Tulamben and???

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Ms. Ann Thrope

Contributor
Messages
275
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Location
great lakes
# of dives
200 - 499
We have airfare to Bali lined up for June and are looking to put together a two-week trip that's heavy both on topside stuff and diving. We've never been to Indonesia. We're still trying to rough out an itinerary that may or may not include flying to Komodo and diving from a land op (or inexpensive liveaboard, if we can find one), so I may very well be asking other questions as well. But for now:

I'm pretty sure I want to spend a couple/few days in Tulamben for the easy, no-hassles shore diving. Ideally, I'm thinking that we go off and do our dives early in the morning and late in the day when it's not too crowded, and maybe reserve the middle of the day for touring around, or maybe even skip a day or two of diving to do land things. But it looks like Tulamben is small (I've read a few sites that have gone as far as to call it "unattractive"). Does it make an ok base to go other places, or should we plan on just getting our dives in and moving on? If we stay a bit, will we have ready transportation options other than hiring someone with a car? Should we be thinking of renting a car?

Any suggestions for a good amount of time to spend in Tulamben?

Also, we're getting into Denpasar quite late--10 pm or so. I was thinking that Sanur might be a decent place to book into for the first night or two (or more) to get our Bali footing before moving on. I have a slight concern that it might be TOO sleepy and geared mostly to pensioners, but Kuta sounds like it's just for hard-partying youth--which is not us. And maybe Sanur is good for jumping off to Nusa Penida etc.? Or would we be better basing out of Candidasa/Padangbai for that?

I'm getting a little overwhelmed with all the possibilities. Any suggestions welcome.
 
Ms. AT,
You're in holliday; not good idea to have a midnight journey in Bali for the firsttimer. Get a good inexpensive hotel near the airport (check other thread asking this subject), then having a good sleep and fresh wake-up in the morning for the trip to Tulamben. You can reach Tulamben less 3 hours but there's some interesting places you may want to stop (Tirta Gangga water palace is one of them) you'll get there on the afternoon - still possible to have one afternoon dive at the wreck or drop off (if wreck is crowded) and night dive at coral garden.
I personally will not be boring to stay in Tulamben for a week, but 4 days is very reasonable to cover Tulamben, Seraya and Amed. Or if you muck diving fans or critters lover - better stay at Seraya resort, a bit pricey, very nice resort.

For transportation. Tulamben is small village, public transportation in Tulamben is basic; very inconvenience by western standard.
I will not recommend to rent self driving car unless you enjoy driving in Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila or Hanoi. Some people say it organized chaos; but actually once you can get in the rythm; you'll survive or enjoy it. Being local, I always rent a car when in Bali.
Anyway, hiring a car with chaufeer in Bali is not expensive. If you plan to dive 3 - 4 dives a day, may not usefull to hire a car.
You can also ask the resort to arrange transportation for you.
 
Hi Ann, The bali possibilities are overwhelming aren't they. I too am planning my first trip to bali. We have decided to spend 16 nights-starting with 4 @tulamben staying at scuba seraya, followed by 5 @lembongan probably staying at hai tide huts,we will then go to ubud for 2 nights to take in dry land stuff like the legong dance, monkey forest, and if I know my wife- shopping. tegal sari is the resort in ubud that we are planning to book.We will then go to pemuteran for 5 nights at taman sari assuming they are not booked up for september. I have been exchanging emails with Michael at bali diving academy in planning my trip. Michael has been very responsive and seems to really know his stuff. He is working with me on everything from transfers to accommodations to diving and he is very detail oriented. He's checking accommodation availability today. We'll be there during mola mola season and will stay on lembongan so as to beat the daytrippers to the molas for a better experience.I don't believe you'll be there during mola season, but I suspect you could have a chance at the mantas at nusa penida. And about renting a car, everything I have read says to rent a car--with a driver. good luck!
 
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bqualls has the right idea. I suggest you contact some of Bali's better dive ops and ask them to arrange a dive safari tailored to your schedule, preference and budget. Tell them what you would like to see & do, both underwater (eg. wrecks, macro stuff, pelagics) and topside (eg. sight-seeing, shopping, night life). The advantage of arranging your itinerary this way is that you won't have to worry about transport as all transfers will be taken care of, including pick-up from the airport. Some dive ops can even organise activities such as white-water rafting, jungle-trekking etc.

