2 Day/1 Night or Day Trip to Richelieu Rock

[littleguppie]

Hello, we are starting to plan our 1st trip to Thailand and would like to incorporate some diving. We recently dove the Great Barrier Reef on a 4 day liveaboard, but have decided this is not going to be a heavy diving vacation so we are not looking for a 4 or 7 day liveaboard (although I'd love to if we had unlimited vacation time!!!)

Anyway, we will be in the area the last week of Nov/1st week Dec. I know there are thousands of dive sites, but if you could only pick one area to dive where would it be...surin/similian islands? I've heard these are not to be missed. If that is the case, are there any 2 day/1 night or even day trips to the area?

Or should we consider diving another area instead? I'm really looking for some expert/insider opinions on where/what to do. We will probably be flying to Phuket on Nov 27th and flying out on Dec 4th. We were thinking of staying up in Khao Lak in the beginning to do the diving and then moving to either Phuket or Phi Phi for the remaining days.

Any suggestions on dive companies would be very helpful! I booked my trip of a lifetime dive trip to the GBR using the suggestions of this site 100% and hope to do the same for this trip.

thanks to all!

 

[surinboy]

AFAIK 2 days and 1 night is a bit difficult to do. I know Similan Diving Safaris do it staying on the Similan Islands.

Otherwise you have to make do with 2 day trips or do a 3 day liveaboard. Seadragon's Nang Nuan is excellent value if money is an issue.

 

[littleguppie]

what is 'AFAIK'? You mention making do with 2 day trips...would that get me to Richelieu Rock on a day trip?

 

[surinboy]

Sorry.....AFAIK = "as far as I know"

Yes you can do two separate Richelieu Rock speedboat day trips from Khao Lak. A few operators offer this day trip but you can probably do a 3 day liveaboard for a similar price as 2 day trips.

If you specifically want to multiple dive Richelieu then I think 2 day trips is the way to do it.

 

[littleguppie]

opps...sorry I wasn't up on the abbreviations!

No, I don't want to do to 2 days at Richelieu Rock. I only want to do one day, but I didn't know if there were day trips that went there.

Ideally I'm looking for a 2 day/1 night trip that includes a dive at Richelieu. Do you know of anything like that?

 

[stevenl]

AFAIK (there we are again), there are only 3 days/2 nights or longer liveaboard trip to Richelieu Rock, or daytrips.

 

[katdiver]

Why not fly into Krabi instead? Take our 2 day 1 night trip down to Phi Phi, Hin Daeng/Hin Mouang and Koh Ha. Some pretty good diving there to be had! Still got time afyer then to head over to Khao Lak for a daytrip by speedboat for Surin etc. With the overnight stop on Phi Phi itself, you'll be able to get an idea if you would like to move over there later. If you like Krabi, then you've found a good spot for alot of diving.

 

[iztok]

Ideally I'm looking for a 2 day/1 night trip that includes a dive at Richelieu. Do you know of anything like that?

There is a 2 day/1 night livaboard option for Similans. Outfit offers any combination from 1 day (3 dives) to multiple days (4 dives every day except last one). I am using it for my trip where I only got 2 day/1 night away from my wife

I booked it through Thailand Divers myself but there are other companies that you can book through for that particular operator.

 

[surinboy]

Iztok...are you at liberty to tell us who the operator is? I would be very interested because we have a number of requests for shorter trips but I am unable to find a RELIABLE operator.

There is only one that I know of who can do these single up to multiday trips and although as a customer you will probably fine, I would not send any of my guests with them again.

 

[iztok]

Iztok...are you at liberty to tell us who the operator is? I would be very interested because we have a number of requests for shorter trips but I am unable to find a RELIABLE operator.

Well ship is SS3 and operator is South Siam Divers.

Their SS4 does 3day/2night to the aforementioned Richelieu Rock.