Looking for dive advice for Thailand

[Jessy0608]

Hello,
I am new to the boards and I would really love some experienced help choosing my Thailand dive itinerary. I will be coming over to Thailand from the Lembeh Straight in Indonesia on Nov 17th 2014. I think the only flight I could find was in to Phuket. My first instinct is to NOT stay and dive in Phuket. I was thinking to hop a ferry after one nights sleep into Phi Phi island, and stay there for 4 days or so diving with Phi Phi Scuba Diving Center: Welcome Phi Phi Dive center. The big yellow building. I've read nothing but good reviews about them so I thought I would give it a go. Then I thought I could catch a ferry to Krabi from Phi Phi for 2 days. And catch a shore/boat dive or two before heading out of Krabi airport to BKK for the rest of my 3 week vacation around Thailand.

So to make it easy:
1) Do you think I really need to spend time in Phuket?
2) Have you any personal experience with the Phi Phi Dive center
3) What are the dive sites I shouldn't miss in Phi Phi?
3) What dive shop should I use in Krabi?
4) What dive sites should I not miss in Krabi?
5) Any recommendations for good places to stay in Phuket, Krabi, or Phi Phi?

Thanks in advance if you can answer any 1 or all of the questions above.
Jessy

 

[Wingy]

My opinion....take a flight to Phuket. Ask the driver to take you to naiyang for a meal at Octopus Garden restaurant then ask one of the guys at the Nai Yang Beach resort to organise a taxi for you to Krabi so you can see the Karst topography and amazing scenery on the drive. Should cost around $100 USD. If you are on a budget you can get a bus to Krabi from the airport. In Krabi dive with Poseidon Dive Centre with Dan Sasse. You will find there are other flasher shops in Ao Nang but you will end up on Dans boat anyway if you book with others.
PDC1 does the same general sites as from Phuket - the three dive superday - King Cruiser Wreck, Shark Point, Anenome reef or Koh Doc Mai plus Phi Phi islands and the local islands.
I have referred other scubaboard members onto Dan at Posiedon who have nothing but good things to say about his boat and diving.
Accomodation wise what is your budget. If you dont have a budget and want a night in Phuket check out the Baray Vila Sawadee Resort in Kata if you dont want to be in the throngs of Patong.
If you do want to be in Patong theres ten zillion hotel rooms for all budgets. Coconut club wasnt bad. I also often stay at Nai Yang if im flying in or out of Phuket.

Accomodation prices will vary a lot from dirt cheap - and often dirty - to top of the range 5 star

 

[Jessy0608]

Thank you! I will definitely look into Poseidon Dive Centre and Dan Sasse while I'm in Krabi. Are you sure the drive between Phuket and Krabi isn't something to miss? I am going to be traveling with one other girl, (possibly 2 additional people) so that could end up being a lot of money for us just to drive when we could ferry straight into Phi Phi. Accommodations- I probably would like to stick around $150 USD a night. I don't want trashy but I can't afford 5 star luxury.

 

[stevenl]

Thank you! I will definitely look into Poseidon Dive Centre and Dan Sasse while I'm in Krabi. Are you sure the drive between Phuket and Krabi isn't something to miss? I am going to be traveling with one other girl, (possibly 2 additional people) so that could end up being a lot of money for us just to drive when we could ferry straight into Phi Phi. Accommodations- I probably would like to stick around $150 USD a night. I don't want trashy but I can't afford 5 star luxury.

I'm afraid I don't understand your reasoning here. The more people the cheaper the car ride per person will be, for the ferry the number of people will not influence the price per person.

 

[lord khram]

There is no need to spend anything like $150 per night, to find good clean and safe accommodation anywhere in Thailand. In my experience, quite often when travelling around I find the mid range priced places, quite often unrated (no stars) to be far more pleasant to stay at than the 5* options. I know not in the area you are considering, but I recently stayed in an excellent resort / hotel and it cost only 1100bt per night for 2 people incl breakfast, (Including a premium for our stay being over New Year) and in my mind the place was much better than staying in a big 5* hotel. Such places are available all over Thailand. Depends what you are looking for? Save some of that hotel budget, redirect it to the taxi ride as suggested and you might just get some additional memories to take home with you. Again depends entirely on what you want to achieve from your stay here.
To put things in perspective you can easily find 5* Hotels in Central Bangkok for much less than your suggested budget, and 4* options for under 1/3.

