Indonesia Archipelago • The Best Diving in the World

Indonesia: Are 17,000 Islands Enough?

Indonesia is a land of contrast and one of the most diverse places on earth both geographically and biologically. It bridges the gap between the continents of Asia and Australia and is the world's largest archipelago with over 17,500 islands that stretch over 5000 km (~3,000 miles) from east to west. The amount of coral reef the archipelago contains is far far more than neighbor Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The island count varies from 13,500 to over 18,000 depending on the time of year and the tide. The islands straddle the equator, stretching over 1700 km (~1100 miles) from north to south. It's a huge area, and would take a lifetime to explore. This vast and diverse archipelago is like nowhere else on earth. Indonesia has a lot of islands and a lot of ocean to explore. The diving possibilities are virtually unlimited and the variety enormous.

A Long & Fascinating History

A few centuries ago, many explorers did indeed dedicate their lives to exploring the archipelago but for completely different reasons than we do today. This land is rich with oil, timber, minerals and spices like cloves, pepper, vanilla, and nutmeg. Empires rose and fell due to European and Asian powers trading in these commodities. Serious political games and power struggles were played out in Indonesia for centuries. Great explorers like Ferdinand Magellan, the first European expedition to circle the globe, lost their lives to the spice trade.

Remarkable Diversity & Exotic Names

Indonesia offers dramatic vistas with topography that varies from rice paddies, mangroves and volcanoes to rain forests and yes, even glaciers. Underwater, the color and diversity of Indonesia's coral reefs is astonishing and unparalleled. The main areas visited for diving at the Nusa Tengarra region (Komodo National Park including Rinca, Lombok, and Sumbawa); Sulawesi Island, north (Manado) and south (Wakatobi); West Papua (formally Irian Jaya, home of the famous Raja Ampat); Kalimantan (South Borneo); and the Banda Sea including Maluku and Ambon.

The Experience, Integrity & Dedication You Deserve

We believe that selling dive travel takes not only a special dedication but a particular knowledge. Our aim is to find you the right vessel and destination. Before making personal recommendations, we consider your diving experience, dive travel history, level of comfort expected and length of time available, all wrapped up inside a price you can afford. We have the experience to do just that.

Get Advice from Professionals

Siam Dive n Sail has been the leading provider of Southeast Asia diving travel and liveaboards since 1996. We're based on the beautiful resort island of Phuket, in Thailand, Southeast Asia's premier tropical playground. Co-owners John Williams and Bent Posejpal are veterans of more than 20 years in the diving business. John is a Lonely Planet author and has authored or co-authored four books on diving in the region. Bent is a PADI Course Director who has trained well over 1000 instructors since 1994; he offers instructional level (IDC) training every month.

Go to Liveaboards or Resorts

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Liveaboards operate in the best places for diving in the country. Popular areas are Komodo and Flores in Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi (Manado and Wakatobi), the Banda Sea around Alor and Maluku, and the exotic Raja Ampat in West Papua (Irian Jaya). The liveaboard diving offers some of the most exotic diving on the planet.

Many areas in Indonesia have such easy access to fantastic diving, that no liveaboard is necessary. Places such as Lembeh Strait or Wakatobi in Sulawesi have some of the best beach diving in the world. Other islands off the coast of Bali offer opportunities to see fantastic fish such as Mola Mola or swim to shipwrecks by day trip or shore.

In addition to offering all of our normal join-in liveaboard dive boats as full charter options with special discounts, we also have a number of vessels which are only available on a charter basis. Chartering your own boat with your family or a group of friends is the best way to guarantee good group dynamics and tons of fun. Plus you can save money on group deals.

Indonesia Destination Map

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