Bottles-Up Diving
When you are looking for a (dive) holiday in Indonesia and don't want to be part of a larger group then you opened the right website. All the holidays we make are made exactly as you want them to be.
One week in North Sulawesi, 4 days on a liveaboard in Komodo and 2 weeks Papua; with a dive course as well? No problem. We will make an itinerary for you covering EVERYTHING from the moment you arrive until the moment you leave Indonesia.
And by the way, it doesn't have to be ONLY diving. While you are here in this huge Indonesian archipelago why don't you visit an orangutan reserve, go rafting or climb a mountain. After all those activities you can end the holiday for a couple of days in a private bungalow near the beach... if it exists we can arrange it!
After years travelling and diving around Indonesia we know a lot about this country and have done (almost) everything we recommend ourselves. We are retired now but you can use this website as a guide for your travels around Indonesia.
There are reserves for Orangutans on Sumatra and Kalimantan. The Leuser Park in North Sumatra is reachable by flying to Medan and a 5 hour
drive to a village where the entrance is located of this nearly 8.000 km² of unspoiled, but now under threat, rain forest. Tanjung Puting through a nearby
airport in Kalimantan.
Picture of Atlas (Orangutan - Pongo pygmaeus) taken in Tanjung Puting - Kalimantan
Explore islands from east to west or vice versa with a private car or bus and the accommodation suitable for your budget.
Visit Java, Bali, Flores or any other island how long you want with your personal itinerary (provided by us) and transportation.
One of our Balinese drivers (Nengah), ready to go!
Liveaboards can be found all-over Indonesia. Most popular are the liveaboards around West Papua (Raja Ampat and below) and
the Komodo Islands. Starting point for Komodo would be Labuan Bajo, Flores, or it would be a Bali - Komodo - Bali tour. For Raja Ampat it's
usually Sorong or Fak-Fak.
Picture of a small but excellent liveaboard around Komodo
Many dive operators also provide Scuba training from an internationally recognised scuba organisations such as
SSI, PADI or CMAS. Entry level course will only take 3-4 days and
could be the start of a new hobby...We can fit in a dive course as part of your itinerary.
Picture of Eelco whilst checking his compass - Flores
Indonesia has many areas where you can go Trekking. This can be a day tour or multiple days with sleeping overnight
along the way. Or you can join the Bali Reptile Rescue on an expedition to find one of the many snakes in the wild.
One of Bali Reptile Rescue encounters
To meet a Whale sharks underwater is a magnificent experience. There are only a few places on earth where
an interaction as we had is possible. One of these place is a bay in West Papua. Can be easily combined with a trip to Raja Ampat or Biak.
Encounter with a Whale shark - Rhincodon typus - Papua
Wreck diving around Bali, Sulawesi or Papua. If you are really interested in wrecks we have
a spectacular itinerary for you which will bring you to WWII plane- and ship wrecks accessible from land. Not always luxurious but very memorable dive trips!
Wreck of a B52 - Togian Islands - Central Sulawesi
Go climb a mountain in Indonesia; there are numerous (active) volcanos on all the major islands.
The most well-known are the Mt. Bromo on Java, Mt. Agung and Mt. Batur on Bali, Mt. Rinjani on Lombok and the 3-coloured lake inside Mt. Kelimutu on Flores.
Near the top - Mt. Batur - Bali
Horseback riding is not hugely popular in Indonesia but there are always stables to be found. For example
in National Parks like in the northwest of Bali or the mountains near Manado - Sulawesi.
Horse riding on the beach - Kuta - Bali
For the people who can't live without it: go golfing on all the major islands.
Did you know that Bali alone has 5 golf courses scattered around the island. And with stunning views of the sea or the mountains...
Golf course Handara - near Bedugul - Bali
Bicycle tours in Bali, Sulawesi or around Lake Toba in Sumatra. Easily arranged as a one-day event or spanning multiple days with
overnight stay in villages along the way.
Picture of Bob Keijer taken on a (mostly) downhill road around Lake Batur - Bali
Bottles-Up Diving supports BAWA, because they are doing amazing work for all the animals in Bali.....
BAWA, The Bali Animal Welfare Association is a not-for-profit organization registered in Bali,
Indonesia and is dedicated to improving the lives of animals.
BAWA's mission: relieve suffering and overpopulation by providing medical care, spay and neutering, street-feeding and adoption, and by educating
children and adults in animal welfare. They heavily rely on the kind efforts of their volunteers and donors, including their partner organisation
in Australia, The Bali Street Dog Fund. They need your support.
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Monthly creature
Coconut Octopus:
Amphioctopus marginatus
Also known as the veined octopus is a cephalopod belonging to the genus Amphioctopus.
The main body of the octopus is typically around 8 cm in size, and, with arms, 15 cm.
Found in tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean.
It commonly preys upon shrimp, crabs, and clams.
Researchers observed their bipedal walking and gathering and using coconut shells and seashells for defense and shelter.
They saw the A. marginatus collecting coconut shells, discarded by humans, from the sea floor, carrying them up to
20m, and arranging the shells to form a spherical hiding place akin to a clamshell.
Although octopuses often use foreign objects as shelter, the sophisticated behavior of A. marginatus when they select materials, carry and reassemble them, is far more complex.
To all the creatures