Travelling to Bali? 6 Reasons Why You’ve Got to Learn to Dive

This is a collaborative post in conjunction with Jordan Greene from The Secret Traveller. I have always wanted to go scuba diving and Bali looks like a dream with its healthy restaurants, yoga studios and gorgeous beaches. Luckily, Jordan can tell us all about it. Enjoy!

Bali is on a lot of people’s bucket list – and for good reason. It’s a beautiful place with friendly locals and great food. It’s also one of the best places in the world to learn to dive. If you’re travelling to Bali, we couldn’t recommend scuba diving more. Here’s why:

It’s great for beginners

The dive sites in Bali cater for all abilities, including those new to diving. The Secret Traveller recommends Buyuk Nusa Penida for newbies and the USS Liberty Wreck dive site for all underwater explorers, but warns against diving beyond your ability. You also need to be relatively fit and healthy to dive.

There are loads of fantastic dive sites

The sites above are just two of the hundreds of places to dive in Bali. Not only can you choose ones to suit your ability, but you can pick ones you’ll enjoy most – if you’re desperate to see a ship wreck, for instance, Bali will deliver. For a list of all dive sites and expert reviews, check out this website.

And plenty of experts to guide you

There are plenty of dive operators in Bali. Do your research to avoid those using sub-par dive equipment and not following proper safety procedures, and always check the instructors you go out with are all PADI-certified or hold an open water diving license.

These people will help guide you through the basics – including not touching the coral and avoiding diving when you’re tired or lack focus.

You’ll see some underwater wonders

Ship wrecks, coral, weird and wonderful fish – there is plenty to see when you dive in Bali. Some of the scarier underwater creatures include huge manta rays, sharks, and sea snakes. If you’d rather see an underwater garden, the Coral Garden in Tulamben comes highly recommended by Trip Canvas.

It’s full of natural, rocky reef and man-made structures. These have been placed on the site by dive resorts to help promote coral growth and repopulate the reef after decades of fishing damage.

Mangrove Point, located on the north side of Nusa Lembongan, is also great because the mangroves serve as a shallow nursery for baby fish. Watch out for currents around nearby reefs though.

It’s a great place to advance your skills

As your skills grow, you can seek new watery adventures. Advanced divers should head to The Magnet. Here, you’ll see hammerhead sharks (scalloped and great), mobula rays, and barracudas.

In Bali, you’ll also learn to deal with the unpredictable currents by respecting the power of the ocean and listening to all warnings on tides and currents.

Everything outside of the water is beautiful too

Not only can you dive, but you can spend your days exploring ancient temples, lounging on gorgeous beaches, sipping cocktails or browsing local markets. There’s plenty of things to do outside of the water – and they’re nearly as fun as diving.

Have you visited Bali? Share your experiences with us.