After joining Enjoy Islands on a dive trip to Bohol in the Philippines, the Editor wasted no time planning the next adventure. This time we once again teamed up with Enjoy Islands to visit Bali, Indonesia — a premier international holiday destination in the Southern Hemisphere. Beyond its fame as a resort paradise, Bali is a mecca for divers chasing big marine life. The two celebrity creatures every diver dreams of — manta rays and mola mola/sunfish — can both make a surprise appearance here. So how should you plan a Bali diving trip? Which types of divers are suited for big-animal encounters? And why did we call this a "resort-style diving experience"? Read on to find out.
Before Diving in Bali
Bali is in the Southern Hemisphere, roughly a 5-hour direct flight from Taiwan, and there is no time difference. As with any dive trip, make sure you check each airline's regulations carefully when packing your diving gear and camera equipment. We flew Eva Air direct to Bali this time. Outbound, Eva Air currently allows one piece of checked luggage up to 23 kg per person, and carry-on baggage must not exceed 7 kg (check-in staff really do weigh it — they may be lenient, but we still recommend staying under 10 kg). The 23 kg checked baggage limit is enforced very strictly; one bag in our group hit 24 kg and was charged an overweight fee, so be sure to distribute the weight at home before you leave.
You can apply for an Electronic Visa on Arrival (e-VOA) online in advance — the process is very straightforward. As of mid-2023, no proof of vaccination is required upon entry. One thing worth noting: although Indonesia uses two-round-pin sockets, the socket base has a circular recess that some universal adapters cannot fit into, so you may need to purchase a specific adapter. Also, Indonesia runs on 220V. While some electronics such as laptops can handle this directly, most appliances brought from Taiwan will need a step-down voltage converter to avoid damage.
The socket base has a circular recess that some adapters cannot fit
A step-down converter brings 220V down to the 110V that Taiwanese appliances require
We took Eva Air flight BR255, departing Taoyuan at 10
and arriving in Bali at approximately 15. Our trip was five days long, and here is how we structured the itinerary:- Day 1: Travel day; check in to Sanur Swiss-Belresort Watu Jimbar
- Day 2: Diving at Nusa Penida — 3 dives; stay at Swiss-Belresort Watu Jimbar, Sanur
- Day 3: Diving at Nusa Penida — 3 dives; stay at Swiss-Belresort Watu Jimbar, Sanur
- Day 4: White-water rafting on the Telaga Waja River; check in to AMNAYA Resort Kuta, Kuta
- Day 5: Waterbom Bali water park; depart on Eva Air flight BR256 at 16
Swiss-Belresort Watu Jimbar, our home for the first two nights, is a four-star pool resort
Swiss-Belresort Watu Jimbar is located in Sanur, close to the dive shop — only about a 10-minute shuttle ride away. The area has a more relaxed, resort-like atmosphere compared to the more commercial Kuta district. Ask for a ground-floor room with an outdoor lawn, as it comes with a large bathtub and a spacious lawn — practically purpose-built for drying out your dive gear!
The resort pool and poolside bar — make sure you take full advantage of both
Diving in Bali
Right from the start, we made it clear to Enjoy Islands that we didn't want an intense, all-diving-all-the-time itinerary, and we laid out the following requirements:
We want to see big marine life, we want a leisurely holiday vibe, and we want to join non-diving outdoor activities on Bali itself.
Enjoy Islands therefore arranged two days of diving at Nusa Penida, with the primary goal of encountering manta rays and mola mola/sunfish. Many divers visiting Bali also plan side trips to Tulamben for macro photography, or to Padang Bai to search for sharks and explore wrecks. One important thing to bear in mind: Bali is a large island. If you're based in the Sanur area and want to dive Tulamben every day, you're looking at an early start and a 2.5-hour drive each way — plus Bali traffic. You could also consider switching hotels to cut down on travel fatigue. Of course, the all-capable Enjoy Islands can put together a fully customised dive itinerary for you!
