Earlier this year, one of our Original Divers, Rachel, embarked on an exciting mission: to uncover the crème de la crème of diving destinations in Indonesia. With a keen eye for the best underwater experiences and a chance to sample top-notch luxury above the surface, Rachel set out on her 'Indo-intro,' exploring Bali, Komodo and East Sumbawa for the first time. Her trip was more than just a deep dive into incredible marine life, it was a full-on adventure, combining the thrill of the ocean with the allure of Indonesia's landscapes. Spoiler alert: Rachel's dive into paradise exceeded even her (very high) expectations. Read on for her full Indo-intro…
Bali
Bustling Bali is many travellers' first stop in Indonesia, and my trip was no different. It's gaining a reputation for being overcrowded and saturated, and while this rings true in some areas, I'm very pleased to say that quieter, hidden gems remain scattered around the periphery of the island. East Bali, between Candisada and Tulamben, is home to a ton of varied dive sites. I didn't get to dive in Candidasa due to bad weather, but tales of stunning pinnacles, deep walls, swim-throughs, mola-mola spotting and shark activity have left me eager to return and dive here.
Further north in Tulamben you'll find more than the USAT Liberty wreck (which is by far the biggest attraction). Black, mineral rich sands create the perfect habitat for critters such as ghost pipefish, nudis and leaf scorpion fish. I even saw my first electric clam. During my stay at Siddartha Dive Resort, I got to explore Amed, which offers a nice contrast with bigger boys like turtles, rays and even small sharks. Siddartha can also organise trips to Nusa Penida for those looking to get their Manta-fix between July and September.
In the north-west (so far north-west, in fact, that you can see the mountains of Java on the horizon) is Menjangan, a 382-acre national park where monkeys and deers roam free. Around Menjangan island you can drift along walls, swim over drop-offs and become mesmerised by overhangs and cavern-like structures. Snapper, grouper, napoleon wrasse, reef sharks, octopus, cuttlefish may join you for the ride, and don't forget to look for small crabs and nudis, while also checking out the blue every now and again to watch schools of reef fish pass by. Hanging out with wild deer on my surface interval on Menjangan island was also a fun bonus.
East Sumbawa
An hour's flight from Bali to Bima and we're in East Sumbawa. Two hours of driving later, and we reach Kalimaya Dive Resort. It's the only dive resort or dive centre in West Komodo and with only ten bungalows it feels refreshingly deserted and special (a nice contrast to busier parts of Bali). From the jetty, a stunning house reef lies with thriving soft and hard corals, leather corals, and an array of critters and reef fish. There's even a resident giant frogfish to look out for. Deeper in the blue is a variety of sites with vibrant, sloping reefs, almost shaped like ledges, and big volumes of reef fish (the underwater crackle of activity was the loudest I've ever heard!). The macro critters were also in abundance - I've never seen so many species of nudis on a single dive. The fact that the visibility was excellent, with sunlight pouring in, created a colourful tapestry of corals and creatures. And where to spend our interval breaks? How about a secret pink beach, with all the beauty of Komodo's Pantai Merah, minus the crowds.
One area I'll be going back for is Sangang Volcano. The dive site Bubble Reef, so-called due to the gas from the volcano producing underwater bubbles that are hot to the touch and, as you'd expect, the nutrient-rich volcanic sands have become home to incredible muck diving. They also do trips to Gili Banta and in the correct season, the manta cleaning stations will leave you speechless.
Komodo
Onwards further east towards Komodo for land biomass and marine biodiversity (and don't forget the dragons). The central dive sites feature calm spots suitable for the less-experienced divers, and it's here where we found the manta cleaning stations. Expect hard corals, reef sharks, turtles and eagle rays to boot! Further north is where divers with experience and confidence in currents can venture - Castle Rock, Crystal Bay, China Shop, The Cauldron to name a few - have stronger currents, pinnacles, walls, along with biomass such as turtles, white tip reef sharks, grey reef sharks, napoleon wrasse, schools of sweetlips and generally bigger schools of bigger fish - trevally, bump-head parrot fish, tuna. It's easy to see why I loved it so much.
The sites in the south are too far away to be reached by day, so we weren't able to explore them (but stay tuned because the hotel's dive centre is getting a faster boat to take you there), so the best way to explore these sites is via liveaboard… I guess I'll have to go back!
My message: Indonesia's hidden gems are worth the traffic to reach, and I'll be going back for a follow up of my Indo-intro.
