daz88
Contributor
Photos of diving around Koh Phiphi, Krabi, and Aonang local islands
https://www.flickr.com/photos/draggonmn/sets/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/draggonmn/sets/
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Phuket is not a dive destination. Boats from Phuket may take you near Phi Phi or other sites. Phi Phi is a good place for people who want to party and dive. Food/accommodations are generally at Caribbean prices, though diving is a bit less. My last dives there and in the region extending to Koh Lipe in the south were disappointing due to limited visibility (5-20 m) and severe damage to coral in some locations. Sea life seemed less abundant than in the past. I am not sure that a liveaboard to the Similans will be any better: I haven't done one, but I'm not that impressed by the videos I've seen. As for Indonesia, you should check if you would be arriving in the rainy season. A few places in the Philippines might offer more, but my favourite dive area of the past few years remains the Red Sea in terms of cost, water transparency and coral health. Finally, I doubt that the dive shop you choose will make much difference. Most share the same boats. The guide/divemaster is important, so I would scout around for compatibility on that level. Different shops target customers by language (Hippo = Korean) for example, but all can provide good service in English.
Dive boats in Phi Phi are generally much bigger than their Caribbean counterparts and always have a marine head. Lots of local free food and beverages are provided throughout the trip. Still, this does not overcome growing regional problems caused in the past by dynamite fishing and in the present by pollution and huge numbers of divers.
Coming late to the party here. I'll be heading to Krabi in December/January and looking for some beta. Jessy, how did the trip go?