I haven’t done a trip report on SB in awhile so I am going to indulge myself a little in order to be thorough. My motivation for writing this report is to give my wife's and my view on the current options in Krabi for divers trying to find the best accommodation and diving options while on holiday in Thailand. I’ve divided up this post into sections headed with the appropriate info for each part. The contact info for the dive shop and dive boat I recommend is at the bottom of this post if you want to skip my ruminations. For the rest who do choose to read on, I hope this info is helpful for you as you plan your diving holiday in Krabi.
A little background for our diving and accommodation choices this last week in Thailand:
My wife and I opted to return to Krabi because we had very positive memories from our last trip about four years ago. The difference this time round was that we wanted to stay on the western Railay Beach side to enjoy the atmosphere and the selection of restaurant options that are available there.
On our previous trip we stayed on Krabi east at a place called the Diamond Private Resort. It is a nice place but one that required us to hike up a few hundred steps before we could reach our room. Not the easiest accomplishment with dive gear in tow! Additionally, we had to traverse flooded mangrove shores at different times of the day to get from Krabi east to the location we preferred, Railay Beach on the west side. In the end we decided that it was best to book in at the Railay Bay Resort and Spa for this holiday trip to reduce the frustration we had the last time round.
On that same trip four years ago we ended up doing two days of diving with a company that is still in business on Railay Beach, one by the name of Sun Divers. I will only say that we did not enjoy diving with them very much. The experience we had with them was the catalyst for us only diving with shops that are PADI or SSI certified. This may seem obvious to most, but we were a bit naïve back then.
My wife and I also prefer the stay on Railay Beach because it offers a somewhat calmer holiday environment than Ao Nang does, not to mention wonderful sunsets silhouetting the towering cliffs that guard the entrance to Railay Bay. It is truly an amazing place that has not yet become as developed as Phuket or Ao Nang, a reality we both hope lasts for a few more years. Booking in does require a bit of planning, so keep that in mind if you are thinking of staying at this site on Krabi.
Research into dive shop options:
As I said above, the challenge for us is that we prefer PADI or SSI certified shops with a good running record of service attested to by divers, particularly those that post on Scuboard.com for instance. From my research on SB and a few other places, the preferred shops that run regular dive trips out to Phi Phi and other outer islands tend to be those in Ao Nang, namely Konitki Divers, Scuba Addicts and Manta Divers. Each of these seemed to have positive reports from those who commented on them here on SB.
I e-mailed each of these shops beforehand to see what options they had available and I received the most positive (and immediate) response from Kontiki Divers. I was very impressed with them and had decided that we would dive with them based on the idea I had that getting a longtail boat to Ao Nang from Railay Beach would not really be much of a problem. After my wife and I arrived in Railay and unloaded our dive gear in the room, we decided that we would hop over to Ao Nang to make the final preparations with Kontiki.
And this was when the reality of the hassle of getting to Ao Nang from Railay Beach early enough to join a dive boat going out to the Phi Phi islands or to the marine sanctuary became clear. The Longtail boats typically run with 7 or 8 passengers at a time in order to conserve fuel and also to justify the low cost of 80 Baht per passenger. Though I totally understand this policy this wasn’t going to work for us because we needed to be underway by 7:00 am in order to get to Ao Nang beach to then catch another longtail in order to get to the dive boat on time. My wife asked a few questions and the best price we could get heading out of Railay Beach in the wee hours of the morning on our own was about 700 Baht one way. This seemed pricy given that we were going to need to do this for three consecutive days.
I have to say that Kontki Divers were very sympathetic to our plight and they did try and book a boat for us for 400 Baht per day in order to be able to make it cost effective for us to dive with them. Honestly, we almost chose this option except for the fact that we would have had to miss out on our beloved hotel breakfast which was really very nice and already paid for. We would also have had to catch another longtail in Ao Nang to get to the Kontiki boat and then another boat at Ao Nang at the end of the diving day to get back to Railay Beach.
In the end we were saved by a dive shop that was completely off the radar until I happened to see it near a mini market and a nice cart that serves the best roti concoctions for a very cheap price on Railay Beach. The name of the shop is Phranang Divers, and as they aptly claim on their placard outside the shop, they are the only PADI certified shop on Railay Beach.
The shop is run by Kyle, a very nice Canadian man who is approachable and helpful about giving info on dive options for the diver staying on Railay Beach. As it turns out Phranang Diver’s website is being updated and therefore is not easily found in cyberspace. Kyle also has several shop related jobs he runs from Railay Beach, so the shop itself tends to be closed until about 12:30 pm daily and then intermittently at other points in the day. You do have to be patient in order to catch him when the shop is open, but I would say Phranang Divers is worth the wait. Remember the mini mart has cold beer and the roti guy is there almost all day. These are lovely distractions as you wait for Kyle to return to the shop.
This slight inconvenience aside, Kyle had the perfect solution for us for the diving we wanted to do and also the transit issues that plagued us as Railay Beach bums. He booked us in for all three days of diving we wanted and he also arranged a boat transfer to and from Ao Nang that ran directly to the dive boat: no inconvenient stopovers on Ao Nang beach! This made our lives significantly easier. And the best part was that the boat didn’t need to depart until 7:15 am, leaving my wife and I just enough time to raid the Railay Beach Resort and Spa’s breakfast offerings before rushing mouths stuffed to our awaiting longtail, replete with a smiling and helpful boatman to help us get our gear onboard.
