Honeymoon Trip to Phuket

[djac5700]

Hi Everyone -

I'll be heading to Thailand and Indonesia for my honeymoon in early June, with our first stop in Phuket for eight days. Obviously the focus of the trip is some "us" time, but I want to try and get a few days diving in while we're there. It's my first trip to Thailand - I'd hate to miss out!

I recognize that it'll be the rainy season and to make the diving logistics worse we'll be staying all the way up at the JW Marriott resort in Mai Khao beach (because I'm using rewards points). My initial thought is that we'll be doing day trips and will just have to suck it up and make the trek down to the area where most of the dive boats run. I plan on renting a car anyway so we could have a chance to explore topside. Admittedly I've not done as much diving research as I would have liked since we're neck deep in the wedding planning right now. With that in mind, I have some questions:

- Am I thinking about dive logistics the right way? From the little research I've done, I've read that I could do the long hike from the JW for day trips or consider overnight trips to some destinations. I'm trying to balance a relaxing honeymoon with getting my diving fix and I'm just assuming that a day trip is better suited. Open to other thoughts about how you would plan it out though...
- Given the time of year we're going, any particular destinations/sites recommended?
- Any destinations we should avoid?
- Any recommendations on dive operators?
- Debating whether I should bring all my gear out there from the states (I've got everything but the tank...). Curious on your thoughts about bringing all/some vs renting.
- Along that same note, what's the water temp like in June? I will definitely bring my wetsuit and trying to decide which one I'll need.
- Any other important considerations?

Thank you all in advance for the advice...

Drew

 

[Big fish63]

the dive sites off phuket you want to do are anemone reef, sharks point and the wreck king cruiser. if you do a search through my user name you will find a thread i started about the sites.

they are all daytrips and take 2.5ish hours to get to. so its a full day.

marina divers are the cheapest dive company ive come across in phuket its also a very good service as well. they have a website but the prices are cheaper in the shop for some reason so if you are heading to karon or kata beach they have a office at each end of the beach.

i would take my gear but really depends how much you will be in the water.

ideally you wwant to go to the similans but there will be no trips this time of year.

where are you going in indo the diving is a different class there?

 

[iamafish]

Hi Everyone -

I'll be heading to Thailand and Indonesia for my honeymoon in early June, with our first stop in Phuket for eight days. Obviously the focus of the trip is some "us" time, but I want to try and get a few days diving in while we're there. It's my first trip to Thailand - I'd hate to miss out!

Congrats!

- Given the time of year we're going, any particular destinations/sites recommended?

King Cruiser Wreck, Shark Point, Anemone Reef are my favorites.

- Any recommendations on dive operators?

Sea Bees! They have the nicest day dive boat out of Phuket, hands down.

- Debating whether I should bring all my gear out there from the states (I've got everything but the tank...). Curious on your thoughts about bringing all/some vs renting.

I recommend your own gear. Why waste time getting situated in rental gear when you can be in your own comfy gear?

- Along that same note, what's the water temp like in June? I will definitely bring my wetsuit and trying to decide which one I'll need.

You should bring the lightest wetsuit you have. I dive in a .5 mil skin that time of year (actually, most of the year) mostly for skin protection from the sun.

- Any other important considerations?

Regardless of the dive center you choose, I recommend you go with a dive center that owns their own boat. As mentioned earlier, I highly recommend Sea Bees for Phuket day diving. They are not the cheapest, but if you contact them directly and ask for a honeymoon discount, I am sure you can get a great deal. PM if you want more details, as I have recently been on a number of boats in Phuket.

 

[Quero]

Drew, you've received some decent advice already, but as a dive center owner here (a compatriot of yours who doesn't run her own boat), I believe I can add to it.

You don't say whether your intended dives. If not, I'd stick with daytrips so that you're back at the JWM for the night and also so you can dive one day, stay put the next, dive the third day, etc. (that is, if you'd like more than one day of diving). If she does dive, consider an overnight to Phi Phi for a good dive fix (7 dives over two days with a hotel room on the island). The party atmosphere of Phi Phi might make for a nice change of pace from the isolation of the JWM.

I agree that Shark Point and Anemone Reef are beautiful sites, though I'm not personally a huge fan of the rusting hulk of the King Cruiser. It's just okay in my opinion, but it depends on what you like. Other dive sites I like for daytrips are the Bida islands (Bida Nok & Nai) in the Phi Phi marine park.

It's not true that Marina is the cheapest boat, but it is true that Sea Bees' boat is the fanciest--there's a price tag that goes along with that, though. I also don't agree that it's important to work exclusively with a shop that runs its own boat. They offer just one product, whereas a good agent (of which there are several who frequent the Thailand forum) will offer a range of options and advise you about the pros and cons of each of them; you may book on Marina, Sea Bees, or any one of a dozen or more other boats for your daytrips through an agent. (It's a little like going to Kayak to find out about air ticket options as opposed to going just to a single airline's website.)

