Review Author: firstscubaexp, Perth, Australia

Review Date: 30 Apr 2011

Review Body: Laurent & Jahn assisted my wife & I on our first scuba experience at Lembongan last Friday - thank you John at World Diving (who couldn't accomodate our timing) for the referral We were expecting some fun & adventure but realised very quickly once the theory started that this is a sport that needs to be taken very seriously Being underwater at depths never experienced before with a mask full of water and no mouthpeace set our nerves nerves on edge as we headed out on the short ride to the diving area wondering what we had got ourselves into Our two children aged 8 and 10 were also catered for on the dive boat with a life jacket, snorkelling gear and a carer so no distractions from that front as we fell backwards into the warm tropical waters Despite her initial fears my wife Laureen went through the emergency drills with Jahn without a hitch. Not so for me - all sense of logic went out the window as I descended the first few metres on the rope holding my breath, before a minor panic attack forced me to come to terms with the very functional mouthpiece & access to air. Once accustomed to this I had to do the water in mask drill and despite all the hand signals (in French) decided that the only place to understand would be above water Second time round no problem, what had the fuss been all about? Claustrophia & disorientaion - no not me! Then we descended to the ocean floor and the once we got moving realised what what we had come for - a whole new and wonderful experience! The first outcrop of coral revealed shoals of miniscule but brightly coloured fish hiding in the coral & a school of pencil fish standing on end ,and it just got better from there ..... Clear visibility, fantastic colours, coral reef and thousands of different species of fish which i will never know the names of .... We were under water for 50+ minutes all the time expertly handled by Jahn - always there guiding, adjusting equipment or pointing out interesting things- never in my line of sight i had to keep looking around to make sure he was there, the dependency on him ernormous, fear of emergency always in the back of my mind Towards the end of the dive I turned to find he had let me go on my own but I returned to his proximity very quickly when I realised Laureen had lost a flipper and we needed to surface Thank you Laurent, thank you Jahn, for your very professional training & guidance. A fantastic and truely memorable first scuba experience Jahn assures us we were very relaxed for first timers? I'm already planning my next trip to Lembongn to complete the course Steve Floyd

Review rating: 5

Review Author: grahamz, Uk

Review Date: 31 May 2018

Review Body: Nusa Lembongan Chosen on the back of the experience at Pemuteran, similarly well run and professional and a good laugh. (No Nitrox which in my view is a real opportunity especially with repeated dives every day) Water temps cooler 24-25 with thermoclines so 5mm and light hood are the best approach perhaps even a semi dry or a base layer under the 5mm. I chose to stay on Nusa Lembongan to be closer to the dive sites as I have previously travelled over from Bali and to cut down the hour trip each way Double tank dives most days usually leaving at either 9.00am or 10.30-11.00am depending on whether they are waiting for customers to come over from mainland Bail, in many ways this works well as often the later trips means you are dropping in as the masses have left. (Either that or take the trouble and do a early morning 6.00am dives) Lembongan diving is much busy than the likes of Candidasa and definitely Pemuteran I had some great dives, saw a lot of larger stuff including Mantas (Manta Point) and Mola Mola, plenty of current, some pretty strong so try to make sure you are confident with current before you come out either that and or here will be a good place to get some experience😃. Some great dives sites - probably the best for fish life was Toya Pakeh & one I could do every day though the strong drifts at PED are great fun too flying past fish and good corals Crystal Bay is extremely busy, lots of divers there who are clearly too inexperienced for the strong currents but that’s business I’m afraid, some of the best diving here is the area in the bay after the usual hunt for Mola Mola Pemuteran 2nd time diving with this dive company, great experience again. This location is extremely well run and professional with a great group of local DMs / Instructors headed by Dray & Karen. (Nitrox available) 3mm suit is plenty up here, temps 27-29 degrees They pay attention to their guests and pair up similarly qualified divers, using 2-3 boats to do this. The dives typically are in the bay at Pemuteran or Menjangan, you start 8.30 for 9.00, for the dives; in the bay this means after 2 dives with an interval back on shore you return around 1-1.30pm and for Menjangan around 3.30-4.00, well worth the 30-40 minute boat road to this Marine Park Great corals and life up at Menjangan with lots of smaller stuff Nudi, Seahorses, Frog Fish, Cardinal Fish, Mandarin Fish (night dive) at Pemuteran so worth a macro lens Overall doing both dive centres gives you a very good mix of different types of diving Both highly recommended.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: James_Risa, Singapore, Singapore

