What is the best luxury resort to dive at in Bali?

[hvrietsc]

We are thinking of going to Bali next year summer and are looking at which resort to stay at. There will be the 3 of us, man wife and 17 yr old son (who needs his own room). We are looking for a luxury resort where we can go diving every day but that also arrange visiting the more touristic sites in Bali. We would like to be picked up at the airport and then taken to the resort. We would like multiple restaurants to be available at the resort or within walking distance. (we don't want to rent a car). The dive operation should be world class and diving should be only minutes away from the resort by boat (we dislike long boat rides, because of a tendency to get seasick).

I would appreciate any comments from people who have personally been to such a resort in Bali. Yes I did look at Wakatobi but that is not in Bali now is it.

 

[Stijn]

Hello

Plenty of nice resorts in Bali.

Are you planning on diving in Menjangan, Tulamben or Candidasa / Padangbai?

Nice option in Menjangan would be the Novus Gawana or Matahari Beach Resort.

Nice Option in / near Candidasa or Padangbai would be Alila Manggis or Amankila. However, better divesites are on Nusa Penida and would involve full day trip by boat.

As for Tulamben, ... no suggestions just yet. Maybe in Amed. Tulamben and Amed have some good shore diving so may interesting for you if you are prone to seasickness.

Good luck!

 

[DiveExploreIndonesia]

Villa Markisa is not bad and could meet all criteria except restaurant close by…I doubt any resort in Bali can meet all criterias : or they are close to nice restaurants but far from dive site ( car and boat ride) or they are far from nice restaurants but on the beach with nice house reef ( like villa Markisa). Please note that all upper class dive resorts in Bali offer more than decent menu at the resort itself.

 

[vladimir]

I think the AMANKILA might fulfill the OP's requirements. I have not stayed there, but friends who have rave about it. You can combine it with a stay at the AMANWANA, on the nearby island of Moyo. I have not stayed there either, but the diving around the island is excellent.

 

[Tippytoes12]

Hi there

We stayed in Scuba Seraya and I guess that the beachfront villas would be classified as luxury , they really were beautiful. The resort is just 10 minutes south of the Liberty wreck and a few minutes from other lovely sites , which we loved. There is only one restuarant though , and the food was not really all that brilliant. The dive operation and the guides were first class though. They picked us up at the airport and somebody else dropped us off at the boat to go to the Gilis.

 

[dirtydave]

I would look at either Ocean View or Liberty. There is also a nice new resort beside Liberty but I can't remember the name. All are nice, have family bungalows wirh privacy for all and are easy walking distance to all the restaurants in Tulamben. All bout the same price range.

 

[darmadivebali]

I think you have many choice to stay around Tulamben, Sanur or Menjangan, the dive site from there is very close.

 

[tsvetanstoev]

The most luxury resort in Tulamben area /Kubu/ is Siddhartha, Siddhartha, Dive Resort and Spa in Bali / Enjoy your dive holiday. Problem is that it is not so close to dive sites, around 10 km by car I think from Liberty wreck.
The other option is Ocean View Tulamben. It`s a new one, bungaloos are very nice and it`s just a steps from Liberty. Food in their restaurant was not great, but it`s 15 min walking to the main street with restaurants. They have the best guide in this area but I can`t remember the name. We used his service when he worked as a freelancer and we had grеat dives and saw really a lot of fishes. From the other places in Bali you have to take a car to go diving or stay at Padang Bay, but I think that there are not so luxury resorts.
Hope that you`ll understand my not good english....

 

[Nitro91]

whats a reasonable resort for raja ampat?

 

[JohnN]

I've been to Bali 5 times now and would suggest you don't overlook the North and Pemuteran/Menjangan. The island is a National reserve and offers some absolutely fantastic wall diving.

I've not stayed at the Matahari resort (a bit too posh for my budget) but it seems quite nice. I wouldn't recommend their captive dive shop, however. Purely personal, but it's run by a German with typical Tuetonic flexibility. I'd go a little further up the coast and dive with "Sea Rovers". Really good folk and they have the fastest boats to Menjangan Island (unless your idea of a good time is spending an extra 30 minutes just getting there).

The Liberty wreck is nice, but after a few dives, it does become a bit stale. The muck diving in Tulamben bay is very good. In interesting local custom is that you don't carry your own tanks to the dive site. That is handled by the local women (the men are too busy just 'hangin') and these ladies will hoist and carry two tanks/BCD's with apparent ease.

If you do decide on Tulamben, be sure and not overlook Gili Selang. Gili refers to any island and Selang is a small little dot with some fantastic rip-roaring currents. Good Pelagics and not too far West on the coast and well worth a trip. There is another wreck at the put-in site, locally referred to as the "Japanese wreck", its pretty beat up and while you can shore dive, the current can be quite strong leaving you with a pretty tiring swim back.

As for me, unless you idea of a good time is hanging with Aussie equivalent of 'trailer trash', stay away from Kuta, and spend your time in Ubud and on the coast(s).


Regards,


John N