Explore The Magical Karangasem Underwater Sites
Karangasem underwater sites are a stunning natural view, especially for its underwater paradise. It is famous among others for the holy volcano Gunung (Mount) Agung and Bali’s most important temple. It is Besakih Temple located at the slopes of Mount Agung and is also usually referred to as Bali’s Mother Temple. Further, there are many good reasons why tourists choose Karangasem when planning a visit to Bali. Particularly for divers, this regency is home to many attractive underwater gems. Here, you will find beginner as well as professional divers flocking to Bali’s most popular spots.
It is a great place to sit down, have a drink, and go see the diverse sea life right outside. Though the water is clean for the most part, there is a current. Here are two beaches in Karangasem as great places to snorkel or dive with an underwater temple, shipwrecks, and beautiful scenic drive.
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1. Tulamben
Tulamben is a small village located in the northeast of the island of Bali. The location of Tulamben village faces the Lombok Strait which is very rich in marine biota. Tulamben Village is inside the Kubu District, in the northern part of Karangasem-Bali Regency. If you depart from the tourist area of Kuta Bali, to reach the location of the village of Tulamben Karangasem, it will cover a distance of 102 kilometres, with an estimated travel time of 3 hours. The main attraction in Tulamben is diving down to the USAT Liberty and enjoying an amazing wreck dive – especially during the night. You won’t regret it! The USAT Liberty ship was torpedoed by Japanese submarines during World War 2. From the coast, the distance of the USAT Liberty wreck is around 25 meters and usually divers will use a boat from the coast to the location of the wreck.
On the USAT Liberty ship area, you will meet Mola Mola, Hammerheads, and Shark Whales. The diversity of other marine biotas such as coral reefs, ornamental fish, plankton, seaweed, and other marine life makes the USAT Liberty wreck in Tulamben one of the best dive sites in Bali. Many dive operators in Bali will include 2 or 3 dives in this area in a dive safari. But you can dive on a day trip too. This is a worthwhile experience if you are a snorkeller.
2. Amed
Amed is located on the eastern tip of the island of Bali, entered in the area of Abang District, Karangasem Regency – Bali. It is one of Karangasem’s Underwater spots with sea views that can get very idyllic at sunset. If you depart from Ngurah Rai Airport, you will travel approximately 3.5 hours. The beach is close to the hill and still far from the city so it still looks natural. Spent a couple of days in Amed with a nice peaceful beach to walk along and also a great place to snorkel. Moreover, it is a working beach so plenty of fishermen from the local village work and you will see the sea salt harvesting. Foreign tourists also admit that this place is worthy of being a mandatory destination.
The clarity of this water makes all the ecosystems here clearly visible. Calm and desertic place, an ideal beach if you’re looking for some peace in Amed. It is also possible to do snorkelling and arrange some fishing or diving trips with the locals from there. The snorkelling off the beach is pretty good with plenty of colourful fish and other marine life. Being down here is like being in a fairyland. There are much beautiful fish, coral, and best of all, turtles. Moreover, a lot of the beachfront facilities are pretty run down, so it suggests walking along the foreshore until you find a stall that hires snorkelling gear and has a cold beer then enjoy some chill time.
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