 

[Jessy0608]

I'm afraid I don't understand your reasoning here. The more people the cheaper the car ride per person will be, for the ferry the number of people will not influence the price per person.

You are right. I wasn't thinking. I immediately thought $100 per person since I've been pricing dives all day.

---------- Post added January 15th, 2014 at 08:45 PM ----------

There is no need to spend anything like $150 per night, to find good clean and safe accommodation anywhere in Thailand. In my experience, quite often when traveling around I find the mid range priced places, quite often unrated (no stars) to be far more pleasant to stay at than the 5* options. I know not in the area you are considering, but I recently stayed in an excellent resort / hotel and it cost only 1100bt per night for 2 people incl breakfast, (Including a premium for our stay being over New Year) and in my mind the place was much better than staying in a big 5* hotel. Such places are available all over Thailand. Depends what you are looking for? Save some of that hotel budget, redirect it to the taxi ride as suggested and you might just get some additional memories to take home with you. Again depends entirely on what you want to achieve from your stay here.
To put things in perspective you can easily find 5* Hotels in Central Bangkok for much less than your suggested budget, and 4* options for under 1/3.

Thank you for your response. I'm looking on Agoda.com for pricing on stays in the area. I would LOVE to stay somewhere for 1100bt per night. As I know that I've stayed in Chiangkhanburi for about that price and it was a very nice place. I just don't know where to find these places other than internet sites.

So to amend my schedule from the current suggestions it would be to arrive in Phuket. Ask the driver to take me to naiyang for a meal at Octopus Garden restaurant then ask one of the guys at the Nai Yang Beach resort to organise a taxi for me to Krabi so we can see the Karst topography and amazing scenery on the drive. From there, stay in Krabi for a couple days and dive with Poseidon Dive Centre. Then boat over to Phi Phi island for a couple days and stay there? Or just take the dive boat with Poseidon over to Phi Phi and stay the entire time in Krabi?

 

[Wingy]

LOL Jessy you wont regret a meal at the Octopus Garden - nor the drive through Phang Nga - its really quite spectacular. I can speak to Dan tonight for you to find out if he can drop you at maya bay in Phi Phi (you may have to leg it from there but im sure you will find plenty of helpful thai porters around - if not just look helpless and struggle and some nice guy will offer to help . I stay with Kim at Baan Habeebee chalets for the quiet (you can find them on Agoda but be warned, she is often booked out months in advance) although the rates may have gone up as I was their first ever guest (1100bht p/n). Do NOT stay at the Grand Centara no matter what promos they have on offer...food poisoning outbreaks are common due to the lack of food handling safety...its not a mystery repeat virus). Drawing a long bow here but from your pic if you look like you might like a visit to Railay beach east where you can also find cheap accom but you need longtail transfers from Ao Nang Pier to Railay so that cuts into dive time. Its worth visiting Railay anyway, go and watch the sunset on Railay West, guaranteed to make your jaw drop. Also another must do is have a meal at Kruatthara near the port where the dive boat leaves from....the food and the mini waitresses will have you wanting to go back again. I often use agoda or hotels combined and also find this is the easiest way to go about things - sometimes I book for only a night or two so if i dont like the place i can move without too much hassle. The dive boat will do Phi Phi island dives - the schedule is on their website Poseidon Dive Center Scuba Diving Ao Nang Krabi Thailand
Dan is pretty flexible and a very very good diver who knows how to take care of his customers. If you are interested I can ask him re dropping you at Phi Phi

 

[lord khram]

I'm looking on Agoda.com for pricing on stays in the area.

I know it can be difficult at times as Agoda etc seem to have some sort of a monopoly on search engine results. Try and look beyond such websites, I always seem to be able to find something when travelling away from home. Maybe you will even get some pointers on here, unfortunately I am not so familiar with that part of Thailand to make specific recommendations.

 

[WhiteSands]

Hello,
I am new to the boards and I would really love some experienced help choosing my Thailand dive itinerary. I will be coming over to Thailand from the Lembeh Straight in Indonesia on Nov 17th 2014. I think the only flight I could find was in to Phuket. My first instinct is to NOT stay and dive in Phuket. I was thinking to hop a ferry after one nights sleep into Phi Phi island, and stay there for 4 days or so diving with Phi Phi Scuba Diving Center: Welcome Phi Phi Dive center. The big yellow building. I've read nothing but good reviews about them so I thought I would give it a go. Then I thought I could catch a ferry to Krabi from Phi Phi for 2 days. And catch a shore/boat dive or two before heading out of Krabi airport to BKK for the rest of my 3 week vacation around Thailand.

