Freediving in Amed, Bali: Why Indian Divers Love It

Amed is a stretch of fishing villages on the north-east coast of Bali, and it is the island’s main freediving base. Freediving in Bali centres here because Jemeluk Bay offers sheltered, warm water that drops to depth close to the shore, a small wreck at Banyuning sits in shallow water, and the famous USAT Liberty wreck at Tulamben is a short drive up the coast. For Indian divers, add straightforward flight connections, easy vegetarian food and a culture that feels familiar, and the appeal is obvious.

Where Amed is and what it feels like

Amed sits in Karangasem, Bali’s eastern regency, below the slopes of Mount Agung, the island’s highest volcano. The name really covers a coastline of small villages, including Jemeluk, Bunutan, Lipah and Banyuning, strung along a winding road above black sand and pebble beaches. Traditional outrigger boats called jukung line the shore, and the area has long been known for making sea salt by hand.

It is far quieter than south Bali. There are no beach clubs, the nights are properly dark, and the evening entertainment is mostly watching the jukung come back in. People come to dive, freedive, snorkel or simply sit still for a week.

Jemeluk Bay: the main freediving training site

Jemeluk Bay is where most freediving schools in Amed set their lines. Headlands protect the bay, so on most mornings the water is flat, and the reef slopes from shallow coral gardens down to deep water a short swim or quick boat ride from the beach. That lets an instructor run a line for beginners and a deeper line for experienced divers on the same morning.

The bay has enough depth for courses at every common level and for most recreational depth goals. Visibility is often good, though it varies with plankton and swell. Currents sometimes run along this coast, especially outside the bay, so follow the school’s advice on where and when to dive.

Mornings are the best time. Wind tends to rise later in the day, and scuba groups and snorkel boats fill the bay by mid-morning.

The Japanese wreck at Banyuning

A short drive east of Jemeluk, the village of Banyuning has a small wreck lying close to the shore, from a few metres down to around 12 metres deep. It is usually called the Japanese wreck, although its exact origin isn’t well documented and you’ll hear different stories about what kind of boat it was. Whatever it was, it is now covered in coral and sponges and surrounded by reef fish.

For freedivers it is a perfect low-pressure dive. You can practise duck dives, hang beside the hull, take photos of your buddy and surface without going anywhere near your limits. If you want to try shooting on a breath-hold, our guide to underwater photography for freedivers covers cameras and safety. The entry is over rocks, so wear old sandals or booties for the walk and put your fins on in the water.

Tulamben and the USAT Liberty wreck

Tulamben, a short drive north-west of Amed, has one of the most accessible wrecks in Asia. The USAT Liberty was a US Army cargo ship torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942 and beached at Tulamben. The 1963 eruption of Mount Agung is generally credited with shifting it off the beach and into the sea, where it now lies on its side on a sandy slope.

The wreck starts a few metres below the surface and reaches around 30 metres at its deepest, all a short swim from the stony beach. That makes it a freediver’s playground: you can float above the hull, drop down to the shallow sections on a single breath and watch the jacks and bumphead parrotfish the site is known for.

Get there early. By mid-morning the site fills with scuba groups, and their bubbles don’t mix well with a calm breath-hold. Freediving around scuba divers also means staying alert: look up and around before you surface, and never descend into a group below you.

Courses and training in Amed

Amed has a mature freediving scene, with schools teaching the major agencies, including AIDA, Molchanovs, PADI and SSI. Some schools have their own pool for static and dynamic sessions before moving to Jemeluk Bay for the open water part, and a beginner course usually takes two to three days.

With so many options, choose the instructor rather than the logo. Our list of questions to ask a freediving instructor helps you compare schools by email before you arrive, and our comparison of AIDA, Molchanovs, PADI and SSI explains why the entry courses are more alike than different.

After a course, most schools run supervised training sessions on a line. If you don’t have a regular buddy, they are the safest way to keep diving.

Safety: Amed’s bays are busy with jukung, dive boats and swimmers. Dive under a buoy with a visible flag, surface next to it and never freedive alone, even at the shallow wreck. Outside supervised sessions, dive one-up-one-down with a trained buddy.

Seasons, water temperature and quick facts

Bali’s drier months generally run from about April to October, and the wetter season from about November to March. The Amed coast is one of the drier parts of the island, and diving carries on through much of the year. Rain tends to come in heavy bursts rather than all-day drizzle, but swell and runoff can cut visibility for a few days.

Quick facts	Amed and Tulamben
Nearest international airport	Denpasar (Ngurah Rai International)
Drive from the airport	Roughly 2.5–3 hours
Typical water temperature	Around 26–29°C, with occasional cooler spells
Suggested wetsuit	1.5–3 mm
Main sites	Jemeluk Bay, the Japanese wreck at Banyuning, the USAT Liberty
Drier months	Roughly April to October

Getting there from India and checking your visa

Most Indian travellers reach Bali with one stop, often through Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok. Check whether any direct flights currently operate from your city, as routes change. From the airport, the road to Amed winds along the east coast; most people book a private driver or shuttle.

Indonesia’s tourist visa options, and the rules for Indian passport holders, have changed several times in recent years. Check the current requirements on the official Indonesian immigration e-visa portal or with the Embassy of Indonesia in New Delhi before booking. Bali also introduced a levy for foreign tourists in 2024, so check whether it still applies and pay only through official channels.

If your dates fall on Nyepi, Bali’s Day of Silence (usually in March), the whole island, airport included, shuts down for 24 hours. Plan around it unless you fancy a very quiet day indoors.

Food, culture and everyday life

Bali’s Hindu culture is a big part of why many Indian travellers feel at home. Small offerings of flowers and rice, called canang sari, appear on doorsteps and pavements every morning; step around them. Temple ceremonies sometimes close roads, so leave slack in your transfer plans.

Vegetarians do well. Tempeh and tofu are everywhere, gado-gado (vegetables with peanut sauce) is a dependable lunch, and most warungs will make a vegetarian nasi campur or fried rice if you ask. Sambal often contains shrimp paste, so check before you spoon it on. Amed has fewer ATMs than the south, so bring enough cash for a few days.

Planning your first week in Amed

A realistic first week looks something like this:

1. Days 1–3: a beginner course, with pool or shallow-water sessions and open water in Jemeluk Bay.
2. Day 4: rest, or an easy snorkel at the Japanese wreck.
3. Days 5–6: supervised fun training, plus an early morning at the USAT Liberty.
4. Day 7: a travel day with no diving before your flight. Our notes on freediving and flying explain why the gap matters.

Pack your own mask, snorkel and a rash guard even if you plan to rent fins and a suit; our freediving packing list covers the rest. We’re building an online community for Indian freedivers. It’s coming soon, so stay tuned.