Healthy Coral Reef dives in Bali or Raja Ampat?

Hello! I am planning a diving honeymoon in Indonesia during March 2013. I have heard good things about Bali and Raja Abat. Which would you recommend for beginner divers looking for healthy coral reef diving? We probably won't be able to afford a return to SE Asia due to cost/time and really want to "do it right."

I have read about the liveaboards in Raja Abat. It might be overkill since I get seasick and need to limit my time on the boat. My husband can dive 3x day happily. On the other hand, the reviews of the Raja Abat Dive Resort range from sexual harassment, limited dive/park access to bad equipment. Any help is appreciated!


Background: We started diving in Bonaire and fell in love. Our priority is to dive a colorful, healthy coral reef. All our reef dives have had coral bleaching (Bonaire) or mold (Cluebra/Vieques). Our only successful excursion was in San Andreas, Colombia back in 2009.

THANKS SO MUCH!

Cant go wrong with bail. Great healthy colourful reefs at Nusa lembongan and Nusa penida - check out toyapakeh and Sekolah desar sites, plus manta ray sites and mola mola (in season aug-nov but can be seen yr round). Day trips to tulumben for liberty wreck and macro sites, then u have sites amed, secret bay and puri juti for muck, menjangan island. And I guess sharks around Padang bai so I hear.

Can't comment on raja ampat, on the list but best via liveaboard I think, or so ppl say

bali is our regular destination, it has almost everything and excelent choice for honeymooner, beginer diver, first timer to indonesia - and you have plenty of choice to suit your pocket from cheap and simple accomodation of twenty bucks to luxury amankila resort.
Luxury but more affordable recommendation is Mimpi Menjangan - get the coutiyard villa with private hot spriing pool. The diving at menjangan is nice, typically excelent viz, healthy corals, and realtively easy.
Sure, there's other places which is also good choices for honeymoon and healthy coral - Tulamben Mimpi, Ocean View and Liberty are nice resorts in Tulamben for honey moon.
Don't forget, bali topsite and cultural trips is very amazing as well.

I visited Raja Ampat, northen part, end of last year, sure its great destination - but may not for honey moon and beginner. You can check my report here http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/indonesia/446166-nusa-lembongan-raja-ampat-lembeh-trips.html
Never been to southtern, but Missol resort seem a nice option for honeymoon - yes very pricey.

Trust me, you will want to come back. The Caribbean doesn't hold a candle to SEA.

I haven't been to Raja Ampat, but I did spend 2 weeks in Bali last summer, hitting both Nusa Lembongan and Tulamben. The diving in both was fantastic, and coming from the Caribbean, you most certainly won't be disappointed.

Bali is much easier to get to than RA, and, depending where you fly in from, requires absolutely no internal flight, whereas RA does.

Bali is also much more of a honeymoon destination than Raja, and parts of it are much more set up for Western tourists. Get in contact with a good travel agent (shout to Marcia, known on here as Quero, I'm sure she will chime in at some point), and they should be able to find all sorts of accomodation for any budget.

I would rather advise Bali than Raja Ampat for honeymoon.
In terms of coral, you won't be disappointed staying a few days on Lembongan, they have very nice boutique hotels, especially one with perhaps one of the best restaurant all over Bali, Indiana Kenanga, check out here : Hotel Lembongan, Bali Luxury Boutique hotel, resort, Villas, Spa, Restaurant not bad, eh?
Tulamben is worth a stay too, personnally I like this place for staying, swiss owned: Tauch Terminal Resort Tulamben & Spa, Bali, Indonesia

Hey C.Jazz, welcome to SB! As a few of our resident Indo experts have already mentioned, you can't go wrong with Bali diving. We dove Bonaire plenty before doing out first Indo diving back in 2009. On that trip we did Bali and Raja Ampat, thought it was our "once in a lifetime" adventure. Hah! Now we are ruint, there is no going back to the Caribbean!

Unless you meant "March, 2014", I'm not sure you could book anything for Raja at this late date (barring a cancellation). Keep it simple, do Bali first off. You'll fall in love with Indonesia and of course come back, at which point you can then do Raja.In 2009 we added Bali to our Raja liveaboard trip almost on a whim. Have done both areas twice now and I have to say, just do Bali for starters. Domestic travel in Indonesia is still a bit adventuresome and getting to Sorong (the major gateway to Raja) is no picnic.

