Scuba Seraya Resort Reviews & Specials - Bluewater Dive Travel

Scuba Seraya Resort Bali

4.375
(2 REVIEWS)
Scuba Seraya Resort
Scuba Seraya Resort
bali sunset

 

Destination: Indonesia

Desa Tukad Dabu, Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia | Room + breakfast only + 2 dives from $100/ppn

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Scuba Seraya Resort Quick Pitch

A cluster of 12 luxurious bungalows lies on Bali’s north-east coast, wedged between the sparkling waters of unspoiled Muntig bay and the holy mountain, Gunung Agung. Scuba Seraya Resort is sprawled amongst lush tropical gardens on its private beach. Scuba Seraya Resort is now widely regarded as one of NE – Bali’s best-run dive centers. Being a PADI resort association member, safety and quality are of prime concern. If you look for individual attention, no groups, unhurried service and very small classes, Scuba Seraya Resort and Scuba Seraya Dive are just your ticket! Easy beach entries and the resorts purpose-built fast dive boat assure a totally relaxed way of diving.

 

Quick Information 

  • No of Rooms: 12
  • Dive Center: On-site
  • Amenities: AC, ensuite bathrooms, island adventures, massage treatments, nitrox, babysitting available
  • Internet: Paid Wi-Fi available
  • Nearest Airport: Ngurah Rai Airport (150 minutes by car)
  • Airport shuttle: Yes
 

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Accommodations - Resort Facilities - Package & Rates

Dive Information - Dive Center Facilities

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Looking for more options? View all Bali dive resorts available at Bluewater Travel. Best price guaranteed!

 

How to Get There

The resort is located around 2.5 hours driving from Ngurah Rai International Airport and they offer airport transfers. Contact us for more info.  

 

Dive Overview

Bali has dive sites to accommodate every type of diver. Best to visit between full and new moons when there is less tide swing = less current = better visibility.

 

Check Out This Great Video!

 

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Accommodations

Types of Rooms, Amenities and Photos

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Scuba Seraya Resort Room Overview

The resort has 12 bungalows, with Villa Ocean View or Maisonette Garden View options.

 

Villa Ocean View

  • Scuba Seraya
  • Veranda facing the sea, double beds only, armoire, sofa, table and chair, reading lights. Private garden with kitchenette (bar and small refrigerator), plunge – tub, Bale Bengong (Balinese style day bed) facing the sea. Semi-outdoor bathroom, direct access to garden or bedroom, hot shower and hairdryer.

 

Maisonette Garden View

  • Scuba Seraya
  • Partial sea and volcano view, with double or twin beds, armoire, table and chair, reading lights, veranda with sofa facing the garden. Semi-outdoor bathroom, hot shower and hairdryer.

 

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Resort Facilities

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Scuba Seraya Scuba Seraya

 Ocean View Restaurant (RIGHT) & OWDC Classroom (LEFT)

Scuba Seraya Scuba Seraya

Spa Room

Scuba Seraya Resort Features

  • Paid Wi-Fi Available
  • Restaurant
  • Coffee shop
  • Outdoor swimming pool
  • Air Conditioning
  • Free Parking
  • Airport Transportation
  • Free Breakfast
  • Laundry Service
  • Massages
  • Dive Center

 

Scuba Seraya Resort Food & Drinks 

At Scuba Seraya Resort, Dining is an experience; their modern kitchen prepares a tasty array of International and Asian fare served in the relaxed atmosphere of our stylish open plan restaurant, or al fresco on the beach-side deck.

 

Scuba Seraya Resort Activities

  • Diving
  • Island Adventures
  • Massages

 

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Packages & Rates

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RATES & AVAILABILITY

For more information on rates, availability and to book, drop us an email at bookings@bluewaterdivetravel.com or call us today at 310-915-6677. We are always glad to help! 

