Diving in South Lombok | Indonesia

DESTINATION OVERVIEW | The island of Lombok is next to Bali and is often described as 'Bali how it used to be'. For divers there are two distinct diving areas – the tiny, tropical Gili islands lying off the north coast and the district of Seketong on the southwestern corner of the island. This area is affected by it's position between the Lombok Channel and the Indian Ocean.

SEKETONG | the district centre is a tiny town of the same name located inland from the channel but on the northern coast. The town sits on a lagoon-like stretch of water, with shallow seas dotted by tiny islets. Dive conditions relate to prevailing currents, which can be strong. Visibility is never crystal clear but this doesn’t affect the calibre of the dive sites. There are reefs with swathes of pristine hard corals; others with bright soft corals and colourful crinoids, while newer discoveries have revealed some amazing muck dives.

BELONGAS BAY | due south of Seketong town, this isolated bay leads onto the Indian Ocean. While inside the bay itself is calm, it can get very rough outside the headlands. Much of this coast is a favourite for surfers with lively waves pushing in from the ocean. The best dives are around a pair of offshore pinnacles that attract sharks and rays. These are adrenaline rush sites – the conditions can be extreme and dives are not suitable for the inexperienced, but they can be highly rewarding. A short distance east is Kuta bay, where we dived too long ago to mention. Conditions are similar to those at Belongas.

PROS AND CONS | Lombok is just a 20 minute flight from Bali plus there are direct flights from Singapore on Silk Air. The south of the island is very undeveloped and apart from the guest house or hotel you stay in, there will be little else. It's worth reiterating that point as for some that would be perfection, for others it would be too remote.

SCUBA DIVING | Due to the affects of currents from the Lombok Channel, Seketong dive conditions are far more variable than in the Gilis in the north of Lombok. Sites are shallow and tend to be calm but the closer you go towards the channel, the more current you will encounter. Hard corals are extensive but marine life tends to be small – we saw shrimp and nudis here that were new to us so there is a lot of potential. The offshore pinnacles in Belongas are very different, with crystal clear water and incredible colour on their surfaces. We saw a few sharks but the pelagic season is short.

OPINION | We first went to Lombok as travelers in 1985. We snorkelled over the reefs off Gili Air and were hooked. We have been back to experience the land-based diving since and have seen great changes over the years. The south can be very exciting and very different to the calmer waters in the north. We liked the sense of being pioneers in this newly developing region.

INDONESIA | Explore other diving destinations in Indonesia

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