Bali is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. For several years running it has been recognised as the world's best island, by The International Travel Magazine.

Discover the epitome of laidback luxury on your holiday to Bali; an idyllic island, encircled by brilliant turquoise waters, white sandy beaches and beautiful boutique hotels. A holiday to Bali will have you mesmerised by its natural beauty, unrivalled hospitality and the unique serenity this incredible island is well-known for.

The southern islands of Indonesia mark the edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire and fall across the Coral Triangle, the most diverse marine region on the planet. The inverted triangular shape of Bali is separated in the north-west from Java by the Bali Strait and in the south-east the Lombok Strait separates Bali from Lombok. Other islands included in this triangle are Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida and the Gili Islands. The large flows of water, from both the Indian and Pacific Oceans, funnel water through them to shape the coastline of Bali and create ideal conditions for an incredible array of marine species.

The best diving in Bali is just off the north-eastern or north-western corner. Planet Dive are specialists in this area and have a wide array of tailor-made packages to suit all your diving and accommodation needs.

You will find descriptions of the diving around the islands off the south-east coast on the following pages:

For Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan go to our Nusa Lembongan diving holiday pages. For Gilis diving go to our Gili Islands and Lombok diving holiday pages. For a liveaboard, sailing from Bali visit our Indonesia Liveaboard pages.

Along the south-east coast of Bali are Padang Bai and Candidasa. Padang Bai is approximately one hour by road from Sanur. Diving from local day boats, Jukung, takes between 20-30 minutes to reach each dive site. Morning and afternoon dives are offered, returning to shore for lunch. Diving here includes sites like Gili Biaha, Gili Mimpang, Gili Tepekong, Turtle Neck, Blue Lagoon and The Jetty.

Padang Bay site, Pura Lie, is 50 metres offshore directly in front of the shrine which it was named after. The reef starts as a shallow ledge at a depth of 10 metres. Swim further to sea, and a slope will take you down to 20 metres, after which a sandy bottom levels out at 40 metres.

Tulamben is approximately two hours north-east from Sanur by road with diving from the shore. Long distance dive excursions are also offered, including trips to Nusa Lembongan. The dive sites here include; the Tulamben USAT Liberty Shipwreck (perhaps Bali's most famouse dive site), Coral Garden, Drop Off, Seraya Secret and at the east end of the beach is the Tulamben Wall. The wall drops off to 60 metres and has large barrel sponges and a variety of fish species.

Just down the road from Tulamben, Amed diving is normally by boat with dive sites 5-20 minutes away. Diving is often done as a 2 tank morning dive with the option to dive in the afternoon. Amed dive sites include the Deep Blue, Banyning Bay, Japanese Wreck, Ghost Bay, Jemelur and Gili Selang. The north facing shallow bay of Cemeluk, on the eastern coast, has dense stands of sloping staghorn coral that are teeming with cardinalfish. The west side of the bay offers shallow coral flats with scattered bommies and metal reef crates on the grey sand bottom.

Approximately eight kilometres off the north-western coast in the Barat National Park lies Deer Island (Menjangan), one of the more popular Bali scuba diving destinations. Due to its protected location, waves are rarely a problem and the visibility is occasionally mind blowing. When diving here you will be treated to seeing nice soft and hard corals, huge sea fans, nudibranchs, eagle rays, lion fish, blue spotted rays, garden eels, black and white tip reef sharks, turtles and the occasional whale shark.

Puri Jati is on the north-western side of the island. BIDP's experienced diveguides will do their best and will try to spot everything interesting. This dive site is excellent for those budding underwater photographers who will be treated to a plethora of macro life in the black sand, (muck dive). Also, mimic octopus, blue ringed octopus, coconut octopus, flying gurnards, sea moths, blue eyed sting fish, frog fish, hairy frog fish, stargazer and dragonets will be seen here.

Close to the small Balanese village of Gilimanuk, in northwest Bali, are the calm waters of Secret Bay. Although not in the same league as other muck diving destinations, such as Lembeh Strait, this dive spot has a fair collection of its own treasures waiting to be discovered. Around two kilometres to the east of Pemuteran and a couple of kilometres offshore lies Napoleon Reef. This submerged reef rises to 5 metres from the surface and slopes down to 30 metres to the north, providing some easy paced scuba diving.

The average temperature hovers around 30°C all year round. There are dry and wet seasons; dry from April to October and wet from October to March. In spite of this, it can rain any time of the year and during the wet season rain is likely to pass quickly. In general, the best months are April to September, when humidity is lower and the rain is light and infrequent.

Nightlife in Bali has something for everyone - whether you are looking for a romantic dinner for two or you want to party all night.

Sanur

In Sanur you will be able to kick back and relax on a comfortable lounger, chat with friends and colleagues, drink some fantastic cocktails and generally soak up the lively atmosphere.

Kuta

The nightlife in Kuta commonly starts late - approximately 11pm with bars and pubs offering different atmospheres and types of amusement. A few clubs and bars showcase live bands, professional dancers, DJ's and fashion shows.

Legian

Legian possesses some of Bali’s favourite bars and clubs and is famous for its beautiful sunsets. Whether you're looking for beach parties or a more chiled out vibe, live blues or scratching turntable beats, Legian has it all!