Yeoh Chee Weng:
Hi there,
Are there anyone who have completed a divemaster internship in Koh Phi Phi or Krabi and who can recommended a reliable & friendly centre? What about costs inclusive of tuition, board & lodgings (excluding gear & materials which I already have or can borrow). I am travelling on a budget and I don't need to stay in a fancy resort. Any info is much appreciated.
Hi Chee Weng,
I've been to Koh Phi Phi and Krabi. The cost of living is much cheaper in Krabi than in Koh Phi Phi. Krabi, however, is a boring town. It is more like a transit point. There are couple dive shops in town. I dived with 2 of them and would not recommend them. The neighbor town is Au Nang 6 km away from Krabi, has better dive shops.(Krabi dive shops will bring you to Aunang and use the boats from Au Nang Dive operators). I would suggest you go to AuNang for lodging and dive training. There isn't much night life at these location.
Koh Phi Phi is a very interesting little island. It is VERY busy... 24hr non stop party and night life. It is very difficult to find a quiet beach without hearing the long boat engine. You have to make an effort to go the distance on the island to find the quiet beaches. The cost of living will be higher in Koh Phi Phi than Krabi/Aunang but there are countless dive shops on the island and with more competition, the divemaster course may be lower(guessing). If you want more choices, Koh Phi Phi offer much more dive shop to choose from. Life on the island, as I said, will be much more fun.
If you are looking for cheap cost of living and good pricing, then you may want to check out Koh Tao. It is the PADI certification meeca in Asia. It's relatively cheaper to stay in Koh Tao than Koh Phi Phi. Beautiful island, and a bunch of dive shops to choose from. Go there and choose the dive shop that you feel comfortable with. I would avoid Buddha View Dive. I was there for 3 weeks and everyday, I saw students did their final OW/AOWexam in open book group discussion style, and it is a take home exam!!! Definitelly not holding up PADI standard. But they are the largest operator in town and the biggest PADI 5 star resort dive training ctr in South East Asia.
Another consideration would be Pulau Perhentian Kecil. Unlike most M'sia islands with Resort style accommodation, Perhentian Kecil is back packers heaven. You can bargain and get a relatively cheap hut for RM10/day! If you plan to stay long, you can work with dive shops to set you up for cheaper rent. Spice Diver has its own huts for customer so you may want to check it out.
Tiaman could be a great place too. Salang beach has many dive shops to choose from. And pricing is reasonable.
