The most breathtaking scuba diving spots in Asia

The islands, nicknamed the Four Kings, are world-renowned for incredible dive spots swarming with underwater life. The World Wildlife Fund has dubbed Raja Ampat “the world’s coral diversity bull’s eye” as it has 553 species and a whopping 1,800 fish species. If there’s one dive site you must explore, it’s the Cape Kri dive site – it holds the world record for the largest number of fish species counted on a single dive, a whopping 374 different species. 

There are 22 dive sites around Raja Ampat. 19 are ocean dives, 19 are reef dives, and 4 are drift dives, promising varied dive experiences.

Dive season: All year around.

Difficulty level: All levels, although some dive sites are not recommended for beginners or those uncomfortable in currents.

It may be famous for the mighty Komodo dragon, but Komodo National Park’s underwater world rivals anything above the surface. Located on the Lintah Strait, the currents are notoriously strong and wild out here, so it’s better suited to those who already have a few dives under their belt. It’s well worth it, as the various dive sites are teeming with incredible creatures, such as mantas at Manta Alley, sharks at Crystal Rock and huge schools of fish at Batu Bolong. Dive centres are found in Labuan Bajo, the main town on Flores Island. If you have a little more time to play with, a liveaboard from Bali or Lombok is a lovely way to travel here and soak up the stunning scenery along the way.

Dive season: Come between May to October for the best diving conditions and a good chance of spotting manta rays. 

Difficulty level: Intermediate to advanced due to strong currents.

If you want to dive with whale sharks, the largest fish in the entire world, head to the Philippines. Avoid Oslob or Cebu, which are both known for unethical practices that harm the animals, including overcrowding the gentle giants. Instead, go to the Philippines' first marine protected park, the remote Tubbataha Marine Park, which comprises over 130,000 hectares of protected reefs containing over 360 species of coral. Whale sharks can be seen around The North Atoll, South Atoll, and Jessie Beazley Reef. You may also encounter manta rays, tiger sharks, and sea turtles on your dives here. Note: the only way to visit Tubbataha is via liveaboard dive boats

Dive season: March to early June.

Difficulty level: All levels.

Sipadan Island is often hailed as one of the world's best dive sites – and for good reason, too. Where else in the world can you witness a hypnotic barracuda vortex and swim inside a massive school of whirling jackfish? Sipadan is an oceanic island off the coast of Sabah, Malaysia, sitting atop an extinct undersea volcano and surrounded by almost 1,900ft deep canyons, making this spot a rich marine habitat.

Dive season: All year round, with the best months being from April to December.

Difficulty level: Mid to advanced; expect some strong currents and drift dives.

These nine granite islands lie about 100km northwest of Phuket and are part of Mu Koh Similan National Park. The park is only open during dive season, which provides the best chance of spotting manta rays and whale sharks. The sites on the east coast are generally easier with gentle sloping coral reefs while the west is slightly more challenging due to its giant granite boulders, fan corals and incredible submarine rock formations. There are also some dive sites for muck diving – so watch out for critters like ghost pipefish and sea moths.

Dive season: Late October to early May.

Difficulty level: Beginners to mid, plenty of easy dive sites with weak to moderate currents.

Like looking for little critters underwater? Then Lembeh Strait is the holy grail. Located in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, this spot is renowned for its world-class muck diving. Burrowed in the black lava sand and coral rubble of Lembeh Strait from 5m to 30m are all sorts of octopi, seahorses, crabs, nudibranchs, and more. There’s also stuff that you won’t see anywhere else in the world – the Lembeh seadragons for one. The Lembeh Strait is also a hop, skip, and jump to the vibrant soft corals of Bangka Island and the dramatic drop-offs in Bunaken National Park, making a trip here all the more worthwhile.  

Dive season: All year, though September to October is popular. 

Difficulty level: All levels

Divers come to Malapascua near Cebu for one reason and one reason only: to observe thresher sharks in their natural habitat. This area is reputedly one of the only places in the world where the thresher shark can be seen within the limits of a recreational diver, although there are plenty of other fish in the sea as well. Macro diving is pretty popular, too – seahorses, cuttlefish, and pipefish are among those found on the seabed.

Dive season: All year round.

Difficulty level: Mid to advanced.

Located in the southernmost part of Myanmar, this archipelago comprises 800 islands, each as stunning as the last. Due to its virtual isolation, the islands and surrounding seas are alive with an amazing diversity of flora and fauna, beautiful underwater scenes, and marine life. One of the main attractions for divers is the strong possibility of seeing bigger animals, especially sharks and rays. More dependable, however, is the tremendous variety of smaller fish and reef creatures, including many unusual species, some of which are rarely encountered in neighbouring waters.