The Finnish Connection:
Phranang Divers has a working relationship with Raya Divers out of Ao Nang. Phranang Divers books things from Railay Beach along with the longtail transfers and then Raya Divers takes care of the boat trip and diving schedule for the day.
Here is their website:
Raya Divers
Raya divers is a top notch and very professionally run boat with a friendly crew. It is true that Finnish is the language of choice on board this boat, and the paint on the boat seems to suggest either a Greek motif or one inspired by the Finnish flag. The boat does cater primarily to divers from Finland, but the non-Fins onboard are also welcomed. The crew made sure to include us in the conversation about boat safety and diving conditions, in impeccable English to boot.
The Raya boat is really very nice with a large covered common area on the upper deck. There is also a section overlooking the stern that has white deck chairs for those who want to sun themselves. There are also a few booth-like stalls on the lower deck for those who prefer that environment and for those who need a bit of privacy to do coursework for certifications. The designated smoking area is at the bow of the boat, and there were quite few divers who took advantage of this option. As a nonsmoker I can say that this was never troublesome or irritating. The boat is really very well thought out.
As I recall one of the crewmembers mentioned that the boat can hold a max of 22 divers and crew. We had close to that number on the final day and there was plenty of room for people to find a place to rest. The only time it was a bit cramped was when it came time to suit up. With a little preplanning and an early move to the dive platform, one can avoid most of the mayhem.
The Raya has plenty of water available, a bottomless cooler of electrolyte drink called “electropedrofoogostodol” or something like that, and there are also warm drink options at the ready throughout the day. A diver can even partake in an ice cold Coke or Sprite that can be purchased for a measly 20 Baht. A thirsty diver can also purchase cold beers at 50 Baht a pop for the long ride back to Ao Nang once the diving is over.
The Raya boat also serves a hearty lunch after the first or second dive (dependent on how many dives are done on the day), which generally allows for seconds for everyone on board (including the crew). The food fair is usually a Thai curry or noodle mix with an occasional pasta thrown in for good measure. There are also vegetarian options for those who do not want to eat meat. In between this meal helpful Thai crew members tempt lazing divers with freshly sliced watermelon and pineapple. You will not go hungry on the Raya boat. That is for sure!
Phranang DM Guides:
Phranang Divers organized two great DMs for us. For the first two days, we went with a very nice man named Peter. We enjoyed diving with him very much because he takes things nice and slow. He allows for divers to hang out in areas long enough to take in all the macro as well as any big stuff that might be swimming about. He does a very meticulous dive briefing that isn’t condescending nor overly dry. He was very fun to dive with. Unfortunately, Peter’s ears were suffering from on oncoming cold that prevented him from diving with us on the third dive on the second day. My wife and I went on with the dive comfortable we knew where we were going (or mostly so). At the end of the dive, I looked over to my wife who pointed over my head. I looked up to see that Peter had been following us from the surface to make sure we were okay.
On the third day we had Bubbles as our new guide (I think his real name is Steve but I am not sure). He is aptly named. He is a “bubby” and gregarious and DM who is very passionate about diving. He was also quite thorough in his briefings about location and depth, though his approach was different from Peter’s. My only criticism is that he had an element of ‘gloom and doom’ in his projections about the dives we would do on the day. He made it seem as though the current was going to be much stronger than it actually was, which raised a few alarm bells for my wife and I. In fairness there was a full moon happening and this does make tides a bit strong and unpredictable. I just wish Bubbles hadn’t hyped it up as much as he did. This created greater tension than was needed in my opinion. He really only needed to make us aware of the possibilities of current instead of lowering expectations for the dives before we even jumped in the water. Other than that, I felt he was very aware of the surroundings (in one case managing a missing diver situation calmly and giving feedback to the diver after the fact that eased his stress for the next two dives). I thought he did a great job there. So Bubbles is a bit of an anomaly for me. I would definitely dive with him again despite any disagreements I have about his style of communication. He was a very good guide and a thoughtful DM.
Final Comments:
If you are like my wife and me and prefer the Railay Beach experience and also want to take advantage of the dive options that abound in Ao Nang we highly recommend Phranang Divers as one of the best options that are available at the moment. If you are like us and want to stay on the Railay Beach side, they are probably the best option in our opinion, certainky the only option if PADI certification is a requirement for you. Luckily, they also take diving quite seriously and in a fun and welcoming way. Kyle is a very fair operator who even went so far as to give us a discount for the third dive of the second day because Peter was unable to descend with us due to his ear problems. Both of us were very impressed by this.
You can contact Kyle directly at this e-mail address until the website is up and running again. I am sure he would be willing to discuss dive options and itineraries if you are planning on staying at Railay Beach.
info@phranangdivers.com
We also recommend the Railay Bay Resort and Spa, which was more than willing to give my wife and I a slightly earlier breakfast than usual and also allow us to take pool towels with us on the boat (The Raya boat doesn’t provide these).
