A true paradise for scuba diving enthusiasts, Bali offers a multitude of exceptional dive sites. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced diver, you can explore colorful reefs, fascinating wrecks and abundant marine life. In this article, we present to you an overview of our favorite diving spots in Bali!
Bali: make your trip a unique and unforgettable experience!
Bali is known for its vibrant culture, stunning landscapes and the warm welcome of its people. But did you know that it is also a top destination for scuba diving enthusiasts of all levels?
By combining diving, cultural discoveries and hiking, Bali offers endless possibilities to make your trip a unique and unforgettable experience.
Do you want to know more about what we call the Island of the Gods? We invite you to check out our page “destination Bali”.
The main diving spots in Bali
Amed / Tulamben
Amed and Tulamben, located on the northeast coast of Bali, are essential diving locations for beginners and experienced divers alike.
There you will find wreck dives, artificial and natural reefs, dizzying drop-offs as well as breathtaking night dives. The waters are generally calm, making it a perfect place for beginners. However, more experienced divers will also be able to appreciate the biodiversity and complex underwater structures.
There are also amazing macro and muck diving sites, and our guides are great spotters. Photographers and videographers love the area, and the night dives are amazing!
Our favorite dive sites in Amed / Tulamben
- USAT Liberty Wreck : This coral-covered wreck is home to a variety of marine life, including parrot fish, barracuda and seahorses. With a unique history, this dive site is a must for divers of all levels. The top part of the 100 meters long wreck sits at around 7 meters and the deepest parts at around 28 meters. For more information, see our article on the Liberty Wreck.
- Bunutan: An excellent site for intermediate to advanced divers, known for its drift dives and colorful reefs teeming with marine life, including reef sharks, wrasses and barracudas. The sandy part of the dive site is also home to a huge field of gardn eels.
- Pyramids: Ideal for divers of all levels, this site features artificial pyramid-shaped structures that serve as artificial reefs, attracting a wide diversity of tropical fish and corals.
Candidasa / Padangbai
Candidasa and Padangbai, located on the east coast of Bali, are renowned for their strong currents and spectacular marine life.
While some of the dives in this area can be more demanding due to the powerful currents, they offer thrilling encounters with sharks, rays and a wide variety of pelagic fish.
Our favorite dive sites in Candidasa / Padangbai
- Blue Lagoon : A dive site suitable for all levels, with clear water and an abundance of marine life, making it the most famous site in Padang Bay. You can admire reef sharks, lion fish and moray eels. Blue Lagoon is also an ideal spot for a night diving specialty.
- Gili Tepekong: Recommended for experienced divers due to its strong currents, this site on the edge of a rocky micro island off the coast of Candidasa offers encounters with pelagic fish, sharks and sometimes even mola-mola (sunfish).
- Gili Biaha : An enchanting islet located jus accross the famous Virgin Beach, Gili Biaha offers a diving site renowned for its majestic cliffs and its captivating shark cave, whose coral-covered walls descend to a depth of more than 80 meters. Inside the cave, you can admire the fluorescent lantern fish, which create magical glows under the light of the torches. Due to the currents and swell, this site is recommended for experienced divers, especially during new and full moons.
Nusa Penida
Nusa Penida, an island located southeast of Bali, is famous for its drift dives and large pelagics.
Dives in Nusa Penida are often more technical due to the strong currents and deep waters. These conditions attract large pelagics like manta rays and mola-mola, providing unforgettable experiences for advanced divers. That being said, many dive sites, protected from these conditions, are perfectly suited to beginner divers.
Our favorite dive sites in Nusa Penida
- Manta Point : an essential site for divers wishing to observe manta rays. Accessible to divers of all levels, although currents can sometimes be strong. Read our post about diving and snorkeling in Manta Point here.
- Crystal Bay : suitable for beginners and advanced divers alike, this site is known for its crystal clear waters, colorful corals and the possibility of spotting mola-mola between July and October.
- SD : Perfect for intermediate to advanced divers, this site is famous for its strong currents, making it an ideal place to obtain a drift diving specialty. The currents take you past beautiful coral reefs, where you can see a wide variety of tropical fish and colorful corals.
Pemuteran / Menjangan
Located northwest of Bali, Pemuteran and Menjangan Island offer peaceful diving with exceptional biodiversity.
Dives here are generally calmer with calm sea conditions, perfect for beginners and underwater photographers. The region is known for its well-preserved coral reefs, underwater topography and exceptional macro sites.
Our favorite dive sites in Pemuteran / Menjangan
- Eel Garden: a site accessible to divers of all levels, famous for its colonies of garden moray eels and its magnificent coral gardens.
- POS 2 : POS 2 is famous for its superb coral reefs and great marine biodiversity. There you will find an impressive variety of tropical fish, as well as turtles and rays. Also suitable for all levels, this site however offers an exceptional wall descending up to 40 meters. Thus, only divers with the required qualifications or specialties will be able to explore deeper areas, where the corals are particularly impressive.
- Mandarin Point : Ideal for underwater photographers and divers of all levels, this site is renowned for its encounters with colorful mandarin fish at sunset. Night dives here are particularly spectacular, offering encounters with fascinating nocturnal creatures. If you are not yet certified for night dives, Mandarin Point is undoubtedly a great reason to take this specialty!
Learn to dive or improve your skills in Bali
You will have understood, Bali is an ideal place for beginners who wish to learn to dive. Check out our packages and contact our dive travel expert if you want to get your open water, advanced open water or other certifications.
Good to know ! The majority of diving centers in Bali offer training PADI and or SSI.
For advanced divers, Bali offers continuing education opportunities, including Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, Divemaster and even Tech Diving courses. With many experienced instructors speaking many languages, as well as varied diving sites in a relatively small territory (currents in Penida, wrecks in Amed, deep dives, etc.), Bali is the ideal place to improve your skills.
For more information and to plan your next Bali diving adventure, please feel free to contact our team of experts and let’s plan your dream diving trip in Bali.
