Bo Phut, Thailand? Bandara Resort? vs. Phuket?

[kchelton]

Has anyone done any diving in Bo Phut or heard anything about the Bandara Resort? Would you reccomend the spot or the resort? How does diving around Bo Phut compare to Phuket?

Thanks!

 

[Quero]

(I posted this reply to the other thread before I remembered about the new thread. Sorry for the repetition.)

You mean Bo Phut the resort on Samui? You should know that Samui diving is pretty much the same as diving from Koh Tao (same sites), so you will need to travel further by boat from Samui than you would if you stayed on Tao itself.

If you want the "best" diving when you leave BKK, go to the Andaman side rather than staying anywhere in the Gulf. However, keep in mind that July is part of the "green" season on the Andaman side (when we get most of our rain) and at that time the very best of Thailand diving--the Similan Islands--is severely limited due to rough seas. Even so, the diving on the Andaman side is generally considered superior to that in the Gulf, even during the monsoon season.

 

[limbo]

kchelton,

If I'm correct, there's a dive shop in Bandara, 'The Dive Academy'.

They run trips, just like everybody else on Samui, to either Marine Park (a site not covered by Koh Tao shops, Quero, get your facts straight!), Sail Rock (dived only part of the year by a few shops from Koh Tao) and dive sites around Koh Tao.

Koh Samui has more to offer than Koh Tao, especially in the non diving activities dept and is a lot more convenient, just in my opinion.

That time of the year you may be better off in the Gulf compared to the Andaman side, especially considering general weather circumstances, you should have more sun and less rain in the Gulf.

3 days can be easily filled with different sites and will be enjoyable if that's what you're looking for.

Feel free to check this site out in Samui http://www.planet-scuba.net

 

[Quero]

They run trips, just like everybody else on Samui, to either Marine Park (a site not covered by Koh Tao shops, Quero, get your facts straight!), Sail Rock (dived only part of the year by a few shops from Koh Tao) and dive sites around Koh Tao.

Sorry to ruffle your fins, there, limbo ftroest:.
I guess it's a difference in perspective--I seem to be taking a bit of a broader view. I see the diving from Samui and Tao as pretty much the same in a parallel way that I see the diving from Phi Phi and Phuket as pretty much the same. Lots of overlap in sites with a few (nice) local Samui/Phi Phi sites covered by the dive ops on those islands. (Like your Samui op, Phi Phi ops also do 'Marine Park' and other dives near the shores of those islands that Phuket dive ops rarely visit.) However, to make peace and not conflict, let me say that I bow to your greater familiarity with the details of the specific dive sites surrounding the general Samui/Tao area, as well as which ones are dived by ops from each island. :god:

 

[limbo]

No worries quero,

See your point and you do have a point.

Guess living on Samui makes me want to stand up a bit for 'our' Samui dive sites.