Where is the best diving in Bali?

Bali sits at the edge of the Coral Triangle, and the diving reflects it: a genuinely world-class wreck, big pelagics on the Nusa Islands, healthy walls in a national park, and muck diving for people who care about the small things.

Tulamben and Amed, east coast

The USAT Liberty wreck is the most dived site in Indonesia: a 120-metre US Army transport lying 30 metres from the beach in five to 30 metres of water. You can snorkel the shallow end and dive the whole thing, and it is covered in coral and fish.

Amed adds coral gardens, a Japanese wreck, drop-offs and excellent muck diving, almost all accessible from shore.

Season: year-round, best April to October. Suits: everyone from snorkellers to technical divers.

Nusa Penida and Lembongan

Manta Point, where reef mantas gather at cleaning stations, with sightings common all year.

Crystal Bay, Gamat Bay and Toyapakeh, with clear water, healthy coral and strong currents.

Mola mola, the oceanic sunfish, most commonly seen roughly July to October when cold upwellings bring them shallow.

Season: year-round; mola mola July to October. Suits: intermediate and experienced divers. Currents here are serious and several sites are not for beginners.

Menjangan and Pemuteran, northwest

Menjangan Island, inside West Bali National Park, has the clearest water and the best wall diving in Bali, calm and protected, with visibility often exceeding 30 metres.

Pemuteran has an accessible house reef and a long-running Biorock coral restoration project.

Season: year-round, calmest in dry season. Suits: all levels, and the best snorkelling in Bali.

Padang Bai and Candidasa

Blue Lagoon for easy shallow diving and snorkelling. Gili Tepekong and Mimpang, offshore, with cold thermoclines, strong currents and occasional sharks, for experienced divers only.

What it costs

• Two fun dives with gear: roughly 900,000 to 1,600,000 rupiah depending on site and travel.
• Open Water certification: roughly 5,000,000 to 7,500,000 rupiah over three to four days.
• Snorkelling trip by boat: roughly 300,000 to 700,000 rupiah.
• Mask and snorkel hire: 50,000 to 100,000 rupiah a day.

Very cheap operators exist. In diving, price usually reflects the ratio of guides to divers, the state of the gear and the boat. This is not the place to save 30 dollars.

Choosing an operator

Ask about group size, guide-to-diver ratios, whether gear is serviced and how recently, and what their plan is if currents change. Established centres with their own boats and a long presence are worth the premium, particularly at Nusa Penida where currents have killed people.

Snorkelling without diving

The best snorkelling in Bali, in order: Menjangan, Amed and Tulamben from the shore, Blue Lagoon at Padang Bai, Pemuteran's house reef, and the boat trips from Nusa Lembongan.

The Bukit and Canggu coasts have essentially no snorkelling: too much swell and no accessible reef.

Conservation notes

Reef-safe sunscreen matters here, particularly at Menjangan and the Nusa Islands. Do not touch or stand on coral, do not chase mantas, and keep a respectful distance at cleaning stations, which is also the rule that makes them stay.

Getting certified here

Bali is one of the cheaper places in the world to learn, and the standard at the established centres is high. An Open Water course takes three to four days: theory, confined water skills, then four open-water dives. Tulamben, Amed and Padang Bai are the usual training grounds because the entries are easy and the water is calm.

Two practical notes. Do not book a course that ends the day before you fly: the standard guidance is to leave at least 18 to 24 hours between your last dive and a flight, and Bali's altitude roads to the highlands count too. And check what the price includes, because certification fees, manuals and equipment are sometimes quoted separately.

Liveaboards and trips further afield

Bali is a common departure point for liveaboards heading east to Komodo, which is the better diving by a wide margin and a four-day boat journey or a short flight away. Trips run mostly in dry season. If diving is the point of your trip rather than a day of it, plan Bali as the warm-up and Komodo or Raja Ampat as the trip.