Are there any North Andaman Liveaboards Early May

[dreifish]

Are there any liveaboards still doing the north andaman islands during the first week of May? Trips that include Richelieu Rock. Looking for a 4 day trip that departs May 2/3 ideally. Mid/upper end budget is ok.

If not, what are my alternatives for good diving during that time period? I will be visiting the Ankhor temple complex until May 1/2nd and am looking to do some good diving in the "vicinity" -- west coast of Thailand seemed like the best option.

Are thou southern Andaman sea sites a bit of a safer bet in terms of diving conditions during that time? Or do I need to look elsewhere entirely?

 

[stevenl]

There are some very nice daytrips from Phuket, Phi Phi and Krabi, no problem at all there.

Similans etc: the national parks are closed officially, but there still are some budget options: this one and this one.

 

[dreifish]

Thanks Steve! Both the liveaboard options look great. I might combine 3 day dive days wath a 4 day liveaboard to the Similans.

Which day dive trips from Phuket would you recommend? 3 tank trips would be best I think. For logistics reasons, I have to fly into Phuket rather than Krabi, and I would appreciate advice as to where to base myself out of near Phuket airport to minimize transit times for the diving/make it a more relaxing vacation. Is Khao Lak a more relaxed area with shorter boat travel times than Phuket island itself? What about Phi Phi or Ko Racha?

There are some very nice daytrips from Phuket, Phi Phi and Krabi, no problem at all there.

Similans etc: the national parks are closed officially, but there still are some budget options: this one and this one.

 

[Quero]

I would recommend a liveaboard going to the southern Andaman instead. The parks in the southern Andaman are officially and legally open, and the diving is very good. Get a boat going to Hin Daeng and Hin Muang, along with Koh Haa, the Phi Phi area and perhaps even others.

From Khao Lak you will not find many daytrips in May, mainly because they go to the national parks, which are closed as of May 1, but even in late April when the parks are still open daytrips are sometimes problematic because they are most often done by speedboat, and that is not a very comfortable or safe way to travel if the sea conditions are rough (the main problem of monsoon season is sea conditions). If the conditions are good, it might be that you can get a daytrip to Boonsung wreck, Sea Chart wreck, or Premchai wreck.

Daytrips out of Phuket are much easier since the boats are usually quite large and stable. My personal favorite three-tank trip is Shark Point/Anemone Reef/Koh Doc Mai. For this trip, there is no place you can stay for a short boat ride, but from both Koh Racha Yai and from Phi Phi you can dive the local sites near each island with quite short travel times. I like the Phi Phi sites more than I like the Racha sites, personally.

If you do stay on Phuket, try to stay in the southern area--Patong, Kata, Karon, or near the Chalong Circle. Pickups from around those areas are standard for all operators. The shortest ride time to the boats would be from the Chalong Circle area which is walking distance to the pier.

 

[stevenl]

Thanks Steve! Both the liveaboard options look great. I might combine 3 day dive days wath a 4 day liveaboard to the Similans.

Which day dive trips from Phuket would you recommend? 3 tank trips would be best I think. For logistics reasons, I have to fly into Phuket rather than Krabi, and I would appreciate advice as to where to base myself out of near Phuket airport to minimize transit times for the diving/make it a more relaxing vacation. Is Khao Lak a more relaxed area with shorter boat travel times than Phuket island itself? What about Phi Phi or Ko Racha?

No point staying in Khao Lak, since the daytrip options from there are Similans etc., which you'll already be diving by liveaboard plus the options will be very limited, if any, that time of year.

On Phuket, stay in Kata-Karon areas, nice areas with a good beach and nice choice of bars and restaurants. Patong is busier, so if you enjoy that that would be a good choice. Also Nai Harn/Chalong is worth considering, but not all DC's do pickups from there.

 

[dreifish]

Quero and Steven, thank you both for the useful information. I didn't realize that the Similan/Surin national parks were officially closed at the end of April (thought it was May 15). Is the sea life different between the similan/surin area, the phuket/phi phi area and hin daeng/hin muang/koh haa? The topography of the dives? Would you characterize them as three distinct diving destinations, or are the areas more similar than different?

The reason I was interested in shorter boat rides is that I will spend the first half of the trip--before the liveaboard) travelling with my father, who doesn't (yet) dive. So I'd be nice to find a place with a nice beach where he can relax and where I wouldn't be gone the entire day. It sounds like I nede to look into Koh Racha Yai and Phi Phi more. Speaking of which, if I can convince him to do his OW course, which of the four areas Phuket, Phi Phi, Ko Racha Yoi, Khao Lak, would be best? I want to get him hooked, so somewhere with easy diving, good visibility and maybe nice coral gardens?

 

[Quero]

dreifish, I would say Phi Phi or Koh Racha Yai for the shorter trips when you're not on the LOB. I think the beach areas on the leeward side of Racha are nicer than Phi Phi for hanging out and snorkeling, but there's no little town on Racha for variety of eating places, etc., so overall, I think most people would be happier on Phi Phi if they weren't in a couple or with other non-divers. You can get dive tuition anywhere. From Phuket I tend to take my students to Racha by boat since the area is practically ideal for students--easy dives, shallow, sandy bays. I don't know anybody teaching there directly from Racha, though, so I can't make any particular recommendation. Of course if you come to Phuket, you have boundless options since so many of us teach here. Khao Lak would be a poor choice of area for the Open Water course since there aren't very nice places to do the open water dives.

For the destination comparison, Hin Daeng and Hin Muang are similar to the big submerged rocky reefs of the Surins like Tachai Pinnacle. They are fish magnets. At Koh Haa, there are boulder formations also reminiscent of the boulder sites of the Similans. There are also sloping reef areas. Marine life is more similar than different, though there are certain things that we rarely see further south which are fairly often spotted up north, such as clown triggerfish.

 

[Iain-le-roi]

Hi.. sorry to hijack the thread but I have a question along similar lines. I am in Thailand the 1st two weeks in May and want to do some diving. We haven't got time to factor in a LAB but I would like to know what the best sites are around Phi Phi, Lanta and Krabi? I am an advanced diver and enjoy the larger stuff and Palegics so what recommendations for sites do you have at this time of year and who should I book with?

Thanks in advance
ILR

 

[Quero]

Around Phi Phi the top sites are Koh Bida Nok and Koh Bida Nai along with secondary sites like Turtle Rock/Palong Wall. Further away but still easy to get to are the beautiful Shark Point and Anemone Reef sites.

 

[stevenl]

If you can reach it Hin Daeng and Hin Muang from Koh Lanta, along with Koh Haa. Year round Hinb Daeng and Hin Muang are the best sites for big stuff

Then from Krabi, Phi Phi and Phuket Koh Bida Nok and Koh Bida Nai, along with Shark Point, King Cruiser and Anemone Reef. From Phi Phi also Phi Phi Shark Point (Hin Bida). Sometimes blacktips at Palang Wall, but if they are not there it is a boring divesite IMO.