With so much coastline and so many seas, it is no wonder that South-east Asia has some of the best wreck diving in the world.
Many of the region's wrecks are not only great for their level of preservation & fascinating history, but also for the amount of marine life that now calls them home.
So if you want to experience some world-class wreck diving, click on a hotspot below...
Love marine life?
Coron Bay
During September 1944, an American reconnaissance mission discovered a camouflaged fleet of Japanese warships. They duly attacked, destroying 24 ships. 12 of these wrecks can be dived, making Coron Bay one, if not the top wreck diving destination in the world.
John Hernandez
Madang
Also in PNG, Madang has some great wreck diving. The Mitchell Bomber is an excellent example of a WWII plane wreck, while nearby, the USS Boston and Coral Queen are also fantastic wreck dives. A night dive on the Coral Queen is a dive with a difference, with millions of Flashlight Fish lighting up the water with their impressive show of bio-luminescence.
Tara North
Pattaya
Pattaya, in the north of the Gulf of Thailand, is the country's top spot for wreck diving. A number of wrecks are found in the area, the largest of which are a the Hardeep, an Indonesian Freighter that found a watery grave in 1942; and the Bremen, a 300ft wreck that provides a refuge for plenty of marine life.
Pacific Klaus
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Coron Bay & El Nido
Coron Bay's diving is all about shipwrecks. Here, a fleet of Japanese warships were sunk in WWII, creating one of the Philippine's most popular and unique diving destinations.
There is more good diving around El Nido, which has great beaches and lovely coral reefs.
Port Moresby
Port Moresby is the capital of Papua New Guinea and was the first diving area to be explored in the country. The city gazes out over the Coral Sea, which separates PNG from Australia in the south.
While the area is PNG’s most populous, this does not mean that the diving is of a lesser standard to other areas of the country, especially of you like rare critters.
Bali
Possibly Indonesia's most well known tourist destination, the diving in Bali is also excellent.
Many divers head to Tulamben on Bali's eastern coast, home of the USS Liberty wreck.
To the south of Bali lie the islands of Nusa Penida, Lembongan and Ceningan, where Manta Rays and Mola Mola can be seen in season.
Bucket list big fish dives
There's no other thrill that quite compares to an encounter with an apex predator or gentle giant. For some, diving with Sharks is the ultimate bucket list experience. For others, it is swimming with Manta Rays.
From Myanmar in the west to PNG in the east, South-east Asia cannot fail to disappoint lovers of majestic pelagic species looking for that ultimate diving encounter.
Underwater photography hotspots
Asia is blessed with all the ingredients any budding underwater photographer could ever wish for.
It has an enormous variety of dive sites, incredible diversity, an almost limitless choice of subjects and many highly professional dive centres to choose from.
But where are some of the very best spots for underwater photography & video? Our quick guide gives you the lowdown...
Cheapest places to dive in Asia
