Asia is the largest of the world’s continents, covering more than 30% of the planet’s land mass and home to more than 3 billion people.
Trying to cover traveling to and diving in Asia in one guide is a hopeless endeavor as there is simply too much to explore.
Let’s focus instead on how to approach exploring this amazing place on Earth and what you should absolutely visit.
It all depends on how you look at it. Most people, especially divers, think of the Pacific and Indian Ocean and tropical waters when talking about Asia.
Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, West Papua, Thailand, and China come to mind.
However, you should not neglect the Asian part of Russia and its vastness in the North, the tips of the Mediterranean territory in the fast west, and numerous middle Eastern countries.
Asia is so large that it spans nearly a dozen time zones, 51 sovereign counties, as well as nearly all types of physical regions and environments.
In general, it can be divided into these five major physical regions:
- Mountain systems like the Himalayas
- Plateaus such as those in Mongolia
- Plains, steppes, and deserts such as in China or Egypt
- Freshwater environments anywhere in Asia
- Saltwater environments, especially all around the Coral Triangle
Their distribution may vary and some areas are better than others, especially for ocean lovers and divers.
This also means that you’ll encounter nearly any marine species you could imagine when scuba diving in Asia.
There is a reason the Coral Triangle is called the center of marine biodiversity in the world and countless species are to be encountered here.
Above all, Raja Ampat in Indonesia is the green heart of the world with more than 2,000 native species of corals and fish native to this region.
Diving in Asia is a diver’s dream come true so let’s check out the best places to dive here!
The 12 best diving destinations in Asia
Indonesia
Indonesia is one of the most popular travel and diving destinations in the world and for good reasons.
What makes this country stand out is the fact that it doesn’t just have one hotspot for diving but several. We picked out Raja Ampat as the most famous one, however, Komodo, Lembeh Straight, Sulawesi, and others are equally as cool!
Raja Ampat is often considered the best reef diving destination in the world due to the amount of fish and corals you find here.
It is home to thousands of different marine life species and sometimes called the “green heart” of the world.
Diving here is a year-round activity and you’ll find manta rays, sharks, whale sharks, and giant schools of fish here.
| Diving Season | Year-round |
| Best time to dive | May – September as it is the driest season. |
| What to see | What’s not to see? Some highlights: Large schools of fish, manta rays, reef sharks, wobbegong sharks, walking sharks, turtles, Spanish mackerel, tuna, barracudas, pygmy sea horses |
| Water Temperature | 27-30°C (80-86°F) |
| Budget | $ – $$$ |
| Best for | Reef diving, underwater photography |
| Difficulty | Mostly easy diving |
Book your trip
Phillippines
The Phillippines are another diving hotspot in Asia and also among the cheapest diving destinations you’ll find.
Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park is probably the most popular and well-known area, but with such a large ocean-based country, there are numerous other options.
Warm water diving, beautiful coral reefs, and so many liveaboard cruises!
It is the perfect diving destination for beginners and if you are looking for your first dive trip, the Phillippines could very well be the one.
You can travel here year-round, but be aware that some of the natural parks are only open during certain times of the year. In case you want to visit here, it’s best to book a cruise with one of the many operators to be on the safe side.
| Diving Season | March – June |
| Best time to dive | Year-round but some natural parks are only open from March – June |
| What to see | Countless dive sites, whale sharks, manta rays, even whales in the winter |
| Water Temperature | 27-28°C (81-84°F) in the winter, 28-30°C (83-86°F) in the summer |
| Budget | $-$$ |
| Best for | Beautiful underwater world |
| Difficulty | Any level of diving available |
Book your trip
Myanmar
The Andaman Sea has a lot of beautiful diving destinations to offer and the Mergui Archipelago is one of them. This collection of hundreds of small islands is part of Myanmar and offers superb opportunities to see manta rays, whale sharks, and mobulas up close.
This is one of the few places in this region which are still very much unexplored. This means you can feel a sense of exploration here when diving at the near-untouched reefs.
Both Macro and pelagics lovers will find something they love about this place and the islands’ waters are home to frogfish, lobsters, shrimp, as well as whales and nurse sharks.
Burma Banks is the place to go for those who crave those pelagic sightings.
While getting here is not exactly easy, it’s worth the trip. There are a few flights to take to this remote place but most people take a liveaboard from Thailand here.
The best season to dive in Myanmar (similar to many South-East Asian countries) is the dry season between October and March.
| Diving Season | Year-round |
| Best time to dive | October – March |
| What to see | Frogfish, lobsters, shrimp, sharks, nurse sharks |
| Water Temperature | 26-30°C (80-86°F) |
| Budget | $-$$ |
| Best for | Untouched reefs in the Mergui Archipelago |
| Difficulty | Mostly easy diving |
Book your trip
Thailand
Thailand is another hotspot of budget diving and travel and more people get scuba certified here than anywhere else in the world.
Koh Tao is the heart of the diving industry here, but Koh Samui, as well as Pukhet are others.
The best diving can generally be found in the Similan national park by liveaboard. Reef diving, warm water, and the chance to spot manta rays and whale sharks are just a few of the perks of diving here.
It’s best to plan in a few weeks to also explore the rest of the country, from its famous capital Bangkok further North to see temples and so much more.
| Diving Season | November – April |
| Best time to dive | December – March |
| What to see | Manta rays, whale sharks, an abundance of macro life |
| Water Temperature | 28-30°C (82-87°F) |
| Budget | $ |
| Best for | Warm water, plenty of fish, super cheap |
| Difficulty | All levels of diving available. Some negative descents and currents. |
Book your trip
Malaysia
Malaysia is a backpacking hotspot and probably no country is more synonymous with Southeast Asia than this one.
