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DIVING IN INDONESIA

Fantastic Diving, but Kafkaesque Transport

Indonesia is the least known of the world's best dive locations. The introduction of scuba gear and the beginning of dive operations here are barely a decade old, and new locations are still being explored and opened, albeit slowly.

It will be many years before diving in Indonesia reaches its full potential, which has both great advantages and serious drawbacks. Experienced divers will be excited by the possibility of diving clear, rich waters without being surrounded by hordes of human beings. It is still very possible to dive areas where no one has yet gone underwater. This will be a refreshing change from sites like the Caribbean, Hawaii, the Great Barrier Reef, the Maldives and the popular spots in the Pacific Islands.

In all of the huge Indonesian archipelago, containing 10-20 percent of the world's coral reefs, there are few locations with dive services, and a handful of year-round live-aboard boats.

The diving is excellent, inexpensive (averaging around $75 a day for two dives) and uncrowded. This does not come without a cost, however: flights can be unceremoniously cancelled, the quality of guides is variable, and the weather is sometimes fickle.