Indonesia

Best overall months to dive: Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov

Indonesia covers very different dive trips across two oceans. Raja Ampat leads on fish diversity; Komodo on current and mantas; Lembeh and Ambon on black-sand macro; and Bunaken on walls. Bali has accessible wrecks and shore diving, while Nusa Penida adds cold upwelling and sunfish. Triton Bay adds low-visibility soft-coral and walking-shark diving in remote West Papua. Sumbawa's useful scuba circuit spans Moyo, Sangeang and Banta; Saleh Bay's whale sharks are treated separately because the commercial encounter is normally surface snorkelling beside working lift-net boats. Derawan combines mantas and turtle nesting, and Cenderawasih Bay has year-round whale-shark habitat around fishing platforms. Seasons vary sharply across the archipelago, so the right month depends on the region.

Dive regions

Alor

$–$$ · Liveaboard, Land based

Best: Apr–Nov

Ambon

$–$$ · Land based, Day trip, Liveaboard, Shore dive

Best: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec

Bali

$–$$ · Land based, Day trip, Shore dive

Best: Apr–Nov

Banda Sea

$$–$$$ · Liveaboard

Best: Sep–Nov

Bangka Island

$–$$ · Land based, Day trip, Shore dive

Best: May–Oct

Bunaken

$–$$ · Land based, Day trip, Shore dive

Best: Apr–Oct

Cenderawasih Bay

$$–$$$ · Liveaboard, Land based, Day trip

Best: Jan–Dec

Derawan Archipelago (Derawan, Sangalaki, Kakaban, Maratua)

$–$$ · Land based, Liveaboard, Day trip, Shore dive

Best: Mar–Oct

Gili Islands

$ · Land based, Day trip, Shore dive

Best: Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov

Komodo

$–$$$ · Liveaboard, Land based, Day trip

Best: Apr–Nov

Lembeh Strait

$–$$ · Land based

Best: Jul–Oct

Morotai

$–$$ · Land based, Day trip, Shore dive

Best: Jan–Dec

Nusa Penida

$ · Land based, Day trip

Best: Jul–Oct

Pulau Weh

$–$$ · Land based, Day trip, Shore dive

Best: Jan–Dec

Raja Ampat

$–$$$ · Liveaboard, Land based, Day trip

Best: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec

Sumbawa, Moyo & Sangeang

$$–$$$ · Liveaboard, Land based, Day trip

Best: May–Oct

Togian Islands

$–$$ · Land based, Day trip, Shore dive, Liveaboard

Best: Apr–Oct

Triton Bay

$$$ · Land based, Liveaboard, Day trip

Best: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec

Wakatobi

$$$ · Land based, Liveaboard, Shore dive

Best: Mar, Apr, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec