Diving In Nusa Lembongan: Bali's Underwater Buddha Garden

Would you like to discover a secret underwater temple garden? Well, if you head to this gorgeous part of Bali, you’re sure in for a big surprise…

Sunken statues are waiting to be explored off the coast of Nusa Lembongan off the Indonesian Island of Bali. Divers can swim up to 30 metres (98 feet) below the surface to experience some breathtaking ruins that reside underwater. But there’s an interesting story to how these art pieces came to be submerged.

The underwater sculptures at Nusa Lembongan were purposefully submerged

Underwater Buddhas: Ancient ruins or something else?

Not everything is as it seems when you come across these wondrous sculptures. Rather than being an ancient religious site, the submerged garden is actually part of an art project built in 2005. Created to highlight the environmental threat to marine life, this temple garden of statues is giving an opportunity for new life to develop under the sea in a conservation project that is as beautiful as it is effective. Made primarily of natural stone carved locally, the beautiful works of art were submerged in order to address concerns surrounding the decline in marine life.

Regardless of its authenticity as ancient ruins, the Underwater Buddhas are an incredible place to explore. But their functionality for the environment is just as important, and they serve a very specific task here. Incredible biodiversity thrives in and around the sunken statues and this attracts more life to it. The end result is an area that blossoms, becoming a very good bedding ground for coral growth.

Diving in Nusa Lembongan is renowned by scuba divers and snorkelers and you’ll certainly see some surprises when you explore what’s down below. The Buddha statues in the underwater temple garden allows for fresh, new life to sprout up from its ruins. It’s a wonderful sight that you won’t want to miss!

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.