For a long time Bali has been known as a great vacation spot for travellers. The scenery is gorgeous, the people are pleasant and the culture is fascinating. Bali, being so close to the equator has an exotic climate and is a year-round vacation destination for people from all around the world. Even though scuba diving may have only just been added recently to the many activities visitors can do while vacationing in Bali, it is now one of the most popular adventures Bali has on hand. Diving around Bali has something for everybody, shore diving, drift diving, boat diving, muck diving, wreck diving and so on. An added bonus is that you can dive almost any of the island’s dive sites without having to move to a new hotel.
Below are a few of the dive locations you can discover around Bali. They are listed by category and not in any particular order:
If you like drift diving then Nusa Penida has some amazing coral views while the water takes you for a ride. Nusa Penida is also the home of huge manta rays which come to get cleaned at Manta Point. The island of Nusa Penida also offers some additional locations like Crystal Bay, where we see the amazing mola-mola sunfish from late June to late November. But careful, Crystal Bay is not for beginners, as currents can be strong and rather demanding.
Padangbai is home to some simple but beautiful diving for beginners in Blue Lagoon or White Sand Beach and some more challenging dive spots with currents like The Channel or Shark Point. Usually you can see turtles, white tip reef sharks, cattle fish, rays, many types of reef fish and amazing macro like the pygmy seahorse.
There are not many scuba divers which would say “no” to the USAT Liberty ship wreck in Tulamben while diving in Bali. The Liberty wreck is one of the most accessible wrecks one could ever dive. The dive site is close to the beach, which also gives the opportunity to see it even for snorkelers. If the wreck is not enough you can always try Coral Garden or Drop Off which are both only walking distance from the Liberty.
This is just a few dive sites available but trust me Bali has much more if you have the time on your vacation. If your partner happens to be a non-diver there is no reason to be bored in Bali. Nearly all of the dive sites have the great opportunity to explore the land based Bali also. Excursions can be done either by scooter or car and they are so easy to organise that there is basically no need for prior planning. Venture out from the hotel room to experience remote villages, colourful local markets, Balinese temples, Ubud and spectacular rice fields. If you are one that craves some adventure then maybe mountain biking, water rafting, canyoning, surfing or climbing a volcano will quench your adrenaline thirst.
There are not many places in the world that offer such amazing scuba diving like Bali whilst also having so many land attractions to keep even the most demanding travellers entertained.
