Diving in  Tulamben provides exciting diving a mere 2 hours away from most Bali touristic hotspots.

It is good diving with a huge wreck, plenty of nudibranchs, turtles, rays and exotic fishes. Macro photographers will be most happy.

It might however not satisfy advanced divers. Places like Maumere, Komodo or Alor have more to offer to divers.

If, however, you are on a relaxing holiday in Bali and want to dive a day or two, then Tulamben is an excellent choice.

 

Getting to Bali and Tulamben

Tulamben is located on the East side of Bali. About 3 hours’ drive from the airport and the tourist centers of Seminal, Sanur and Nusa Dua.

80% of tourists going to Indonesia visit Bali. It has great international flight connections and so much to offer that it is easy to spend a month there.

Bali has plenty of luxury hotels, greats spas, and amazing restaurants. Plenty of cultural activities makes it a very luxurious destination.

Diving in Tulamben

There are over 10 dive sites available for diving in Tulamben. The most popular one is the US liberty shipwreck. Also worth noting that there is a new wreck a bit further in Kubu which I have not tried diving yet 

Tulamben diving site: US Liberty Shipwreck

A few meters away from the coast of Tulamben fishing village is the wreck of the US ship Liberty. This is Bali’s most famous dive site. That ship was destroyed by Japanese forces back in WW2.

The Liberty ship is a cargo ship of 120 meters long. The US liberty sank in Tulamben about 50 years ago. It is known as one of the most popular diving wrecks in the world.

The wreck rests in between 5 and 28 meters in depth making it the ideal depth for recreational divers.

I dove the liberty wreck a few times. On my last dives, I have seen bump head parrotfish, jackfish, Leaf scorpionfish, pygmies sea horses, groupers, angelfish, orangutang crabs, and turtles. We also saw 2 manta shrimps with amazing colors and the cutest baby frogfish ever. It was about 2 cm long!

When diving a few years ago, I also used to encounter schools of Barracuda and Trevally but those seems to have now gone.

I heard that due to the recent volcano evacuation, the marine patrol had to leave the site so that might be an explanation as to why there is a lot of fewer big fishes now.

The liberty wreck is also suitable for snorkelers

Tulamben diving site: Coral garden

The Shallow-water site located next to the wreck is one of the richest and biodiverse regions of Tulamben.

This superb coral garden shelters many clownfishes playing in the anemones and is a really easy dive.  This site is perfect for underwater photography and for beginners. When people ask me where they should go to learn to dive, I often recommend the Tulamben coral garden

During my dives in the coral garden, I have encountered Leaf scorpionfish, moray eels, nudibranchs, pipefish and frogfish and of course clownfishes.

There is also an artificial reef in the shape of a small airplane. It was located there more than 15 years ago now. This reef is a positive experience because it is wonderfully occupied by coral. It attracts plenty small reef fish and invertebrates.

Tulamben diving site: the Tulamben Wall

This wall usually has weak current and a good visibility of 10 to 30 meters. Pretty corals cover the drop-off and it is one of the most popular sites of Bali.

We saw stingrays, napoleons and giant parrotfish, a lot of nudibranchs, lionfish, pygmy’s sea horses and scorpionfish. With depth from 3 meters to 80 meters, it has been formed by the lava river of the Mount Agung eruption of 1963.

 

Who to dive with in Tulamben?

If you are looking for a day trip out of the main tourist area ( Sanur, Nusa Dua or Semyniak), the premium operator is Aquamarine.

Their busses are more comfortable than most diving operators. They put only 2 rows of seats where most people would have 3 rows.

They also own a small piece of land near the Liberty wreck with changing rooms, showers and equipment storage.

They also give you access to the hotel’s pool next door so that you can swim and relax in between your dives in Tulamben.

I choose to dive Tulamben with them on my last trip as I was coming from Sanur.

They provided 2 dives instructors for our group of four which made it very comfortable underwater. We each had our private divemaster.  

They are a bit more expensive than most dive operators in South Bali. But definitely worth the extra money

4. Where to stay and eat in Tulamben

If you decide to stay for a few days, Toya Bali resort is my favorite place to stay for Tulamben diving. There is no luxury resort in Tulamben.

Toya is right on the beach, near the Liberty wreck. The bungalows and their bathrooms are quite pretty. The oceanfront infinity pool is a good place to relax between the dives

I have not yet found a restaurant I really like in Tulamben so don’t go there if you are a foodie…

The most popular one is Matahari which is about 10 minutes’ walk from Toya Bali resort

Another option is to stay on the North coast of Bali in Air Sanih. There are amazing seafront villas with pool that makes it a great option to explore the region in style. It takes about 1 hour to drive to Tulamben so you can do it as a day trip. Check out Villa Seaview in Air Sanih. It has 3 bedrooms, an amazing garden and infinity pool overlooking the sea. The perfect place to spend a week in paradise.

More things to do on the way to Tulamben

The road from Sanur to Tulamben is very pretty with nice views over rice fields and the sea. You can also visit Bali’s rice terraces, called Subaks. They’re an agricultural “artwork” in their own right.

Walking through one feel like visiting a royal garden

There is also a bat temple and some historical villages on the way so it is easy to make a day trip out of it. Do read my article on East Bali for more info

There is a great restaurant with a great view called Bali Asli. It is on the way not too far from Tulamben

 

In conclusion

If you are an amateur diver and wants to do 1 or 2 days of diving while in Bali, Tulamben is a great spot. If you are into more advanced diving and are coming from Europe or the US just for diving, I recommend that you explore places a bit further than Bali like Maumere, Alor, Komodo, Raja Ampat or even East Timor.

Enjoy the diving!

Have you ever dived in Tulamben? I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a comment below.