Diving near Vietnam

[martinetti]

Hello,

I am planning a trip to Vietnam/Laos for february-march. I am OW diver and I just want to do some easy diving. Could you suggest some dive locations nearby (malaysia, etc.).

Thank you

 

[Luko]

Easiest to reach would be Phuket in Thailand. There should be budget regional flights from Thailand to Vietnam, check AirAsia.com or Bangkok Airways (for the Thailand/Laos legs).

 

[stevenl]

Yes, Phuket will be easy to reach plus offers excellent diving.

You can also check Vietnam, where there are a few places to go diving. Nothing special, but may be convenient for you.

 

[Luko]

You can also check Vietnam, where there are a few places to go diving.

Not that many in the february period, Nha Trang is most likely april to september diving. Forget about Phu Quoc ...

 

[stevenl]

You're right, forgot about that.

Nha Trang will be possible in that time of year, but not very nice.

 

[ti325v]

Ahhh,
come dive with me on Con Dao in Vietnam.....yeah forget phu Quoc, I worked there for seven months, not worth it.....Now Con Dao....VERY different story ! dugong, dolphins, ....see New york Times article from two weeks ago. I have 30 + dive sites and will be open there in August. Nha Trang....Water is freezing at that time visibility averages about 6-8 meters,Government has closed all but three dive sites, fish all gone, the only thing you will see is divers. Much of Con Dao Never been dived, we will still be exploring at that time..Come on over !

 

[DevonDiver]

The diving around Vietnam and Cambodia is not that great. Rainbow Divers in Nha Trang are very good.

Alternative diving destinations in the region are truly world-class. Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia and the Philippines have some of the best dive sites in the world - and most locations are accessable by a cheap regional flight from most major cities.

Best strategy is to decide which locations/countries you can reach conveniently, considering your current travel plans and then identify the best dive sites/operators in those areas.

Thailand - Phuket, Koh Lak, Koh Lanta, Koh Tao etc
Borneo - Sipidan, Mabul, Kapalai etc
Philippines - Cebu, Coron, Puerto Galera, Subic, Bohol etc
Indonesia - Bali, Ambon etc

 

[ambertiger]

Hi the diving in Vietnam is not very good, at least it was not where I was in Nha Trang, it is almost completely fished out and the local sell the corals and sea shells at the side of the street. There is some decent macro muck diving though if you are into that. There is a great wreck near Nha Trang but the locals are very leary about diving on wrecks. If I were you I would head for Layang Layang but I think it opens late Feb or early March, check their website. Sipadan is also very good but you have to book well ahead of time to be sure of getting a permit for diving the island. If you are flying into Vietnam Laos from thailand then Phuket is probably one of your best bets. Devon diver above has posted other good ideas for Thailand and other parts of Asia.

 

[vietzay]

If near Vietnam , then Phu Quoc is the best option, i've been there and i really liked it, different from what i experienced in Thailand and the Philippines.
Vietnam Tours . Travel to Vietnam | Phu Quoc Island Travel Guide

 

[cnherrick]

... Keeping the Vietnam SCUBA thread alive !!

Check this out:
Vietnam custom tour, trek & cycle tour

And these folks seem good:
Rusty Compass - an independent travel guide to Cambodia and Vietnam

anyone done any diving out of Vung Tao? It's an hour's drive from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and the beaches look gr8.

Dive! Dive! Dive! is still there on Con Dao:
Con Dao Tourist Info | Travel Information, Transport, Sights, Hotels
gotta figure out how to get some diving in off the isla and then some tourist stuff in on the mainland, what with the airplane flight from Saigon.