Indonesia |
Indonesia is the world’s largest Archipelago, with an incredible 17,000 islands. Sitting right in the Coral Triangle, it has unrivalled diversity and is home to an astounding 10-15% of the world’s coral reefs & 25% of its fish species. Needless to say, it has world class dive sites in almost every corner.
The largest Indonesian Islands are Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan & West Papua, with the majority of the population living in Java. In terms of diving, the most famous areas are probably Bali, Sulawesi & Flores, but this is by no means the extent of the diving opportunities.
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Due to its unique geography, Indonesia receives a steady flow of nutrient-rich currents to its many islands, creating the perfect conditions for marine life to flourish.
The country has great drift dives, wreck dives, atolls & even underwater volcanoes for divers to enjoy. And due to the high diversity in the area, there are many places that are heaven for macro-lovers & photographers.
The very best of the diving in Indonesia is generally considered to be in the east of the country, centered around the Celebes, Banda & Flores Seas.
Bali is a very popular destination, with relatively easy access and a wide variety of diving. Just next to Bali, the Gili Islands also offer good diving and is the most popular place in Indonesia to gain a dive certification. The island of Flores has numerous great dive sites too, primarily around Komodo National Park, where you can also meet Komodo Dragons, and also Maumere to the east.
To the north, Sulawesi has fantastic diving almost everywhere, with Bunaken & Lembeh on the north-eastern tip offering great diving & facilities for divers. Bunaken offers wall diving with pristine reefs, great visibility & incredible diversity, while Lembeh is considered to be the muck-diving captial of the world and a must for critter-lovers.
Also in Sulawesi, the Togian Islands reward intrepid travellers with reef, barrier & atoll diving all in one small area. Wakatobi, a remote spot in the south-east corner of Sulawesi, also has many world-class dive spots.
Further east are the Banda Islands and Alor, plus Raja Ampat, the most diverse habitat on earth.
To the west of Indonesia just off the tip of Sumatra, Pulah Weh has great drift diving, wreck diving & shore diving, with the chance to encounter anything from Killer Whales to Mimics.
With probably the highest marine diversity of any country on earth, Indonesia has an abundance of attractions. Whale Sharks & Manta Rays are visitors to many spots, along with smaller Devil Rays. Sharks can also be seen, as can the rare Sunfish at the right time of year in Bali.
Indonesia is probably more famous for its diversity of smaller creatures though, with a list that includes the Pygmy Seahorse, Mimic Octopus, Flambouyant Cuttlefish, Leafy Scorpionfish, Frogfish, Mandarinfish and more.
Lembeh is the most famous spot for seeing such smaller delights, but there is a great diversity at numerous other sites, including Bunaken, Wakatobi, the Banda Sea, Alor, Raja Ampat, Bali & Flores.
While the diving industry is less commercial than in Thailand or Malaysia, there are still many options for both day diving and liveaboard diving to all the popular dive destinations. In some places, it is also possible to find excellent shore diving.
   
With its vast area, numerous islands and many seas, it is not easy to pick any particular months when its best to dive in Indonesia.
As a general rule of thumb, the wet monsoon season in Indonesia is from December through to March, however as you head east & south, the climate becomes drier and the conditions more agreeable for diving most of the year.
The dry monsoon winds make Flores off limits around July & August, while low season in the Banda Sea is from June to August.
Indonesia is still a poor country and general living & travel costs are cheap. However, due to the remote nature of many dive locations, diving is not always so cheap. The cheapest diving is possibly on Bali’s Tulamben shipwreck as it can be dived from shore. Pulah Weh also has very cheap diving and Lombok is a cheap & popular place to learn to dive. As you get more remote, so the price of diving, reaching & staying at your destination increases.
In most popular diving areas the price of a dive starts at around US$25 and rises depending on the distance to the dive site.
It is still usually possible to find some accommodation for as little as US$15 to US$20 per night and some places are even cheaper.
Liveaboards are of course more expensive again as they take divers to the far flung corners of the archipelago, but the rewards are normally well worth the extra expense and the standards of accommodation and service of most liveaboard operations is excellent.
Transport is reasonably cheap in Indonesia, especially considering the logistics & distances involved. Budget airline operations have exploded onto the scene in recent years and are very competitive, but it may be worth paying a little bit more to go with an airline you know to be reliable & safe.
Getting to Indonesia is very straight-forward, with International airports in Java & Bali. Once in the country though, Indonesia’s islands are not the easiest to travel around. The islands are connected by numerous ferry services, however the distances, logistics and old age of many of the ferries make this option somewhat painful.
The advent of budget airlines has made island-hopping significantly easier, with two of the most established and respected airlines being Garuda Indonesia & Merpati. The safety record of some airlines however has been questionable and, while Indonesian authorities are now beginning to enforce stricter safety standards, it is strongly advisable to research any airline well before you fly.
Land transport links are still often slow & unreliable and it is a good idea to leave some margin for delays when planning any trip to remoter parts of the archipelago.
30-day tourist visas are now issued on arrival for citizens of most countries. For those wishing to stay longer, it is also possible to pre-arrange 60-day visas in advance for around US$30. Special permits are required for those wishing to visit Aceh, West Papua & Molucca, which can be obtained from the Immigration Office in Jakarta, the captial.
Indonesia is a hot-pot of different cultures and ethnic groups. While predominantly Musilm, there are Hindus in Bali, Christians with Portuguese influences in Flores & Sulawesi and many indigenous populations in Sulawesi & West Papua. The majority of Indonesia’s 230 million in habitants live on Java.
Indonesia is generally a safe country to travel around, however there are regional tensions in certain areas and some foreign offices recommend avoiding certain parts of the archipelago. Indonesia has been the victim of terrorist attacks in the past and it cannot be said for certain that such attacks will not occur again.
The standards of transport in many areas are not up to western standards with poor roads and ageing buses and ferries. There have also been accidents & safety issues with airlines in the past.
The region is also seismically active with many active volcanoes and also earthquake activity.
  
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On the remote north-western tip of Western Papau in the Halmahera Sea is the Raja Ampat islands, which fittingly means four kings.
Raja Ampat currently holds the prestigious honour of being the most biologically diverse spot known to science...
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Just off the north-eastern tip of Sulawesi is the Lembeh Strait.
This insignificant looking stretch of water is now widely considered to be the muck-diving capital of the world, with more bizarre and unusual critters than anywhere else on earth... |
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Main Diving Areas
What to See
Logistics
Costs
Ease of Travel
Visas
The People
Safety