Different level divers seeking advice for 28 days on and around Bali

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Messages
2
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Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
# of dives
0 - 24
Hey there..

We are three danish guys, who are arriving in Bail in nine days. We have 28 days before going home to Copenhagen, and we want to use most of that time under water. At the moment we are trying to figure out an itinerary.

I have been following the threads in here and have found a lot of good advices on destinations etc. However, there are some things that make us differ from the other persons given advices here. The facts you need to know:


  • We have different levels:
    • One is divemaster with more than 300 dives
    • One is advanced open water with 15 dives
    • One has no dives and wants do the open water and advanced on the trip
  • We are all students and therefore travelling on a tight budget (we don't want to save money on the diving, but the transport and acommodation)
  • So far we are discussing these destinations: Gili Trawangan, Nusa Lembongan and Amed/Tulamben
  • We wouldn't mind some good peleagics, but are hoping to find some different diving

So the questions is:
  • Which are the best destinations on and around Bali, considering our different levels and the fact that we are travelling as backpackers?
  • What would be the best starting destination, where my friend can get his certifications, and me and my other friend still can do some exciting diving?
  • Which is the cheapest way to get to Nusa Lembongan and Gili Trawangan. Is it possible to find a cheap ferry from Nusa Lembongan to Gili Trawangan? (The only options we have found so far costs more than 500.000 IDR)
  • Any other recommendations (alternative destinations, dos and dont's, etc) for three young guys (24 years old) on diving vacation in Indonesia?

We hope you can help us.

Best regards
Anders, Martin and Jonathan
 
I think you guys can all get away with diving at the lowest level. 25 dives with aow is still very new and a DM should be used to diving with new divers so it shouldn't be a problem with him/her.

Keep it simple and conservative and I can assure you, you will have some awesome dives even if they are not "advance".

Sorry for being so general and not really answering your question, just giving out some advice.
 
Tulamben is great for the divers who are less experienced as it is very easy diving. If you are going to the Gili islands take a look at the other islands to find the one you like. Gili Meno is smaller, quiter and more basic. Trawangan is the biggest of the three, the most crowded and will have the most things to do out of the water. Gili Air is somewhere in between. Anyway the three islands are really close together. I think the Gili islands is a great place to dive and is seriously underrated. The best way to get there will be taking the ferry it's so close that it is not worth the hassle of flying. If you have so much time you might want to try Nusa Penida to look for mola mola. If you are willing to go further try go up north to manado where there is Bunaken and Lembeh. Lembeh has amazing muck diving and the diving in both these places is really easy. I'm living in Jakarta so if you need any info about Indonesia and the diving feel free to send me a message. Have fun diving (y)
 
I would say to skip Lembongan as the most interesting diving there is challenging. Spend your time and money at places where all three of you can take the best advantage of the place. My suggestions:

1) Gili Air for the initial OW training and diving for the other two.
2) Tulamben for the wreck, the marine life and the easy dives in warm water. I know an op where you can stay for free in a tent on the beach as long as you dive with them.
3) Pemuteran area where the diving is also easy and there are beautiful corals offshore at the reefs there.

Let me know via PM if you want more specific information.
 
If you'd like some detailed tips about diving Tulamben and the north east shore of Bali on a backpackers budget feel free to PM.

There are many dive shops and different level divers in Padangbai and budget accommodations make it a good place for your friend to take his class.
 
Wow, sounds like a great trip! Here's personally what I'd do...

You're arriving into Denpasar...have you're friend knock out his open water right there, while you and your other friend use the same operator to dive Nusa Penida for a couple of days. You are arriving in mola mola season, and NP is the best place in the world to see these amazing fish. I'd also stay in Denpasar (Kuta, etc.), instead of Lembongan. You'll have far more accommodation and dining options to keep costs down, as well as far more dive operators to choose from to probably get the best price on his course, and of course you'll be able to experience all the nightlife, which of course you wouldn't get if you were out on Lembongan. Most operators offer free pick up/drop off in great Denpasar for daily boat diving out on NP and NL. After that, I'd definitely spend at least 3-4 days in the Tulamben area (if not more), and if you wanted to spend more time in Bali...great diving all around the island, with the island being very small keeping transport costs down...you could head up to the Lovina area and dive PJ on one side and Mejangan on the other. If you kept heading west you'd come near to where the ferries go to Java and dive Secret Bay, and could take a couple more days to go across and check out the volcanoes on Java.

I've been to the Gilis but never actually dove there. Gili Trawangan lives up to it's reputation as the "party island" and is a lot of fun...I'd definitely go. I just glanced at ferry prices and I saw the public ferry at 36000 but if you saw 50000 and that's a fast ferry straight to GT I'd do it. I've flown for less than that..but that get's you into Mantaram a ways from the Gilis then you still have to get transport there.

With the time you have I'd definitely get up to northern Sulawesi as another also recommended. There's no super cheap way to get there, but flights aren't too bad, and it'd be a shame not to experience another area on your trip. Diving is AMAZING..Lembeh is my favorite spot in the world, and you've got Bunaken and Bangka right there as well..all close to Manado where'd you fly in so transport isn't too bad. Also side trips possible to see wildlife (one of the best places to see the world's smallest monkey, the tarsier). Area has pretty good choices of budget accommodation and cheap diving.