The dive op that I have used, and will be using again when I arrive in Bali tomorrow, is Absolute Scuba Dive Bali | Diving Bali - Absolute Scuba Diving Bali They are a thoroughly professional outfit, very helpful and efficient, and excellent value for money. Send them an e-mail - ask for Andy Taylor, the boss - and he will arrange a dive safari/package to suit you.

As for your query about Sanur, it is not at all 'sleepy'! Lots of shops, hotels, restaurants & bars, even a MacDonalds (unfortunately). If you prefer a short transfer to your hotel after arrival in Bali, it is a good idea to stay the night in Sanur. However, Sanur really doesn't have much to recommend it unless you like shopping or night-life. You could dive Nusa Penida and a few other dive sites from Sanur, but I think you might be better off starting your safari/tour a.s.a.p. instead of spending too much time in the south. Padangbai and Candidasa are lovely, and I'm sure Andy will suggest Menjangan, Lovina, Tulamben and Amed as well for your safari.
 
It might be too time-consuming to work Komodo/Labuanbajo into the trip, though the diving there is wonderful, since you'll waste one day flying over and a second flying back. A good land-based operator in Labuanbajo is Reefseekers, which I have used. There is a small, fairly-inexpensive liveaboard in Labuanbajo called Aridive with which I corresponded, but did not use since we could never coordinate our schedules. Aridive - live aboard dive, diving, Komodo, safari, nurkowanie, plongee, croisiere, Indonesia, Indonesie

Tulamben is pretty laid back, and there isn't loads to do in the town itself -- actually, I don't think that there's anything to do in the town itself. Tulamben Wreck Divers is a good op -- across the road from the entrance to Liberty wreck, decent rooms at an inexpensive price. You probably can arrange excursions to Mt Agung from there, as well as to other non-diving spots, in addition to excursions to other dive spots in the area. Three or four days probably would be enough there. As an aside, I am not a big fan of the temple at Besakih, which I found to be a just awful tourist trap.

Though I've driven tiny roads in most of Europe, and even braved Paris, Vienna and Rome, I wouldn't even consider driving in Bali (Wisnu is MUCH braver than I am!). It's easy to hire drivers, and the cost isn't terrible. TWD did arrange for a driver to take us from Tulamben back to Denpasar.

Sanur is a good place to stay, and is a twenty-to-thirty minute ride from the airport. The hotel should arrange a driver to meet you at the airport. My only concern with Candidasa, as a first night's location, is that you probably wouldn't get there until well after midnight. If you want to rest your first full day, you might consider hiring a driver and going to Ubud, or perhaps the Elephant Park or Monkey temple. Drivers may attempt to take you to art or jewelry stores -- feel free to decline that offer if you wish to do so.

Have fun. Bali is a wonderful place.
 
Padang Bai is actually better for jumping off to Nusa Pendia (a much better boat trip than from Sanur). There are some hotels close to the airport which are good for the first night if you do not want to have 2-3 hour trip up to Tulamben. 3-4 days is about right for Tulamben which has great diving. Be aware of altitudes where you go if you head of exploring. (for example the Tirtagangga Water Garden approx 15 kilometers from Tulamben or 6 kilometres north of Amlapura is at approx 1300 feet). DIVE KOMODO - Liveaboard Cruises can help with either day trips or live-a-board trips in Komodo. The best way to do komodo and to truly experience what it has to offer is by live-a-board
 
Hi Ann,

I love bali & have been there 4X's heading back this year. What do do really depends on your budget. If you're comfortable spending money then a Safari is a great idea. I second Absolute Scuba as a very professional shop! Cars & drivers are plentiful (your cabie from the airport will probably volunteer & offer free language lessons as a plus) a private car should cost somewhere around $35us a day depending on distance. Just remember smile & bargin. Prices increase 200-1,000% for first time naive tourists ;-)! If you get in at 10, I think Sanur is an ok option if you've confirmed a hotel or follow the advice of the locals on this thread & stay near the airport. Avoid Kuta.

Tulemben is a sleepy town, relaxing but not much of the famous balinese culture. Personally I like to dive with absolute scuba in padangbai. The town is vibrant, the shop is professional & it's near quite a lot. If you are on a budget, tourist shuttles are a great way to get around. Personally I would not rent a car, driving is a little crazy & roads are not well marked.