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Dive Information & Itineraries

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Scuba Seraya Resort

 

Tulamben Dive Sites

  • Liberty Shipwreck - This is, without a doubt, ‘the mother’ of all Tulamben dives and the reason why many divers come to Bali. You enter the water wading across a beach of boulders, which can be a bit tricky when the surf is up. Your guide will assist you. As you swim out towards the wreck, about 50m offshore, boulders and gravel give way to a sandy bottom. You will instantly be surrounded by rather aggressive but harmless goat fish looking for handouts. Don’t pay them any attention and continue over the sandy bottom; you will probably pass a large field of garden eels just as the wreck comes into view. Lying on her side at a 45-degree angle parallel to shore, what you will see first is her port side, much of which is now covered by sand. Your guide will probably lead you on a ‘grand tour’, taking in the entire wreck with her 120m length and 17m beam, usually beginning at her stern heading towards the bow on the deeper (approximately 25m) side, returning over the broken up center part at an average depth of 15m.
  • Coral Garden - In case your flight to Bali necessitated you to transfer at Singapore’s Changi airport and you admired the various beautiful marine aquariums there, finding yourself submerged at ‘Coral Garden’ will feel like a déjà vu. So much perfection, you will think, had to be done by a creator, intent on showcasing within the confines of a miniature reef (it starts a mere 10m or less offshore, is perhaps 50m wide and 200m long, dropping into a sandy slope at all but 12m depth) everything reefs of the south-western Pacific had on offer. The interaction of healthy soft and hard corals form a stunningly colorful backdrop to all sorts of marine life: hovering small groups of Eye-patch Butterfly fish, Angel fish in all their varieties, Snappers, Coral trout, Lion fish, Puffer- and Anemone fish and Sea perch are just a few to name; look up and you may see a vicious looking but harmless Giant Trevally cruise bye, look closer into niches and crannies, and you may find yourself gazing into a pair of Octopus eyes, and to top it all off, chances that one of 
  • several resident Black tip reef sharks (totally harmless) shows up to check you out are very real.
  • Drop Off - At the eastern end of Tulamben Bay, a Hindu Temple perches on a cliff of sharp, black volcanic rock that drops into the sea to form a rocky reef-top that parallels the shore from whence 3 solid coral growth ‘spurs’ or fingers descend to well below 70m depth. The western side of the spur facing Tulamben bay forms what is known as ‘The Wall’; a sheer vertical drop of 30m and more. Life forms here are essentially the same you would find on the wreck, albeit in less concentration due to much more open space. Fish congregations would increase in density on the outer reaches of the three spurs where currents bring higher concentrations of nutrients.
  • Alamanda - Underwater, it is an extension of the ‘Drop Off’ area and quite similar, although the seascape changes with the drop somewhat steeper, and on its eastern side, huge columns rise towards the surface, forming spectacular crevasses and swim-throughs. Many table coral flourish here, some large ones are standing alone and protrude into the current. But make no mistake; their structure is as brittle as Venetian glass art; watch your turns so your fins won’t accidentally break them. Fish life is very similar to the one at the ‘Drop Off’. This is the spot where you may also see the rather rare spotted Barramundi cod. Alam Anda is also the home of a fully grown Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus). Australians call him the Maori wrasse. It is the largest reef fish anywhere, growing to more than two meters long and two hundred kilograms in weight. Despite safety in size, this fellow is very shy and rarely seen, and if so only for a short while when he would dive deep quickly. Two juveniles appear less bothered by divers. A fully grown Potato grouper is usually found hanging around a large cavern at 35m.

 