Hope this helps..if you want any other info feel free to pm me! Have a great trip...I'll probably be in Indonesia next month as well
 
Strange how the info varies so much! I've been here for 2 years, diving all around Bali; here are what me and my guests think!
1/Gilis. very many people learn to dive there, because they come here to go out & party, lie on the beach - theres nothing else to do all day. So after a couple of days they do a course. As for the diving, yeah for people who have thousands of dives and don't need to see coral, it's ok and fun; the coral is bombed almost out of all semblance of beauty & what is there is sparse. Currents can be strong (which is OK) - end result - many people come back very very disappointed in the diving. I actually can have fun there, but like I said , I've seen coral....
Do NOT buy your ticket in advance - get here, then bargain. Any boat that still has space will drop the price. But it will cost you money, these are 2400hp speedboats. You can take the bus (which goes on the government ferry from Padang Bai) for peanuts - but very slow (the speedboats take 1 1/2 hours).
2/Amed - very nice, fine to stay, has beaches and diving and it's not bad at all, maybe a bit limited for a long time. Fine to learn at. Bit difficult to get to by Bus but not impossible.
3/Tulamben - mainly for the Liberty wreck, the rest is average unless you go to Seraya for a muck-dive (take a good guide or you won't find anything) so don't book a week here - but the wreck is beautiful, a must-do divespot, try to do night and early-morning, as in the day can have up to 100 divers on it, pulling the coral off with their fins
nonononono.gif
:no: . Can get here by bus, can also do as a daytrip from the south (sanur) - 2 hours. ps we run an OWD course with diving on the wreck (pool sessions beside the beach) - on special offer, 3 days in Tulamben.
4/Padang Bai - an ugly town/village, it's an industrial port with small ex-fishing village now just diving. But - Some good diving. Daytrip.
5/Lovina - forget it.
6/Pemuteran/Menjangan/. Pemuteran is where to stay, a nice mixture of traditional & tourist infrastructure. Beach, with a bar or two but no parties. You can dive there, its pretty good, but Menjangan has by far the best coral on Bali, it's an island you can dive from Pemuteran. Well worth the trip, can get here by bus, there are about 4 per day as this is the main road to Jawa (one of 2).
7/Nusa lembongan - extremely small village with some tourist stuff (restos etc) and places to stay, quite cheap. The diving is on the north coast, and around the corner on Nusa Penida. Great diving, and the only place to see pelargics (alomst guaranteed) on Bali - molamola. BUT - massive currents. Dont believe the hype - its fun, but NOT good to learn on. get your friend to learn and if he's good, and gets enough experience around Bali, do a day-trip there at the end of your stay.

More info and comments about comments.
Do not use a dive-operator that puts you in a tent on the beach, or caters specifically for back-packers. they will be saving money on your equipment, the guides, and air-fills. Many here ARE dodgy, no CO tests or filters, no tank cleaning or testing and - well really - a tent on a beach??? ps the beach is made of pebbles the size of your fist so good luck sleeping.
Many DMs - actually, most, particularly DMs out there in Amed, Tulamben, Pemuteran - haven't even taken an OWD course. Ask to see certs, and check active status (online).
Bunaken , menado, Lembeh - not Bali, have to fly 2 hours to get there. Good diving though!
Want to do it cheap? Save on Taxis etc, and have the chance to shop around wherever you go to get the best deals on Home-stays (cheap hotels)? Rent mopeds in the South (sanur?). If you do it for a couple of weeks, you can get great prices - haggle stupidly, offer them 1/2 what they ask (it's OK, they've doubled the normal price anyway.). If you have a hotel here where you stay and come back to , you can leave your main baggage there, ok dont leave cameras & laptops but it's safe.

And the answer to your next question - of course I can help! I run a dive-shop - we dive all of these places.

Anyway, good luck to you, maybe see you around.....
Guy
 
Well, Guy, since you're responding quite specifically to something I posted, let me just say about this...
More info and comments about comments.
Do not use a dive-operator that puts you in a tent on the beach, or caters specifically for back-packers. they will be saving money on your equipment, the guides, and air-fills. Many here ARE dodgy, no CO tests or filters, no tank cleaning or testing and - well really - a tent on a beach??? ps the beach is made of pebbles the size of your fist so good luck sleeping.
Many DMs - actually, most, particularly DMs out there in Amed, Tulamben, Pemuteran - haven't even taken an OWD course. Ask to see certs, and check active status (online).
...that you obviously do not know what operator I have in mind given that
1) the beach is a sandy one
2) this is an op that guarantees that every guide holds a professional rating (I wouldn't put my divers with them otherwise)
3) you have no basis to imagine that this op caters specifically to backpackers, doesn't perform proper maintenance on its gear and compressors, or has lax standards in any regard

You should not try to drum up business for your shop by bad-mouthing others. It's really poor form and reflects negatively on your own op.
 
You should not try to drum up business for your shop by bad-mouthing others. It's really poor form and reflects negatively on your own op.
Be gentle on him. In his short history on the forum he is having some troble with professionalism and you are right; it does reflect badly on his company.
 
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