Info Diving in Bali

[Tippytoes12]

Personally I'm not a big fan of Bali (even though I'm a drunk Aussie). If you're in Kuta for a holiday and want to get some diving in, you can head to Tulamben for a day trip (it's a 3hr drive) and dive the USS Liberty.

As others have already mentioned, there are many excellent dive destinations in Indonesia. Bali is not one of them.

I've just booked a liveaboard for next year. I fly in an out of Denpasar but made sure to schedule my flights so I fly in 3 hrs before boarding, and fly out the afternoon of disembarking. Don't need to stay in Bali itself any longer than absolutely required

Diving in Bali is fantastic for diving , the Liberty Wreck, the macro around Tulamben, Padang Bai jetty and Nusa Penida 40 minutes away for mantas. Sorry, but you are wrong.

I do hope that your flight is not delayed on the first day of your liveaboard. If you delay the rest of the passengers, you will either be incredibly unpopular if you make it at all or be left behind in Bali. A couple of your fellow countrymen, as it happened, cut the times too tight and missed their flight into Sorong. We ended up spending the best part of 24 hours sitting watching the rain in Sorong Harbour.

Just saying !

 

[Dan]

I stayed in Scooby-Doo bungalows in Lembongan for $40/night & went diving with Lembongan Dive Center. Here is one of the videos from that trip.

 

[GF99/99]

How do you feel about being surrounded my Aussies on a cheap drunk/holiday?

I love Bali, but you don't want to be anywhere near Kuta

Hahah yeah that about sums up Kuta. Also unless your surfer honestly the beach is really not that great and even for that matter if your a surfer go south the Uluwatu. Now that is beautiful beaches. Or even better head to Lombok.

The island of Bali is amazing! and yes Bali and neighboring islands offer some great diving but Kuta.... just avoid it like the plague

 

[Dan]

I stayed in Scooby-Doo bungalows in Lembongan for $40/night & went diving with Lembongan Dive Center. Here is one of the videos from that trip.

Forgot to say that I'm going back there again next August, with 11 of dive buddies from USA.

Afterwards we’ll hop on Mermaid 1 in Benoa Marina to cruise all the way to Komodo.

 

[Plutonist]

I've just booked a liveaboard for next year. I fly in an out of Denpasar but made sure to schedule my flights so I fly in 3 hrs before boarding, and fly out the afternoon of disembarking.

To add to what others have already said (assuming with "boarding" you're talking about the liveaboard): I would be very careful with that. I've been to Indonesia twice and each time we had a flight cancelled on short notice. Once with Lion and once with Garuda. At least Lion organized a replacement flight with a different airline and had an employee on the same flight who managed the refund. Garuda just sent a no-show SMS a few hours before flight and on inquiry proposed to rebook us on a flight two days(!) later. Overall, from my limited experience I can not confirm that Garuda is the most reliable Indonesian airline! Nor the one with the best customer service.

 

[stiebs]

To add to what others have already said (assuming with "boarding" you're talking about the liveaboard): I would be very careful with that. I've been to Indonesia twice and each time we had a flight cancelled on short notice. Once with Lion and once with Garuda. At least Lion organized a replacement flight with a different airline and had an employee on the same flight who managed the refund. Garuda just sent a no-show SMS a few hours before flight and on inquiry proposed to rebook us on a flight two days(!) later. Overall, from my limited experience I can not confirm that Garuda is the most reliable Indonesian airline! Nor the one with the best customer service.

Which is exactly why I avoid Indonesian airlines at all costs (That, and their less-than-stellar safety ratings)

 

[matts1w]

Lots of "really not all that accurate" information in this thread.

1. Kuta is not party-central anymore. In fact, some would say it is pretty dead. Anyone booking there to party will quickly learn the scene has migrated north to Canggu. If you came to Bali to party in trendy beach clubs, rock out all night in dance clubs, and have tons of restos to choose from, you want to be in Canggu.

2. You will easily be able to book diving in Kuta at the Sheraton. There will be two options:

Option A. Get picked up early, drive 40 minutes to Sanur harbor, take a boat another 45 minutes or more to Nusa Penida/Nusa Lembongan, do two or three dives, and be home by evening.

Option B: Get picked up early, drive 2:45 to Tulamben, do two dives, and be home by early evening.

If diving isn't a priority, just book a day trip. If you are a decent diver and are good with current and some surge, I would go with the Sanur Nusa Penida option.

3. Garuda Indonesia is easily the most reliable airline in Indonesia. That does not mean they are perfect. Heck, they are very far from perfect. They are far better than their Indonesian competition and any airline in my home country. They are also the most expensive and often I cannot justify their cost for simple flights where I don't need to sweat connections.

I hope this helps.

 

[Tippytoes12]

Which is exactly why I avoid Indonesian airlines at all costs (That, and their less-than-stellar safety ratings)

Sorry to say this, but it seems as if you have a very negative attitude towards one of the best of not the best country for diving in the world. Because there are so many inhabited islands in Indonesia thousands of aircraft take off and land every day. Taking this into account the safety records may not be too bad after all.

Enjoy your trip and let us know how you get on.

 

[stiebs]

Let's compare safety ratings between one of Australia's low cost airlines and one of Indonesia's.

And just for the record, I don't have a negative attitude to Indonesia. I have a negative attitude to the resort region of Bali and the country's airlines.

 

[Plutonist]

Lots of "really not all that accurate" information in this thread.

I related my personal experience. It might have been (very?) unusual, but it was certainly not "really not all that accurate".