Headed to Bali. Are the Gilis worth a stop?

[nycdive]

Hi there. My girlfriend and I are (hopefully) headed to Bali this coming April. We're novice divers that wouldn't be if we weren't in New York. We're very excited about the diving in Bali. Anyhow, we also heard about the Gili Islands off of Lombok. Are they worth a stop if we had about two weeks in Bali? Would you recommend them over, say, Nusa Lembongan or Menjangan? Any other tips about diving in Bali, or anything for that matter, you wish to throw in would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[MGW1979]

I dove there about 6 years ago and they were fantastic! Tons of turtles, sharks, great coral etc. Someone told me that they have been using dynamite to fish there and it's not as good as it used to be, but I don't know if I believe them. I'd say its definately worth the trip! I dove with Blue Marlin - great dive shop.

Enjoy!

 

[pigletfish]

My husband and I spent 2 weeks on and around Bali in August 2003. We spent 4 nights in Jimbaran Bay, 6 nights on a scuba diving liveaboard, and 4 nights in Ubud. For us, this was perfect. The liveaboard went through the Gili Islands to Komodo and Rinca, and the diving was beautiful. (The trip to see the Komodo dragons was great, too). If you're willing to spend half your vacation on land and half on a boat, I would highly recommend it. Cheers!

 

[leo]

I dove there in '96, also dove the national park on the NW corner of Bali and the wreck on the north coast. The Gili's was my favorite of all three. And it had a total remove feeling - only little hut rooms, brackish water for plumbing, etc. I'd recommend it for sure!

And, as MGW says, there's lots of turtles and sharks, and other big animals.