Adelaar Cruises
Contributor
Need more reasons to add a Bali stopover during your Indonesian dive holiday? If part one didn’t stimulate your sense of adventure here are some more enticements to help tip the scales.
One blog can’t possibly cover all of Bali’s worthwhile sights and attractions so now we’ll continue where we left off and we’ve added information on waterfalls and walking tours and luxury and local dining.
Diving in Bali Before or After my Dive Holiday
In part one, our dive trip around Bali started clockwise around the island beginning in the Northwest. We made it all the way to Amed before we had to take a short surface interval. Candidasa, Padang Bai and the “Sister Islands” also have great diving and topside fun.
East Bali
Dive centers such as Bali Scuba and Aquamarine Diving in South Bali lead 3 tank dive trips up to Padang Bai. Only a 45-minute drive from Sanur, Padang Bai can be done as a day trip. We suggest a few nights in the area to check out the more of Bali’s coastal towns. If you are staying over or driving up on your own, we recommend you dive with Geko Divers or O.K. Divers.Notable dive sites include: Gili Tepekong, Gili Mimpang and Gili Bahia. These can have strong current but can be very fishy with divers regularly seeing sharks, barracuda, trevallies and rays. Closer to Padang Bai the Jetty is great for macro subjects and shark point has nice corals, nudis and guess what…sharks! Dive centers in Padang Bai also offer day trips over to the “Sister Islands” (Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan).
Staying in the area? Candidasa and Padang Bai are only 20-30 minutes apart. Padang Bai is a smaller port and fishing village, while Candidasa is more of a seaside tourist town. You’ll find more restaurants, music and a larger selection of hotels in Candidasa, but don’t expect big sandy beaches as the hotels take up most of the waterfront.
$$$$ Amankila or Alila Manggis, Candidasa $$$ Sea Breeze, Candidasa or Villa Sukanta, P.B.
$$ O.K. Divers, or Padang Bai Beach Resort $ Beji Bay Resort, Padang Bai
Note: dollar signs represent an average for each property and are based on rack rates; specials may be available seasonally.$$ O.K. Divers, or Padang Bai Beach Resort $ Beji Bay Resort, Padang Bai
Southeast Bali
The “Sister Islands” Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan are easily done on a 3-tank day trip from Sanur or you can stay on Nusa Lembongan for a couple nights to get more dives in the area. Choose from budget to deluxe accommodations on Nusa Lembongan. Two Fish Divers operates a dive resort on the island with budget accommodations.
Photo Credit: Hookbuzz
Notable dive sites include: Crystal Bay for Mola Molas, Blue Corner where you can see Rays and Sharks, Manta Point where Mantas are seen year-round, S.D. point and Pura Ped on Nusa Lembongan are good choices for a casual drift dive over sloping coral gardens and Toya Pakeh’s reef slope is a fun place to look for turtles and nudibranchs.
Atlantis Bali Diving center and Bali Scuba both offer 3 tank day trips on their comfortable speedboats from Sanur. Transit time takes approximately 50-65 minutes, depending on the dive sites location. For you day-trippers looking for a place to stay in Sanur here are a few recommendations from previous dive guests.
$$$$ Maya Resort or Fairmont Beach Hotel $$$ Griya Santrian or Puri Santrian
$$ Swiss Bel Hotel or Parigata Hotel $ Sari Villas
$$ Swiss Bel Hotel or Parigata Hotel $ Sari Villas
Waterfalls and Walking Tours
Bali, commonly called the “Islands of the Gods,” can’t be a playground for heavenly creatures without a bit of natural beauty. So grab your dive booties for the waterfall and water portion of our tour around Bali. Here are more alternatives to Bali’s beaches! At most of Bali waterfalls you can relax beside natural rock pools fed by year-round flows, while others offer breath-taking scenery that nature lovers and landscape photography enthusiasts will enjoy.
Gitgit Waterfall
Gitgit is easily accessible, making it a popular stop for group busses and day trips. Once at the bottom enjoy the spectacle of the 40m cascade that pours into a rocky pool. For a less touristy, easily accessible option, try nearby Jembong Waterfall. Although the falls aren’t very high, its gentle slope and regular water flow makes it ideal for a cooling soak.
Tukad Cepung Waterfall | Bali’s Cave Waterfall
Once you leave the road you must trek about a kilometer through lush jungle, down into a ravine and finally squeeze yourself between huge boulders before first laying eyes on this incredible sight.
Tukad Cempung Waterfall, Photo Credit: Laurie Crayston, Dream Livin
Tibumana Waterfall, Photo Credit: Laurie Crayston, Dream Livin
Tibumana Falls
Smaller but still very pretty, Tibumana is relatively unknown, with far fewer visitors. You can wander quite far down the river with the falls still in sight so there are a lot of interesting photographic opportunities.
Tegenungan Waterfall
Unique for it’s lush green surroundings and heavy water flow Tegenungan waterfall is perfect for swimming and enjoying the fresh water. The pool at the bottom of the short waterfall is deep, so you may have the opportunity to see locals cliff jumping.
Nung Nung Waterfall
Close to Sangeh Monkey Forest, it is worth a visit for the lush scenery alone. In the height of the rainy season the cascading water crashes into the pool 50 meters below with a booming sound and creates a refreshing spray. Do be warned, there are around 500 stone steps to get to the waterfalls. This keeps it quiet but makes it a long hike up.
Sekumpul
If you are adventurous, Sekumpul waterfall is the trek for you. Getting to the base of the waterfall is very difficult. Alternatively, for a little bit of money locals will show you the way. They will get you to the end of a road from which you can walk about 50m to the rim and find the most beautiful views from high ground. What’s interesting about Sekumpul Waterfall is that instead of one waterfall, there are seven! (“sekumpul” means “group” in Indonesian) These are all scattered around the area, with the tallest being more than 50 meters high.
Jatiluwih Rice Fields
Jatiluwih offers a beautiful view of contoured rice terraces. When in season, the rice terraces give new meaning to the word green, crawling up the sides of the hills like steps leading you towards the sky. Scenic excursions and photo ops for photographers wanting to catch the best views, angles, and lighting can be arranged through Bali Agung Solusi.
Photo Credit: Putu Sudiarta, Putu Bali Tour Guide
Tegalalang Rice Terraces
A short drive from Ubud, Tegalalang is an excellent spot to stop and have lunch. Restaurants are perched on the cliffside offering bird’s eye views of the rice terraces. The Teras Padi Cafe menu has a wide variety of Indonesian and Western options to choose from. Sit back, relax on their throw pillows in their bale-bale style seating, and refresh yourself with a cool kelapa mudah (fresh coconut).
Due to limited space on Scubaboards posts the touring, restaurant and shopping sections can be found on our blog page.
So, what do you say, is Bali worth a stopover during your Indonesian dive holiday? We certainly hope we’ve given you something to think about. Bali is a magical place, with so many opportunities for you to find something to enjoy.