Wreck ahoy

Bali is, by many, considered one of the most beautiful places on this globe. I agree totally but was really disappointed in the southern tourist region of the island. Ubud, the artsy village located center of the island is definitely great fun but this time i'll pay my respects to the small eastcoast village of Tulamben.

It takes about 4 hours from kuta and 3 from ubud to reach the place by car. the traffic gets a bit crazy sometimes so a local driver with a sturdy jeep is not a bad call.

Unless you have confirmed lodging address where you'll be heading upon reaching Tulamben, one might get a bit overwhelmed by the fact that you're dropped off roadside to what seems exactly like the last 30 kilometers you just journeyed. But there's definitely more to this charming place than meets the eye. On the beachside you'll find a couple of resorts with scuba operators attached and on the other side of the road there's cheaper local accommodation and independent dive shops lined up.

Unfortunately all but one of the local dive operators were run by foreign people. With their shiny exteriors and multilingual staff they're a better choice for someone who's just dipping their head under for the first time.

If you have any experience ( i did my first dives here after completing OWD) and want to support the true locals I'd definitely and with a warm smile recommend the blue water diving. Run by a couple of local guys, the atmosphere is efficient and friendly. If staying for more than a couple of days you'll usually be able to bargain a great deal and the divemaster who stayed with us for the whole 2 weeks was a true natural. Having dove the waters from the age of 10 he'd know all the best spots and seemed to actually hang out with the fish as he'd be one of them.

All the gear was in top condition and carried by porters, who are a great example of local people joining forces for a mutual good.

The divesites are diverse and the Liberty wreck one of the most fun wrecks to dive cos it's located so shallow and gets loads of light.

Also hanging out along the road that binds the village together you can't escape the true ardour for life and the genuine kindness of the people. I've never before or since experienced that kind of ambiance.

there'd be so much to gush about so i'll just say: go and see for yourself!

all pics by Timppa