Updated August 15, 2022
This is the one hundred and seventy-second in a series of reviews of the best diving destinations around the world. In this post, the focus is on Asia. For other “Best” reviews of liveaboards and destinations, go to “Best Liveaboards & Destinations Lists” on the top menu.
Have you been diving in Asia before? If so, I’d love to know about your experience. What dive shop or liveaboard did you use? Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.? Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.
Best Scuba Diving Asia
A nice warm climate with year-round diving, megafauna like turtles, sharks, rays, cetaceans, and pelagics, a wide range of macro critters, exhilarating currents, pristine biodiverse reefs, intriguing historic wrecks, and sites suitable for beginners and advanced technical divers – Asia has it all. Where should I go? We’ll help you decide with this bucket list of options to choose from.
- Tubbataha Reef
- Raja Ampat
- Palau
- Mergui Archipelago
- Truk
- Papua New Guinea
- Malapascua
- Maldives
- Komodo
- Sipadan
Tubbataha Reef (Philippines)
Isolated in the Sulu Sea 94 miles (150 kilometers) from the Provincial capital, Puerto Princesa, the Tubbataha Reef is under the protection of a national marine park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Due to rough weather, it is only open for diving from March through June, and with rules for anchoring and other environmental measures, the reef and marine life are in excellent pristine shape. The islands and shoals have steep drop-offs, ledges, and caverns with 600 species of fish and 300 species of corals on a large number of sites with strong currents possible and diving suitable for all levels.
- Dive Season: March through June
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 81-86°F (27-30°C)
- Visibility: 16-100 feet (5-30 meters)
- Highlights: rich macro including nudibranchs, frogfish, shrimps, and crabs, Napoleon wrasses, bumphead parrotfish, barracuda, big-eye jacks, giant schools of reef fish including surgeonfish and Moorish idols, green and hawksbill turtles, manta, eagle, giant reef, and several varieties of stingray, 11 species of shark that includes whale, whitetip, grey reef, silky, tiger, nurse, and guitar sharks
For a more detailed review of Tubbataha liveaboards and scuba diving, check out this post:
Check the Price & Details on Tubbataha Reef liveaboards
Raja Ampat (Indonesia)
With unparalleled biodiversity of over 500 species of coral and 1,500 species of fish, the pristine isolated reefs of Raja Ampat are on everyone’s list of the world’s best dive sites. A variety of underwater terrain has a nice mix of mangrove forests, white and black sand, grass beds, coral gardens, rocky slopes, and steep walls that provide excellent habitat for a wide range of macro critters, reef tropicals, pelagics, turtles, sharks, rays, cetaceans, dugongs, and other megafauna. In addition, there are several World War II-era ship and plane wrecks to explore.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 81-84°F (27-29°C)
- Visibility: 33-130 feet (10-40 meters)
- Highlights: ghost pipefish, ribbon eels, harlequin shrimps, banded sea kraits, pygmy seahorses, blue-ringed octopus, rhinopias scorpionfish, lobster, nudibranchs, angelfish, parrotfish, sweetlips, butterflyfish, bumphead parrotfish, Maori wrasses, barracuda, jacks, white and blacktip reef sharks, wobbegongs, mobula and manta rays, green turtles, and the possibility of whales, orcas, pods of dolphins, or a dugong, pelagics like dogtooth tuna, giant trevallies, and mackerel, several wrecks including a P-47D Thunderbolt
For more detailed reviews of Raja Ampat liveaboards and scuba diving, check out these posts:
Check the Price & Details on Raja Ampat liveaboards
Palau
The colorful and healthy coral reefs also host biodiverse marine life on a combination of calm, shallow coral gardens, lagoons, and steep walls which can have high octane drift requiring a reef hook to maintain position. It has the best of the Indo-Pacific fauna from bountiful macro critters like the mandarin fish, to huge shoals of jacks and barracuda, turtles, many species of shark, eagle and manta rays, dolphins, and several intriguing ship and plane wrecks. There is even the famous jellyfish lake where you can swim in a smothering mass of stingless jellies without fear.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 84-86°F (29-30°C) most of the year but drops to 79°F (26°C) in February and March