Amed Dive Sites

  • Jemeluk - Jemeluk Bay, a large sandy cove with a village and many fishing boats has two sites, both of them widely known and considered the ‘Amed classics’. To the west is a very large reef formation, who’s top extends 200 and more meters offshore, where it will gradually descend, the drop getting steeper and steeper as you go east, eventually tumbling into a vertical wall that bottoms out at 45m and rivals the one at the ‘Drop Off’. It is often swept by a mild to medium current, picking up somewhat in speed around waxing and full moon. But this is not a problem; as this site can only be accessed by boat anyway, have the skipper follow you and enjoy the ride. Another benefit of the current is that this site sports some of the best visibility in the Tulamben-Amed area, often in excess of 30m. A healthy number of timid white- and black tip reef shark patrol this area, as well as at least one full grown Napoleon wrasse and a number of Humphead parrot fish. At its eastern end, just before it gives way to the sandy bottom of the bay, a deep V is shaped out of the wall, both sides thickly overgrown with a profusion of soft and hard coral, the bottom turning into a 45 degree gradient sand slope at almost 50m depth, the top giving way to the reef flat at 12m at a sharp 90 degrees angle.
  • Gili Selang - This dive is quite manageable and may well turn out to be an experience of a lifetime, as you would drift from a north-Bali typical reef environment with inhabitants that 
  • include black tip, white tip and grey reef shark into the realm of pelagics that often includes dolphins, hammerhead shark, tuna and mackerel – even Tiger sharks have been sighted here – and back into an east-Bali typical reef flat at the speed of an urban commuter train that regulars have named the ‘Selang Express’.
  • Lipah Bay - This site is popularly known as the ‘Japanese Wreck’ in the diving community. A relatively small steel shipwreck, that appears to be a tug, had sunk in this picturesque bay about 3 km to the east of Jemeluk, at a time not remembered. The fact that this site is easily accessible from the shore (park your car on the roadside, gear up, walk down a couple of stairs, wade across the stony beach, submerge and there you are) and that the wreck rests in very shallow water (5m to 12m), makes this an easy dive. It is also a popular destination for snorkelers. Not much, in fact, nothing at all, is known of this wreck and how it got here. It may just as well be Japanese; an almost intact squat type toilet on its port side would speak for that. Amazingly for a wreck this easily accessible and shallow, the prop has survived and produces a beautiful, heavily encrusted silhouette. Due to its small size, the wreck is quickly explored, and divers would continue down the sandy slope dotted by many large, beautiful Gorgonian sea fans (look out for those Pygmy seahorses), purple, white, yellow, red; each one a great photography object by itself.

 

Seraya Secret Dive Sites 

This is one of the latest 'discoveries' among the Tulamben area's dive sites. Feel free to ask us to know more about this dive site.  

 

[Read More: Bali Dive Travel Guide]

 

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Dive Center Information

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Scuba Seraya Resort Scuba Seraya

 

Scuba Seraya Dive Center Overview

Scuba Seraya Resort is now widely regarded as one of NE – Bali’s best-run dive centers. Being a PADI resort association member, safety and quality are of prime concern. If you look for individual attention, no groups, unhurried service and very small classes, Scuba Seraya Resort and Scuba Seraya Dive are just your ticket! Easy beach entries and the resorts purpose-built fast dive boat assure a totally relaxed way of diving. There is a great variety of “critters” just in front of the resort. Besides all the known Tulamben and Amed dive-sites, we have explored and found many as yet unknown sites in the close vicinity as well as further afield. As PADI IRRA member, Scuba Seraya Resort offers all PADI Dive Courses.

 

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Underwater Gallery 

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Scuba Seraya Resort Scuba Seraya Resort Scuba Seraya Resort Scuba Seraya Resort Scuba Seraya Resort ghost pipefish

 

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Reviews (2)

5
4
4
4

SCUBA SERAYA DIVE RESORT REVIEW

GETTING THERE

I find flying domestic in Indonesia to be exhausting. In May 2013 when I booked a boat trip to Komodo, I wanted an extension, one without extra planes, and asked for a destination on Bali. Scuba Seraya on the northeast coast of Bali was recommended, but the suggestion came with two warnings. The first was that the drive to the resort from Denpasar was long and maybe just as time consuming as a flight to somewhere else in Indonesia. The drive is along a two-lane highway that twists and turns through tropical foliage and Balinese rice terraces. Fairly beautiful views over a three-hour drive. The second precaution was that Scuba Seraya was an incredibly quiet place. It is. I am not sure what other people are looking for when they go diving, but warm water with unusual creatures is enough “busy” for me. Add to that, beautiful clean black sand beaches, a view of the main volcano on Bali (Mount Agung), views of the sunrise and sunset, and that is Scuba Seraya.

When I was there in May 2013, it was a shoulder season so very few guests were at the resort. One dive guide was assigned to two guests for the duration of their stay. Ours was Alit who had been with the resort for 10 years. The area, which includes Tulamben, is popular amongst scuba divers because of the Liberty Wreck located just a few meters from the shore. Scuba Seraya is a 5-minute zodiac ride from Tulamben. The torpedoed ship was originally towed to this spot for repairs in 1942, but a volcanic eruption 50 years ago moved it into the sea. It now lies at its deepest point in about 30 meters of water. The advantage of staying at Scuba Seraya is that you have the opportunity to be among the first to view the wreck in the morning. Later in the day, divers arrive from the main areas of Bali and descend upon the site by late morning. 50 years has only added beauty to this wreck rather than taken it away. It is encrusted with colorful soft corals, sponges, anemones, and crinoids, and many larger animals frequently cruise this site. We saw a green turtle, a big Maori Napolean wrasse, and bumphead parrotfish, which travel in a school that you can see if you are coerced into the 6 to 6:30 AM dive.

