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Diving Holidays in South East Asia
Crowned as playing host to the highest diversity of marine life found anywhere on the planet the continent of SE Asia must surely be on the wish list for any diver who likes to travel. Here we review our top 5 destinations, this list is however not comprehensive (it would take a lifetime to simply scratch the surface of this huge continent) and of course is down to own personal preference.
Similan Islands
A collective of 9 granite islands (Similan is derived from the Malay word for nine - Simbilan) that span the west coast of Thailand. Expect stunning shallows bays with sloping fringe reefs on the eastern sides, tranquil coral gardens with vibrantly coloured reefs are typical here. On the western facing coasts, towards the Indian Ocean, strong currents attract big fish such as leopard sharks, rays and jacks although in recent years numbers of sharks have began to dwindle. To the north of the Similan Islands the islands of Koh Bon and Koh Tachai play host to Manta Rays which come to feed, be cleaned and it is thought to reproduce. Best months are January and February. Richelieu Rock is also well worth a visit and is packed with marine life.
Sulawesi
A star shaped island located to the east of Borneo in central Indonesia. Since it lies in the heart of the coral triangle, a region of SE Asia which scientists believe holds the highest diveristy of marine life on earth, you'll find plenty to keep your interest below the surface, both large and small. Bunaken Island is characterised by plunging reef walls with densley packed hard and soft corals. Over 1000 species of reef fish are found here and almost twice the number of corals compared to the Carribbean. The Lembeh Strait is altogether different with black sand slopes and relatively little coral growth. However great muck diving can be found here with a staggering range and abundance of rare invertebrates. A diving holidays sulawesi can be made year round.
Raja Ampat
Moving further east, to the boarder of Papua New Guinea situates a region of north eastern Indonesia called Raja Ampat. Translated to 'Four Kings' which refers to the 4 largest islands, this region is true diversity hotspot. The area also has scientific importance because it has so far escaped the effects of El Nino. On a recent dive off cape Kri Dr Gerald Allen, a reknown classifier of reef fish recorded his highest number of fish species found on any one dive. Coral life, both hard and soft is incredibly diverse with a range of topographical features including reef walls, tranquil coral gardens and eerie mangrove passages.
Bali
Often overlooked compared with other Indonesian dive destination which more frequently apear in world wide diving publications. However Bali offers something for everyone, it's the complete diving package with a great range of accommodation, plenty of topside attractions on offer and a variety of dive sites from walls and wrecks to black sand slopes great for muck diving and photography. The US Liberty Wreck is 120m cargo ship bought down in the the Lombok Strait during the second world war. It was beached but Mt Agung (a nearby volcano) erupted in the 70's and forced it back below the surface. Now just a few fin kicks from the shore it's probably the most convienient wreck dive in the world and is completely packed with marine life.
Komodo
The legendary Komodo National Park is surely one of the finest diving destinations in SE Asia if not the world. Located to the east of Bali it's best visited by liveaboard. Boats leave from both Benoa in Bali and also Labuan Bajo. Expect plenty of high adrenaline diving with fast nutrient rich waters attracting plenty of marine life including sharks and rays. Both hard and soft corals are in abundance. Most boats will also stop off for face to face encounters with the Komodo Dragons as part of the experience.
For more information on diving holidays in Asia visit diving holidays Sulawesi.
About the Author
After ten years of worldwide dive travel and professional employment we created a travel company that seeks to enter Asia's most remote and exciting locations for experiences above and below the surface Dive Safari Asia. For photos, video footage, destination guides and details of our tours visit Diving Asia.