Southeast Asia

This month’s guide is a tour of Southeast Asia, focusing on one of the world’s ‘hot zones’ of evolution – Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

For those who go diving to see as many different marine creatures as possible, Southeast Asia offers the best possible diving. Geological and climactic factors have combined over millions of years to create a hothouse of evolution, a seemingly endless parade of marine life.

The epicentre of this zone is thought to be the seas around Borneo and Sulawesi, but the entire region – from peninsular Malaysia across the arc of Indonesia to the divided island of Papua – offers great diving to suit different tastes. In many ways, it’s a dream destination for divers. The countries have, to varying degrees, established infrastructures for tourism; food is often excellent; costs are minimal and the local people can be among the friendliest in the world.

For those travelling from the UK, the payoff comes in the distances you have to travel, and the associated cost. Flights to Singapore – the hub for travel in Southeast Asia – take around 12 hours, crossing numerous time zones. Some of the destinations here involve up to two days of hard travel from the UK. Certainly, if you’re coming all the way from Britain, it makes sense to book a good, long holiday. British or US currency goes a long way here, so you may as well make the most of the place before flying home.

If you only have a week to spare, our advice is to look closer to home, or an unacceptable proportion of your holiday will be given over to the purgatory that is modern air travel. If you can spare a couple of days, it makes sense to book into a decent hotel to acclimatise when you first arrive in the country and relax before heading off to your dive destination. Everything is different here – food, humidity, time zone – and new arrivals can find themselves knocked for six if they don’t pace themselves.

It has to be said that the dive sites here are worth every ounce of the effort it takes to reach them. There are riotously lush reefs, schooling fish, cleaning stations for manta rays, Second World War wrecks and high-voltage drifts. You can spend an afternoon observing the behaviour of a mimic octopus on a Borneo muck dive, or swim with elegant silvertip sharks in New Guinea’s rich waters.
With a few exceptions, you can usually expect to be the only boat at a given site in Southeast Asia. We have not included Thailand in this feature because its diving industry is so big and popular with UK travellers that it merits a feature all on its own. The Indonesian and New Guinean governments are starting to actively target dive tourists, but it will be some time before their sites are as crowded as those off Thailand.

Is Southeast Asia a safe destination? According to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), there is a general threat to British and other western targets from terrorism throughout the region. That said, hundreds of thousands of divers visit every year and come to no harm. The FCO currently recommends against all non-essential travel to Indonesia, citing a continued terrorist threat in the wake of the Bali bombings of October 2002. Again, many divers continue to visit. We at DIVE believe the ultimate decision should be down to the individual, though certain specific danger zones should be avoided in all cases.

Malaysia - Simon Rogerson

Diving in Malaysia can be split into two distinct zones – the peninsula below Thailand, and the northern states of Borneo. The best diving is to be found at one of these Bornean states – Sabah. Lying off the northwest coast of Borneo is Sipadan, Malaysia’s only true oceanic island.

For a relatively small reef, Sipadan’s diving is incredibly varied, ranging from small macro subjects on the drop-off to camera-friendly schools of jacks, barracuda and bumphead parrotfish. The island remains a firm favourite with underwater photographers, who say the variety and friendliness of the marine life make it their preferred destination. We believe there isn’t a better place in the world to swim with green and hawksbill turtles – just try doing a dive here without seeing at least 30 of these reptiles.

Nearby are the islands of Mabul and Kapalai, where visibility is usually poor but the environment supports a huge range of benthic animals. Mabul is popular with underwater photographers in search of frogfish, mandarinfish, flamboyant cuttlefish and other marvels.

Layang Layang is the third of Sabah’s trio of world-class dive sites. Lying off the northeast point of Borneo, it comprises a hotel and an airfield on a lifeless strip of land. Underwater, it’s a different story – festooned with coral and abundant marine life, the reef is magnificent. Schooling fish are common and from March to June it is possible to see hammerhead sharks in sizeable schools.

There are wrecks here as well: six miles west of mainland Sabah and 80km south of the regional capital, Kota Kinabalu, is the island of Labuan. Visibility here can be poor, but marine life is rich and there are four impressive wrecks which make the island worth a visit. Of these, the US Navy minesweeper USS Salute is arguably the best dive.

The dive sites of peninsular Malaysia are not as impressive as those of northern Borneo, but several are well worth a visit. The Redang archipelago has good visibility and the healthiest coral reefs of the peninsula.

Further south, the diving around Tioman Island is enjoyable rather than spectacular. Still, there are impressive granite bommies on outlying reefs, many of which are covered in multicoloured soft corals.


Key dives

Barracuda point, sipadan: a classic drift past huge schools of silver fish
Gorgonian forest, Layang layang: dense fields of golden fan corals
Paradise one, mabul: best macro shore dive in the world


Foreign office advice
There is a ‘continuing risk’ of kidnapping in the more remote coastal areas of Sabah.