The wreck is the main dive attraction to this area, but the rest of the diving is not the B-movie. There were all sorts of creatures to hunt for that were new to me, and there was time to look because there was no one else but my dive buddy and me. On Drop-off Wall, we went straight down to look at a pygmy seahorse. For me, it was unexpected because we were hardly far from the shore.

Some of the dive sites in the area are given names that add a level of spirituality to the dive if you do not already feel it. Alamanda, “one with nature”, and Melasti, “purification”, were two such dives that illustrated the remarkable diversity of nature underwater and perhaps the ritual of diving them helps you to throw your problems into the sea. You can not help but be removed from the world above when you get to view a pair of robust ghost pipefish, a pair of spiny tiger shrimp, and some abnormally large nudibranchs that I have yet to name.

Since I have a special fondness for anemones, I have to mention the anemone garden that was at the dive site Coral Gardens. I had heard about one that exists in a more remote location in the Alor Archipelago of Indonesia, but there was an expansive one here that you could easily swim to from shore!

HOUSE REEF

Scuba Seraya has a house reef, which was generally scheduled as a shore dive in the afternoon. Right out in front of us, we found three ornate ghost pipefish and some resident harlequin shrimp radiating light and color against darkness at depth and the lava derived sand.

To be able to expand my critter database at Scuba Seraya, was an impressive follow-up to a 12 day, 39-dive liveaboard trip in Komodo National Park. Alit had enthusiastically approached me for the night dives. His eagerness made me think that he wanted to use me more as his own dive buddy rather than the other way around. A whole different set of nudibranchs as well as their shell retaining cousins had emerged from the sand in the transition from sunlight to darkness. One of his most spectacular finds was an unbelievably tiny frogfish that I could only tell was a frogfish by the way it moved. My awe at his find was clearly expressed underwater, and Alit’s discovery was an example of knowing his reef environments really well.

We only had time enough to dive the area near the resort. The region is much more expansive, extending down the coast, south to Amed. The young Indonesians guiding the dives at the resort proudly claimed that Tulamben/Seraya is the best diving on Bali because the locals practice conservative fishing methods whereas other notable areas on the island do less so. It is a photographer’s dream destination as it is not crowded, so you have time with your subject, nor is it littered topside or on the sea floor. On the other hand, the fine black sand is a nightmare for housings!

The most amazing part about diving Scuba Seraya is that you are never very far from shore.

ACCOMODATIONS & FOOD

The rooms are simple, clean, and have an outdoor shower and toilet. The grounds are lovely with black sand beaches and a view of the main volcano on Bali. Both Indonesian and Western food choices. I only tried the Indonesian which was simple but well prepared. Fruit is always available.

DIVING:

The diving is muck/reef which is hard to believe as it is so close to shore. Amazing macro critters. Some bigger animals are near the wreck such as turtles, Napoleon wrasse, and bumphead parrotfish.

Visited on 05/2013 - Submitted on 08/28/2014
4
5
5
4

What a wonderful spot! The diving is easy and has some of the very best macro photography opportunities in Bali on site, the house site is called Seraya Secrets and is just amazing with a plethora of tiny criiters to keep any photographer happy for multiple dives over multiple days. We even got shots of a puple rhinopias!

And for those days were you want to shoot wide angle or see huge schools of jacks, it's just a few minutes by fast boat to the USS Liberty wreck, Tulamben Wall, and Tulamben Drop Off. For all our diving we always had our own guide, so no worries about getting dropped into a big group and getting dragged around or held back.

In the three trips we've made to Bali the water has always ranged from 81-82F. I'd definitely suggest a 3mm wetsuit as there are a lot of hydroids and fire coral which are easy to brush against accidentally.

The grounds and rooms are lovely, quiet, and secluded. The restaurant has plenty of choices and the food is very good. You really can't go wrong at Scuba Seraya!

Visited on 08/2011 - Submitted on 10/29/2014

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