A lot of the diving areas in Bali are very close to the shore with lots of colorful  corals and tropical fish. The reefs are mostly unspoiled and host a wide variety of marine life such as dolphins, rays, turtles, Sperm and Blue whales, or sea snakes.

The main diving  areas in Bali on the East Coast are at Padang Bai and Candi Dasa and further north at Tulamben and Amed.

Batu Tiga  (Three rocks) is accessed by boat from Candi Dasa or Padang Bai.  With an average depth of 20m, the site is excellent for diving or snorkeling.  The reef is steep and sloping with many corals.  Some fish seen here include Red Snapper, Clown Triggerfish, and Blue Spotted Stingrays, Trivially, Morays and Whitetip Reef sharks.

Amed has excellent snorkeling just off the black sand beach and further out in the bay there is a coral wall with an abundance of sponges and hard and soft corals. Fish varieties include Black Snapper, Triggerfish, Surgeonfish, Unicornfish, Parrotfish, Damselfish, Cardinalfish, Whitetip Reef Sharks and many larger varieties such as Dogtooth Tuna and Blue Finned Trivially.

Following the coastal road in the north of the island is Lovina. Slightly further along is Pemuteran and in the western tip of Bali is Labuan Lalang, the kick-off point to Menjangan Island, an uninhabited island with one of the best diving areas in Bali.  Nearly 7000 hectares of coral reef and coastal waters are protected as part of the Bali Barat National Park including Menjangan Island.

One of Bali's most popular diving sites is the wreck of the US Liberty warship at Tulamben.  The Japanese during World War II torpedoed it in the Lombok Strait.  The  was beached on Tulamben and after the eruption of Mt.  Agung in 1963 the ship  broke in half and was left in her present position close to the shore of Tulamben.  The hull is encrusted with coral and the fish have become quite tame because of the large numbers of divers here.

A popular beach resort area, Lovina refers to a collection of small villages on the coast.  In the past coral in the bay was used to make lime.  Fortunately the coral is now protected and some diving and snorkeling is possible with very clear water.  Lovina also is a good place to stay if you want to go to Menjangan.

Pemuteran  has unfortunately suffered from dynamite fishing but  efforts have been made to stop further destruction.  There is much coral available such as Elkhorn and Staghorn.  There are many tropical reef fish and there is also a turtle sanctuary located at Pemuteran with regular releases of turtles into the sea, which have been bred at the Sanctuary.  There is also good snorkeling available right off the beach.

There are a few dive sites to choose from at Menjangan Island  with good conditions and excellent visibility.  The snorkeling is excellent too.  Menjangan also has a wreck, known as the "Anker" because of it has heavily encrusted anchor at the top of the reef.  Fixed moorings have been built to prevent damage and the island is reached by a 30-minute boat ride from Labuan Lalang.

In southern Bali, there's a reef in Sanur and the island of Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida and the Gili islands off Lombok are all popular diving destinations.  A lot of dive operators are based in Bali - many in Southern Bali who will transport you to the main dive areas or you can also stay at most of the locations to save on travelling time.  You can get certification if required.  Certifications available are PADI, SSI, CMAS and the local POSSI certification.

Sanur is often used as a location for teaching diving because of it's close proximity to the tourist areas. There are some interesting coral formations, sponges and plentiful colorful fish on the reef.

About one and half-hours from Bali by motor boat, Nusa Penida offers some truly spectacular and unspoiled diving and snorkeling.  As there is not much development here, the reefs are pristine.  An abundance of hard and soft corals makes a home for large amounts of tropical fish such as Angelfish and Clownish.  Moray eels live in the crevices and Whitetip Reef Shark’s search for food at night and sleep by day under table corals.

The smaller island of Nusa Lembongan is a popular destination for day-trippers.  At the northern end of the island, Mangrove Point, Crystal Bay and the Blue Comer Trip are all good diving sites. Some of the areas are for experienced divers only and look for Manta Point to the east where schools of Mantas come to the cleaning stations and to mate.

Surfing

Bali is surfer’s paradise. The best places are Kuta and Uluwatu. Kuta is by far the most famous surfing beach in Bali.  There are numerous spots along the Kuta Legian strip offering great waves.  Depending on the season, these can be large or small but are usually surfable. There are some powerful rips around.  Also, remember your surf etiquette.  It can be pretty crowded out there on good days and some people can be quite hot headed about who was first.  There are numerous places to rent boards along the beach.

Uluwatu is less crowded.  In the shadow of one of Bali's holiest temples located atop sixty meter high limestone cliffs, Uluwatu is not only a magnificent sight but also one of the most challenging surfing beaches in the world.  As a rule, the waves are very big and break into the reef  and require a lot of skill and competence.

All along the perimeter of the Bukit, southern Bali's highland peninsula, there are a number of great beaches frequented by surfers Formerly very isolated,  beaches like Dreamland and Padang Padang are now easily accessible.