Indonesia - Steph Butcher

This is the big one – a massive country comprising an archipelago of 13,000 islands, a fast-growing population of 200 million and some of the best diving on the planet.
Where to start? The northern side of Sulawesi has superb reef diving at Manado, where those in search of world-class walls and big fish are advised to head for Bunaken Island. The sites here typically comprise steep coral walls marked by small caves, with coral thriving as deep as 50m.

The Lembeh Strait is arguably the number one destination for macro subjects. The sites are decidedly unglamorous and visibility can be poor, but photographers who want to find a lot of strange fish will be in heaven.

Another photographers’ hang-out is Wakatobi, off the southeastern extreme of Sulawesi. Here, visibility can reach an incredible 50m and the reefs are beautifully preserved. There are plenty of benthic fish, but this isn’t a destination for sharks or blue-water dwellers. Instead, you get great reef diving in an idyllic, isolated location.

For those who want to combine a diving holiday with sightseeing and culture, Bali is the place to go. Diving options are surprisingly varied. To the south, adrenalin-pumping dives can be found at Nusa Penida, where sharks, manta rays and, in season, ocean sunfish can be reliably found. The currents here can be as feisty as the marine life. The best classic reef-style diving is found at Pulau Menjangan on the north coast, while wreck divers head for the Liberty wreck near the village of Tulamben.

At Gilimanuk Bay, muck divers will find a host of tiny terrors, including the Ambon scorpionfish and the harlequin ghost pipefish. Bali’s diving is more varied and of a higher quality than most divers realise, and is easy to access.

Bali also acts as the gateway to the more isolated sites to the east, which are normally visited by liveaboard: Komodo National Park and the Alor region. The diving here is wild, isolated and of exceptionally high quality. Complex and often violent currents abound, and water can suddenly cool from a balmy 29ºC to 23ºC in a few miles. On the warmer sites, you can expect picturesque reefs and superb visibility. The cooler, low-visibility sites to the south have ultra-rich reefs dominated by crinoids and populated by gobies, mantis shrimps and some rare nudibranchs.

If you want something bigger, head for Sangalaki, located off the coast of Kalimantan and the base for diving the Derawan Islands. The buzz on Sangalaki’s dive sites is that they’re even better than Sipadan, and there’s a great manta site as well.

The latest area to excite those divers with a pioneering spirit is West Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), the Indonesian half of New Guinea. Here, the Rajah Empat island group offers varied and exciting diving – aeroplane wrecks, muck dives, lagoon channels and a beautiful latticework of limestone islands reminiscent of Palau. The diversity of fish life here could be the greatest in the world.


Key dives

Cannibal rock, RINCA: a stunning reef dive
LIKUAN TWO, MANADO: six species of anemonefish
NUSA PENIDA, BALI: top spot for pelagics, and best place in the world to find ocean sunfish.


Foreign Office advice

The FCO advises against all non-essential travel to Indonesia. For those who do choose to visit, the FCO advises extreme caution in public buildings, clubs and restaurants. In addition, the FCO advises against all travel to Aceh in Sumatra and Poso in central Sulawesi.

Reader's verdict:
‘At Bunaken in northern Sulawesi, the reef drops more or less vertically on most sites and is covered in an amazing array of corals, sponges and animal life,’ said experienced diver Steph Butcher. ‘A welcoming committee of white-tip reef sharks cruised by as I tried to take in the sheer scale and variety of my surroundings. I can’t remember 75 minutes passing so quickly underwater. I decided not to be put off by the Foreign Office advice to avoid non-essential travel to Indonesia – after all, it’s a very big country, and if we stop travelling then the terrorists have won. I was rewarded by some of the best diving I’ve ever had.’



Papua New Guinea - Simon Rogerson

Does Papua New Guinea have the best diving in the world? Sure, it’s a crass question, but if you were to pool a selection of the most successful underwater photographs ever taken, a disproportionate number of them would have been taken in PNG waters. The reefs are certainly as picturesque as any in Southeast Asia, and there are wrecks, sharks, schooling fish and muck diving.

New Guinea is a nation lost in time. Technically, it’s really part of Melanesia, but we’ve included it here because it can be accessed relatively easily from Singapore. The interior comprises sheer limestone mountains and fertile valleys in which tribes live in isolation from each other and the outside world. The capital, Port Moresby, is a nightmare of poverty and alcoholism created by New Guinea’s attempts to enter the modern world. Most visitors get out as soon as possible, but overlook the excellent diving at Loloata Island Resort. This patch of paradise is one of PNG’s best-kept secrets, an island close to the main airport where you can find top-notch wreck, reef and macro dives. This is the best place in the world to find the Rhinopias scorpionfish, one of the most sought-after subjects by macro photographers.
A short flight down the coast from Port Moresby is Milne Bay Province, famous as the birthplace of muck diving. Coral reefs grow right up to the shoreline here, and there is a smattering of wrecks. There’s even a resident pod of orcas, which show their faces periodically.

On the northern side of New Britain Island is Kimbe Bay, where towering coral bommies and nutrient-rich waters attract all manner of marine life. It’s also home to Walindi Plantation resort. The ultra-colourful reefs have been carefully preserved by local dive operators, who use moorings when visiting sites. Here is some of the most beautiful coral scenery you will ever see.