Review Date: 30 Sep 2014

Review Body: I can’t speak highly enough of Sven and the team at Bali Diving Academy, there’s literally nothing they won’t do to help you have an easy and enjoyable trip. They organised our entire holiday for us, including pick up from our hotel in Bali, ferry to Lembongan, accommodation on the island, advanced dive course for myself and fun dives for my girlfriend and then ferry to Gilli Trawangan with fun dives there too, even though they don’t operate from there. Now to the diving – Lembongan is a GEM and one of the few places in Asia I can see myself coming back to again and again. Unlike the more ‘famous’ dive sites like Komodo, Raja Ampat, Similan, Tubbataha etc, Lembongan is very accessible, relatively inexpensive and has great marine life (it’s also a cool island to explore). The team have been diving in the area for years and know the conditions and dive sties like the back of their hands. We managed so see a Mola Mola on our first dive and had the most incredible experience with Mantas on our second – one was entangled in a huge fishing line which had obviously been there for some time and was slowly ripping further down her wing. She was clearly in pain and as Sven slowly approached it was clear that she was asking for help, getting in a upright position and hovering, allowing Sven to get to the line. He spent about 15 minutes cutting the line from her and finally got her free, truly an amazing experience and one I will never forget – check out their Facebook page for photos/videos of this. Finally, the guys are very passionate about diving, professional and safe (equipment is well maintained, groups are small and they give you dive computers if you haven’t got one) but also friendly and great fun to dive with. Thanks guys and see you again soon!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Firestarryl, United Kingdom

Review Date: 29 Apr 2017

Review Body: The Liberty shipwreck is a fantastic dive for divers of all levels and I'd highly recommend it. Bali diving academy provided wonderful service from answering queries on WhatsApp to sending a very nice driver to pick us up and drop us off from 2 hours away. They were extremely accommodating the entire time from taking us to buy a water proof phone bag (not really needed, don't buy one, rent a camera instead) to finding us a underwater camera to rent for our dive. We arrived at a seaside resort with 2 large pools to use as a base to dive from. There were many different diving schools using the same place, but it wasn't too crowded and there was plenty of space for everyone for lunch, which was good. We did a pool refresher with divemaster Putu, whose English was good and patiently made sure we did each exercise correctly twice. He also helped me carry all my equipment into the sea and put my fins on. Putu was a fantastic dive master as he kept an eye on us the entire time and took photos for us as well. During the second dive, my friend had a bit of a breathing issue and panicked, swimming straight towards the surface, Putu saved his life by giving him his back-up respirator and taking him up. Thank god everything turned out alright and my friend was fine. Putu then quickly came back for me so we could both check up on my friend. Afterwards, I was even able to complete my dive with Putu while my friend rested onshore and took some photos with a sea turtle. I'd highly recommend Putu and Bali Diving Academy as a patient, fun, and calm instructor you can depend on for diving!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Izzay W

Review Date: 19 Jul 2018

Review Body: I have recently spent three months completing my DiveMaster internship with BDA. The whole experience was incredible. I started the course with only eight dives and was essentially a bit of a disaster diver... however, all the staff were incredibly patient and fantastic teachers! The wealth of experience of the divemasters and instructors is a merit to the dive center. The local guides (Sadam and Angger) are incredible at spotting the most well camouflaged macrolife; they easily spot nudibranches and are dab-hands at finding the well hidden spotted wobbegongs and bamboo sharks!! Daniel and Diego are amazing instructors who taught me so much about how to be a proactive diver and how to put panicked divers at ease. Their friendly, inviting attitudes make them fantastic instructors! Oli and Zan, are both wonderful people who ensure the organisation and co-ordination of the center. All the local employees and captains were a pleasure to spend time with, their energy and enthusiasm is contagious! The diving around Lembongan and Penida is truly spectacular! Each dive site offers a wealth of marine life! I would definitely recommend Toya Pakeh to all visitors- the reef is insanely beautiful and there's a good chance of spotting majestic giant trevallies there! There's a choice of dive site to suit each ability and I would highly recommend the strong drift dives for the more experienced divers! You're in good hands with BDA. Stay awesome team!!!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Chris K, Munich, Germany