- Visibility: 50-130 feet (15-40 meters)
- Highlights: mandarin fish, octopus, flatworms, nudibranchs, oysters, sea kraits, scorpionfish, frogfish, moray eels, cleaner shrimp, bannerfish, surgeonfish, sweetlips, snappers, clown triggerfish, trumpetfish, cornetfish, soldierfish, Maori wrasses, massive schools of barracuda and jacks, green and hawksbill turtles, eagle and manta rays, 3 varieties of reef shark, leopard, and whale sharks, dolphins, stingless jellyfish, wrecks – Jake Seaplane, Iro Maru, Helmet wreck, Chuyo Maru, Amatsu Maru, Bichu Maru, Raizan Maru, Ryuko Maru, Teshio Maru, Zeke Fighter
For more detailed reviews of Palau liveaboards and scuba diving, check out these posts:
Check the Price & Details on Palau liveaboards
Mergui Archipelago (Myanmar)
North of Thailand in the Andaman Sea, the 800 islands of the Mergui Archipelago are scattered across the waters controlled by Myanmar (Burma) and only opened to tourism in 1997. With little development of an onshore scuba diving industry, these remote islands and shoals are best approached on a liveaboard. Although not completely unscathed by commercial fishing, there are largely untouched rich coral reefs on a wide variety of undersea terrain with walls, caverns, and swim-throughs largely suitable for experienced divers. Rich macro life and a variety of reef tropicals, pelagics, turtles, sharks, and rays make it worth the trip.
- Dive Season: October to May
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 79-86°F (26-30°C)
- Visibility: usually 33-100 feet (10-30 meters), the plankton bloom in January through March may cause a decrease
- Highlights: octopus, cuttlefish, lobster, crabs, shrimp, ghost pipefish, frogfish, ribbon eels, nudibranchs, batfish, trevallies, rainbow runners, unicornfish, blue-spotted stingrays, whitetip and grey reef sharks, nurse sharks, silvertip sharks, whale sharks, eagle, mobula, and manta rays, barracuda, dogtooth tuna
For a more detailed review of Mergui Archipelago liveaboards and scuba diving, check out this post:
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Truk
Truk, or Chuuk, is a large Micronesian atoll used as Japan’s largest offshore military base in WWII. It drew the attack of the allies in the form of Operation Hailstone during which all the ships (60) and 200 aircraft were destroyed leaving most in Truk Lagoon. After 60+ years of coral and reef development, there is a vibrant ecosystem of 266 species of fish, loads of encrusting sponges and corals, rich macro life, and spectacular residents and visitors like turtles, reef sharks, and rays including mantas that often appear along with whale sharks from December through April. Of the 50 viable dive sites of the “Ghost Fleet,” there are aircraft, cargo vessels, offensive naval ships, and a lot of evidence of the life onboard in the form of munitions, personal effects, gas masks, deck guns, and even human remains. Many are at depths less than 100 feet (30 meters) but some are deeper requiring advanced and technical skills.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: advanced to technical (advanced open water is the minimum)
- Water Temperature: 81-86°F (27-30°C)
- Visibility: usually pretty good but can be as low as 25 feet (8 meters)
- Highlights: nudibranchs, anemones, porcelain crabs, shrimps, small fish, reef tropicals, turtles, reef sharks, stingrays, eagle rays, manta rays, whale sharks, wrecks – San Francisco Maru, Fujikawa Maru, Heian Maru, Gosei Maru, Aikoku Maru, Hoki Maru, Shinkoku Maru, Rio de Janeiro Maru, Kansho Maru, Unkai Maru, Submarine I-169, Yamagiri Maru, Nippo Maru
For a more detailed review of Truk Lagoon liveaboards and diving, check out this post:
Check the Price & Details on Truk Lagoon Liveaboards
Papua New Guinea
