Beginners at Phi Phi/Khao Lak

[lillymini]

Hi,

my friend and I are going to be in Thailand in march/april. We both did our Open Water certificate in 2011 in Australia and haven't dived since then.
So we're planning to do a review on Phi Phi first.
After that we would like to do a day trip around Phi Phi. Which sites would you recommend for total beginners?

Also we want to do a liveaboard trip from Khao Lak to the Similan Islands but after taking a look at the schedule I'm not sure it is suitable for us?
It often says there is a night dive included and the area sounds like it is more suited to experienced divers...
Would a liveaboard trip be possible with our (kind of nonexistant) experience?

Thank you
Lillymini

 

[whooyeah]

Around phi phi the diving is all easy for beginners. I think i only got to about 10m.

I did my OW and AOW on a livaboard one after the other. You learn so much being on a livaboard because you get so many dives in. However they will go to 30m so you will need to do you AOW or Deep specialty which you can do on the livaboard.

KSA do livaboards from both Khao lak and phuket Liveaboards in Thailand - Khao Lak Scuba Adventures

 

[lillymini]

Thanks for the answer!
So what about the dive sites a further from Phi Phi like Hin Daeng/Hin Muang, Koh Dok Mai, shark point?

 

[hellhole]

Why not do the aow in the liveonboard

 

[Quero]

lillymini, you will be able to find enough suitable dive sites near Phi Phi to suit your experience level. Just tell the dive center your concerns and they will be able to advise you which trips to go on. The sites Hin Daeng and Hin Muang are more suitable for experienced or confident divers. They are quite deep (like the Similans) and they are out in the open ocean. I would not recommend these dives at your current experience level, to be honest, but if you do quite a lot of diving while at Phi Phi and you gain experience and confidence, then maybe you'll be ready for them by the end of your stay. Having said this, there are sites near Hin Daeng that are more appropriate for new divers--these sites are around Koh Haa, a very beautiful area.

Regarding a trip to the Similans, as an instructor, I discourage going to the Similans without more experience and training. The dives tend to be rather deep and there is night diving and possibly current. However, as hellhole mentions, it's possible to do the AOW on board the liveaboard and get your training that way.

 

[lillymini]

We don't have too much time on our hands. The maximum I can spent in Khao Lak is 3 and a half days..
I don't think that is enough time for an AOW?

 

[Quero]

The AOW takes two days, but perhaps you would prefer to wait for another opportunity to do the liveaboard, after you've got a bit more experience? After all, if you've only got a little time, why spend it studying?

 

[latestarter]

We are also going to Thailand in February/March and are beginners. I had thought of going to Khao Lak but after reading your post I have been thinking that Phi Phi would be better to start with. Can anyone tell me what Phi Phi is like to stay on? Is there any snorkelling and diving for beginners without having to go on long trips? Is it vey busy there? We are not very interested in night-life being in our sixties. Are there any places to visit for walks etc.?

 

[Quero]

We are also going to Thailand in February/March and are beginners. I had thought of going to Khao Lak but after reading your post I have been thinking that Phi Phi would be better to start with. Can anyone tell me what Phi Phi is like to stay on? Is there any snorkelling and diving for beginners without having to go on long trips? Is it vey busy there? We are not very interested in night-life being in our sixties. Are there any places to visit for walks etc.?

Since you are mature travelers, you might be happier on Koh Lanta. Phi Phi tends to attract a very young demographic with thumping all-night beach parties. If you like the idea of Phi Phi but prefer to avoid the noise and drunken revelry aspect, you could stay at one of the outlying resorts and use their dive center, keeping in mind that you will likely be pretty much stuck at your resort since the only ways to the village (say for dinner outside of the resort) are either by way of a precarious and unlit jungle path or by boat. Koh Lanta has roads (or rather 'a' road), and the beaches are long enough that if you stay at one resort you can easily get to a beachside restaurant nearby for a change of pace from your resort dining room. From Koh Lanta you can visit the Phi Phi dive sites as well as those at Koh Haa. For you, that would probably be my top recommendation for an island-based stay. Alternatively, you could come stay on Phuket where there are many quieter areas nothing like the craziness of Patong.

 

[latestarter]

Thanks for the advice. We are flying to Phuket from Bangkok so it seems silly to go all the way to Koh Lanta. However it sounds like the sort of place we are looking for. Is there anywhere nearer like this that offers lots of different options for beginner divers and snorkelling which don't involve long trips but has the choice of places to eat. We don't necessarily want to go to an island and woul quite like to stay in an apartment.
Thanks.