![[Indonesia] The World's Largest Archipelago Nation, Home to 17,000 Islands — A Must-Visit for Every Diver. Indonesia's Top Dive Sites Revealed!](/_images/0d587fce8237-480w.webp)
Contents(8)
- Indonesia's Dive Sites — More Than You Can Choose From
- Asia's Top Ten Must-Visit Dive Sites — And Indonesia Takes Four Spots?
- Why Dive in Indonesia? Here Are the Advantages!
- Let's Go! What Can You See While Diving in Indonesia?
- Top Dive Site — Komodo Takes the Crown
- Best City to Live In — Bali
- Tulamben — Perfect for Both Macro and Wide-Angle
- Indonesia — Diving, Cuisine, and Cultural Experiences All in One
When it comes to Indonesia, most people immediately think of Bali and Komodo — but Tulamben and Gam Island are equally unmissable destinations for any serious diver! Of Asia's top ten dive sites, Indonesia claims four of them. Whether you're a beginner, an advanced diver, or a macro photography enthusiast, there's a perfect site waiting for you. It truly lives up to its reputation as the "Ocean Kingdom." On December 1st, the Editor attended an exchange tea party hosted by the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office in Taipei. Watching the underwater footage filmed by Li Ming-ge, President of the International Ocean Ecological Image Education Association, the Editor was instantly ready to book a flight. Read on and see what Indonesia has to offer!
The Ambassador (in yellow) poses for a photo with distinguished guests.
Many diving enthusiasts and Indonesia lovers gathered at the event.
Indonesia's Dive Sites — More Than You Can Choose From
Known as the "Land of Ten Thousand Islands" and the "Ocean Kingdom," Indonesia — officially the Republic of Indonesia — ranks 13th in the world by land area, boasts the second-longest coastline on the planet, and is the world's largest archipelago nation.
Indonesia has more than 17,000 islands in total, fewer than one-third of which are inhabited. Each island is home to different ethnic groups with distinct cultures and more than 740 languages — no wonder Indonesia is also called a "cultural melting pot." The remaining islands are pristine, undeveloped land, which means there are surely still many undiscovered dive sites waiting for adventurous divers to explore!
The Director of the Tourism and Transportation Department also took the stage to share fun facts about Indonesia.
Asia's Top Ten Must-Visit Dive Sites — And Indonesia Takes Four Spots?
According to CNN's rankings, Indonesia alone claims 4 of Asia's top ten must-visit dive sites: the Derawan Archipelago, Raja Ampat, Komodo (Pulau Komodo), and Tulamben. Every other country on the list has only one representative. Each site has its own distinct character to suit different types of divers — from beginner and advanced, to macro and wide-angle photography, to freediving, scuba diving, and liveaboards. Indonesia truly is a diving destination for every level and every passion.
Within such a vast ocean, Indonesia is home to 30% of the world's coral reefs.
The five most iconic dive sites in Indonesia!
As times change, more and more undiscovered Indonesian dive sites are being found, attracting a growing number of divers to document them. This dive list will surely keep on growing.
Why Dive in Indonesia? Here Are the Advantages!
Indonesia is geographically close to the Philippines, Malaysia, and other Southeast Asian nations. Li Ming-ge explains: "Because Indonesia is close to the equator, its weather is far more stable than many other countries. You can dive year-round, and it's almost never affected by typhoons. This stability has given Indonesian dive sites a huge advantage — the environment is consistent and marine life is reliably present, so you can pretty much see whatever you're hoping to find!"
Li Ming-ge highly recommends that everyone visit Indonesia at least once in their lifetime.
Let's Go! What Can You See While Diving in Indonesia?
The exchange tea party opened with underwater footage from Komodo and Bali filmed by Li Ming-ge. Through his lens, viewers were treated to crystal-blue waters, rich coral formations, a jackfish tornado, and a school of manta rays — everyone in the room must have been just as awestruck as the Editor! The Editor also took the opportunity to ask Li Ming-ge for his personal Top 3 Indonesian dive sites. Take a look!