Remote and with little tourism, Papua New Guinea offers a range of excellent dive sites on pristine, biodiverse reefs, on a subsea terrain of barrier reefs, walls, pinnacles, and coral gardens. There is excellent muck diving with a variety of reef tropicals and spectacular megafauna including pelagics like dogtooth tuna, barracuda, jacks, numerous species of sharks and rays, dugongs, dolphins, and whales. It was the site of many WWII battles resulting in numerous shallow and deep wrecks from that era and some recently scuttled, as well. The country covers a broad area making a liveaboard the best option for seeing a wide range of sites. Local lodging is also available in many locations.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: beginner to technical
- Water Temperature: 74-88°F (23-31°C)
- Visibility: 68-150 feet (20-45 meters), rains from December to March decrease the visibility
- Highlights: frogfish, scorpionfish, seahorses, pipefish, nudibranchs, anemone shrimp, crabs, lobster, cuttlefish, octopus, clown triggerfish, trumpetfish, moray eels, large schools of yellowback fusiliers, black snappers, and surgeonfish, whitetip, blacktip, and grey reef sharks, silvertip, hammerhead, and whale sharks, dugongs, dolphins, whales, eagle, and manta rays, dogtooth tuna, turtles, and big schools of rainbow runners, jacks, and barracuda, wrecks – B-17F Black Jack, Pacific Gas Wreck, Kimbe Bay Zero Wreck, Sanko Maru, Midget Sub Type B, Subchaser 39, Kate Bomber, “Deep Pete” Mitsubishi Float Plane, New Ireland’s Australian PBY Catalina Flying Boat
For more detailed reviews of Papua New Guinea liveaboards and diving, check out these posts:
Check the Price & Details on Papua New Guinea Liveaboards
Malapascua (Philippines)
In the northern Visayas region of the Philippines off the coast of Cebu, Malapascua Island has become known in the last 25 years as the most reliable location to see thresher sharks. In the mornings at nearby Monad Shoal at depths of 100 feet (30 meters) or less, threshers come to cleaning stations within a very close range of divers and linger long enough to get relieved of parasites and give divers the charge of a lifetime. Malapascua isn’t a one-trick pony though. There are attractive coral reefs, rich macro life, and a great variety of colorful reef tropicals on diverse terrain including several caverns around Malapascua Island, and other shoals and islands in the immediate area. Hammerheads, reef sharks, mobulas, mantas, eagle rays, and several wrecks are further attractions.
- Dive Season: year-round, best from November through June
- Skill Level: intermediate to advanced and technical (minimum of advanced open water recommended)
- Water Temperature: 77- 86° F (25-30° C), lows in December-January
- Visibility: 50-100 feet (15-30 meters) dropping to 16-33 feet (5-10 meters) during plankton blooms in December and January
- Highlights: sea horses, mantis shrimp, pygmy seahorses, harlequin ghost pipefish, frogfish, mandarin fish, flamboyant cuttlefish, common octopus, sea moths, lionfish, scorpionfish, blue-ringed octopus, banded sea kraits, snappers, sweetlips, batfish, barracuda, blue-spotted stingrays, eagle, mobula, and manta rays, thresher, hammerhead, whitetip reef, nurse, bamboo, and whale sharks, 4 wrecks including the MV Dona Marilyn
For more detailed reviews of Malapascua and the Visayas Liveaboards and locations, check out these posts:
- Best Liveaboard Scuba Diving Philippines (Malapascua and the Visayas)
- Best Scuba Diving Resorts Malapascua
Check the Price & Details on Malapascua Liveaboards
Maldives
Covering a broad area, the 1,190 coral islands and 26 atolls of the Maldives are noted for sandy white beaches, turquoise clear water, and pristine coral reefs. The undersea terrain includes caves, caverns, and walls with abundant marine life including megafauna like mantas, hammerheads, and whale sharks, lots of reef tropicals, and several shipwrecks. With so many atolls crowded into a limited area, there is often substantial current bringing nutrients and making for some exhilarating drift diving.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 80-86°F (26-30°C)
- Visibility: 50-100 feet (15-30 meters)
