Shore diving in Southeast Asia (not Thailand)???

[roydude]

Hi all - going to be spending some time in SEA from next week and we're looking to do some shore diving (my partner gets seriously ill on boats, her OW was finished with a shore dive because of this ).

The basic plan just now is: China -> Northern Thailand -> Laos -> Vietnam -> Cambodia (4 months), but we can be flexible on some parts (for example, we could fly somewhere else for a week or so between these countries). We already spent 4 months travelling southern Thailand / islands etc... so we'll not be going that way this time .

Does anyone know of anywhere we could do shore diving? Preferably without going to an expensive island - could be coastal or lake, doesn't need to be 'amazing' we just want to get in about 10 dives each over a period of a week / 10 days or so.

 

[jamesdiving]

I'm not sure there's very much diving worth the effort in those countries, let alone shore diving. There's diving off Nha Trang in Vietnam but from recollection (I was there in 2000) it's not much to write home about and requires a decent boat ride.

 

[Centrals]

Would you consider Philippines?
1. Anilao but you dive, eat and sleep from the same resort. And the curious diving rate can be off putting.
2. Puerto Galera, most of the sites are only 5-10 mins by boat.

 

[jamesdiving]

The other obvious option is Bali - Tulamben/Amed has decent shore diving, but it's not Indochina which is the OP's destination.

Maybe I've missed something but I'm not sure there's much to be said for diving in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia or Northern Thailand beyond getting wet.

 

[roydude]

Thanks for the suggestions - some great place to add to my 'to do' list for sure!! In the end I opted for a short stay on Whale Island (it's a boat ride ... but a very short one!). It's expensive, but we'll just stay a few nights

 

[Wingy]

Cambodia has some diving that reminded me of Racha Noi in thailand. About Koh Rong | Koh Rong Dive Center - Koh Rong island is actually a nice break from the buzzzzzzzz of siahnoukville but if you do choose to go make sure you buy your ferry tickets over to the island yourself - a driver will add on his percentage which may be ok or may be ridiculous. Its certainly not world class diving and Laos being landlocked means unless you can find someone with scuba gear and are happy to do a zero viz dive down the nam song river your outta luck.

Tulumben will keep you happy.

 

[Luko]

Thanks for the suggestions - some great place to add to my 'to do' list for sure!! In the end I opted for a short stay on Whale Island (it's a boat ride ... but a very short one!). It's expensive, but we'll just stay a few nights

Whale island is nice for macro, lots of nudis, some ghostpipefish and the usual SEA critters, and there are two decent blue water dives, belfry and four kings.
Probably the best dive spot in Vietnam though it is still not comparable to other great spots in Indonesia, M'sia or Philippines.

I wouldn't go back diving in Sihanoukville though, 3m viz, everything that was living only a few corals has been taken out of the water and put into a soup. Whale island is a better bet in that respect.