Lying across the Badung Strait from Sanur is Bali's premiere scuba diving destination - the clear waters of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida islands. With its adjacent deep-water trenches, the main attraction of diving at Lembongan Island is the common encounter with the curious and otherwise very rare oceanic sunfish, or mola mola.

The most accessible of Bali's offshore islands, you can do Lembongan in a day. Located just off Bali's south east coast, the island sees a daily influx of tourist boats, from party vessel The Bounty, which moors beside a specially built marine leisure pontoon where you can try everything from banana boating to snorkeling to canoeing to riding in a semi-submersible, to the more refined catamaran run by Island Explorer cruises. If you're looking for a budget alternative, depart from Sanur via public boat. Accommodation on Lembongan runs from 5-star luxury to backpacker budget - the island is experiencing its own little real estate gold rush, with villas beginning to spring up on the land behind the famous Mushroom beach. There is some world class diving in the crystal clear waters between Lembongan and Penida where frigid seasonal temperatures and strong currents stir up lots of nutrients that attract manta rays and pelagic deep-sea creatures such as the elusive Mola Mola (sunfish). Blue Corner at Lembongan Island can be one of the most exciting dives of your life. There is plenty to see as you race by, as the currents bring with them lots of food for the residents of the reef.

Although exponentially larger than Lembongan, neighboring Nusa Penida lacks the infrastructure and scenery to attract mass tourism. The island's traditional economy is based on seaweed cultivation, which is used in the food and cosmetic industries. From high ground, the farms are clearly visible, a vivid patchwork in the shallow, translucent water, like submerged meadows.

Ped is the most popular dive site on the nearby Nusa Penida north coast, as it tends to offer currents milder than some of the other sites at Lembongan. Healthy low lying hard coral reef banks slope gently to 20 metres, then down to 40 metres. Occasional manta rays and schools of chevron barracuda add to the rich variety of smaller fish, which seem to prefer the calmer waters of Ped.

Crystal Bay is perhaps Nusa Penida's best dive site. It is located in the south west of the island and features a shallow bay, carpeted in corals. It is one of the most famous dive sights of Bali and is rich in corals. The bay provides shelter from current and is a good place to start your dive. Along the remote cliff edges that form the southern coastline of Nusa Penida is a dive site called Manta Point. Here the sea is quite shallow, cool and can have strong surge. The water is often quite murky too due to the plankton, which attracts mantas, often in small groups. Blue Point, or Jack Point, offers an excellent snorkeling destination on Nusa Penida and interesting shallow dives, which can be enjoyed by divers of all levels of experience.