Bali Diving Tour

You reserve your spot for free and pay nothing to join. Once enough travellers have signed on, usually around 10, we confirm the departure and email you a confirmation with an invoice for the full trip price. You pay it by card or bank transfer within 7 days, in US dollars, pounds, euros, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars, New Zealand dollars or Indian rupees, and the price shown for each date is what you pay.

Tell us when you book. You can do the PADI Advanced Open Water course instead over the same three days, or simply join the fun dives, and we adjust the price. Either way you're with the same group for the rest of the trip.

This trip is built around the dive course, so it suits people who want to dive or are open to trying. If you'd rather snorkel throughout, talk to us before booking, since the itinerary and price assume most of the group is diving.

Solo travellers aged 18 to 40, mostly first-time divers, with a few already certified who use the days for fun dives. Dive groups are kept small. Your Trip Host travels with you for all 8 days, handles transfers, accommodation and bookings, and is the person you go to if anything goes wrong. PADI-qualified instructors do the teaching and run the dives.

It starts at our guesthouse on Gili Trawangan on the afternoon of Day 1; most people fly into Bali and take a boat from there. It ends in Amed on Day 8, about two hours from Bali's airport.

The dry season, roughly April to October, is the most reliable for sea conditions and visibility, and our departures sit in it. Currents at Nusa Penida can be stronger from about June to October, so the dive operator chooses sites on the day. Dive schools have limited spaces per course, so book early for a specific month.

Most visitors, including those from the UK, US, EU, Australia and India, need a visa on arrival, which you can buy online in advance as an e-VOA. You also fill in the free All Indonesia arrival card within 72 hours before you land, and pay the Bali tourist levy (IDR 150,000) online. Rules change, so check our Bali visa guide and the official Indonesian immigration site before you book flights.

Fast boats are the normal way to cross, and they carry real risks: in August 2025 a fast boat sank at Sanur coming in from Nusa Penida, and three people died. The Gili Trawangan to Nusa Penida crossing takes about two hours and Nusa Penida to Sanur about 30 to 45 minutes. We book daytime sailings only, and crossings are delayed or changed if the sea is rough. Ask the Trip Host about the operator for your departure.

Bring your own mask if you prefer it, though schools provide full kit. A rash vest or wetsuit top is worth having for warmth and sun. Pack a swimsuit, reef-safe sunscreen, a dry bag for the boats, and a soft bag rather than a hard suitcase, since you carry it on and off boats. If you're already certified, bring your card or the PADI app. If you're starting from scratch, a photo ID is enough, and the dive school handles your PADI registration.

Yes, it's a condition of joining, and it must specifically cover scuba diving to the depths in the course (18 metres for Open Water). Check the policy names diving, since some standard travel policies exclude it.

You need to be able to swim 200 metres without stopping, or 300 metres with a mask, fins and snorkel, and float or tread water for 10 minutes. You also fill in a medical questionnaire. If you answer yes to certain conditions, such as asthma, ear or sinus problems, heart or lung conditions or pregnancy, you need a doctor's sign-off before you start. It's easier to sort this with your own doctor before you travel.

Not straight away. Nitrogen stays in your body for hours after a dive, so leave at least 18 hours between your last dive on Day 8 and any flight. That means booking your flight home for the next day or later.