Top Dive Site — Komodo Takes the Crown
When most people think of Komodo, they picture Komodo dragons and the famously Instagrammable Pink Beach. But Komodo's underwater world is just as extraordinary — manta rays, Humphead Wrasse, humphead parrotfish, and other big creatures await beneath the surface. At certain special dive sites, lucky divers may even spot up to 7 species of sharks, including Hammerhead Sharks! Li Ming-ge laughed and said: "I first set foot on this mysterious island 22 years ago, and witnessed Komodo's grandeur — as vast and awe-inspiring as a desert." Having formed a deep connection with Komodo all those years ago, Li Ming-ge was later invited to become the exclusive Taiwan representative for Komodo Resort.
This large reef shark is resting peacefully on the bottom.
Peek inside a rocky crevice and you'll often find all kinds of creatures and fish schooling within.
There's also an abundance of macro life at Batu Bolong — you'll run out of memory card space before you run out of subjects.
Mawan — over 20 manta rays appeared on this dive. Pure bliss!
*Images above are screenshots from footage provided by Nick Zhan. To watch the full videos, scroll to the further reading section at the bottom of the article.
Best City to Live In — Bali
Bali is one of the most popular holiday destinations for travelers, offering villas of every size and style, a deeply relaxing atmosphere, and settings that range from lush hillside retreats to beachfront properties where the ocean stretches as far as the eye can see. Snorkeling, scuba diving, white-water rafting, hiking — Bali does it all! For diving, Bali has sites suitable for beginners as well as more challenging spots for intermediate and advanced divers. Bali is also one of the places where you can encounter a mola mola / sunfish — though first you'll need to handle strong waves, powerful currents, and cold water, plus a good dose of luck.
An adorably cute mola mola / sunfish. Photo credit: Neko Wang.
A manta ray followed us for the entire dive — like our very own personal escort!
Bamboo sharks often wander along the bottom — if you're lucky, you'll come across one.
The variety of coral and fish species here is enormous — and everything is several times larger than what you'd see in Taiwan.
Tulamben — Perfect for Both Macro and Wide-Angle
Tulamben features a distinctive volcanic black-sand terrain that naturally attracts an abundance of small creatures, making it equally suited for wide-angle and macro photography. The USAT Liberty, an American cargo ship from World War II, ran aground here and was later pushed into the sea by a volcanic eruption. It now rests just 30 meters from shore, at depths of 3–29 m, draped in an overwhelming carpet of coral, with schools of humphead parrotfish and massive Humphead Wrasse. It is one of the most beloved sites for both freedivers and scuba divers looking for an underwater adventure.
The richly biodiverse USAT Liberty wreck — a site that suits every type of diver! Photo credit: Neko Wang.
Here, gorgonians / sea fans and corals larger than a person are perfectly ordinary sights. Photo credit: Neko Wang.
A ghost shrimp makes an appearance — doesn't it look like it's glowing? Photo credit: Neko Wang.
Macro critters are truly countless here — dives regularly run 70 minutes or more! Photo credit: Neko Wang.
Indonesia — Diving, Cuisine, and Cultural Experiences All in One
Beyond its extraordinary underwater life, Indonesian cuisine is widely regarded as one of the most diverse, vibrant, and flavor-rich culinary traditions in the world. Because Indonesia's land is home to more than 300 different ethnic groups, each with their own language, the character of every region — including its local specialties — is completely unique. If you have enough time off, Indonesia is absolutely the ideal destination for an in-depth, immersive travel experience!
Indonesian handcrafted goods — truly exquisite workmanship.
The legendary Komodo dragon, rendered here in a beautifully carved wooden sculpture.
Indonesian traditional food features many fried dishes — mashed potato fritters and fried tofu are especially beloved.
Wonderfully sweet sago pudding and delicious fried bananas.