Raja is worth it for sure but maybe not for a honeymoon. Bali on the other hand--I think it was created for honeymoons! We have only dove at Tulamben and surrounding areas (like Amed, Seraya etc.) but coral? It has what you want and then some. The fish, critters, coral and in fact the whole island are the stuff of dive dreams--and the prices can be dreamy too.

Oh and plug in a little extra above water time during your honeymoon so you can take in Ubud for some non-diving enjoyment. Stay here Alam Sari Keliki Hotel - Official Website - Ubud Hotels Area|Bali Hotels and you may be emailing family and friends that you won't be home any time soon! // ww

Will second lukos recommendation of Indiana kananga. Great for honeymoon and the best restaurant I have ever eaten at indonesia, probably Asia tbh.

I can also recommend ubud for honeymoon, for 60usd you can hire a driver for the day to drive you all around Bali to the sights!! Would highly recommend bebek tepi sawa villas. The most beautiful boutique spa resort and amazing restaurant too!!

So there, mantas, reefs, fine dining, temples, sun and magic...

Have to agree that Bali would be a wonderful honeymoon destination. I would suggest diving Tulamben area and Menjangen. We stayed at Villa Amertha near Menjangen--very nice for honeymoon.We stayed at Mimpi in Tulamben and it was ok, but would not recommend it for honeymoon.
Not sure Lembongan diving is suitable for beginners. There have been several diver deaths in Crystal bay--typically we dove deep,cold, current swept slopes in search of the Mola Mola. If you decide to do these dives, be very cognizant of your air consumption.
Don't miss a few days in Ubud for land based fun. Seriously--don't skip Ubud.
Save R4 for a second Honeymoon.

Not sure Lembongan diving is suitable for beginners. There have been several diver deaths in Crystal bay--typically we dove deep,cold, current swept slopes in search of the Mola Mola. If you decide to do these dives, be very cognizant of your air consumption.

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Pls don't be unnecessarily alarming while you don't know the conditions. New divers are certified every week in Nusa Lembongan, local dive centers know the tides and the best times to go diving. You can note that most of the accidents occurred while diving with mainland Bali dive centers!

While on the other hand Menjangan doesn't impress much with an obvious lack of fish. If you want coral with poor fish life then that's your place otherwise...

pughio83:

Cant go wrong with bail. Great healthy colourful reefs at Nusa lembongan and Nusa penida - check out toyapakeh and Sekolah desar sites, plus manta ray sites and mola mola (in season aug-nov but can be seen yr round). Day trips to tulumben for liberty wreck and macro sites, then u have sites amed, secret bay and puri juti for muck, menjangan island. And I guess sharks around Padang bai so I hear.

Can't comment on raja ampat, on the list but best via liveaboard I think, or so ppl say

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Thank you for all your suggestions, I researching places now. Toyapakeh looks great! I think you are right Raja Ampat might be too adventurous for a honeymoon. We have seen rays in Colombia but mola mola would be phenomenal.

Has anyone dived at Wakatobi? Wakatobi Dive Resort We asked a dive buddy and they seemed to be impressed.

---------- Post added February 17th, 2013 at 05:11 PM ----------

Missol resort looks dreamy but looks like a small fortune even for the 7 day trip. Mimpi Menjangan may be a good option. We are thinking of finding a home base and then taking multiple dives from there. It looks like the southeast side of Bali is popular.

---------- Post added February 17th, 2013 at 05:23 PM ----------

Thanks, iDreamofBubbles! We have been trying to get to SE Asia for a decade but the Caribbean is closer. This is the first time that money and time have lined up. Diving in Bali will certainly be amazing, I'll won't want to come back.

If you had to pick, would you recommend Nusa Lembongan over Tulamben?

---------- Post added February 17th, 2013 at 05:32 PM ----------

Luko & Pughio83: You are hired! Hotel Lembongan is GORGEOUS!! I am leaning in that direction.

Did you feel like you got enough Balinese food/culture from a French chef? I love a good croissant now and then but I am looking to get away from the Western diet.

---------- Post added February 17th, 2013 at 05:39 PM ----------

Warmwater Wank: Thanks for the warm welcome! Ubud is not just a tourist trap? I'll have to throw some time in there for exploring. We usually run to the most remote part of a country as soon as we land to avoid crowds and commune with nature.

How did folks get around Bali? Did you rent a motorbike or just hire a cab?