- Highlights: nudibranchs, mantis shrimp, lobsters, pipefish, orange damselfish, moray eels, hawkfish, soldierfish, lionfish, butterflyfish, red-mouthed groupers, bannerfish, batfish, pufferfish, schools of fusiliers, red bass, red-toothed triggerfish, angelfish, unicornfish, starry rabbitfish, sweetlips, parrotfish, blue-lined snappers, Napoleon wrasses, turtles, nurse, whitetip and grey reef, hammerhead, and whale sharks, eagle rays, mantas, black-blotched and cowtail stingrays, tuna, bluefin and big-eye jacks, giant trevallies, barracuda, wrecks – Maldives Victory Wreck, Fesdu Wreck
For more detailed reviews of Maldives liveaboards and dive sites, check out these posts:
Check the Price & Details on Maldives Liveaboards
Komodo (Indonesia)
With its iconic 275-pound (125-kilogram) Komodo dragons and topography of volcanoes, the Komodo National Park is recognized near the top of the list of the best diving destinations with its warm water, a mixture of shallow-water reefs, and current-swept volcanic rocks, pinnacles, and walls. Upwelling brings nutrients to support excellent macro life to go along with extreme biodiversity of reef tropicals, and megafauna of schooling pelagics, turtles, rays, sharks, cetaceans, and Mola Mola.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: intermediate to advanced (many liveaboards require advanced open water due to currents)
- Water Temperature: 81-86°F (27-30°C)
- Visibility: 16-100 feet (5-30 meters)
- Highlights: pygmy seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish, cowries, spider and hermit crabs, nudibranchs, snowflake morays, cuttlefish, red octopus, jawfish, black and midnight snappers, yellow-ribbon sweet lips, gold-striped fusiliers, anthias, damselfish, pyramid butterflyfish, regal angelfish, checkboard wrasses, Napoleon wrasses, batfish, blue-spotted stingrays, bluefin and big-eye jacks, giant trevallies, great barracuda, whitetip, blacktip, and grey reef sharks, hammerhead sharks, eagle and manta rays, whales, bottlenose dolphins, Mola Mola, green and hawksbill turtles
For more detailed reviews of Komodo and nearby Alors and Flores liveaboards and dive sites, check out these posts:
- Best Komodo Island Scuba Diving Liveaboard Reviews
- Best Indonesia Liveaboard Diving Alors and Flores
Check the Price & Details on Komodo Liveaboards
Sipadan (Malaysia)
Starting with raves from Jacques Cousteau many years ago, Pulau Sipadan is still recognized for its biodiversity, especially for such a small island. Formed from coral growth over an extinct volcano, Sipadan has rich pristine coral reefs over varied subsea terrain with walls dropping to 2,000 feet (600 meters). The macro life is diverse, there are huge schools of reef tropicals, barracuda, big-eye jacks, and bumphead parrotfish, heaps of resident turtles that come ashore for nesting between April and December, and abundant reef sharks that are there all year. The list of visiting pelagics, rays, and sharks is long. It is just bucket-list attraction after bucket-list attraction all through your dives.
- Dive Season: year-round
- Skill Level: beginner to advanced
- Water Temperature: 79-86°F (26-30°C)
- Visibility: 33-100 feet (10-30 meters)
- Highlights: nudibranchs, ghost pipefish, morays, mantis shrimp, spiny lobsters, scorpionfish, frogfish, blue-ringed octopus, cuttlefish, chromis, damselfish, cowfish, emperor angelfish, Moorish idols, bannerfish, triggerfish, parrotfish, groupers, sweetlips, batfish, barracudas, big-eye jacks, Napoleon wrasses, bumphead parrotfish, batfish, eagle and manta rays, leopard, whitetip, grey reef, and hammerhead sharks, green and hawksbill turtles, mackerel
For a more detailed review of Sipadan, check out this post:
Scuba Diving in Sipadan Island Malaysia
Photography in Asia
With the colorful coral reefs, a variety of fish, marine life, sharks, turtles, shipwrecks, and beautiful and historic onshore targets, there are many excellent photo opportunities. For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:
Scuba Diving Trip Insurance
A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation. I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and give scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.
Feedback and Comments
I hope you found this post on the best scuba diving in Asia interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section. I’d love to know of any experience you have. If there is no comments section directly below, click here: >>comments<<
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