Bali has an enormous number of dive sites, but distances between them can be significant — thorough planning in advance is essential
Staying in the Sanur area, we were picked up at 7
for the roughly 10-minute drive to the dive shop, Dune Atlantis Bali. After signing the liability waiver, we could pick up our gear. The dive package includes a full set of rental equipment; even if you don't use it, there's no refund, so use it according to your own needs. That said, we strongly recommend renting the 5mm wetsuit — and we'll explain why shortly!Starting from July 2023, anyone departing from Sanur Harbour for any water activity — scuba diving, snorkeling, or freediving — must pay an environmental levy of IDR 100,000 per person per day. The funds go toward the local government's marine protected area (MPA) initiatives.
Diving in Bali from Sanur Harbour requires an environmental levy of IDR 100,000 per visit
Manta Point: Watch Out — Manta Rays Are Right Beside You
Manta Point is home not only to manta rays but also to Bamboo Sharks — the "flat sharks" — if you're lucky
The speedboat ride from the dive shop to Nusa Penida takes 40 minutes, and the waves along the way are genuinely hair-raising — highly stimulating, to say the least! We strongly recommend taking seasickness medication beforehand, regardless of how you normally handle rough seas. The southwestern side of the island faces the Indian Ocean, so even though Manta Point is very close to shore — depth ranging from just 9 to 25 m — the surf crashing against the coastline generates tremendous force. Please exercise extreme caution when entering and exiting the water.
Surface conditions at Manta Point are turbulent — take extra care when entering and exiting the water
So the surface is rough — surely descending makes things safer? Not quite. On the way down you'll be hit by water temperatures of 21–22°C, bone-chillingly cold — and that's the moment you'll be grateful you rented the 5mm wetsuit. On top of that, the churning swell reduces underwater visibility to just 2–3 m; in some spots, a sudden sandstorm can drop it to a mere 50 cm. These are the challenges you must face before the manta rays appear.
Beep beep beep — why does it sound like an orchestra underwater? Throughout the dive you'll hear a constant chorus of dive computer ascent-rate alarms going off around you, caused by the powerful surge. It's no exaggeration: the surge here feels like diving on the eve of a typhoon back in Taiwan. One surge rolls through and everyone is instantly swept sideways by tens of metres, and with all those rapid ascents the alarm symphony never stops.
Manta rays come and go without warning in the low visibility
Because visibility is so poor, you have to stay constantly alert to what's moving around you. Sometimes you'll sense a dark mass approaching, and then a manta ray will suddenly materialise right beside you — before you can even cry out, it has already glided past. When this happens, do not chase them. First, in such low visibility you risk losing your dive buddy. Second, the manta rays tend to circle in the area; simply stay still and wait for them to swoop past again.
You can get remarkably close to the manta rays here, and strobes are usable for close-up shots
In all our years of diving, the Editor has rarely encountered a site where you can get this close to manta rays, and the probability of a sighting here is 99%. You can use strobes, you can approach closely — it's an outstanding site for underwater photographers. That said, the challenging conditions described above make it less beginner-friendly. With so many dive boats on the surface, a diver with poor neutral buoyancy, or someone unable to deploy a surface marker buoy (SMB) independently, could face real risks. We recommend this site for divers with Advanced Open Water Diver (PADI cert) certification and at least 50 logged dives, because you need to be relaxed enough to truly enjoy watching these underwater giants.
- Recommendation rating: ★★★★★
- Difficulty rating: ★★★★☆
And while you're here, don't just look up at the manta rays overhead — keep an eye on the bottom too, where a charming Bamboo Shark may well pop up to join the party at any moment!
Bamboo Sharks often wander along the bottom — spot one if you're lucky enough
Crystal Bay: Time to Test Your Luck — Come On, Mola Mola, Show Yourself!
A visit to Nusa Penida during the Southern Hemisphere winter simply must include a dive at Crystal Bay — and there is only one reason to go: to gamble on spotting a mola mola/sunfish!
Crystal Bay is a popular local dive site — everyone comes hoping to see the mola mola
Crystal Bay is a bay-like inlet where deep, cold water from the Indian Ocean upwells along the terrain and is funnelled through a natural channel formed between two islands. During spring tides, strong currents are common, and powerful downwellings are a regular occurrence given the topography. On the positive side, the islands shield the site from the open-ocean swell, so surface conditions are considerably calmer than at Manta Point, and visibility improves to over 20 m. Mola mola prefer cooler water, so sightings are possible during the local winter season, when temperatures here sit between 21–23°C — and can drop to a jaw-dropping 18°C.
