JonnieB
Contributor
Pre-Season Phuket Report
October 2005
Keywords: Thailand, Andaman Sea, Phang Nga Bay, Phuket, Chalong Bay, SCUBA Diving, See Bees, Excalibur I, Palm Garden Resort
INTRODUCTION
I recently spent a week in Phuket doing day trips to the local dive sites in Phang Nga Bay. Over three, I dived 9 times, again with See Bees Diving on their boat, Excalibur I. It can say that all is still the same in regards to the See Bees boat and crew. (See my previous reports.) I again stayed at their affiliated resort, the Palm Garden, located a 5 minute walk from the dive shop in Chalong town. This resort has very comfortable bungalow style rooms in a garden setting, with a nice large pool. There is also an excellent restaurant on the premises. The Excalibur herself is in tip-top shape and the deck crew, dive-leaders, and most importantly, the cook, are all still in top form.
CHALONG BAY (AO CHALONG)
Chalong Bay town is a quiet little area at the south-east corner of Phuket. It is where most of the SCUBA diving boats are actually based. Therefore, if you stay in the immediate area, you save travel time to and from the boat for your dives (extra sleep in the mornings and sooner eating/relaxing afterwards). It is about 10 minutes from the Phuket City and Rawai areas; 25 minutes from Kata/Karon beach areas; 35 minutes from Patong beach, and 45 minutes from the resorts at Surin beach and Laguna Bay. The dive shops are located just off the traffic circle and up from the boat pier on Wiset road. The largest distributer/servicer of diving gear in Thailand, Dive Supply, is located nearby. Dive Supply has no retail outlet but if you need to buy some gear, replace a part, or have something repaired, the Chalong dive shops can often help you in an expeditious manner. There are also a couple custom-made wetsuit shops in town, so it is a good place to have one made if you need one.
Being a quiet small town, there is not the large variety of restaurants, bars, and nitelife found in the tourist areas of Phuket. In fact, that is its charm at least for me. If you are in Phuket to dive, by staying here, you have easy access to your shop/boat and a quiet area to get your sleep. As to eats, Jimmys Lighthouse restaurant located a short distance from the boat pier along the waterfront road has a nice view of the Bay and decent Western style grub (I didnt sample the Thai food). It is a nice place to relax at the end of a days diving. I have already mentioned that the Thai food at the Palm Garden restaurant is excellent. Along Wiset road itself, there is an excellent German bakery and also a bagel shop. One of Phukets original British style pubs, The Green Man, is located about 10 mins away. In addition, the new Central Festival shopping mall is also a 10 minute drive away. This is a full-service mall, with many farang and Asian food outlets, clothing and electronics stores, a grocery store, and a multi-plex theatre, etc. Yes, there is even a Starbucks!!!
I would be remiss if I didnt mention probably my favorite coffee café/bakery in all of Thailand Sunrise Coffee House, located right here in tiny Chalong Bay town. It is just a few doors down from the dive shops on Wiset road and open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. By all means, if you are diving or staying in this area (or even if you are not), do yourself a favor (but not your waist) and stop by Sunrise for a nice cup of your favorite coffee and sample some of their wonderful baked goods. I can particularly recommend the sinfully rich carrot cake with sour cream frosting, the decadently moist chocolate brownies, and the lemon poppy-seed cake (again with sour cream frosting). The atmosphere is very pleasant and makes a great stop either before the dive day begins or for relaxing afterwards.
THE DIVING
General Comments
As I have stated before (see my previous reports), I believe that the dive sites in Phang Nga bay itself can be as rewarding as those of the Similian islands. What I mean is that the quality of the marine life can rival what one sees at the Similians. Certainly the underwater topography of the Similians, Ko Bon, and Ko Tachai can be breathtaking and the topside views of the islands themselves are enchanting. For sheer underwater drama, its hard to beat a dive at Elephant Head Rock or Richelieu Rock. The sites within the Bay have nothing close to rival them. (I am not including Hin Daeng/Muang in my comparison.) The opportunity for beach excursions and short island treks is also available to the Similians live aboard diver. What the Phuket day trip sites offer is easy access and many types of sites, including deep open-water dives, underwater pinnacles, a couple wrecks, several nice walls, and shallow sandy bay bottoms. Several sites are suited to nite diving as well. One conspicuous absence is a true muck dive site, however, this is not just absent from Phang Nga bay but all the rest of Thailand as well.
I have nothing against live aboard trips to the Similians and have done several of them myself. They can be a wonderful experience depending on the quality of the crew, the amenities of the boat, and the knowledge of the dive leaders. I would recommend them for the intermediate-advanced diver looking to see some of the best diving Thailand has to offer. They can be good value too. The point I want to make is dont forget about the local sites as well. No matter how you slice it, any live aboard is a beating. No matter how great the diving and the food, nothing can stop the boat from going to and fro in the nite. That, and the usually small quarters (even on the luxury boats), combine to make getting a restful nites sleep difficult. For me, by the end of a week of live aboard diving, I am ready for another weeks vacation from my vacation. For me, when you combine Phukets local sites, a great boat and crew, and a nice comfortable resort, you can have an underwater experience that rivals the Similians and also get a good nites sleep.