Review Date: 31 May 2014

Review Body: I arrived at Nusa Lembongan with the objective of getting my open water certification and chose bali diving academy to do this. In short this was the best decision I made during my two months trip in Indonesia. I had such a great time doing the course with my instructor Andy and the rest of the team Maria, Eka, Anne, Andrea and the boat crew who were all extremely professional, diligent and fun to be around. Doing the confined water dive skills in the pool next to the dive school gave me the necessary confidence to really enjoy all four of my open water dives to the fullest. Having left Lembongan and having travelled for 5 weeks and dived in various places in Indonesia including Komodo I found myself always wanting to go back to Lembongan and the crew of Bali Diving Academy. My second visit there 5 days before flying home would confirm my desire to go back there again and resulted in not wanting to go home. The diving was sublime with awesome coral, huge variety of tropical fish, turtles, nudibranches, great drifts and currents and best of all the manta rays; all of this leaving me speechless and only made possible by the huge effort, professionality, organisation and devotion of the entire team form Bali Diving Academy Lemobongan. I can highly recommend diving with these guys if you are looking for a wonderful underwater experience with spotless equipment, awesome dive sites and dive guides/instructors that don’t get any better :-)

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Marc_G_8818, Bellheim, Germany

Review Date: 17 Oct 2018

Review Body: I just finished my Open Water Course with these amazing people and couldn't agree more with all the reviews on here. Besides the professionalism and patience with which you are beeing introduced to this amazing and addicting sport, you get to deal with a super friendly and comforting staff. I want to thank Diego (the real one) for having me in the evenings for a proper chat with your Instructors and Divemasters, Evelyn and Ivana for allways having a smile on their faces and showing me how to dance, Vika for straight telling the badass truth, Daniel for keeping it real, and of course the second Diego for allways joking (and beeing hungry ;-). Very special thanks goes out to my wonderful and lovely Instructor Tash, for calmly teaching the mechanics of diving and pointing out the details of the aquatic life on our great dives. It was an honour and pleasure of an experience, which a student can only dream of to have. Our time will forever be in my heart. At last i must thank the people of Bali and Lembongan and its beautiful and generous nature for an eye-opening time I will never forget. May everyone on this treasurous planet have the priviledge to see its beauty and start caring and preserving it for our children. Look no further in your search for the perfect Diving academy, you just found the right one. I will spread the message until we see each other again, my friends. With lots of Love and Happy Bubbles!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: TJMcM90, St Andrews, United Kingdom

Review Date: 09 Jan 2016

Review Body: I went diving with Bali Diving Academy last week during my holiday to Nusa Lembongan. As a dive instructor myself, I was highly impressed with the level of professionalism BDA offered. I was on the boat as a fun diver, but there were also training courses and first time diving experiences there as well. My dive guide looked after me incredibly well, showing me a selection of species, including Mola Mola, Manta Rays and Turtles, as well as indulging my personnel interests of Nudibraces (small underwater snail like creatures). All of their equipment was impeccably well maintained, with most of it looking virtually brand new. Whilst listening in on the other courses being run on the boat, I thought this was definitely one of the best operations I have seen in a while. The instructors took the time to personalise their teaching styles to the individual, and never tried to rush anyone into doing something which they may have been uncomfortable doing. For example, one girl on my boat, who had never dived before and was scared about the water entry, the instructor took the time to allow her to get in the water without the equipment on, and to kit up in the water which she was far more comfortable doing. There are cheaper dive centres on the island, but BDA offer an amazing experience, and I would not hesitate to recommend other to use them, it is well worth the slightly higher price!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Urvashi B, Jalandhar District, India