Crystal Bay sits in a relatively sheltered bay, making boat entries and exits safer
After descending, the dive guide will ask everyone to maintain a depth of 15–20 m. On the outward leg, the wall runs along your right side while the open blue stretches out to your left — and a mola mola/sunfish may suddenly materialise in the distance, at which point you'll see a swarm of divers rushing toward it. At this moment, please watch your dive computer carefully: in open blue water you lose all sense of depth, and as the mola mola reacts to the crowd by diving deeper, you may find yourself following it down past 40 m. If you also hit a downwelling current, the risk multiplies significantly. The dive guide will ask you not to stray too far from the wall, because if a current picks up in open water, you will be unable to return to the designated boat pick-up point inside the bay.
The open water drops beyond 60 m — do not stray too far from the wall
You may be wondering why we have no photos of mola mola. The honest answer is that our luck was terrible. Someone on the same boat spotted 3 mola mola, yet all four of us in our group came up empty-handed two days in a row. The lesson here is clear: helping elderly people cross the street on a daily basis is very important.
Many thanks to Master Neko Wang for kindly sharing her mola mola photos to soothe our wounded, luck-deprived souls
Recommendation rating: ★★★★★
Difficulty rating: ★★☆☆☆
SD Point & Mangrove: Drift Diving Like Flying a Kite — Bountiful Fish and Coral Bursting Out of the Frame
After the big-animal dives, the third dive of the day is usually something more relaxed — in this case, drift diving. We headed to SD Point and Mangrove on the northern side of the island. Big-animal sightings are less likely here, but drifting along you'll be treated to dense schools of fish and coral formations on a grand scale. We joked upon surfacing that everything here — the fish, the coral — looked like supersized versions of what you'd find in Taiwan!
Both sites are on the northern side of the island, so surface conditions are calm and water temperatures warm back up to a comfortable 28–29°C. Don't forget to take off your 5mm wetsuit before jumping in!
Reef fish species and numbers are abundant, and the individual fish are several times the size of their Taiwanese counterparts
Drifting along, you're treated to a stunning carpet of coral in every direction
SD Point
Recommendation rating: ★★★★★
Difficulty rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Mangrove
Recommendation rating: ★★★☆☆
Difficulty rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Overall Dive Review
Nusa Penida, Bali, is highly recommended for divers looking to tick off big marine life from their bucket list. In a single day you have a real chance of seeing both manta rays and mola mola/sunfish — two of the ocean's most iconic megafauna. The drift diving on the calmer side of the island, with its warm water temperatures and rich marine ecosystems, is also a must-visit for wide-angle underwater photographers.
That said, the challenging sea conditions at Manta Point make it better suited to more experienced divers. Some divers do come to Nusa Penida to complete their Advanced Open Water Diver (PADI cert) course and add a drift specialty at the same time — but if you plan to do this, make sure your Open Water Diver (PADI/SSI cert) foundational skills are already solid before you arrive. Crystal Bay is also used as an open-water training site for local certification courses; the dive shop mentioned that mola mola have occasionally shown up uninvited in the middle of a training session. That kind of beginner's luck makes the Editor deeply envious.
If the 40-minute speedboat ride to Nusa Penida every day feels daunting, you can also ask Enjoy Islands to arrange accommodation on Nusa Penida itself. That way, you just grab your gear each morning and hop on a short boat ride to the dive sites. Just be aware of the public ferry departure times, and factor in an extra travel day at each end of your stay.
Three dives a day — lunch is provided by the dive shop
After Diving in Bali
Beyond the diving, soaking up the holiday lifestyle was the real highlight of this trip. Here are a few activities we highly recommend — and since we're definitely not the "Instagram pose" type, any activity that revolves purely around photogenic shots has been firmly passed on.
Recommended Activity: Local Indonesian Food — An Absolute Must!
