nicnackerz
New
Hi all!
My husband and I are planning a trip to Thailand! This is a dream destination for us, and we have a lot we want to do, including spending a few days in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and of course, diving!
We are AOW certified and have done quite a few dive-centered trips (most recent was to Cozumel - it was phenomenal). I want to do a LOT of diving in Thailand (honestly, if I could, I'd be underwater all the time!), but we have quite a few other non-diving things we want to do, too. This brings me to my question: We could go to Thailand for 2 weeks over the holidays (December / January), when I've heard the diving and weather is best. However, we'd be limited to two weeks (more like 10 days on the ground, with the travel time from Idaho), and it's quite pricey. This would mean, if we spend a couple days in Bangkok and a couple days in the northern area, we'd have maybe five days of diving. If we were to do this, where would be the best place to dive at, with travel considerations (ease of access from Bangkok, flight restrictions for 24 hours after our last dive, etc.). I'm considering scratching Chiang Mai, and maybe we can go on another trip if need be, to get more diving. I love sharks, and wanted to visit the Similan islands and Koh Tao potentially. So, best places to go? Should we scratch Chiang Mai (too much in one trip) and just dive?
The other option we've got is to go in the summer. I'm a teacher so I have almost unlimited time off. If we did this, we could spend a couple weeks diving if we wanted to (husband can work flexibly and remotely), and see the other stuff. However, I have heard the diving is not as good in summer.
I guess I'm mostly reaching out to see what you all think about the two options, and look for recommendations regarding which is better. I'd be glad to shorten our trip to prioritize diving if we go in December, especially if the diving is that much better that time of year. Thoughts?
My husband and I are planning a trip to Thailand! This is a dream destination for us, and we have a lot we want to do, including spending a few days in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and of course, diving!
We are AOW certified and have done quite a few dive-centered trips (most recent was to Cozumel - it was phenomenal). I want to do a LOT of diving in Thailand (honestly, if I could, I'd be underwater all the time!), but we have quite a few other non-diving things we want to do, too. This brings me to my question: We could go to Thailand for 2 weeks over the holidays (December / January), when I've heard the diving and weather is best. However, we'd be limited to two weeks (more like 10 days on the ground, with the travel time from Idaho), and it's quite pricey. This would mean, if we spend a couple days in Bangkok and a couple days in the northern area, we'd have maybe five days of diving. If we were to do this, where would be the best place to dive at, with travel considerations (ease of access from Bangkok, flight restrictions for 24 hours after our last dive, etc.). I'm considering scratching Chiang Mai, and maybe we can go on another trip if need be, to get more diving. I love sharks, and wanted to visit the Similan islands and Koh Tao potentially. So, best places to go? Should we scratch Chiang Mai (too much in one trip) and just dive?
The other option we've got is to go in the summer. I'm a teacher so I have almost unlimited time off. If we did this, we could spend a couple weeks diving if we wanted to (husband can work flexibly and remotely), and see the other stuff. However, I have heard the diving is not as good in summer.
I guess I'm mostly reaching out to see what you all think about the two options, and look for recommendations regarding which is better. I'd be glad to shorten our trip to prioritize diving if we go in December, especially if the diving is that much better that time of year. Thoughts?