Review Date: 31 Mar 2019

Review Body: I visited Nusa Lembongan in March this year and deciding to dive with Bali Diving Academy was my best decision during my entire holiday. I completed the Open Water referral and Advanced Open Water certification with BDA and my oh my! what a great experience it was. The entire process right from my first email to my departure from Lembongan was flawless thanks to the prompt and very efficient communication and management of the entire team. I even had some payment issues at the behest my bank, but the staff at BDA was so cooperative and helpful with the whole process with regular updates on the whole thing even a month after I had left. Gestures like these really set a place apart from the others. As for the dives, I was with BDA for 3 days and 7 dives and each and every dive was just brilliant! My instructor Julien was patient, calm and really fun! Also, the choice of dive sites was so great because at most sites, we were the only ones diving, giving a very private experience of the dive sites. So much so that we were the only ones at even the Manta Point with all the Mantas just gliding by. The entire team was so friendly and warm and made all the divers aboard feel very comfortable and at home. A BIG thank you to Julien and Ivanna for the great dives and all the laughter! I really hope to dive with these guys again in the future. Cheers!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Jhermosa, Los Angeles

Review Date: 07 Apr 2017

Review Body: We always do our research when it comes to dive shops and we were very happy we went with Bali Diving Academy in Tulamben! Our divemaster for our 3 days of diving was Madi and he was great! Friendly, helpful, accommodating! He was always on time for our pickups. And when my boyfriend had some ear problems, he was very understanding and accommodating when we decided to change up our schedule of dives! He also always helped me with my gear which was great since it was all shore dives and the equipment can be heavy for me. He took us to the Liberty Wreck for an early morning and night dive which was amazing - huge humphead parrotfish and not very many people as compared to during the day. We also went to Coral Gardens - it was amazing as we were the only ones there and saw so many different creatures including a shark! The colors were fantastic! Then, because we had to short our prepaid dives by 2 due to my boyfriend's ear issues, before we could even worry about it, they had sent a staff member to our hotel to refund us the dives!!! Talk about great service! From the emails to Madi, all our interactions were positive and I would highly recommend them! Hopefully we'll be back!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: NaomiRyanX2

Review Date: 19 Mar 2014

Review Body: My partner and I completed our Open Water dive Cert at BDA Lembongan with Maria. Since we had never been diving before, we were taught how to check for correctly functioning equipment and taught step by step how to assemble our gear. Maria was ever so kind and friendly, as well as Marco and Ardi and they continuously encouraged us to feel welcome and confident in our diving. On our fun dives and Open Water dives, we were shown to all of the best sites. The crew at BDA Lembongan have extensive knowledge on the area and go above and beyond to ensure that their students & visitors experience the best possible dive, in the appropriate weather, in a safe and fun way - even if it means chasing the Mantas! Every day, our tummies were filled with a delicious Authentic Balinese meal aboard our dive boat, which was anchored up at some of the most picturesque sites that I've ever seen! I had so much fun with BDA Lembongan, I felt safe, comfortable, welcome and happy. I'm so happy with our experience there that I have booked for myself and a few friends to return in June to complete our Advanced OW with Maria. I can't wait to be back :):)

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Mads H

Review Date: 31 Oct 2017

Review Body: I went to Nusa Lembongan on holidays, and since i`ve already had the open water diver i started the research where to do a fun dive. I met a friend who took his open water diver at Bali Diving Academy, i decided to follow him on his trip for my dives as well. I promise you guys, you`re not going to be sorry after visiting this academy. First of all; Nusa Lembongan is a beautiful Place to dive where you can see a lot of great fishes, sea - turtles and the Manta. it`s a Perfect location With a lot of exellent Corals and great visibility. But most of all, all of the staff in Bali Diving Academy are very Professional and they are working every day to meet Your expectations and they are working for Your safety. I almost wanted to do my Open Water Diver all over again in this Place just because of their good service, knowledge and experience. I kept smiling from i entered the porch at the dive store and went back With the boat after the dives....i`m smiling when i think about it in this moment. A big thanks to all of the staff and instructors, the captain and all of the helpers..you`re doing an outstanding job. Cheers //Mads, Norway

