Best Western Phuket Ocean Resort for diving in Phuket?

[Torontonian]

At the end of Jan/2016, my wife and I are going (from Toronto) to Taiwan. We are thinking of adding around 5-6 days to go to Phuket, so we can relax, enjoy beach, and I get some diving.

We're thinking of using our BW points to stay at BEST WESTERN Phuket Ocean Resort, at Karon Beach.

Anyone stayed in this hotel or near there in Phuket and can share some comments, tips?

How is the diving there, and the dive shops?

Thanks.

 

[Aquavelvet]

Diving this time of year mostly consists of day trips to the Phi Phi Islands, or to the more southern Racha Islands. Both are fun warm water destinations, though there's more to look at around Phi Phi. There are a number of dive ops that will arrange for a shuttle bus to pick you up at your hotel and take you to the boat pier in Chalong. You can rent all your gear if you need to, but I recommend at least bringing your own masks and computers.

I usually stay in Patong Beach, so I'm not familiar with the hotels in Karon. I recommend booking the dive through either All4Diving or Super Divers in Patong. You'll be less likely to get stuck on a cattle boat.


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[stevenl]

Diving this time of year mostly consists of day trips to the Phi Phi Islands, or to the more southern Racha Islands. Both are fun warm water destinations, though there's more to look at around Phi Phi. There are a number of dive ops that will arrange for a shuttle bus to pick you up at your hotel and take you to the boat pier in Chalong. You can rent all your gear if you need to, but I recommend at least bringing your own masks and computers.

I usually stay in Patong Beach, so I'm not familiar with the hotels in Karon. I recommend booking the dive through either All4Diving or Super Divers in Patong. You'll be less likely to get stuck on a cattle boat.


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LOL, they are both using the same boat, which is best described as the epitamy of Phuket cattleboats.

Don't forget trips to the Shark Point/King Cruiser area and to Similans etc., the latter either by daytrip or liveaboard.

---------- Post added May 17th, 2015 at 10:31 AM ----------

At the end of Jan/2016, my wife and I are going (from Toronto) to Taiwan. We are thinking of adding around 5-6 days to go to Phuket, so we can relax, enjoy beach, and I get some diving.

We're thinking of using our BW points to stay at BEST WESTERN Phuket Ocean Resort, at Karon Beach.

Anyone stayed in this hotel or near there in Phuket and can share some comments, tips?

How is the diving there, and the dive shops?

Thanks.

Any diveshop can arrange the transfers from Best Western Karon, and these will always be included, no problem at all.

 

[MichaelWallentin]

January is one of the best time of the year to dive from Phuket. You can go diving around Racha Yai (crowded), Racha Yai, Sharks Point (my personal favorite), Anemone Reef, King Cruiser Wreck (Advance diver), Koh Doc Mai, Mai Thon, Phi Phi Islands and Similan Islands.

If only for one day, I would go to Phi Phi Islands and Shark Point or Similan Islands (long day). If going for three days, which normally gives you a discount, I would choose; Phi Phi Islands, Sharks Point/Anemone Reef and Similan Islands.

If you really want to avoid the cattle boats with 50+ divers, then go with Sea Bees (they have Super Sunday with four dives) or Sea Fun Divers. Both are a bit more expenssive, have their own boats, great staff and very high safety standards. They are well worth the extra you are paying.

Most other dive centers will book on a few other dive boats, hence the word "cattle boat". As January is the most busy time of the year, I would stay far away from these "cattle boats" - They are not only crowded but some dive centers tends to way to many people on one boat (50 - 70 divers is common). You can PM me if you need contact info to these operators.

The hotel you are staying at is a few minutes from Karon center. When coming out, the turn left and walk to the roundabout. Along the beach front you have some good restaurants and big hotels. If you turn away from the beach you have an area with restaurant, smaller hotels and guest houses and lots of bars. Some of the restaurant have live music in the evening. My favorite restaurant is 2chefs - Best steaks in town.

 

[Torontonian]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I haven't booked that BW hotel at Karon beach yet, but it's the one requiring the least number of points so if we use BW points that's the one.

So there isn't diving close to Karon beach, but seems like all the dive shops will shuttle people to Chalong for long day trips? 50-70 divers on a boat, I've never been on such a large dive boat before. Guess I'm spoiled by the Caribbeans and Hawaii. Sounds like most of the dive shops won't have their own boat, but are booking space on some boats.