I like to dive at Padangbai, taking boats with absolute scuba to southern locations & then spend a few days in Tulemben - I think 3-4 days in Tulemben are plenty (I've done over 30 dives there ;-). Night diving on the wreck is fantastic! Also sunrise & noon (when others are at lunch) are great times :wink:.

Mangelan is nice diving - you can dive with spice dive & stay in Lovina.

As others mentioned, the water palace & titra ganga are beautiful locations & easy to see if you drive from Sanur to Tulemben during daylight. Also it's worth staying in Ubud durring your last few days of decompression for some great culture, massages & shopping :wink:. If you are on a budget I can supply much more detail --otherwise personally I'd trust absoulte scuba with a safari!

Try Wyan @ Bodyworks in Ubud for a fantastic massage & hit the market very early to ask for "morning price" which should be about 1/2 off if you bargain just a little bit ;-). 1st sale brings the store good luck ;-)

Have fun - It's beautiful. Every time I go I swear I will head to Lombok, but somehow I never leave Bali :D! And now I am heading back again!

Feel free to PM me if you need more advice!
 
Went to the temple Besakih last year on the way to the airport from Tulamben, I quite like it, after the initial bitterness from bargaining for a sarong (BYO - for men too or be prepared to pay more), to enforced hiring a temple guide pain, was forgotten... The guide was not bad & real Balinese do use that temple (there were several ongoing ceremonies) & the view was great.
Tulamben is a nice place! Just a little inconvenient for sight-seeing but we really do like its quietness. Our last Aug trip. 2008 Aug - Tulamben, Bali - Windows Live
& more recently to Tulamben & Menjangan & Permuteran CaT's Dive Sites - Windows Live
 
Thanks for the replies so far, and I'd be happy to hear more.

Looks like we might spend our first two nights in Sanur. After 24-plus hours of travel and a late-night check-in, we might need that first day just to feel human again.

We're inclined to stay a little more independent and not do a safari--the tourist shuttles sound about our speed, maybe supplemented here and there with taxis and/or drivers. I've driven in some challenging places without much fear, but maybe Bali isn't the place, unless we get very comfortable.

Kathydeee--I've been reading your other posts with interest. I generally am happy with budget places and am open to suggestions (I did all backpacker stuff through Fiji a couple of years ago, and I couldn't have been happier with my $15 rooms!). As far as accommodations, my minimum standard is that the essential plumbing look familiar and that the ambiance not be grim. My husband requires hot water and some level of comfort, so I've mostly been looking at the kinds of places listed as "moderate." I know I've seen you mention the Pura Madha bungalows in Tulamben, and I found a few exterior pictures of it (it looks sort of charming to me), but I haven't been able to figure out if they'd be good for us. Otherwise I'm sort of looking at the Matahari. The Tulamben Wreck Divers place looks okay too, but it looks like it's a little farther from the water.

I'm also wondering if we should be considering staying in Padangbai or Candidasa, both of which look like they're a little more charming, and just cabbing it to Tulamben for our diving there instead. We'll have our own equipment and are not looking for a lot of supervision or guiding--just tanks, weights and a point in the right direction.

We'll definitely do a few days in Ubud. We were trying to decide, beginning or end? But given that we like to shop for crafts and the like, doing it at the end is probably better. Bqualls--thanks for mentioning some of your hotels. Your Ubud place looks lovely.

And Valwood, thanks for the name of the inexpensive liveaboard--I found their website, so it's something else to throw into the mix of possibilities. I've been looking at Reefseekers too--they sound good on their website, but I know there are some mixed opinions on them.
 
Tulamben Wreck Divers is across the road from the park that leads to the Liberty wreck -- maybe, 100 yards from TWD hotel to water. TWD also has a cottage that is right on the beach, but a kilometer or so from the main hotel.

Hotel Peneeda View in Sanur is okay. The breakfast area is next to the beach, and is very pleasant. Hotel Parigata in Sanur also is okay, and probably a little nicer than Peneeda View, but without the ocean view at breakfast.

Kajane is a good hotel in Ubud (down the street from the Monkey Temple), but, unless you like long walks in hilly grounds, it's probably best to get a room near the front.

Made Keker is a driver in Ubud, ph. 62-361977912, quequer71@yahoo.com. He drove us several places, and was very very nice and accommodating. Be a bit wary to make sure that a driver has a vehicle with air-conditioning (Made's does).

The dance company that performs at the Ubud Palace is very good.
 
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