Where should we dive?

[littleguppie]

Does anyone know anything about these guys:

Diving Thailand Khaolak with SSA Khao Lak Thailand on the Similan Islands

I emailed them a few days ago and haven't heard back. I see they have a day trip to Richelieu on Mondays. We will be flying in to Phuket on a Friday. My question to them was could we start diving on Angel One on Sunday and then transfer to the Angel Three to dive Richelieu on Monday? I haven't heard back yet? Only a few of the dive sites they list in the Similians are in my Dive book so I'm not entirely what the sites are about...are they worth diving or would we better off taking a day trip Richeleiu from Phuket and then taking another day trip someone else? Either from Phuket or from Phi Phi, Koh Lanta or whereever we decie to base ourselves?

IWhat dive sites would the general diving public consider to be Thailands 'best' dive sites? The 'must dives'? Are diving the Similians more desirable or less compared to diving Hin Daeng/ Hin Muang or are there other top sites? I'm sort of assuming Surin and Richeleiu are the 'most famous'?

thanks to everyone!!!

 

[Bowmouth]

...I emailed them a few days ago and haven't heard back....

I would contact another Company. In this time and age any operator not replying to your messages say within 24-36 hours is imo not worth your business.
Plenty of good boats and good companies out there who will reply to you promptly.

 

[surinboy]

Richelieu and Similans probably considered the best. Hin Daeng and Muang also very good.

The best way to dive Richelieu and Similans is by liveaboard. There are good operators out of Phuket and Khao Lak.

Also possible to do Richelieu day trips from Khao Lak. I use Khao Lak Scuba Adventures for such trips.

 

[littleguppie]

Can somone recommend a good company out of Phuket that does a liveaboard for Richelieu and Similians? Will the companies that do day trips to Richelieu only out of Khao Lak or would they pick you up from Phuket?

I'm trying to be realistic with our time and don't want to be planes, vans, boats, taxis, tuk-tuks the entire vacation. We land in Phuket so doing our diving out of Phuket is probably easiest. Unless we are planning to do a day trip to Richelieu, going out up to Khao Lak isn't really necessary, right? All the liveaboards will take you to Richelieu from Phuket, right?

I think I've at least decided we want to dive Richelieu and Similians and that is it. Not going to also try to dive Phi Phi, Hin Daeng, etc. As much as I'd like to, it's just too much for our limited amount of time. My husband really wants and NEEDS some R&R on the beach.

 

[katdiver]

If that's the case, then I would go to Khao lak. Get a minibus straight from Phuket airport, it's not long to go. Before we opened our shop here in Krabi, we came to Khao lak and did a liveaboard with Sea Dragon. Loved it! We also stayed in the Khao Lak Sunset Resort, loved it too. Nice beach, really chilled out, good diving. Enjoy!
Thailand is big enough that there will always be somewhere new to explore on your next trip.

 

[littleguppie]

If that's the case, then I would go to Khao lak. Get a minibus straight from Phuket airport, it's not long to go. Before we opened our shop here in Krabi, we came to Khao lak and did a liveaboard with Sea Dragon. Loved it! We also stayed in the Khao Lak Sunset Resort, loved it too. Nice beach, really chilled out, good diving. Enjoy!
Thailand is big enough that there will always be somewhere new to explore on your next trip.

I just check Sea Dragon and they do a 3 day liveaboard out to Richelieu and the departure date is a day before we'll be in Phuket. We can't change our arrival date due to other booked tours and flights. They do not do a day trip to Richelieu.

Any other rec'ds for preferrably a 2 night liveaboard that goes to Richelieu and similians...either from Phuket or from Khao Lak? Possibly a 3 night if we had to, but prefer a 2 night. Thanks for all the continued responses!!

 

[katdiver]

Sorry, that's a real shame about the schedule. it almost worked out! Ok for Similan and Koh Bon. We did that route and had a great time. Good luck!