There are sharks everywhere in PNG, but probably the best place to see them is the Kavieng region, which encompasses New Hanover Island and New Ireland. Kavieng’s best dives are high-energy channels in which grey reef sharks move through a procession of big-eye trevally, batfish and barracuda. Valerie’s Reef is a more sedate affair, but it does have two or three silvertip sharks.

Kavieng is not all about sharks, there’s also the chance to view the beautiful shells of live nautilus, turtles and eight species of anemonefish. Wreck divers are also well catered for: there are modern and wartime shipwrecks, including a Japanese bomber and even a mini-submarine.


Key dives

Chapman's reef, kavieng: fierce currents, sharks and batfish by the dozen.
South Ema, Kimbe bay: soft corals, gorgonians and giant sponges make for one of the world’s most colourful dives.
Crack-a-fat reef, witu islands: large dogtooth tuna vie with grey reef sharks to terrorise the many reef fish.


Foreign Office advice:

PNG’s diving hotspots are stable and generally free from serious crime, but the FCO does recommend against travel to the Southern Highlands and Enga provinces, where law and order is poor. Similarly, violent assaults, robbery and random shootings present a serious risk in the capital, Port Moresby.

Reader's verdict:
A trip on the Peter Hughes liveaboard Star Dancer brought dive leader Sara Davidson close to sharks of all shapes and sizes. ‘I chose the area around Kavieng because it was a reputed shark hotspot,’ she says. ‘The famous silvertips of Valerie’s Reef have made a tentative comeback after they were fished out in the late 1980s, and we saw huge schools of baby silvertips on some other dives. At Planet Channel, I saw a grey reef shark slice through a school of barracuda at high speed.’



The Philippines - Simon Rogerson

More than 7,000 islands make up this archipelago, with most of the diving taking place south of the capital city, Manila. Much of the diving is concentrated around the central islands known as the Visayas, but the nation’s most popular resort centre is Puerto Galera.

Situated just a short hop from the main island of Luzon, Puerto Galera offers good quality general diving. The reefs have deteriorated somewhat over the past decade (notably at the site called Coral Garden), but there’s still enough fish life and even a few wrecks to keep divers occupied.

This is the place to come if you want to combine good, varied diving and the exotic nightlife that comes with a fully-fledged resort strip. You get all sorts here, from macro photographers to full-on technical divers.

To the south, there’s good diving around the islands of Bohol and Cebu, where it’s possible to stay in small tourist villages which hug the coast, such as Moalboal or Panglao Beach. Basic liveaboards are available for safaris to quality offshore sites such as Apo Reef and Tubbataha. As with many parts of Indonesia and the Philippines, dynamite fishing has taken its toll on many areas. But that which remains is more often than not spectacular, with soft and hard corals, anemones, crinoids and tunicates vying for every available inch of space.

The Philippines is even gaining a name for itself as a macro destination. Revered Japanese photographer Yoshi Hirata has been discovering promising new sites in Cebu, and European snappers are praising Puerto Galera for its array of frogfish and nudibranchs.

Some of the best shore-based diving is concentrated around the island of Palawan. As well as some impressive reefs, there is Coron Bay, with an array of Japanese Second World War wrecks to rival Chuuk Lagoon. The ships were sunk in 1944, when part of the the US fleet embarked on what was at the time the longest-distance air raid in history – their target was 350 miles away. At Coron Bay, 18 Japanese ships were sunk, some of which were rumoured to be carrying gold (which has never been ‘officially’ recovered). Visibility here is typically low – visitors have likened it to UK-style wreck diving with warm water!

Diving explorers, including Ron Holland formerly of Borneo Divers, have been on expeditions to the Sulu Sea and the Tawi-Tawi region in the extreme south of the Philippines. Those reefs which have not been dynamited are said to be amazingly rich, but the region is currently too politically unstable for any sort of travel.


Key dives

Canyons, Puerta Galera: Current-fuelled reef dive, sweetlips, barracuda and white-tip reef sharks
Cabilao Island: Hammerheads at 45m (if you’re lucky) and a spectacular coral wall
Coron Bay: First-class wreck dives in a lush tropical setting


Foreign office advice

Terrorist and kidnap threats are greatest in Mindanao, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and the Sulu Archipelago, all of which are off-limits to tourists. Travellers are advised to take particular care in Manila, throughout Palawan and at coastal resorts and tourist centres throughout the nation.

Reader's verdict:
‘The diving in the central Philippines is easy and laid-back, just like the beach towns,’ says sports diver Peter Knee, who backpacked around the country, hiring ‘quite impressive’ dive kit from local centres. ‘I did a tour from Puerto Galera in the north, down to Cebu and Bohol in the Visayas. Puerto Galera was great fun, but it was really more about the nightclubbing scene. I reckon the best diving was at Cabilao island off Bohol, where we saw hammerheads at 45m. The dive features a steep wall and some massive gorgonian fans.’