Pulau Weh
Pulau Weh is all you expect when you think of a quiet tropical island, the spot to escape the crowd and chaos of most big Indonesian cities. It is the perfect destination if you are looking for island vibes, lush surroundings, not touristy but also not deserted.
Besides that, it is the the ideal location for snorkelling and diving. We really enjoy exploring the impressive underwater world, and this tiny island has so much to offer in that regard. Even though we are only open water divers, we believe Pulau Weh is the perfect place for both beginners and advanced divers.
Dive Centres on Pulau Weh
There are few dive schools on the island to pick from. Most can be found around Gapang beach and Iboih Beach. We liked the area of Gapang beach better, which is why we decided to pick a dive school around this area.
A few of the dive schools that can be found here are Bubble Addict, Lumba Lumba, and Monster Divers. Lumba Lumba’s price list was slightly higher than the other two because this is a dive resort. But both Monster Divers and Bubble Addict gave us a good impression. We ended up choosing Bubble Addict because they had a nice deal on a 3+ dive package. But for all three, we heard and read good reviews.
Best Season to Dive
Even though Pulau Weh is considered an all year round diving destination, you’ll find the best conditions in the dry season. This is from about April to September. In these months the water will be calmer and the visibility for both diving and snorkelling will be the best.
We were there in July and experienced very warm temperatures, a lot of sun, and almost no rain. However, something that is good to know, is that the phase of the moon has a big influence on the diving conditions as well. Both during full and new moon, the ocean experiences a stronger pull from the moon that results in more pronounced tides. When we did our dives on Pulau Weh, it had just been new moon. The ocean was quite rough and the visibility was poorer than normal. If you are flexible, we would definitely recommend to plan your dives during a half full moon for better conditions.
Dive Sites on Pulau Weh
We are both open water divers so our max depth is 18 meters, which restricted us with some dives. If you’re a more advanced diver, there is an old warship wreck you can dive to which is 45-55m deep. Another advanced site with great reviews is called The Canyon, located right at the top of Pulau Weh. Below you can find the sites we dived at.
West Seulako
A drift dive along a big reef wall, which is normally very relaxing and easy. However, due to stronger currents on the day we had to use more energy and surfaced again after already 25 minutes. We saw a lot of octopuses, lion fish, and moray eels.
Limbo Gapang
The most popular dive site on the island and for a good reason. The strong current (and influences of the new moon) had little impact on the quality of our dive. The underwater formation is like a hill that you drift around. This hill is full of coral and marine life. We saw a lot of eels, octopus, tiger fish, eagle rays and so many colourful reef fish.
Batee Meuroron
A drift dive along a big reef wall, which is normally very relaxing and easy. However, due to stronger currents on the day we had to use more energy and surfaced again after already 25 minutes. We saw a lot of octopuses, lion fish, and moray eels.
Batu Dua
Basically two big rocks that you drift between. Beautiful coral and we got told a higher possibility of seeing reef sharks, which we sadly didn’t spot in the end. The site looked really cool, but again because of strong currents (thanks to the new moon) the visibility was quite poor. In more optimal conditions, this is a beautiful spot.
Underwater Volcano
Quite a unique shallow dive, about 6m, to volcanic vents. The water temperature here is very warm, so most divers won’t wear a wetsuit. It is cool to see the sulphur escaping through the breaks in the reef and feel the naturally heated water. Since it is only 6 meters deep, you can also see it just by snorkelling.
Snorkelling on Pulau Weh
Pulau Weh is great for snorkelling because the water is crystal clear, the sea is calm (most of the time), and the temperature is great all year round. We did quite some snorkelling. You can rent a snorkel and fins for cheap at almost every restaurant near the water. Expect to pay around 30,000 IDR for a snorkel set. Below you find the beaches we snorkeled at.
Gapang Beach
Very close to shore you’ll already be amazed by a lively underwater world full of colourful coral and smaller fish. The water gets deep quickly but is very clear, making it easy to see the bottom. There are ropes into the water and down the bottom that you can use to go a little deeper.
Jetty at Olala Restaurant
A couple of rocky stairs down from Olala restaurant you can find a small jetty. This is a great spot to snorkel around. Drop your towels on the jetty and jump in, there are also stairs to get out of the sea. The tides have a big influence of the depth of the water here, so be careful when getting in!
Pantai Teupin Serkui
This is the beach very close to where we stayed. Surrounded by two of our favourite restaurants on Pulau Weh (Dee Dee’s and Nasaka). Especially great spot to relax during the day. Snorkling isn’t the best as there is less marine life and it gets shallow easily, so go during high tide.
Iboih Beach
About a 10 minute walk from our accommodation. The beach itself is not the nicest on the island and more busy with local tourists and little shops organising snorkling tours. So expect more crowd during the day.
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Samur Tiga
Located on the west side of Pulau Weh, this beach is an incredible stretch of white sand and clear, turquoise blue water. On the sea you’ll find a small platform from which you can do some snorkling. During the day, this part of the island is less crowded so also perfect to spend a relaxing day at the beach.
Rubiah Sea Garden
Getting here requires taking a boat to the east side of Rubiah island. We organised a drop off and pick up with Dee Dee’s restaurant. For 100,000 IDR we got taken there by the owner.
Rubiah sea garden is a pretty snorkling spot. We saw many fish and especially the condition of the coral was very good. Current can be stronger here. Rubiah island can be quite packed with local tourists on the west side, which we did not like. There is nothing on the east, so prepare yourself by bringing over some water/snacks or don’t expect to spend too much time snorkling here.
Underwater Volcano
Quite unique snorkling conditions above volcanic vents. The water temperature here is very warm. Here’s a rundown on how to go snorkelling at the underwater volcano.
Go to this location (5.840628, 95.287728) and look for the sign that says “Hydrothermal”. From there, drop your stuff on the rocks and swim out 150m or until you feel the water heat up. The bubbles are only small so you’ll have to dive down to see them. Much easier to find during low tide.
Where To Stay
During our time on Pulau Weh we stayed at Santi Garden Bungalows. We absolutely loved the price-quality of the rooms and would definitely recommend it. Being located next to Olala restaurant and the jetty, and only a 5 minute walk away from Nasaka and Dee Dee’s restaurant next to a wonderful little beach it was perfect. We booked our stay with booking.com!
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