Know
Travel Information Indonesia
Currency: Rupiah(IDR)
Conversion(Roughly): IDR100.000 = $6,80
Power plug outlet: 230V 50Hz
Best Taxi Application: Grab
Best Provider: Telkomsel
Mostly Cash payments
Safe to Drink Tapwater: NO
Online Electronics: Bhinekka
Accommodation: AirBnB
Best Airplane Company: Garuda
Average Internet speed: 40 Mbps