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
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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 beautful island you can easily stay for a week! However I would recommend staying here for 3-5 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 3-5 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 beautful island you can easily stay for a week! However I would recommend staying here for 3-5 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 3-5 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. Which 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 catch a few dives in Padang Bai before flying home or further.
Indonesia, the ultimate trip!
This next trip might is one that was done in 2019 and changed my life and perception of what I thought about diving.
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It will require a bit of time since we'll be flying and driving all over Indonesia, but it will be well worth it, trust me!
Below you will find a map with the ultimate diving travel itinerary which will require at least 2 weeks and optional excursions might extend this to 5 weeks if you have the time available to you.
Enjoy!
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The Ultimate Diving Experience in Indonesia!
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. 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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Sulawesi or Celebes is an underrated diving scene. First of all, if you want good coffee and enjoy some amazing culture and ritual burials, this is the place to be.
If you want to go diving I would suggest going from Denpasar to Makassar airport. It's a short flight and you can book a transfer easily to Bira. The car ride is about 3 hours along the coast, so the views are beautiful while encountering salt farms and many places to take a picture.
Bira is a very small town that stretches along the coast and is home to only a few dive centers. I would highly recommend staying here!
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After 3-5 days of diving here you have a few options; Go north to the Togian Islands. Or make your way to Sorong, Raja Ampat. If you are traveling to the Togian Islands, I would highly recommend booking a driver. Public transport is available but very uncomfortable and inconsistent. Alternatively, you could drive back to Makassar and fly north, which will take the same amount of time probably. If you decide to go by car you might want to consider stopping in Kalosi for example. This is the coffee capital! You can spend a day or 2 here and absorb the culture in this amazing region. There are also ritual burials being held here quite regularly. Not for the faint of heart, but very impressive.
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If you're heading to the Togian Islands it's probably best to travel to Ampana first. Then arrange a Ferry or Flight to the Togian Islands.
When flying further on to Sorong, Raja Ampat you can fly via Makassar.
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Perhaps one of the most renowned places to go diving, and an absolute must on this list! It's quite the journey to get here, but trust me, it's well worth your time and effort. Some of the best diving in the world available just off your private island? Sign me up!
To get to Raja Ampat, you must first fly to Sorong. Afterward, you can book a ferry or flight to Waisai city. You should book a homestay in Raja Ampat or alternatively use this website because they can offer you a transfer by boat to your island from Waisai harbor.
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Raja Ampat is pretty much paradise! You can go diving, hiking, sailing, SUPing, canoeing, and snorkeling for example. The homestays are full board meaning they will provide you with food and drinks 3 times per day.
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When leaving Raja Ampat you will have to transfer again to Waisai and go back to Sorong.
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Alor is a remote island in Timor but very worth the visit. Not many tourists come here which makes this a pristine diving paradise. You can see everything from Rhynopia to hammerhead sharks. Crystal clear waters and very friendly people.
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You can fly from Sorong to Alor Kecil via Kupang. When entering Alor Kecil you should be able to arrange a transfer via your homestay. I would highly recommend this address. This dive center is run by young, enthusiastic people eager to show you their little slice of paradise.
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Komodo in itself is a reason many people visit Indonesia. The park is home to the Komodo dragon of course which you easily visit when staying in this region. Depending on your time, I would highly recommend booking a liveaboard who mostly departs from Labuan Bajo. If you're in Alor Kecil you can fly to Labuan Bajo quite easily via Kupang. This entire town is mostly dedicated to Komodo and has dive shops and bars and restaurants everywhere. You can stock up on supplies, book day trips, or like I said: Get ready for your liveaboard! Most liveaboards will include a visit to the Komodo island, and you can book day trips to do so as well. Most liveaboards offer 4-day and 7-day packages. including 3 dives a day usually, and 3 meals per day with like-minded people.
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