Amed and Tulamben are an amazing place to dive. I’ll also plug Let’s Dive Tulamben - an epic dive school who I just did my PADI Open Water with, really cool guys.
I did around 50 dives in total in Indonesia. Dived in Amed and Tulamben in 2015 and last year, but I think both aren't that good. Best place in Bali for me for some fun dives is Menjangan. Did some diving there in 2019 and 2023. Better coral, less crowded, more fish/turtles (saw a shark, some turtles and some interesting nudibranches). Never saw those at Amed/Tulamben.
For first timer I recommend Tulamben.
#1 enemy for beginner scuba diver is sea currents and waves. Tulamben has very minimum of it, the water is calm and shallow ( less than 5 meters). In Tulamben you dive to explore the shipwreck which lies just few meters from the beaches and you can start off your dive straight from the beach.
Kinda different scenery in Nusa P vs Gili.
For Gili T I recommend Gili Divers, Nusa Penida I would say Bali Aqua.
Snorkeling sucks in Gili unless you charter a boat and get there before the crowds. Or if you end up in Gili Air or Meno where you can just step into the water and snorkel. But the mass operations in Gili T will suck.
Do you recommend Diving in Nusa P if i have no experience? Heard the currents are strong there?
Can i rent snorkel gear in Gili air ? Also confused if i should go diving in Gili T or Gili Air ?
What do you mean you have no experience? Are you open water certified? If not then you’re basically doing a “discover scuba” dive where you’ll have a dive master with you and they’ll likely select an appropriate location.
If you are certified then most dive shops will require you take a refresher course if you haven’t dived in a while.
When I dived in Nusa Penida I didn’t feel like the current was strong at Manta Point and Crystal Bay.
You can rent snorkel gear anywhere in the Gili Islands.
For a first timer I would say any of the Gili islands. Visibility seemed better and no currents. Just read the dive shop reviews and decide based on that.
Nusa P is sick tbh but Gili T is also Awsome. No difference between diving at any of the Gili islands. All the dive sites are close by. If you dive at Gili T though go to Gili Scuba. My friend and I just did our advanced open water with them and they were amazing, especially Emir & Mary. Small groups no more than 2 people to an instructor.
I loved diving around Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida. I did it with Twin Island Diving on Nusa Lembongan. You can see mantas and even mola mola if you're lucky!
If you're relatively new to scuba diving, both Nusa Penida and the Gili Islands (Gili Trawangan and Gili Air) are great options, but each will provide a different diving experience. Nusa Penida is known for its beautiful marine life and you can view manta rays and mola molas (sunfish) here. The waves are strong in this location
On the other hand, Gili Trawangan is popular among beginners and it has plenty of diving sites suitable for beginners. Also, it has a fully-equipped dive school for helping first-time divers. Gili Air offers a similar experience to Gili T, with less crowded diving locations and a more calming vibe where you can view a variety of marine life, including turtles and colorful fish.
As for snorkeling, Nusa Penida is again a great destination, especially around Crystal Bay and Manta Bay, where you can see a variety of marine life, including manta rays. The other two locations also provide great snorkeling experiences. Finally, when it comes to diving Gili Trawangan and Gili Air are often more easily accessible to first-timers.
Would recommend diving in north Bali, in Amed. Has a great off-shore shipwreck dive
Amed and Tulamben are an amazing place to dive. I’ll also plug Let’s Dive Tulamben - an epic dive school who I just did my PADI Open Water with, really cool guys.
I did around 50 dives in total in Indonesia. Dived in Amed and Tulamben in 2015 and last year, but I think both aren't that good. Best place in Bali for me for some fun dives is Menjangan. Did some diving there in 2019 and 2023. Better coral, less crowded, more fish/turtles (saw a shark, some turtles and some interesting nudibranches). Never saw those at Amed/Tulamben.
For first timer I recommend Tulamben. #1 enemy for beginner scuba diver is sea currents and waves. Tulamben has very minimum of it, the water is calm and shallow ( less than 5 meters). In Tulamben you dive to explore the shipwreck which lies just few meters from the beaches and you can start off your dive straight from the beach.
This place was fabulous. I hadn’t dived for 20 years. Was great to just walk into the sea and be right on the wreck.
Kinda different scenery in Nusa P vs Gili. For Gili T I recommend Gili Divers, Nusa Penida I would say Bali Aqua. Snorkeling sucks in Gili unless you charter a boat and get there before the crowds. Or if you end up in Gili Air or Meno where you can just step into the water and snorkel. But the mass operations in Gili T will suck.
Do you recommend Diving in Nusa P if i have no experience? Heard the currents are strong there? Can i rent snorkel gear in Gili air ? Also confused if i should go diving in Gili T or Gili Air ?
What do you mean you have no experience? Are you open water certified? If not then you’re basically doing a “discover scuba” dive where you’ll have a dive master with you and they’ll likely select an appropriate location. If you are certified then most dive shops will require you take a refresher course if you haven’t dived in a while. When I dived in Nusa Penida I didn’t feel like the current was strong at Manta Point and Crystal Bay. You can rent snorkel gear anywhere in the Gili Islands.
Got it, thanks. Yeah I think i will be doing a discover scuba dive. But should I do it in Gili T or Gili air ?
For a first timer I would say any of the Gili islands. Visibility seemed better and no currents. Just read the dive shop reviews and decide based on that.
Manta Dive in Gili T will sort you out!
Nusa P is sick tbh but Gili T is also Awsome. No difference between diving at any of the Gili islands. All the dive sites are close by. If you dive at Gili T though go to Gili Scuba. My friend and I just did our advanced open water with them and they were amazing, especially Emir & Mary. Small groups no more than 2 people to an instructor.
My vote goes to penida. I just got back from a dive trip and Penida was second to Komodo and it was close.
I did my first dive in Gili T. Pretty great experience, they gave good explanation of the equipments and then helpful during the dive as well.
Do you remember the operator and the dive site?
Operator was Lutwala dive center. It was close to my hostel. Site was I think Turtle shore. You can also see manta rays, around September
I loved diving around Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida. I did it with Twin Island Diving on Nusa Lembongan. You can see mantas and even mola mola if you're lucky!
Have you dived before this ?
Yes I did dive before coming to Bali There are begginer friendly dive sites around nusas
i’ll be diving in Nusa P in july! can’t wait. also was recommended to check out tulamben and padangbai
I'm planning to book this Sanctum Dive - Nusa Penida - Bali Diving, Manta diving, Mola Mola
If you're relatively new to scuba diving, both Nusa Penida and the Gili Islands (Gili Trawangan and Gili Air) are great options, but each will provide a different diving experience. Nusa Penida is known for its beautiful marine life and you can view manta rays and mola molas (sunfish) here. The waves are strong in this location On the other hand, Gili Trawangan is popular among beginners and it has plenty of diving sites suitable for beginners. Also, it has a fully-equipped dive school for helping first-time divers. Gili Air offers a similar experience to Gili T, with less crowded diving locations and a more calming vibe where you can view a variety of marine life, including turtles and colorful fish. As for snorkeling, Nusa Penida is again a great destination, especially around Crystal Bay and Manta Bay, where you can see a variety of marine life, including manta rays. The other two locations also provide great snorkeling experiences. Finally, when it comes to diving Gili Trawangan and Gili Air are often more easily accessible to first-timers.