Candidasa is a really good option as a base for your Bali dive holiday. The village on the south side of the eastern tip of Bali is within an hour's drive of the Tulamben or Amed areas, and only about 20 minutes from Padang Bai, where most of the dive boats depart for the outer islands. Many good land-side sights are also within a short drive of Candidasa, such as the Tirta Gangga water palace, the Goa Lawah 'Bat Cave' Temple and even the 'mother temple' Besakih.
The town itself has quite a nice selection of restaurants, for your post-diving dining pleasure, and there is also a good number of small hotels and resorts to choose from.
Unlike Tulamben or Amed, there are no dive sites in the immediate area of Candidasa. There are some documented sites around the small offshore rocky islands, but they don't seem to be very popular.
Getting There
The only way to get to Candidasa is by car. From the airport, a regular taxi will cost you around 300,000 Rupiah. You can check with your hotel or resort to see if they offer transfers at a reasonable rate (some will even include a transfer in their packages). Traffic in East Bali is light enough that you may wish to consider a rental car to get there and get around to the sights of the area.
Candidasa Dive Resorts
Candidasa has a nice range of hotels and resorts on offer. There are no large hotels, with most places having just a dozen rooms or less. Most of the offerings are in the mid-range, with almost nothing in the higher end.
Candidasa Dive Shops
Most of the dive shops around Candidasa are based in a resort or hotel, such as the Puri Bagus. In most cases, you don't need to be a guest of the hotel to use the dive shop. Outside of the resorts, Divelite is one of the few independent shops.
Restaurants
One of the most surprising things for me on my first visit to Candidasa was the large number of restaurant choices I had outside of my hotel. The main road running through town is lined with plenty of dining options, many with comfortable lounges for a drink as well. The biggest concentration is around the lake, where there are two or three places off the path around the lake as well as on the main road. Restaurants tend to come and go, so I don't list any recommendations here. Just have a stroll and stop in at any place that strikes your fancy.