Liberty Dive Resort Tulamben
If your priority is diving (and especially photography), this is the perfect home base for exploring the Liberty Wreck and the other sites around Tulamben, Bali, including many world-class macro dives.
For incredible prices, you will have a private guide who is available to dive with you on your schedule, as many times per day as you want; a clean and comfortable room with A/C and wifi, and the beautifully maintained grounds with multiple lovely pools to relax in between dives.
The food is nothing to write home about but does the trick - simple, solid Indonesian fare plus a variety of so-so western options.
The staff was universally warm, welcoming, hospitable, and helpful - the friendliest, informal, family-like vibe of anywhere we stayed in Bali.
As far as diving, the highlights of course are the Liberty Wreck, with its abundant encrusting growth and marine life (don't miss the sunrise dive to see the bumphead parrotfish!), and the countless world-class muck sites on the steep volcanic black-sand slope right off the shore. If macro photography is a priority, make sure to request a guide with that specialty - we had Uji, whose spotting abilities were unbelievable and specializes in the tiniest of the tiny stuff. He finds nudibranch after nudibranch smaller than a grain of rice.
Dive operations were smooth and streamlined. Tell your guide what time you want to meet for your next dive. When you show up, your gear will be assembled on a tank and ready to go. Pop on your wetsuit, dip in the pool to avoid overheating, and hop in the back of the waiting mini-pickup truck that will take you to your dive site (the Liberty Wreck is a 1-minute drive, most other sites are within 5-10 minutes). Hop off the truck, put on your gear, and walk a few steps into the water.
Can't wait to go back!
