Southeast Asia is a haven for recreational divers.
Home to the Coral Triangle – one of the world’s richest marine habitats – no dive trip is ever the same in this part of the world, thanks to the great diversity of marine life.
From giant manta rays to tiny nudibranchs, this thriving marine ecosystem is the reason the region boasts many of the world’s best diving spots.
So strap on your tank and dive in as we list our top picks for diving in Southeast Asia.
Sipadan, Malaysia
Malaysia’s premier diving spot Sipadan is located in the Celebes Sea off the eastern coast of Sabah.
This is where to go to see schools of barracuda, manta rays, sharks, and if you’re lucky, even bales of turtles.
In addition to more than 3,000 species of fish, this marine paradise is teeming with angelfish, triggerfish, morays, and gobies. It also boasts some of the world’s best macro life, so you’ll get to see the likes of pygmy seahorses, flamboyant cuttlefish, and Mandarin fish.
There are also over 100 species of coral here, but perhaps one of Sipadan’s most distinctive features is its coral wall drop, which goes down over 600 meters to the seafloor – the perfect spot for wall dives.
Anilao, Philippines
Anilao is located in the southern end of Luzon Island and is one of the Philippines’ Marine Protected Areas.
It is famous for its macro and muck diving, scattered across more than 50 dive sites around the area.
Here, you’ll see plenty of shrimp, crabs, cuttlefish, seahorses, and nudibranchs, as well as pipefish, frogfish, and even octopuses swimming about the soft and hard coral forest.
If you prefer seeing more enormous marine creatures, the schools of jacks and barracuda, turtles as well as giant seahorses will not disappoint. Divers have also often spotted reef sharks and the occasional whale shark in the area.
Book your Anilao diving tour here
Komodo, Indonesia
Komodo is one of the three large islands in Komodo National Park, located in Indonesia’s southernmost province of East Nusa Tenggara.
While the island is best known for the ferocious giant lizards that roam freely on the land, its waters are home to another type of giant – the manta ray.
Giant manta rays, which can grow up to nearly 9 meters across, can be seen gliding around in abundance. Expect also to see reef sharks, grey sharks, hammerheads, blacktip, and whitetip sharks, as well as turtles.
The coral reefs in Komodo are said to be some of the most colorful globally, and among them, you’ll find nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses, and frogfish. Cannibal Rock to the south of the island is the best place to see these tiny critters.
Koh Rong and Koh Rong Salem, Cambodia
Located about two hours by boat from Sihanoukville, the islands of Koh Rong and Koh Rong Saloem boast some of the country’s top diving sites, such as Secret Garden, Nudibranch Heaven, Cobia Point, and Rocky Bay.
Cobia Point gets its name from the vast amount of cobias that can be found there. In contrast, in Nudibranch Heaven, you’ll find hundreds of these tiny sea creatures in all colors, shapes, and sizes, alongside small octopuses, eels, and pufferfish.
Thanks to the vibrant marine life in the Gulf of Thailand, divers will also be treated to the glorious sight of seahorses, batfish, boxfish, scorpionfish, stingrays, butterflyfish, clownfish, angelfish, and, if you’re lucky, whale sharks.
Koh Tao, Thailand
Koh Tao, located north of the famous island resort of Koh Samui, is one of the country’s most popular dive sites.
Koh Tao truly is a diver’s paradise with underwater rock formations, tunnels, large granite pinnacles, and even a sunken ship from World War II.
Lose yourself in the colorful reefs and soft coral anemones teeming with pink anemonefish while bigger fish like barracuda, trevallies, batfish, pompanos, and giant groupers abound.
It’s even possible to spot whale sharks, and some divers have also been fortunate enough to spot bull sharks, making Koh Tao one of the few dive sites in the world where these apex predators can be admired up close.
Raja Ampat, Indonesia
The dive sites in Raja Ampat in northwestern West Papua are divided into two main areas, the north, and the south, which are both equally rich in marine life.
In the north, you’ll find dives sites like Chicken Reef, Sardine Reef, Batu Lima, Manta Ridge, Manta Sandy, and Arborek Jetty, which boast a staggering variety of marine life, including manta rays, turtles, moray eels, and wobbegongs.
At Misool Island in the south, you’ll see colorful soft corals and sponges blanketing stunning underwater pinnacles and ridges. In addition to the schools of manta rays that can be seen here, in recent years, there have been a growing number of sharks as well.
Malapascua Island, Philippines
To the north of Cebu sits Malapascua. Divers throng to this tiny island to see its main attraction – the thresher shark.
These deep-sea sharks are not typically seen in shallow waters. However, they can be seen in waters of up to 20 meters.
The best time to see these predators is in the morning when they come to shallow waters to rid their skin of parasites. In addition to the thresher, whitetip sharks, hammerheads, turtles, manta rays, and devil rays can also be found in abundance here.
Malapascua’s macro life is not discounted as it is equally fascinating. It has an array of nudibranchs, spearing and peacock mantis shrimp, cuttlefish, pygmy seahorses, crabs, harlequin shrimp, blue-ringed octopuses, and frogfish calling this place home.
Similan Islands, Thailand
About 100 kilometers northwest of Phuket, you’ll find the Similan Islands, a group of nine granite islands known for hard and soft corals and an abundance of marine life.
Divers come here for the opportunity to encounter manta rays and whale sharks, especially between February and April. Another draw here is the giant guitarfish, marbled rays, and Jenkins whip rays.
Keep a lookout for octopuses or menacing scorpionfish and stonefish that camouflage within the reefs. Also not to be missed is the dazzling array of macro life, including pipefish, seahorses, shrimp, and nudibranchs.
Perhentian Island, Malaysia
On the east coast of peninsular Malaysia, you’ll find Perhentian Island, with about 20 diving spots scattered around the island.
The main draw at this protected marine park is the green and hawksbill turtles that forage and nest on the island and blacktip reef sharks.
Amid the undersea terrain of giant boulders, caves, coral heads, and wrecks, you’ll also find barrel sponges, gorgonian sea fans, and even giant clams, along with big puffer fish, giant moray eels, trevallies, bearded scorpionfish, sweetlips, and the occasional whale shark.
The macro life here is just as impressive, with the likes of scorpionfish, boxfish, cuttlefish, shrimp, crabs, pipefish, blue-ringed octopuses, and nudibranchs.
Pulau Weh, Indonesia
Located off the coast of Banda Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra, Pulau Weh’s macro life and gorgeous corals are a must-see for all avid divers.
One of the most popular dive sites is Bates Tokong, where marine creatures gracefully glide through a jungle of colorful sea fans.
Don’t forget your underwater camera as there’s much to spot here, from packs of bluefin trevallies to blacktip reef sharks and manta rays, as well as leafy scorpionfish, mantis shrimp, and octopuses.
The island’s location makes the underwater current a tad challenging for novice divers, but it’s still worth the effort to visit for a truly spectacular diving experience.