Is a liveaboard a solution?

[Soren T]

Hi,

I hope you guys can help a newbie out in diving who just love it. I am going to Thailand from 23 October to 9 November 2009 with my wife, 2 friends plus their kid and here the problems starts I need to get some dives but the others do no dive ;-)

My wife and I have been in Thailand several times before but our friends haven't so we will spend some days in Bangkok showing them the city but after that we are heading to the coast.

I assume that the west coast is the best choice even though we are getting there before the high season starts. Is that correct and would you suggest any place in particular? We have already visited Krabi and Phuket and as we would like to see something new we have considered places like Koh Lipe, Koh Ngai or Phi Phi.

I have never done a live aboard tour before and was considering it but it seams as an expensive option as I am the only one who is diving. We can get 2 nice bungalows for around 6,000 baht per day while staying aboard a live aboard vessel cost around 25,000 baht per day for 5 persons. Am I correct or is there something I am missing here?

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[Batfish]

Short answer: Liveaboard is not your solution here. While non divers do sometimes go on liveaboards, maybe accompanying a diving partner, you have to realise that liveaboards are for diving and are not cruise ships. If you are not diving, there's not much to do.

Have you already dived in Thailand? If not, you really should get to the Similan islands. A day trip is possible if you stay in Khao Lak (also from Phuket, but you have transfers to and from Khao Lak making it a long day).

If the diving is less important to you than time with your wife and friends, then sure, go for Phi Phi or other islands. The diving is OK, and you can do half day trips from Phi Phi so you are not away all day. Same on Lipe or Koh Lanta for example.

Hope that helps. Liveaboards are great.. but it's not the answer for your group.

 

[stevenl]

Agree with Batfish, a liveaboard is not the solution.

Personally I would recommend you to stay on Koh Lanta. The divetrips will take a little longer than from e.g. Phi Phi, but the island is a lot nicer as well.

 

[katdiver]

Maybe you could try something like our overnight trips. Dive/snorkel around Phi Phi for a day, overnight stop on Phi Phi then next day out to Hin Daeng/Hin Mouang/ Koh Haa. We do another trip with Phi Phi and Shark Point, again with an overnight stay ashore on Phi Phi.

 

[jdfmail]

It would not be pleasant at all for the others in your party. Nothing to do on the boat while everyone is diving. Between dives the boat moves to the next site and some people go to sleep or watch a movie or go to their rooms. A few hang around and chat. Little opportunity if any for beach time. Better off doing day dives, there are plenty of options such as StevenL or Batfish recommended.