The beach at Kalimaya Dive Resort
A reef at Kalimaya Dive Resort
A nudibranch in Sumbawa

Luxury Diving Holidays in Sumbawa

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    Best time to visit

    May-October

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    Marine Highlights

    Dive on an active volcano, manta rays, rare nudibranch species, paddleflap rhinopias, sea apples, banded sea snakes, ornate ghost pipefish

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    Difficulty

    Intermediate-Advanced

Overview

Generally speaking, Sumbawa is not somewhere that comes up on a lot of divers’ radars, but this makes it all the sweeter as barely any divers venture to this region of Indonesia, and we can say first-hand that the diving is excellent! Best for more experienced divers due to the strong currents in the area, Sumbawa’s best dive sites vary from glorious muck dives on an active underwater volcano to washing machine currents with excellent manta encounters. There is just one dive resort in this region and they have their pick of 45+ dive sites for guests to enjoy without any crowds.  

A marbled shrimp in Sumbawa

Marbled shrimp

An aerial view of the jetty at Kalimaya Dive Resort

Kalimaya dive resort jetty

Sumbawa Reefscape

A reef squid in Sumbawa

Reef Squid

A turtle in Sumbawa

Turtle

A coleman shrimp in Sumbawa

Coleman shrimp

A coral reef with sun in Sumbawa

Sumbawa reef

A bobtail squid in Sumbawa

Bobtail squid

Pikachu nudibranchs in Sumbawa

pikachu nudibranchs

An island in Sumbawa

Island in Sumbawa

In Depth 

Whilst Sumbawa does not have the same volume of marine life as in Komodo National Park, it doesn’t have the volume of divers and boats either. Kalimaya Dive Resort, nestled in this quiet area in East Sumbawa, has access to some of the best dive sites in the country. Sangeang Volcano is a 40-minute boat ride from the resort and promises a unique experience diving on an active volcano, with sulphur bubbles rising from the black sandy slopes at Bubble Reef. The nutrient rich sea floor is dotted with a huge array of nudibranchs which are a photographer’s delight, their vibrant colour popping against the black sand beneath. Galley Rock at Gili Banta promises virtually guaranteed encounters with manta rays, as long as the current is manageable for diving, while sites like Lulu’s Hat boast immaculately healthy reefs.

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Places to Stay in Sumbawa

Kalimaya Dive Resort Lounge And Pool

Kalimaya Dive Resort

This is a very special dive resort with only 10 bungalows all overlooking the sea.

Located just outside the Komodo National Park, Kalimaya has access to some incredible dive sites that can only be accessed from divers at Kalimaya or the odd liveaboard. 

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Contact an expert to start planning your next diving holiday