We like to be there for a few days. Often I'll try to get my wife to come to one trip, to snorkel, but not for the type of long day trips from Chalong. I think we'll try to go for 5 days, rest the first day. The other days I'll go for 2 or 3 day trips diving, and other times for activities with my wife.

Thanks for suggestions of the restaurants near that BW, or Karon center.

Oh, one thing I heard is going through customs in Bangkok is fine, but from Phuket can have long lines and custom officials asking for bribes (tea money). Is that true? If flying out of Phuket to an international airport do you still have to go through customs?

Thanks.

 

[stevenl]

I have had many guests here used to Carribean diving who have been very, very happy. Don't forget the boats are a lot bigger than the ones used in the Carribean. A friend of mine works in Hawaii (Island Divers) but comes over once a year with some guests to do some diving here, and they are always very enthousiastic and vouching to come back (some even do that )

There is some diving close to Karon Beach, either shorediving (best is the reef at the Northern end of Kata Beach) or by longtail boat to Koh Phu. The full daytrips though are IMO much better value for money. Your wife would probably really enjoy a daytrip to Racha Noi and Racha Yai. You go diving, she goes snorkeling, without any other boats in the area. Really relaxed and a very good experience for both divers and non-divers.

Don't worry about paying teamoney at Phuket immigration. First of all those stories are way, way overdone, I have e.g. never ever done it, never seen it or be tempted to do it, most of the time people simply breeze through, and second of all, you're very likely to pass through immigration already in Bangkok, leaving only customs in Phuket.

 

[Scuba Cat Diving]

There is shore dives from some of the beaches close to you, Kata reef is nice, lower vis than daytrips but nice marine life. This can be done on a half day trips arranged by many dive centers.
Cattle boats are common here as many of the dive centers do not own their own boats and go with the cheaper options of the large boats which offer then cheaper rates as they go by numbers not necessarily quality.
There are some companies that do not do this, they have their own boats and do not offer them out to other companies with no boat to rent spaces.

You can check out our website if you wish we are one of the companies that have our own boat, limit the number of guests to 20 and do not rent out spaces. We also offer good dive packages if you do more than 1 day diving, and include transfers from your hotel.

 

[gr8jab]

I dove with Welcome to Sea Bees Diving - Adventure In Good Hands a few years ago. I would choose them again. They were very well run, owned their own boats, and had great customer service. They use large boats, with a full kitchen for meals, and lots of room for everyone and their gear. The cool thing is that they group four divers together with a guide, and drop them at different locations. This avoided a huge herd of people all at once in the same exact site. You know other groups are nearby, but you are not surrounded by 25 other divers at once.

 

[Oldbear]

There is shore dives from some of the beaches close to you, Kata reef is nice, lower vis than daytrips but nice marine life. This can be done on a half day trips arranged by many dive centers.
Cattle boats are common here as many of the dive centers do not own their own boats and go with the cheaper options of the large boats which offer then cheaper rates as they go by numbers not necessarily quality.
There are some companies that do not do this, they have their own boats and do not offer them out to other companies with no boat to rent spaces.

You can check out our website if you wish we are one of the companies that have our own boat, limit the number of guests to 20 and do not rent out spaces. We also offer good dive packages if you do more than 1 day diving, and include transfers from your hotel.

I dove with Scuba Cats on one of their floating motels...an anchored Liveaboard for four days. It was such a wonderful experience. Diving just a few feet (meters) from my room or a short dingy ride away. The early morning and late afternoon dives were great because the "daily" divers were not there yet or had left for the day. A few days later went on one of those community cattle boat tours to a couple of popular dive sites and the diving was ok but much like diving in a train station with the crowds.

if you have time I also suggest a Similans Island liveaboard...awesome trip. We did the Junk.

Www.thejunk.com

 

[Torontonian]

Thanks for a lot of good info.

I won't be going on liveaboard. I enjoy diving but not that much, and have a non-diving wife. The diving prices near shore are not much cheaper than the long day trips, so it sounds like the day trips are better.

We'll try to have 5 days in Phuket. (May have a long connection in Bangkok, so can tour there a bit) In Phuket we can rest on day 1 and 5, and dive 2-3 days in the middle. That way we can still enjoy the beach and other parts of Phuket, including a trip on elephant.

I can bring my own mask/snorkel/fin, maybe wetsuit. Good to know Jan. is good diving time there.