Search results

Thailand - March 2016 - Backpacking and diving trip Alright, I am back in the United States after a month of backpacking through Thailand. I knew very little about Thailand before going and was figuring it out as I went. I did a clockwise loop starting in Bangkok then going to Koh Tao...

Had to go visit Koh Tao to check it out - it's famous on the backpacker circuit ! Plus, I spent some time in Utila so I was curious about what its SE Asian counterpart was like. Trip report coming soon.

I just got back from backpacking around Thailand. (I'll do a write-up in a different thread.) I did stop in Koh Tao for about 5 days and dove for three of them. I will confirm the general sense of this thread that topside life is great (especially if you are 20-40) while the diving is just...

Okay, now that I am in Bancock and have my bearings a little bit: Will start off on Koh Tao. Taking the overnight train to Chumphon then ferry. Will probably do 2-3 days diving there and see how I like it. Looking at Scuba Junction or Roctopus as a smaller operation that might get me out to the...

I am going to be doing a month of backpacking in March. Would like to get in some diving. My travel guide, "Rough Guide to Thailand", recommends the following areas: East Coast Ko Chang Pattaya Andaman Coast Ao Nang Khao Lak Ko Lanta Ko Phi Phi Phuket Gulf Coast Ko PhaNgan Ko Samui Ko Tao...

Having been on a similar backpacking trip I can easily recommend: 1) Utila, Honduras 2) Roatan, Honduras 3) Caye Caulker, Belize

Not to hijack the thread but I might be in a similar situation with 4-6 weeks of free time in February/March. Where would you go if you wanted to get in a bunch of quality cheap diving and have a good time? Are there better places in Southeast Asia if the diving in Koh Tao isn't that good? Phuket?

The main point is that even if you are diving in supposedly warm waters, it can still be significantly cooler than your core temp of 98 degrees.

re: having to pee - I agree that it is the thickening of the blood that makes you have to pee. But my experience is this happens when your body notices the temperature difference. (Why else do you need to focus your blood in your core?) On that same trip, I dove in Guatemala in a lake wearing...

As for the bull shark diving... There is a season for it. So pay attention to that if the shark dive is a priority. There are several operations that do that dive. I am told that one of them does feed the sharks. The one I went with did not. We just sat at the bottom and they came around to...

The local reef diving isn't spectacular but it's decent. The main advantage of Playa del Carmen is the variety! That's what I was trying to point out. Outside of diving, Playa del Carmen is also a fun tourist destination. 5th Avenue is extremely touristy: lots of bars, restaurants...

It's not a career. You are doing this for fun. I get it. I was in the same situation when I quit my job a few years ago and wanted to dive. I looked at going to Thailand and Utila but ended up going to Utila, mainly because it was closer and I ran out of time to complete my research. Utila is...

I started wearing a little neoprene cap on my dive vacations. It works great. As background: when I was doing a lot of diving getting my AOW and Rescue on Utila and then doing some fun diving on Roatan, I noticed some funny things going on with my body. But basically fatigue. I posted here on...

Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, or Tulum. All different places that will give you different experiences. We stayed in Playa and were able to take the ferry over to Cozumel for a day and do a cenote. But you could also just as easily take the ferry from Cozumel to the mainland for a day of...

I was wondering about the ocean diving there too. I did some cenote diving there, which I enjoyed. If I go back, I would like to mix it up with some ocean diving. The folks at the shop said the local reef is good. (But of course they would.) Fish, turtles, maybe some rays. Sounded like it...

My friend and I just got back from Playa. We dove a few days with Charles Bernier of Maya Scuba. He is an excellent guide and very safe. Not sure if he teaches an OW class but worth checking out.

Just got back from vacation there in mid-November and was pleasantly surprised by the variety of diving available: 1) local reef dives - coral reef and I believe there is a wreck around, although I didn't dive it. While not the best in the Caribbean, the water is warm and the visibility is...

Utila is dirt cheap. Same or cheaper than Roatan. But the island is a lot smaller and there is much less to do. It's primarily a place for backpackers to go get their OW and party. Not sure I would recommend it for married folks or families. Ambergris Caye on Belize was pretty reasonable. 2...

Too late for the original poster but perhaps for someone else: Shark Ray alley snorkel tour from Caye Caulker. Nurse sharks and big sting rays. All pretty harmless. If you've never seen large marine life before, it will be a hoot.

I did not make it to the Corn Islands, which would have required a flight from Managua. I did go to San Juan del Sur by bus, a beautiful little town on the Pacific side near the Costa Rica border. I found a small dive shop there. I think it was actually a surf shop or clothing shop but they did...