Thailand or Australia?

[shallingsam]

I have been going back and forth about where I should travel to this December. Last year I went to New Zealand, but this year I don't know if I should go to Thailand or Australia. I would be going for more than just diving. Likely only doing 4/5 days of diving on possibly a liveaboard. I was just wondering if anyone has been to both or either and can comment. I'd really be happy if I saw a whale shark, but I'm happy seeing new species as well. I don't get to see soft corals that often living in Hawaii, so that's always a plus. How are liveaboards? I've never been sea sick, but I've never stayed inside a boat at night either.

 

[Quero]

Keep in mind that although December is summertime [-]December is wintertime[/-] in Australia, it very much depends on what you plan to do in Australia and where you plan to dive. If you go to the GBR and the Coral Sea, water temperatures will be nice, but in the south, around Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, you may find you have to do drysuit diving. There are a few liveaboards in Australia. I would recommend a trip that goes to the Coral Sea and Cod Hole and gets beyond the Ribbon Reefs, though that may be a longer trip than what you are looking for.

December in Thailand is peak season. Conditions are close to optimal. Our liveaboards here typically run 4-5 day trips to the Similan and Surin Islands National Parks. Beyond the marine NPs we also have some nearby and gorgeous land-based parks, such as Khao Sok NP, or you could take a short and relatively inexpensive flight to Chiang Mai, as well as spend a few days in Bangkok to round out your trip. In regard to marine life, Thailand is more different from Hawaii than Australia is, at least in my experience. Thailand has tons of soft corals, if that's what you're eager to see. I once had a pair of scuba instructors from Maui come to Thailand and ask me specifically for anemones. That was an easy one!

 

[diverkun]

Keep in mind that December is wintertime in Australia, so it very much depends on what you plan to do in Australia and where you plan to dive. If you go to the GBR and the Coral Sea, water temperatures will be nice, but in the south, around Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, you may find you have to do drysuit diving. There are a few liveaboards in Australia. I would recommend a trip that goes to the Coral Sea and Cod Hole and gets beyond the Ribbon Reefs, though that may be a longer trip than what you are looking for.
!

December is mid summer in AUS - but the water in NSW, Victoria and South Australia will still be temperate. I dive a semi-dry in Sydney

What are you looking for as far as top side activities? Australia is awesome, but it is huge and expensive.

i spent two weeks in Thailand this year and had a great time (mostly diving, eating and sleeping), and I am an American expat living in Australia - so I don't have a bad thing to say about either choice. I would say that your choice would depend on your budget and your willingness to travel in-country.

 

[Quero]

December is mid summer in AUS - but the water in NSW, Victoria and South Australia will still be temperate.

Of course it is, DUH! I don't know what I was thinking! :blush: (I blame it on the oral surgery I just had--guess I'm still a bit out of it.)

---------- Post added September 11th, 2013 at 04:46 PM ----------

BTW, I may be on my way to NSW and SA for a little visit and some diving in a few weeks.... eek--cold water!

 

[Wingy]

If you were in NZ last year just to give you a comparison I found NZ about 20% more expensive on everything than Aus - and im from Perth, the stupidly expensive bit! Id also recommended north east coast, I felt 14c water last month in Sydney and did not like it one little bit. The coral sea is awesome.Thailand will be cheaper but if you are used to NZ prices you wont find Aus a shock.

 

[Doubler]

Gee what a terrible delimma you have. For my money it would be Thailand just because of the cost. I have been to both countries for work, both are vacation worthy with Thailand being the cheaper and MUCH more exotic of the two. Visit the Wats, Reclining Budha, Jade Budha, outstanding food, great diving, great golf.

 

[nimoh]

Thailand or Australia?

The answer is simple: YES!

 

[shallingsam]

Are Mantas and whale sharks seen in the beginning to mid December in the Andaman sea? I haven't seen many pelagics, no sea horses or anything like that. I just like diversity. I heard there was bioilluminescence in Thailand?



I was looking at backpacker buses/tours in both countries. I'm into anything in the outdoors/cultural. If I went to Australia, I was looking at going from Cairns down to Sydney, taking a liveaboard out from Cairns before exploring the rest of the coast. If I went to Thailand, I was looking at going from Bangkok to Chiang mai and over to Laos (as a part of the backpacker tour) and then fly to Phuket to take a liveaboard out.

 

[Quero]

Here in Thaialnd mantas and whale sharks are not common that early in the season because the water is too clear (they come in when there's plenty of plankton to eat, which is usually late winter-early spring). But most divers will see at least one sea horse. And yes, we do have bioluminescence, and you can experience it during night dives. For Australia, I don't know all the details of seahorses and such, but mantas are present in Western Australia in the summer (June-ish). In the east, one of the big draws is the huge Potato Cod, and of course sharks of different sorts.