So to make it easy:
1) Do you think I really need to spend time in Phuket?
2) Have you any personal experience with the Phi Phi Dive center
3) What are the dive sites I shouldn't miss in Phi Phi?
3) What dive shop should I use in Krabi?
4) What dive sites should I not miss in Krabi?
5) Any recommendations for good places to stay in Phuket, Krabi, or Phi Phi?

Thanks in advance if you can answer any 1 or all of the questions above.
Jessy

1. I love Phuket and I don't like Phi Phi. Phi Phi is kinda sleazy and there's not much that attracts me there. I suggest staying at Phuket instead.
If you go to Phuket, I suggest staying at Kata. Avoid Patong, the roads there are under construction and it's a mess.
2. No. I did an LOB around Phi Phi and I didn't really like it, except for Hin Deung and Hin Maueng. The rest of the sites were meh.
3. See (2). There are Mantas and if you're lucky whale sharks there.
4. Never dived at Krabi
5. For Phuket, definitely stay at Kata. Check Agoda and TripAdvisor. Lots of very nice hotels for very little money.

 

[Joe Underwater]

Hello,
I am new to the boards and I would really love some experienced help choosing my Thailand dive itinerary. I will be coming over to Thailand from the Lembeh Straight in Indonesia on Nov 17th 2014. I think the only flight I could find was in to Phuket. My first instinct is to NOT stay and dive in Phuket. I was thinking to hop a ferry after one nights sleep into Phi Phi island, and stay there for 4 days or so diving with Phi Phi Scuba Diving Center: Welcome Phi Phi Dive center. The big yellow building. I've read nothing but good reviews about them so I thought I would give it a go. Then I thought I could catch a ferry to Krabi from Phi Phi for 2 days. And catch a shore/boat dive or two before heading out of Krabi airport to BKK for the rest of my 3 week vacation around Thailand.

So to make it easy:
1) Do you think I really need to spend time in Phuket?
2) Have you any personal experience with the Phi Phi Dive center
3) What are the dive sites I shouldn't miss in Phi Phi?
3) What dive shop should I use in Krabi?
4) What dive sites should I not miss in Krabi?
5) Any recommendations for good places to stay in Phuket, Krabi, or Phi Phi?

Thanks in advance if you can answer any 1 or all of the questions above.
Jessy

Phuket and Phi Phi are very different. Phuket is an island the size of Singapore with a population which swells to over a million in the high season. It has both crowded beaches, traffic, but also and secret, secluded and empty beaches. It has a bustling nightlife, huge red light district, sprawling dance clubs, large shopping malls, but also tranquil, secluded getaways where you can swing in your hammock while dosing to nothing but the sound of tukows (geckos). You can party like a rock star or trek through the jungle all day and not see another person. Up to you, as they say here. One note about Patong. It's dirty, seedy, overcrowded and the Thai's there are rude, and often not Thais at all but from neighboring countries. I am sad for those tourists that are left with an impression that this is Phuket, or that this is Thailand.

Phi Phi is a small island with a dirty town center which grew organically after the tsumani, lacking any infrastructure. There are no cars but you will be run into by someone on a bicycle at least once. And you will probably get sick. Everyone I meet that have just come from Phi Phi suffer GI problems afterwards, as was teh case for both I and my business partner on our last visit. One instructor friend of mine spent 2 days in the hospital there with stomach pain from an unknown cause. In recent years, two sets of young female tourists have died their for unknown reasons after getting horribly sick. Something is seriously wrong with that place. All the good dive sites are divable from "civilization." Stay in either Phuket, Krabi or Koh Lanta and day trip to the Phi Phi sites. I agree with the other poster, Kata Beach is probably your best bet in Phuket. Not to overgrown yet, and you can even dive off the beach there. It's not a "can't miss" dive site, but I always find some cool things there. Hin Deang and Hin Mueang are off the hook with manta's right now. Get there if you can. I also reccommend King Cruiser wreck, and Phuket's Shark Point and Anomeone Reef both have had Leopard sharks this week. And the black tip reefies are still running along Palong Wall.



Joe