Excalibur I Boat and Crew
The Excalibur I is a great diving boat. A lot of thought went into her design and it shows. It is large (probably the largest day boat in Phuket) comfortable boat with a big dive deck, spacious lounging/eating areas, and large covered deck space for reading/sleeping. Plenty of storage space is provided both under your gear-up station and in a large dry storage room below deck. If that were not enough, storage cubicles are also available in the lounging area. There are 2 private showers and the same number of private bathrooms. There are also 2 outdoor showers at the back of the dive deck (stern). There are three rinse tanks, with one dedicated to cameras and computers. There is no compressor onboard (all tanks needed are brought aboard daily) so both the upper and lower decks are quiet. Nitrox is available.
The boat leaves port at 9 a.m. most mornings for the standard 2-dive day, and is back around 5 p.m. On Thursday (3 dives) and Sunday (4 dives) she leaves at 8 a.m. and the return is around 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. respectively. Return hotel transportation to See Bees (from most points on Phuket) is included in the day-trip price. The dive deck crew is friendly and efficient, most having been with the boat for many seasons. Divers are grouped by experience level and interest (photographers together) to the extent possible. Small groups are the norm, with 3-4 per dive leader. The dive leaders for this trip were outstanding thanks Maritta and Chris. Both of these dive leaders know their sites well and have keen UW vision invariably spotting the rare and unusual. Finally, it must be noted that the Excalibur has its own kitchen and cook and that all meals served onboard are prepared fresh. It must be said that the cook was in particularly fine form this past trip, with a selection of Thai and Western dishes that would warm any palate. Standard 2 and 3 dive days include hot breakfast and lunch, with post last dive snacks. On Sunday, with its 4 dives, a hot dinner is also served. So, when diving on the Excalibur, you are onboard most of the day and it is almost a live aboard experience.
October is still the transition season between rainy and sunny (wet dry) in the Andaman Sea. I dived 9 times over 3 days almost a live aboard schedule but done from land. By the middle of November, the dry season will have arrived in full and with it the high-season crowds. Conditions were generally good, with the first 2 dive days having generally clear skies and very calm (flat) seas. By the third day (Sunday), conditions had worsened somewhat, with light rains in the morning and some choppy seas. By mid-day, however, partly cloudy skies had returned and the winds/seas died down. It being a full-moon, underwater, currents were sometimes present, but nothing too extreme. Visibility was generally restricted, with most sites being around 10-15 meters sometimes a little more, sometimes less and water temperature was a steady 29° Celsius.
October 2005
Keywords: Thailand, Andaman Sea, Phang Nga Bay, Phuket, Chalong Bay, SCUBA Diving, See Bees, Excalibur I, Palm Garden Resort
INTRODUCTION
I recently spent a week in Phuket doing day trips to the local dive sites in Phang Nga Bay. Over three, I dived 9 times, again with See Bees Diving on their boat, Excalibur I. It can say that all is still the same in regards to the See Bees boat and crew. (See my previous reports.) I again stayed at their affiliated resort, the Palm Garden, located a 5 minute walk from the dive shop in Chalong town. This resort has very comfortable bungalow style rooms in a garden setting, with a nice large pool. There is also an excellent restaurant on the premises. The Excalibur herself is in tip-top shape and the deck crew, dive-leaders, and most importantly, the cook, are all still in top form.
CHALONG BAY (AO CHALONG)
Chalong Bay town is a quiet little area at the south-east corner of Phuket. It is where most of the SCUBA diving boats are actually based. Therefore, if you stay in the immediate area, you save travel time to and from the boat for your dives (extra sleep in the mornings and sooner eating/relaxing afterwards). It is about 10 minutes from the Phuket City and Rawai areas; 25 minutes from Kata/Karon beach areas; 35 minutes from Patong beach, and 45 minutes from the resorts at Surin beach and Laguna Bay. The dive shops are located just off the traffic circle and up from the boat pier on Wiset road. The largest distributer/servicer of diving gear in Thailand, Dive Supply, is located nearby. Dive Supply has no retail outlet but if you need to buy some gear, replace a part, or have something repaired, the Chalong dive shops can often help you in an expeditious manner. There are also a couple custom-made wetsuit shops in town, so it is a good place to have one made if you need one.
Being a quiet small town, there is not the large variety of restaurants, bars, and nitelife found in the tourist areas of Phuket. In fact, that is its charm at least for me. If you are in Phuket to dive, by staying here, you have easy access to your shop/boat and a quiet area to get your sleep. As to eats, Jimmys Lighthouse restaurant located a short distance from the boat pier along the waterfront road has a nice view of the Bay and decent Western style grub (I didnt sample the Thai food). It is a nice place to relax at the end of a days diving. I have already mentioned that the Thai food at the Palm Garden restaurant is excellent. Along Wiset road itself, there is an excellent German bakery and also a bagel shop. One of Phukets original British style pubs, The Green Man, is located about 10 mins away. In addition, the new Central Festival shopping mall is also a 10 minute drive away. This is a full-service mall, with many farang and Asian food outlets, clothing and electronics stores, a grocery store, and a multi-plex theatre, etc. Yes, there is even a Starbucks!!!