Renting a car for your stay at the JWM is an excellent idea, and the drive down to the tourist pier is long, but not difficult. Parking is easy.

As to the question of whether to bring your own gear, I would, especially as you'll be in Indonesia as well. I'm guessing Bali? If that's the case (Bali, that is), you'll want to do some diving up at Tulamben for the Liberty wreck and the muck diving there, or over at Nusa Penida for the mantas and the mola-molas. Regarding water temps, here it's generally in the low 80's, but in Indonesia there are areas where the water is quite a lot chillier (low 70's). You can rent rubber there, though, so if you brought a 3mm full suit for diving here, you could layer another shorty over it for Indon.

 

[lord khram]

Not the best time of year to be diving Phuket. A lot of the best dives are out of bounds as the marine parks are closed.
Personally I would send the wife straight to Indonesia, enjoy yourself in Thailand and meet up with her in Indonesia afterwards.
Whatever you decide on, I hope you enjoy.

 

[Ringo]

IMO the daytrip diving from Phuket between May to November is far nicer than during the busy season. We tend to see more of the bigger marine life due to the less amount of divers and less surface boat traffic.

The Anemone Reef and Sharkpoint areas offer some great diving and for your comfort I recommend that you bring your own equipment.

Happy Honeymoon!

 

[djac5700]

Thank you all so much for the great feedback so far. To answer a few questions:

- Yes, my soon-to-be wife is a diver and we plan on diving together
- As guessed, our second stop is in Bali, Indonesia. Once again not doing myself any diving logistical favors by staying in Jimbaran, but I intend to get at least one day of diving on the Liberty Wreck.

Based on all of your input, I'll be bringing my gear and I'll make sure that we dive at least Shark Point and Anemone Reef, and maybe King Cruiser . We've actually considered the idea of staying on Phi Phi for a night so we could get a few dives in if that is where the best diving is at. What's the best way to set up that trip? Do the dive shops typically help arrange for overnight accommodations? Is there a lot to do topside (or time to explore if just doing one night)?

I like the idea of a dive op like Sea Bees - it IS our honeymoon so I figure I'm willing to pay a little more for a relatively luxurious set-up . Any other suggestions?

Again, thank you all so much for the time and advice. Really much appreciated...

 

[Big fish63]

quero, could you post me the names of the operators cheaper than marina. pm if you like, im going to phuket for 3 days in june and my budget is really tight...

agree with the king cruiser comments its not great but its one of the better dives compared to others.

drew, have you been to phi phi before? its a really nice island and lets just say it comes alive at night.. make sure your hotel is away from the beach if you want to sleep.

 

[Quero]

Hey again, Drew. Quick answers and insights....
For Bali, yes, do try to go to Liberty, but be aware that the transfer from Jimbaran to Tulamben is 2-3 hours each way. It might be worthwhile spending the night at Tulamben so you can do two days of diving.

For Phuket, and specifically, Phi Phi, the diving overnight trip where everything is easy and paid for in one shot doesn't really allow for time to explore the island. If you want that kind of adventure, prepare for a bit more of a logistical headache. You'll want to get the ferry over (with all your dive gear, etc. in tow), check in at your lodging, check in at your dive center, do some afternoon dives, spend the night, check out of your lodgings and prepare for more dives or maybe explore the island a bit, hop on the ferry to get back to Phuket, and drag all your stuff back to the JWM. If you book with a dive shop on Phi Phi, they can usually facilitate the lodging for you.

I think you're right to consider splashing out on Sea Bees for honeymoon diving. The dive sites are the same, but the boat has polished wood interiors and is quite pretty, so it will make for sweet topside photos for your honeymoon album.

 

[Deefstes]

Hi there djac5700. First of all, congrats on your impending wedding. I'm a huge fan of the institution of marriage

Secondly, we've just returned from Phuket and we had a roaring time. I'll add a few comments but I don't really think there is a great deal that can be added to Quero's most excellent and thorough advice.

I wasn't particularly thrilled with King Cruiser Wreck either but I did enjoy Ko Dok Mai, a nice drift dive with lots to see. Just a thought.

As regards Phi Phi, it would be a pity if you don't get to spend at least some time on the island. We just did a day trip out to the Phi Phi islands and, while it is truly beautiful, the experience was somewhat diminished by the fact that there was a staggering number of people. Of course, as day visitors, we contributed to those crowds. We figured that, if you could stay over on the island and be there early in the morning and/or late in the afternoon when the crowds aren't there, it must be absolute paradise.

We rented a car for two days in Phuket and it worked out very well. We took one day to drive around Pang Nga bay to Krabi, something I could highly recommend. Feel free to PM me if you want more detail on any of the specifics.

Enjoy your honeymoon!