Diving in Malaysia is generally done by speedboat instead of liveaboard but shore diving opportunities exist.
The country is an attractive destination for beginners and freshly certified divers with calm waters and protected reefs.
East Malaysia is home to the Miri-Sibuti Coral Reefs National Park, while Sabah is the first choice for diving at the islands of Sipadan, Layang-Layang, and Mabul.
Sipadan in Borneo is often named one of the best diving destinations in Asia, and one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world.
Second to only the likes of Raja Ampat you can explore 3,000 fish species and hundreds of coral ones. It also happens to be Myanmar’s only oceanic island.
Layang-Layang, on the other hand, offers some really deep dives of 40m/130ft+.
Malaysia is a great option for diving in Asia and you will love the underwater world here!
| Diving Season | Year-round |
| Best time to dive | October – March |
| What to see | Anything really. Macro life, sharks, rays, whale sharks, large schools of fish |
| Water Temperature | 26-30°C (80-86°F) |
| Budget | $-$$ |
| Best for | Super large biodiversity |
| Difficulty | Easy diving |
Book your trip
India
India is the second largest country in the world in terms of population and also boasts an incredible 8,000km/5,000mi long coastline.
Diving in India has only started to grow in recent years with the boom of the travel industry and the overall income levels rising steadily. Now there are many dive centers opening up every year and whatever kind of diving you’re looking for, you will find it in India.
The Indian Ocean is rich in nutrition and also home to a plethora of marine life. The smallest state Goa in the West also borders the Arabian Sea, offering yet another great diving region.
Wreck diving is the big attraction here for obvious reasons, with beautiful coral gardens all over. Pondicherry in the East greets visitors with untouched reefs and plenty of big fish to spot.
The biggest diving hotspot in India is yet again the Andaman Sea which it shares with other diving destinations like Thailand and Malaysia. The Bay of Bengal is the place to go here and you’ll surely spot a manta ray while diving here.
Passage Island, Barren Island, and Narcondam Island are a few names to keep in mind when looking for a suitable tour.
Out of all the diving destinations in Asia, India is arguably the one that feels most like its own entity and the sheer size of the country supports this.
| Diving Season | Year-round |
| Best time to dive | anytime |
| What to see | Anything. Wrecks, marine life, rock formations, corals, mantas |
| Water Temperature | 27-30°C (82-86°F) |
| Budget | $$-$$$ |
| Best for | Untouched reefs and mantas |
| Difficulty | Easy diving |
Book your trip
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a vast country that spans over 1,600km/1,000mi of coastline that looks like something out of a travel brochure.
You’ll find any kind of marine life here and both macro lovers and pelagic hunters will feel right at home. Don’t forget a good underwater camera, as you will definitely need it here.
If you are one of the few lucky people each year, you might be just in time for some of the blue whale migrations here!
The Indian Ocean is warm year-round and can be dived year-round. May-October is the high season in the North-East, while October-May the South West is great.
Sri Lanka is a cheap travel destination and offers great budget diving options, as well as some more luxurious ones for any budget. When you visit, be sure to not just dive but explore the country a bit, which offers a lot to see.
| Diving Season | Year-round |
| Best time to dive | May-October (North-East), October-May (South & South-West) |
| What to see | Anything. Blue whales, soft corals, macro critters, schools of fish |
| Water Temperature | 24-27°C (78-82°F) |
| Budget | $ |
| Best for | Anything really |
| Difficulty | Easy diving |
Book your trip
Japan
Japan is still a place of mystery for many and caught somewhere between futuristic and traditional.
It’s a big country surrounded by the ocean and offers plenty of scuba diving opportunities. Coral reefs, king crabs, volcanic islands, and kelp forests are all ecosystems you can explore here.
History buffs will love the plethora of sunken WWII wrecks near Okinawa, while reef divers will enjoy blue lagoons and sandy beaches.
November until May is hammerhead shark season, while June – October sees large populations of manta rays in the Japanese waters.
The best diving in Japan is generally considered to be found in Okinawa, as well as around the Kerama Islands.
The country also gets surprisingly cold in winter and becomes one of the prime destinations for drift ice diving! It’s a bit surreal diving over green reefs underneath thick ice plates but definitely an incredible experience.
Japan is much more expensive as a travel destination than the likes of other countries in Asia, but it’s more than worth it.
| Diving Season | Year-round |
| Best time to dive | June-October (manta season), November-May (hammerhead season) |
| What to see | Sharks, wrecks, kelp forests, reefs, king crabs, whales, lots of fish |
| Water Temperature | 24-27°C (78-82°F) |
| Budget | $$$ |
| Best for | Wrecks & ice diving |
| Difficulty | Any level of diving available |
Book your trip
Maldives
Arguably the most famous diving destination in the world, the Maldives have a place on every diver’s bucket list.
Sandy beaches, warm water, and drinks at the bar…the Maldives are a honeymoon dream destination for good reasons.
The reefs in the Maldives have experienced multiple coral bleachings, unfortunately, and the shallow reefs in the central atolls near the capital Male are mostly gone. However, below 10m/30ft you can still find great diving, as well as plenty of pelagics.
The far North and South are excellent liveaboard diving destinations and manta rays, whale sharks, and sharks are near guaranteed.
The Maldives are still, even after 40 years, one of the top locations for diving in Asia.
| Diving Season | Year-round |
| Best time to dive | August – November |
| What to see | Sharks, whale sharks, manta rays, tropical fish |
| Water Temperature | 26-30°C (80-86°F) |
| Budget | $$-$$$ |
| Best for | Pelagics and tropical fish |
| Difficulty | Can be a bit more advanced due to strong currents |