INDONESIA LIVEABOARD DIVING

DIVING SEASONS IN INDONESIA

Best time to go: from April to December

Great for: Small animals, underwater photography, wall dives, wreck diving, drift dives, reef life and health and advanced divers

Not so great for: Beginner divers

Depth: 5 - >40m

Visibility: 10 - 80m

Currents: Can be very strong

Surface Conditions: Calm

Water Temperature: 19 - 30°C

Experience Level: Intermediate - advanced

Number of dive sites: ~500

Recommended length of stay: 2 - 4 weeks

Diving in Indonesia is unforgettable, whatever time of the year you visit. The season for scuba diving in Indonesia runs all year round. Overall, the best dive conditions exist from April to December, as many provinces have a rainy season from January to March.

Straddling the equator, Indonesia tends to have a very even climate. High rainfall and tropical heat lend a high humidity and mean that most of the country is covered in tropical rainforest - an area second largest only to Brazil. The wet season runs from October to April, with rain falling in short and sudden downpours interrupted with sunshine. The dry season is from May to September. The water temperatures experience little variation through the year, averaging from 26-29 degrees.

MARINE LIFE OF INDONESIA

Prepare to be blown away by this extraordinarily vibrant underwater world. About 4000 different species are found in the Indonesian waters (over 25% of the planet's fish species), in comparison to the 1000 found in the Red or the 400 from the Caribbean

Apart from this, invertebrates proliferate throughout the hundreds of patch reefs, sheer walls and barriers reefs Colourful nudi branch, pipe fishes and seahorses roam amongst the chrynoids, gorgonias and soft corals, a whole rainbow hue covering the entire extension of the reef walls. Big fish pop up every now and then, offering superb sights of big tunas, shoal or barracudas, manta rays and sharks galore.

There is such a great biodiverity it is impossible to list them everything but some of the most popular finds include:

• Pygmy sea horses - Bargibanti, Denise & Colemans
• Ghost pipefish
• Blue ringed octopus
• Mandarin fish
• Frogfish
• Sea snakes
• Eagle rays
• Turtles

INDONESIA DIVE SITES

There are so many dive sites and lots are still being identified! Main areas of interest for divers on a liveaboard are Manado, South Sulawesi, Komodo, Flores, Raja Ampat...

Manado

Right in the heart of the award-winning Bunaken Marine Park, the diving offers beautiful corals, lots of fish, amazing small critters, and some larger exciting creatures including reef sharks, turtles and barracudas.

South Sulawesi

The southwestern part of Sulawesi offers some fine wreck diving around Makassar and beautiful coral reefs around the rocky island of Selayar and the atolls around Takabonerate.

Komodois an island famed throughout the world for its legendary dragons, and all liveaboard trips include going ashore to see these incredible creatures in their natural habitat. But it's not all about monitor lizards. Diving around Komodo means world-class reefs full of colour and life with pinnacles and walls, manta rays and maybe even dolphins and dugongs!

Flores

The coasts of Flores are mostly unexplored and practically all the diving is done on the north coast because the south coast is very rough. There are two main diving areas - Maumere and Labuan Bajo. Flores is one of the most rugged island of Nusa Tenggara with a collection of 14 active volcanoes. The island is well worth a visit for its nice landscape, the high volcanoes and fine ikat weavings.

The Raja Ampatin Irian Jaya attracts more than their fair share of praise from experienced divers. Said to be home to the greatest number of fish and coral species anywhere in the world, the beautiful and remote mushroom-shaped islands of Irian Jaya harbour dense schools of fish and countless World War II wrecks.

The waters of the Banda Islands and Ambon promise riches beyond the wildest dreams of many dive destinations worldwide. Big pelagics and large schools of fish abound, and the reefs are healthy and thriving. You will see squadrons of mobula rays, good shark action, and some impressive dog-toothed tuna. The volumes of reef fish in the Banda Sea need to be seen to be believed.

TOP TIPS

It is well worth thinking about having a few days on arrival to relax from your flight before your diving starts. Or why not combine 2 diving options and see more of this incredible country.

Some of the dives can be quite challenging, suiting only more experienced divers in exciting, bizarre and unpredictable currents.

F.A.Q.

What about passport and visa requirements?

Passengers travelling to Indonesia and Timor-Leste should have minimum six months valid on their passport from the date of return to the UK, plus one full page free.  Hotel receptions may be required to take a photocopy of your passport for registration purposes.

What about vaccinations?

There are no compulsory vaccinations for travel, but we recommend protection against typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A and polio. Vaccination requirements are subject to change.

Is Indonesia a safe place to visit?

The vast majority of Indonesians are honest people with a strong sense of right and wrong. Tourism however does attract pickpockets and thieves the world over so to ensure an enjoyable stay, use some common sense. Be aware and don't leave valuables unattended.

What clothing should I bring?

 Indonesia is hot and humid so light, loose cotton clothing is most recommended. When exploring the night-life, tight dresses, shorts, and miniskirts are no problem. However, naked sunbathing or topless appearance in public places is considered offensive, especially when you are outside the main tourist areas. You must wear conservative clothing when in temples or mosques.