Attending the exchange tea party hosted by the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office in Taipei was a delight — not only did we get to appreciate the beauty of Indonesia, but the organizers also thoughtfully provided traditional local dishes for all guests to enjoy, whisking us away on a culinary journey through Indonesia. The Editor can't wait to visit Indonesia in person and witness its splendor firsthand!
Editor-in-charge: Jenny Tsai
Further Reading:
Komodo videos, video credit: Nick Zhan
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a BlueTrend dive trip different from an unknown, no-name dive group?
Choosing us means full peace-of-mind protection and a smooth experience from start to finish. Every trip we run holds to three things.
First, full legal protection and a professional dive leader: we strictly follow Taiwan's travel regulations and provide complete travel-agency liability insurance, travel insurance, trip-inconvenience insurance and dive insurance. Every group is accompanied by a certified, foreign-language dive leader who joins you on both the dives and the land itinerary, liaising seamlessly with local dive shops and operators on your behalf to keep things running smoothly — the person our travellers trust most.
Second, fully licensed with secure payments: every payment goes into a licensed travel agency's account, with multiple safe payment channels (bank transfer, credit card and more) and a legal collect-and-remit receipt, so every transaction is open, transparent and protected, avoiding the fraud and dispute risks of transferring money privately to an individual.
Third, hand-picked quality we vet in person: every trip, dive site and partner shop is scouted on the ground by our own team, from the guides' professionalism and safety standards to the food, lodging, environment and service details on land, all vetted by us so you don't get caught out.
I want to sign up for a dive trip. Are there certification-level or logged-dive requirements?
Each dive site is different, so the entry bar varies. 'Bali Tulamben', for instance, is relatively beginner-friendly. 'Malapascua in the Philippines' is also beginner-friendly, but since thresher sharks tend to cruise between 20 and 30 metres, we recommend AOW certification with 20+ logged dives to enjoy this trip comfortably. For 'the Maldives' or 'Palau', we suggest AOW with 50+ logged dives for a more relaxed experience. If you're not sure whether your experience fits the trip you want, message us and our dive editors will assess it and help you find the trip you'll feel safest on.
Can I join if I'm signing up alone? How are rooms arranged?
Plenty of our travellers sign up solo! For rooms and beds, we prioritise pairing you with a same-gender traveller, and if you'd rather have your own space you can pay the difference to upgrade to a single room. For the diving, our professional leader will pair you with a suitable buddy, and with the happy vibe on our trips you'll quickly make a great group of dive friends. Many people sign up alone, make new friends, and end up organising the next trip together!
Does the trip fee include dive insurance, gear rental, taxes and instructor tips?
It depends on the trip, the destination's regulations and the local operators. Every BlueTrend dive trip has a detailed web page with a clear 'included / not included' list, transparent and with no hidden charges. All payments are collected by a licensed travel agency, with a standard-form contract for your protection.
I'm a new diver / haven't dived in a long time — will I fall behind the group?
Before you complete your booking, our team assesses a suitable trip based on your certification level and experience. Before departure, we strongly recommend taking time to refresh in Taiwan with an instructor, or a fun dive to get your feel back. On the trip itself, our professional dive leader groups and pairs everyone by experience, keeps a close eye underwater on travellers who need extra care, and steps in to help right away.
Will the photos and videos taken during the trip be shared with us?
During the dives, 'safety' is always the leader's top priority, so whenever it's suitable and safe the leader will capture great shots and record the best moments. During or after the trip, we compile a cloud album for all travellers to download, so you go home loaded with memories!
Besides your scheduled trips, can you arrange a private group charter or independent travel for me and my friends?
Absolutely! Besides group trips, we also arrange private group charters and independent travel. We can communicate, enquire and coordinate services with local operators based on your needs, saving you time and effort and taking the language barrier off your plate, to tailor the smoothest, most reassuring dive trip just for you. Contact our LINE support and our editors will arrange it for you!
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