I would be remiss if I didnt mention probably my favorite coffee café/bakery in all of Thailand Sunrise Coffee House, located right here in tiny Chalong Bay town. It is just a few doors down from the dive shops on Wiset road and open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. By all means, if you are diving or staying in this area (or even if you are not), do yourself a favor (but not your waist) and stop by Sunrise for a nice cup of your favorite coffee and sample some of their wonderful baked goods. I can particularly recommend the sinfully rich carrot cake with sour cream frosting, the decadently moist chocolate brownies, and the lemon poppy-seed cake (again with sour cream frosting). The atmosphere is very pleasant and makes a great stop either before the dive day begins or for relaxing afterwards.
THE DIVING
General Comments
As I have stated before (see my previous reports), I believe that the dive sites in Phang Nga bay itself can be as rewarding as those of the Similian islands. What I mean is that the quality of the marine life can rival what one sees at the Similians. Certainly the underwater topography of the Similians, Ko Bon, and Ko Tachai can be breathtaking and the topside views of the islands themselves are enchanting. For sheer underwater drama, its hard to beat a dive at Elephant Head Rock or Richelieu Rock. The sites within the Bay have nothing close to rival them. (I am not including Hin Daeng/Muang in my comparison.) The opportunity for beach excursions and short island treks is also available to the Similians live aboard diver. What the Phuket day trip sites offer is easy access and many types of sites, including deep open-water dives, underwater pinnacles, a couple wrecks, several nice walls, and shallow sandy bay bottoms. Several sites are suited to nite diving as well. One conspicuous absence is a true muck dive site, however, this is not just absent from Phang Nga bay but all the rest of Thailand as well.
I have nothing against live aboard trips to the Similians and have done several of them myself. They can be a wonderful experience depending on the quality of the crew, the amenities of the boat, and the knowledge of the dive leaders. I would recommend them for the intermediate-advanced diver looking to see some of the best diving Thailand has to offer. They can be good value too. The point I want to make is dont forget about the local sites as well. No matter how you slice it, any live aboard is a beating. No matter how great the diving and the food, nothing can stop the boat from going to and fro in the nite. That, and the usually small quarters (even on the luxury boats), combine to make getting a restful nites sleep difficult. For me, by the end of a week of live aboard diving, I am ready for another weeks vacation from my vacation. For me, when you combine Phukets local sites, a great boat and crew, and a nice comfortable resort, you can have an underwater experience that rivals the Similians and also get a good nites sleep.
Excalibur I Boat and Crew
The Excalibur I is a great diving boat. A lot of thought went into her design and it shows. It is large (probably the largest day boat in Phuket) comfortable boat with a big dive deck, spacious lounging/eating areas, and large covered deck space for reading/sleeping. Plenty of storage space is provided both under your gear-up station and in a large dry storage room below deck. If that were not enough, storage cubicles are also available in the lounging area. There are 2 private showers and the same number of private bathrooms. There are also 2 outdoor showers at the back of the dive deck (stern). There are three rinse tanks, with one dedicated to cameras and computers. There is no compressor onboard (all tanks needed are brought aboard daily) so both the upper and lower decks are quiet. Nitrox is available.
The boat leaves port at 9 a.m. most mornings for the standard 2-dive day, and is back around 5 p.m. On Thursday (3 dives) and Sunday (4 dives) she leaves at 8 a.m. and the return is around 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. respectively. Return hotel transportation to See Bees (from most points on Phuket) is included in the day-trip price. The dive deck crew is friendly and efficient, most having been with the boat for many seasons. Divers are grouped by experience level and interest (photographers together) to the extent possible. Small groups are the norm, with 3-4 per dive leader. The dive leaders for this trip were outstanding thanks Maritta and Chris. Both of these dive leaders know their sites well and have keen UW vision invariably spotting the rare and unusual. Finally, it must be noted that the Excalibur has its own kitchen and cook and that all meals served onboard are prepared fresh. It must be said that the cook was in particularly fine form this past trip, with a selection of Thai and Western dishes that would warm any palate. Standard 2 and 3 dive days include hot breakfast and lunch, with post last dive snacks. On Sunday, with its 4 dives, a hot dinner is also served. So, when diving on the Excalibur, you are onboard most of the day and it is almost a live aboard experience.
October is still the transition season between rainy and sunny (wet dry) in the Andaman Sea. I dived 9 times over 3 days almost a live aboard schedule but done from land. By the middle of November, the dry season will have arrived in full and with it the high-season crowds. Conditions were generally good, with the first 2 dive days having generally clear skies and very calm (flat) seas. By the third day (Sunday), conditions had worsened somewhat, with light rains in the morning and some choppy seas. By mid-day, however, partly cloudy skies had returned and the winds/seas died down. It being a full-moon, underwater, currents were sometimes present, but nothing too extreme. Visibility was generally restricted, with most sites being around 10-15 meters sometimes a little more, sometimes less and water temperature was a steady 29° Celsius.