Review rating: 5

Review Author: aubrey530, Dallas, Texas

Review Date: 01 Jul 2018

Review Body: My husband and I both spent a week diving with Bali Diving Academy soaking up the vibrant macro life and beautiful coral reefs! My husband took his PADI Open Water Course, and because we were so impressed with the service and instruction, we both completed our PADI Advanced Course there as well. Our highlights included: - Competent dive guides + boat captains: Currents can be strong in Lembongan and local knowledge/skill and attention to detail is a must. Staff was friendly and fun - Quality customer service: Hot tea, coffee, and lunch provided on the boat. Our guides took us back to our hotel in their free time two separate days when our shuttle did not arrive!! - Environmentally Conscience: The guides love the ocean and respect the dive sites to the upmost. - Communication: From booking to receiving information about day of details, Bali Diving Academy provided us the right information in a timely fashion, made changes when we requested them, and answered all our questions. We would highly recommend!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Shiv VASISHT

Review Date: 10 Jan 2019

Review Body: The best snorkeling we ever did After watching the many happy teams that passed through our hotel with the BDA team, and seeing the contentiousness with which the entire team operated, we decided to go with them for a snorkeling trip. We never felt safer in these waters with a guide up front leading us, and one behind making sure everyone was alright. The boat followed us, and was at hand when one person wanted to get back on board (she was seasick). We did some wonderful drift snorkeling, over 500 meters at a time, with some very strong currents that would have otherwise terrified us! Very grateful to the entire team, very touched by all their care and concern. The meal included in the plan was among the better we'd had in a while, so it was all worth it. And since the weather didn't permit stopping for the manta rays, we even got a good 10 percent off the tab, completely unasked for by us! Good, competent and caring people to go with! - Florence and Shiv

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Daniel G, San Francisco, California

Review Date: 19 Apr 2018

Review Body: I just got back from a great family trip to a Bali. By far and away one of the highlights was diving alongside my 12 year old while he finished up his PADI certification. His instructor Sven was awesome. My son is a little cautious by nature but Sven laid out things so calmy and easily that he felt comfortable immediately. They did a great job of making sure he developed the skills he needs to stay safe, but always with an emphasis that diving is simply a fun thing to do. We did 4 dives over 2 days. The locations are great and the overall team was fantastic. They arranged pick-up and transport from our villa, ferry transfers, meals and of course logistics at each of the dive sites. All we had to do was have our gear ready each day. I look forward to going back and diving with them in the future. Better yet my 12 year old is already planning our next dive trip. Thanks for taking care of my son and helping him gain some confidence. Daniel

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Stephi1971, Zandvoort, Nederland

Review Date: 29 Jul 2011

Review Body: Just came back from Lebongan and had a wonderfull time diving with Bali diving academy. A small diveschool with nice staff, good information and the rental gear was all new and well maintained. They keep excellent track of divers going in and getting out by signing a list. I have been diving for 26 years and seen many diveschools around the world, this is one of the best I have encountered. They listen to your wishes as it was no problem for them that I wanted to abort the dive with manta's after 10 minutes to go and snorkel with them. A great tip for anyone who is going to do this dive, snorkeling with the manta's is so much better as they stay and swim around much longer. We were fortunate to snorkel for almost two hours with these magnificent creatures. So nice the staff wasn't in a hurry and we could stay the whole time. I centainly would recommend this diveschool if you are going to dive at Lembongan.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Sytse Douma, Groningen, The Netherlands

Review Date: 31 Oct 2018

Review Body: Me and my girlfriend did our open water course at Bali Diving academy on Nusa Lembongan. We did the course with another Swedish couple. Our dive master was Daniel and he really made our entire course a big succes. He made the course both fun and gave us the feeling of safety. We had Bali Dive arrange our transport from main land Bali to Nusa Lembongan and our hotel stay at Nusa Lembongan for a fair price. On the first day we did the theory in their little class room witch was nice and relaxing, after that we started with practicing in the pool. On the second and third day we went out diving around Lembongan and saw some amazing underwater life including some huge manta rays. The dives were great and the food they brought for lunch was really good. I would recommend Bali Diving Academy to anyone who wants to learn diving at an amazing place with a great dive master in a fun, relaxing and safe environment.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Nicolas L

