Diving
Indonesia

Indonesia sits at the centre of the Coral Triangle, the area of ocean with the highest marine biodiversity on the planet. More species of coral and reef fish live here than anywhere else, and many of the best dives of a lifetime happen in its waters.

In one country you can hang on a reef hook in a Komodo current while grey reef sharks patrol below, kneel behind a rope line as mantas circle a cleaning station in Raja Ampat, search black sand in Lembeh for a hairy frogfish, swim the length of a Second World War wreck from a Bali beach and, in the right month, meet an ocean sunfish rising from cold water off Nusa Penida.

Indonesia also asks more of a diver than most destinations. Currents can be strong and change quickly. Seasons run differently from one region to the next, so the best month for Komodo's south is a poor month for Raja Ampat's Misool. Many sites are remote, a long way from hospitals and recompression chambers.

This book is written for certified divers from Open Water to Divemaster, and for snorkellers and underwater photographers travelling with them. It tells you where and when to go, what each site is really like, who should dive it and how to stay safe. Every major region has its own dive map, and each site comes with depth, current and level. Where a site is overrated, crowded or only for advanced divers, the book says so.