Where in Thailand in November?

[Luko]

Hi,
from an outsider perspective, though having done quite a few dives in Thailand (went on 6 different trips) Similans/Richelieu on a live aboard from Phuket/Khao Lak would provide the best diving, closely followed by the southern Hins you also reach on a live aboard or from Lanta/Krabi day dives. But that's out of your requirements, too far away, too long trips.

Probably not the best diving of all, though interesting, more than Ko Tao for instance (carpeted with soft corals, guaranteed ghostpipefish) and definitely the best beaches in Thailand would be Koh Lipe .. it's funny no one mentioned Lipe, that's a lovely island, although getting too touristy nowadays and since they have upmarketed some accoms I think it can match for a honeymoon (clearly no posh 5* hotels but as charming as bungalows can get + best grilled grouper in thailand... and beaches you hardly get anywhere else, honest...).

Go and have a look at oceanpro divers website, thai/canadian dive centre in Lipe.

Cheers
Luko

 

[Makhno]

Hey howin23, I noticed that you're in DC.

I lived there for a number of years, and just in case you haven't already done so -- I strongly encourage you to get outside of the Beltway and dive the wrecks of North Carolina this summer!

In about 7 hours by car from DC you can get to Beaufort or Morehead City, NC, and dive some excellent World War II wrecks with lots of Caribbean/Bahamas tropical marine life on them, swept up north in the Gulf Stream. There are also some wrecks from WW I and some ships wrecked in storms. Fantastic diving -- many wrecks at recreational diving depths, and some at deco/tech diving depths.

The diving can be challenging if all you've done before is shallow tropical coral reef stuff, but it also can be very rewarding ... your boss or your client calls but you don't hear your phone ring because you're 35 meters below the surface on a WWII German U-boat, in warm water with perfect viz, surrounded by hordes of sand tiger sharks and barracudas and countless colorful tropical reef fishes ... life could be worse than this!

There's also a lot of great (but colder and darker) wreck diving a bit closer to home (i.e., further north in NC, and in VA and MD as well).

A few links to get you started: North Carolina Wreckdiving & BFDC home page
Discovery Diving Co., Inc. - North Carolina Wreck Diving in the Graveyard of the Atlantic Olympus Dive Center Diver Down Scuba Diving Charters - Captain Bobby Cox Outer Banks Diving

(When diving war graves, please respect the sailors' remains.)

Cheers,
M

 

[Quero]

Probably not the best diving of all, though interesting, more than Ko Tao for instance (carpeted with soft corals, guaranteed ghostpipefish) and definitely the best beaches in Thailand would be Koh Lipe .. it's funny no one mentioned Lipe, that's a lovely island, although getting too touristy nowadays and since they have upmarketed some accoms I think it can match for a honeymoon (clearly no posh 5* hotels but as charming as bungalows can get + best grilled grouper in thailand... and beaches you hardly get anywhere else, honest...).
Luko

It's been a while since you've checked out Lipe, eh Luko? There are indeed a couple of very upscale honeymoon-worthy resorts there now. And while Lipe is still very much on the backpacker highway (with tons of bars on Pattaya Beach along with bungalow villages with scores of cookie-cutter bungalows in long rows at each one), Lipe is not yet entirely overrun (à-la-Koh-Tao backpacker mecca) and there is still peace to be had there. I stay on the quieter southern end of Sunrise Beach at a place that has just 18 huts and accepts bookings only from divers

 

[Quero]

I've seen very mixed reviews of Phuket, and can't get a good handle on the myriad other locations.

With all due respect, howin23, you've seen mixed reviews of Phuket because there is a huge variety of experiences available here. This is Thailand's largest island with an area about the same size as Singapore. There are indeed some very touristy areas on the island, but there are also tucked away areas that are perfect for honeymooners. You could also consider a honeymoon paradise like Koh Racha Yai, an island a little south of Phuket with one boutique hotel mentioned in Conde Nast Traveller and another about to open. There is diving right off the beach, and the island has lots of dive sites all the way around it with easy diving, all within recreational depths.

 

[Luko]

It's been a while since you've checked out Lipe, eh Luko?

About three months ago : I was diving with Dave & Yan for the end of the year ...

What a difference from the first time I went in Lipe 3 years ago, Pooh's highway was just a dirt trail then... for me, Lipe's sinking... probably living its last days.

 

[Quero]

About three months ago : I was diving with Dave & Yan for the end of the year ...

What a difference from the first time I went in Lipe 3 years ago, Pooh's highway was just a dirt trail then... for me, Lipe's sinking... probably living its last days.

I know what you mean. On the other hand I imagine that those investors who have put up the new luxury resorts (Idyllic and Sita, for example) are betting that Lipe is just beginning to take off! What a difference expectations make, eh?

 

[jkaterenchuk]

You might also want to look into Koh Chang. It is located in the Gulf and further east of Pattaya. It's is a upcoming scuba destination and has been a well know Thai Vacation destination for sometime as it's relatively unknown by the foriegn tourists that frequent the all the other areas that have been mentioned.

It is easy to get to from Bangkok without a air flight.

John

 

[Quero]

You might also want to look into Koh Chang. It is located in the Gulf and further east of Pattaya. It's is a upcoming scuba destination and has been a well know Thai Vacation destination for sometime as it's relatively unknown by the foriegn tourists that frequent the all the other areas that have been mentioned.

It is easy to get to from Bangkok without a air flight.

John

Beginning with Koh Chang and ending with Koh Kood, there are a number of islands, forty of them part of the Mu Koh Chang Marine National Park, which are popular among residents of Bangkok. They really are quite lovely and relatively unspoiled (except for Chang, which is the easiest to get to and the most highly developed).

The diving, however, is supremely forgettable--pleasant, but nothing more--with rather disappointing visibility and very shallow, silt-covered dive sites. I wouldn't recommend that people go there primarily for diving, but if divers find themselves there mainly for other reasons (like a quick getaway from Bangkok or Pattaya, or even a honeymoon), and they like looking for smaller critters (like nudis and shrimps) a few dives there can provide an enjoyable change of pace.

 

[katdiver]

Do check out Krabi. It's one of the most beautiful parts of Thailand. Many couples come here to get married. I've had at least 5 couples this season on honeymoon too. We do have some great hotels with their own secluded beaches. Bonus is the diving is great too, and we share some of our sites with Phuket so you will have seen some of the reviews.