Review Date: 23 Sep 2017

Review Body: We are a French couple who travelled in Bali in September. We discovered Bali Diving Academy first when we dived with them in Pemuteran. They were very helpful (special thanks to the owner, Noëllie, who took good care of us each time very quickly!) and super friendly. The team in Tulamben is not that big yet but the quality of the equipment and the service were irreproachable, we had an amazing dive each time! In Tulamben we dived two times: first around the huge USS Liberty Shipwreck, and then inside the boat with all kind of colorful fishes. Our guide Made was very invested to make this experience as best as possible (finding the best spots, giving us lot of explanations, taking pics) and it definitely worked. Little tip: try to go diving as soon as possible in the morning, the big fishes tend to disappear as the groups of tourist are coming. We highly recommend this agency to dive in Bali!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Elżbieta, Poland

Review Date: 17 Nov 2017

Review Body: We were so happy with diving with BDA in Pemuteran (see my other review) that we decided to stay with the company and dive Nusa Lembongan, where they also have a dive centre.And it wasn't a disappointment at all. The office is run by very young people but they deal with everything efficiently. They have good diving equipment and boats and they take care of them. The dive guides are both local and western and they get on well together creating a great team. As for dive sites, the reefs there are really beautiful and healthy but the dives can sometimes be challenging because of currents. Especially when you are a macro lover and try to take pictures of e.g. a nudibranch.What surprised us was the water temperature ,which several times dropped to 24 or even 20 C. Thank you guys for great diving experiences and special greetings to our guides Daniel (also a nudibranch fan) and Saddam.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: WeiRong_K, Singapore, Singapore

Review Date: 31 Aug 2018

Review Body: Had 4 fun dives with Bali Diving Academy over 2 days, with 1 of my friend taking Open Waters Cert. The instructor Daniel and Dive Master Saddam were very nice! We had the boat to ourselves one the first day and it was great. Equipment were in good conditions and full length 5mm wet suit was provided. Given booties and used open fins instead of the usual. Saw manta rays and mola mola on the dives! Also, they provided dive computers too! Lunch was provided onboard and surprisingly the small packet of rice with some local dishes were great! Recommended for those who wants a chilling dive in Nusa Lembongan! And not to worry, they are able to provide transport to and fro your accommodation on the island. They had also liaised for us the ferry transport back to Bali island. Good service!

Review rating: 5

Itinerary Day 1

Itinerary Summary: Today you will learn about basic theory of Reefs

Itinerary Description: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm: Theory session on reef ecology, conservation, and Reef Check protocols. 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Lunch break. 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Continued theory session and practical exercises on data collection and survey techniques. Note: This day primarily focuses on theoretical knowledge and understanding the principles of Reef Check.

Itinerary Day 2

Itinerary Summary: Fish and invertebrate dive camp

Itinerary Description: 9:00 am - 10:00 am: Recap of the previous day's theory session. 10:00 am - 12:00 pm: Fish and invertebrate identification session. 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Lunch break. 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Boat dive 1 (offshore) to practice fish and invertebrate identification underwater. The dives on this day aim to enhance your skills in identifying various fish and invertebrate species.

Itinerary Day 3

Itinerary Summary: Learn & dive with corals

Itinerary Description: 9:00 am - 10:00 am: Recap of the previous day's activities. 10:00 am - 12:00 pm: Coral substrates identification session. 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Lunch break. 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Boat dive 1 to explore different coral substrates and practice identification techniques.

Itinerary Day 4

Itinerary Summary: This day involves practical application of survey methods learned earlier, where you'll perform a complete Reef Check survey.

Itinerary Description: 9:00 am - 10:00 am: Recap of the previous day's activities. 10:00 am - 12:00 pm: Survey methods workshop, including practicing data collection techniques. 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Lunch break. 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Boat dive 1 to conduct a complete Reef Check survey dive, collecting data to be logged into the Reef Check database. Please note that the timings and activities may vary depending on the specific course and location. It's always recommended to consult with the instructors or organizers of the Reef Check Eco Diver course for the most accurate and up-to-date itinerary.