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GILI ISLANDS LOMBOK - INDONESIA

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Water temperature: |
This depends on your dive
location because there are many cold currents and upwellings.
However, expect a temperature range of about 23°C (73°F) to
29°C (84°F) |
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Suit: |
3mm shortie to 5mm wetsuit,
dependent on the region you dive |
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Visibility: |
10 - 40 metres (30 - 120 feet) |
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Type of diving: |
Reef slopes, drop offs,
plateaus, caves and wrecks |
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Marine life: |
Sharks, dolphins, manta rays,
turtles, morays, cuttlefish, octopus, scorpionfish,
pipefish, leaf fish, angelfish etc. Over 3,500 species live
in Indonesian waters, compared with 1,500 on the Great
Barrier Reef and 600 in the Red Sea |
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When to go: |
Avoid December and January
because the heavy rainfall during these months will reduce
visibility |
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How
to get there: |
From the UK
- Flights into Indonesia depend on which region you are
visiting. Stopovers are usually required, often in
Singapore. Try British Airways or Singapore Airlines for
more information |

There is reasonably good diving
here, and the islands are globally known as a teaching
centre. An impressive array of sea creatures and plant life
is to be seen, such as green and hawksbill turtles, manta
rays (rarely), bumphead parrotfish, black-tip and white-tip
reef sharks, and more. Visibility is commonly in the 15-20m
range. However, due to the exposed position of the Gilis,
currents can be quite strong and drift diving is the norm.
Gili Trawangan has the most dive operators, but PADI and SSI
licensed dive operators exist on all three islands.
Equipment is kept in top shape, with excellent facilities
and (mostly) western dive instructors. Divemasters are more
commonly experienced locals. Dive and course prices are
fixed by agreement between the dive operators on each
island, so there is nothing financial to be gained by
shopping around between the operators. A good approach is to
settle down on your chosen island, get to know the dive
shops, and chose to dive with the one with which you feel
most comfortable.
For those interested in learning to dive or advancing
existing qualifications, several of the operators now offer
both PADI and SSI options. SSI is generally a little cheaper
than PADI; talk to your chosen operator to find out which
suits you best. Nitrox and other technical diving options
are also offered by operators on Gili Trawangan especially.
All dive shops on the Gili Islands are members of the Gili
Eco Trust, a non-profit organisation set up to protect coral
reefs surrounding the islands and provide environmental
education. There is a one time only reef tax of Rp 50,000
payable by all divers and dive students. This is collected
by the dive operator and it is this reef tax that funds the
work of the trust. If you are interested in learning more
about the work of the trust, or volunteering to help, ask
for Delphine at the Big Bubble dive shop on Gili Trawangan.
Dive Prices
* Fun Dives: US$40/dive
* PADI courses: Discover Scuba US$90, Open Water US$350,
Advanced Open Water US$300.
* SSI courses: about 10% cheaper than the PADI equivalent.

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