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Indonesia

Destination Overview

Indonesia is located off the coast of mainland Southeast Asia and is an archipelago of more than 1700 islands. It is one of the most diverse countries you could possibly dive, from steep walls and drop offs, to some of the most fascinating critters in the world. The climate is mostly tropical, with the rainy season from November to March, and the dry season from April to October.

This destination has so much to offer to both divers and non-divers alike, including the intriguing culture, stunning landscape, and wonderful wildlife. High adrenaline water sports will keep the thrill seekers happy for days, and a wander round a traditional market will uncover a sumptuous variety of spices, fruits, and vegetables. Nature lovers will find the reserves and scenery awe inspiring, and for those that want to immerse themselves in local history and cuisine the option for tailormade tours will provide the perfect opportunity to maximise every minute of your visit to this wonderful area.

In North Sulawesi families will find plenty of activities to enjoy together, and snorkelling has to come high on the list with the beautiful coral reefs around Bunaken Island where you can drift over school of fish and watch turtles glide by. The lovely house reef at Murex Manado is perfect for swimming and snorkelling and the sandy beaches will keep children busy for hours. A trip to Tangkoko Nature Reserve is a must for the whole family, you can take a walk through the park where you will see troops of the endemic Sulawesi Black Crested Macaque in the wild, along with the Tarsier monkeys, the world’s smallest primate.

For an action-packed experience enjoy the thrills and spills of white-water rafting or take to the air for a bird’s eye view of the landscape and surrounding islands during a tandem paragliding flight. Add to this a hike through the tropical jungle from Murex Bangka, and a trek around the crater rim at Mahawu Volcano and your holiday is certainly going to be one to remember! After all this excitement enjoy the tranquillity of Lembeh where the black sand beaches draw underwater photographers from all over the world, and for those looking to relax and rejuvenate we recommend booking a treatment at the onsite spa at Lembeh Resort, or taking a leisurely dip in the pool at NAD Lembeh before grabbing a kayak for a paddle round the bay. These are just some of the wonders that Indonesia has to offer and a visit to this destination really must be on every diver's bucket list.

Average temperatures in Summer (April-October): Air 27-30°c / Sea: 29-30°c

Average temperatures in Winter (November-March): Air 26-29°c / Sea 28-29°c

Diving Information

Indonesia is an all-year-round diving destination and below are some of the many delights that await you.

Manado

With the world-famous dive sites of the Bunaken Marine Park just a short boat ride away and Manado Bay muck diving sites even closer, Manado is perfectly located for exploring these two diverse areas. Bunaken’s highlights include stunning walls and hard corals, turtles, reef sharks, schooling fish, sea snakes, passing eagle rays and sting rays.

There is an abundance of critters and macro life with resident dolphin and pilot whale pods along with the occasional dugong and seasonal sperm whale sightings. Manado Bay is famous for its black and white sand, and muck and reef diving.

This destination is home to some of Indonesia’s rarest and most unique critters including mimic octopus, squid, flamboyant cuttlefish, sea horses and numerous crustaceans, nudibranch and frogfish species.

Bangka

Bangka Island is located off the northern most tip of North Sulawesi and offers stunning natural beauty both underwater and on land.

You will find white sand beaches, little tourism, few roads and a very traditional way of life. If you are looking to get away from it all then Bangka Island is the place to be.

Bangka is famous for its explosion of colours and kaleidoscopic soft corals along with pelagics and critters. Unique species include resident dugongs, dolphins and pilot whales, several species of pygmy seahorse, harlequin and tiger shrimps, blue ring, mimic, reef and wonderpus octopus, ghost pipefish, Ambon scorpionfish, frogfishes, turtles, reef sharks, eagle rays, tuna, great barracuda, schooling fish including snappers, fusiliers, cardinals and mackerel.

Lembeh

The Lembeh Strait’s sheer abundance of biodiversity and rare critters has led to it being named the Critter Capital of the World, where every dive reveals countless unique finds. If you want to see the weird and wonderful, and dive on the best muck diving sites in the world then the Lembeh Strait is the place to be.

Highlights of Lembeh dive sites include 8 different species of frogfish, 12 species of octopus, numerous crustacean species that cannot be found anywhere else on earth, 3 species of pygmy seahorse and countless nudibranch species, and new discoveries are being made all of the time! Some of Lembeh’s most iconic species include the hairy frogfish, pontohi pygmy seahorse, wonderpus and mimic octopus, mandarinfish, rhinopias scorpionfish, flamboyant cuttlefish, blue ring octopus, Banggai cardinalfish and the list goes on.

Lembeh’s classic muck sites feature gentle slopes of volcanic sand scattered with bits of debris, sponge, algae or rubble. If you aren’t already in the know then Lembeh will convince you that the most beautiful animals are sometimes seen in the strangest habitats!

Lembeh also offers many combination sites which are a mix of muck and reef diving but if muck is not your thing don’t worry because there are also stunning reefs, vibrant corals and intriguing topographies.

Bali - Tulamben

Tulamben is a small fishing village and one of the most popular dive areas of Bali, Its home to the wreck of the Liberty, a USAT ship that was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942, and lies just off the shore.

Tulamben, like the rest of Bali, is located in one of the richest marine biogeographic zones in the world. Located on the northeast coast, the bay receives plankton-rich water from the main currents that move from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. These rich water provide a great place to see marine life. Napoleon wrasse, groupers, sweetlips, barracuda, pygmy seahorses, turtles, nudibranchs, octopuses, clownfish, frogfish, and moray eels are just a few of the species that are found here, as well as a macro divers dream.

Bali – Nusa Penida

Available as a day excursion from our Bali Dive Resort in Tulamben, this is the place for Manta Rays virtually all year round, and during the months of July to October you may even find the elusive Mola Mola.

Penida is also home to over 500 species of reef fish, corals, and pelagic creatures including: white tip reef sharks, eagle rays and blue-spotted stingrays, lionfish, octopus, moray eels, scorpionfish, soft corals, clownfish, butterflyfish, barracuda, trevally, snappers, sea turtles, pufferfish.

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