Bali is an international resort destination with cuisine from around the world. The Sanur area where we stayed leans heavily toward Western restaurants, while Kuta has a more diverse mix of Western, Japanese, and Chinese options. But when you're in Indonesia, eating the local food is non-negotiable. The Editor recommends Warung Little Bird in the Sanur area — they serve authentic Indonesian dishes that are well worth trying.
Recommended Activity: Massages — Cheap Massages — Absolutely Essential!
Bali is full of massage parlours at all price points, with rates clearly posted. You can find a basic street-side massage from around NT$200 for an hour, or treat yourself to a more upscale experience for around NT$600 an hour. If you love a good massage, there's no better way to reward yourself after a long day of walking and exploring than to slip into a massage chair and let it all go.
Recommended Activity: Hit a Pub — Experience Western Energy First-Hand — Absolutely Essential!
There are plenty of seriously rocking pubs locally — a great way to spend an evening enjoying some Western rock with a drink in hand
The Sanur area caters predominantly to a Western crowd — looking around, the four of us might have been the only Asian faces in sight, giving us the odd feeling of being somewhere in Europe or the Americas. If you enjoy a lively atmosphere, find a pub and settle in for a drink. You'll get a front-row view of the uninhibited Western party spirit. Some venues focus on classic Western rock, drawing an older crowd — and you might just get to witness a grandmother swaying on the dance floor, a sight that would be almost unheard of in Asian society. We highly recommend joining in on the dance floor and experiencing that liberating energy for yourself.
When you're tired of walking around Kuta, you can also hop in a horse-drawn carriage back to your hotel!
Recommended Activity: Real White-Water Rafting — Absolutely Essential!
We're not talking about a lazy river in a water park. We mean paddling hard against raging rapids in a proper river gorge — one moment you're slamming head-on into a rock wall and bouncing back into the current, the next you're completely stuck mid-river with nowhere to go. Plunging through waterfalls is standard fare, and crouching down to squeeze under bamboo bridges is an everyday occurrence. No exaggeration: this was the most thrilling white-water rafting the Editor has ever experienced.
All geared up and ready to go — four blissfully unaware adventurers still grinning before the ordeal ahead
Our rafting session was booked to start at 10
. Because it's quite far from the Sanur area — about a 90-minute drive — you'll need to factor in extra time for traffic. Arrange pick-up and drop-off times with your driver in advance. The entire rafting experience takes about 120 minutes and includes a rest stop midway. Lunch is included at the end, along with hot showers and a place to change. Best of all, you can buy a memory card from the operator for roughly NT$500 — loaded with every single photo they took of your group. When we saw the hilarious shots of ourselves, we agreed it was absolutely worth it.
"Sliding" down a 4-metre waterfall — all four expressions are absolutely priceless
After rafting, you can buy a USB drive with every photo from the trip to take home!
During the rafting, you'll also get to admire Bali's famous terraced rice paddies
There are many local rafting operators around, and touts along the roadside will offer to sign you up. We recommend asking Enjoy Islands to arrange a driver and book the activity on your behalf — that way you can enjoy the whole experience worry-free!
Recommended Activity: Waterbom — Billed as Asia's Largest Water Park — Absolutely Essential!
An array of thrilling water slides waiting for you to take on
Waterbom is located in the Kuta area of southern Bali, covering 32 hectares. Its claim to be Asia's largest water park is no idle boast — the lush tropical landscaping is beautifully executed, and the variety of slides draws long queues of eager visitors. Waterbom opens at 9
, and the Editor's personal recommendation is to be at the gates right when they open: by midday the crowds build up significantly, and a 30-minute queue for each ride gets old quickly!Related links:
- Enjoy Islands
- Enjoy Islands Facebook Page
- 【Philippines · Bohol】Taiwan's #1 Pick! An Exclusive, No-Holds-Barred Look at Bohol Dive Sites feat. Enjoy Islands
- 【Philippines · Bohol, Banlao, Balicasag】World-Class Diving at Balicasag — The Moving Experience of Being Embraced by a Tornado of Jack Fish feat. Enjoy Islands
- 【Philippines · BOHOL】18 Hours to Conquer Bohol — The Ultimate Bohol Attractions Guide feat. Enjoy Islands