Dive season: October to May. If your goal is to see whale sharks and manta rays, it’s best to visit from February to May.

Difficulty level: Intermediate to advanced due to strong currents.

If there’s one thing that Coron is known for, it’s for having the best wreck diving in Southeast Asia. Here, you can dive 10 Japanese Imperial Navy ships that were sunk in Coron Bay by the US Air Force in 1944. Lying at a depth of 12 to 43 metres, these massive wrecks are home to an incredible diversity of marine life – scorpionfish, crocodile fish, groupers, barracudas, and more. The wrecks are attractions in themselves, with boilers, engine rooms, anti-aircraft guns and more to explore. Must-see wrecks are the Irako and Okikawa Maru, the latter of which spans a breathtaking 176 metres in length. 

Dive season: All year round, but you get the best visibility from December through March. 

Difficulty level: All levels, but advanced and nitrox-certified divers that can go deeper and longer will get more out of the wrecks.

East Timor is South East Asia's newest nation and a relatively young destination for diving, offering the adventurous an opportunity to explore the unexplored. The diving here is world-class, with kilometres of majestic walls that drop off into the deep blue sea, acres of untouched reefs and an abundance of prolific marine life, including nearly 600 different species of reef-building corals, six of the world's seven marine turtle species and more than 2000 species of reef fish. See everything from hammerhead sharks and endangered dugongs to critters like frogfish and ghost pipefish. Dolphins and migrating whales can also be seen around the waters here.

Dive season: Visit during the dry season from May to October for stunning visibility (up to 40 metres!). 

Difficulty level: All levels, from easy beginner shore dives to dizzying drop-offs for advanced divers. 

Heading all the way down to the southeast coast of Sulawesi is Wakatobi, a group of islands in the Tukangbesi Archipelago. A relative newcomer in the Indonesian diving scene, this sleepy corner of Indonesia still flies under the radar. Those who make it here are rewarded with Indonesia’s largest barrier reef, a pristine coral ecosystem with turtles, reef sharks and giant schools of fish. Over 50 dive sites are spread across the park, with some of the best being Roma Reef, Cornucopia and Table Coral City. All levels can dive here; there are even great snorkelling spots in the seagrass meadows and shallow reefs.

Dive season: Anytime between March and November to avoid the monsoon season. 

Difficulty level: All levels. 

Getting to the Banda Islands in the Molucca region of eastern Indonesia is a pain. But once you arrive, you'll find its inaccessibility a blessing because its reefs and marine life are as healthy and untouched as they come. The most famous dive site is Batu Kapal, northwest of Banda Besar island. This deep plateau leads to two towering pinnacles, where you can watch giant barracudas, trevallies, and barracudas swim by. There are numerous breathtaking sites across the archipelago’s 11 islands, though, so do a liveaboard to truly experience the diversity of this diving destination. 

Dive season: All year round, each season offers a different experience.

Difficulty level: All levels.

Just a three-hour flight from the neon-lit streets of Tokyo is Ishigaki, a tropical paradise in Japan’s far south. It’s the most popular diving destination in the country for one thing: manta rays. Going to Kabira Manta Point is a no-brainer: mantas frequent this cleaning station between May to October, and there’s a well-oiled system in place to get divers in position to watch the mantas for the entirety of the dive. The only drawback is that a lot of the coral reefs in Japan are bleached, so don’t expect the same vibrancy you’d see in Southeast Asia. Still, there are numerous sites around Ishigaki where you can see cool marine life, like giant cuttlefish, square-spot fairy basslet, and longnose hawkfish. But frankly, the mantas themselves are worth the whole trip.  

Dive season: May to November is the best time to dive in Ishigaki.

Difficulty level: All levels.

Koh Lipe in the Andaman Sea is beloved as one of the least expensive places in Southeast Asia to earn a PADI scuba dive certification. It’s also home to Thailand’s largest marine park, Tarutao National Marine Park, where divers often spot whale sharks, mantas, and nudibranchs. Scuba diving can be done year-round here, but the best time is around the half-moon phase when the current is the most gentle and results in the clearest visibility. 

Dive season: During the dry season from November to April.

Difficulty level: All levels. 

Somewhat less well-known, Layang Layang in Malaysia is famous for its scalloped hammerhead sharks. If you're lucky, you might glimpse a school of them gliding by, making the trek to this island entirely worthwhile. Manta rays often frequent this deep water area. Shore dives are possible, although visibility is only around two to four metres near the pier.

Dive season: March to August, but there is a higher chance of shark spotting during mating season in April to May.

Difficulty level: All levels, about 12 dive sites in total.