We would also highly recommend Raya Divers to any English speaking diver or non-Finnish speaking diver who might otherwise not find information on this boat. This in no way takes away from the other shops I mention in this report. As I stated before, Kontiki appears to be the best of the lot, as many SBers have said from earlier posts that I have read. We will hopefully get the chance to dive with them some day as well. Make sure to do the “super day” with them, a three-dive extravaganza including shark point. It was very impressive!
I hope this info is helpful for anyone headed in the Krabi direction sometime soon! Happy diving everyone and Happy Tet or Chinese New Year!
Dadvocate
A little background for our diving and accommodation choices this last week in Thailand:
My wife and I opted to return to Krabi because we had very positive memories from our last trip about four years ago. The difference this time round was that we wanted to stay on the western Railay Beach side to enjoy the atmosphere and the selection of restaurant options that are available there.
On our previous trip we stayed on Krabi east at a place called the Diamond Private Resort. It is a nice place but one that required us to hike up a few hundred steps before we could reach our room. Not the easiest accomplishment with dive gear in tow! Additionally, we had to traverse flooded mangrove shores at different times of the day to get from Krabi east to the location we preferred, Railay Beach on the west side. In the end we decided that it was best to book in at the Railay Bay Resort and Spa for this holiday trip to reduce the frustration we had the last time round.
On that same trip four years ago we ended up doing two days of diving with a company that is still in business on Railay Beach, one by the name of Sun Divers. I will only say that we did not enjoy diving with them very much. The experience we had with them was the catalyst for us only diving with shops that are PADI or SSI certified. This may seem obvious to most, but we were a bit naïve back then.
My wife and I also prefer the stay on Railay Beach because it offers a somewhat calmer holiday environment than Ao Nang does, not to mention wonderful sunsets silhouetting the towering cliffs that guard the entrance to Railay Bay. It is truly an amazing place that has not yet become as developed as Phuket or Ao Nang, a reality we both hope lasts for a few more years. Booking in does require a bit of planning, so keep that in mind if you are thinking of staying at this site on Krabi.
Research into dive shop options:
As I said above, the challenge for us is that we prefer PADI or SSI certified shops with a good running record of service attested to by divers, particularly those that post on Scuboard.com for instance. From my research on SB and a few other places, the preferred shops that run regular dive trips out to Phi Phi and other outer islands tend to be those in Ao Nang, namely Konitki Divers, Scuba Addicts and Manta Divers. Each of these seemed to have positive reports from those who commented on them here on SB.
I e-mailed each of these shops beforehand to see what options they had available and I received the most positive (and immediate) response from Kontiki Divers. I was very impressed with them and had decided that we would dive with them based on the idea I had that getting a longtail boat to Ao Nang from Railay Beach would not really be much of a problem. After my wife and I arrived in Railay and unloaded our dive gear in the room, we decided that we would hop over to Ao Nang to make the final preparations with Kontiki.
And this was when the reality of the hassle of getting to Ao Nang from Railay Beach early enough to join a dive boat going out to the Phi Phi islands or to the marine sanctuary became clear. The Longtail boats typically run with 7 or 8 passengers at a time in order to conserve fuel and also to justify the low cost of 80 Baht per passenger. Though I totally understand this policy this wasn’t going to work for us because we needed to be underway by 7:00 am in order to get to Ao Nang beach to then catch another longtail in order to get to the dive boat on time. My wife asked a few questions and the best price we could get heading out of Railay Beach in the wee hours of the morning on our own was about 700 Baht one way. This seemed pricy given that we were going to need to do this for three consecutive days.
I have to say that Kontki Divers were very sympathetic to our plight and they did try and book a boat for us for 400 Baht per day in order to be able to make it cost effective for us to dive with them. Honestly, we almost chose this option except for the fact that we would have had to miss out on our beloved hotel breakfast which was really very nice and already paid for. We would also have had to catch another longtail in Ao Nang to get to the Kontiki boat and then another boat at Ao Nang at the end of the diving day to get back to Railay Beach.
In the end we were saved by a dive shop that was completely off the radar until I happened to see it near a mini market and a nice cart that serves the best roti concoctions for a very cheap price on Railay Beach. The name of the shop is Phranang Divers, and as they aptly claim on their placard outside the shop, they are the only PADI certified shop on Railay Beach.
The shop is run by Kyle, a very nice Canadian man who is approachable and helpful about giving info on dive options for the diver staying on Railay Beach. As it turns out Phranang Diver’s website is being updated and therefore is not easily found in cyberspace. Kyle also has several shop related jobs he runs from Railay Beach, so the shop itself tends to be closed until about 12:30 pm daily and then intermittently at other points in the day. You do have to be patient in order to catch him when the shop is open, but I would say Phranang Divers is worth the wait. Remember the mini mart has cold beer and the roti guy is there almost all day. These are lovely distractions as you wait for Kyle to return to the shop.
This slight inconvenience aside, Kyle had the perfect solution for us for the diving we wanted to do and also the transit issues that plagued us as Railay Beach bums. He booked us in for all three days of diving we wanted and he also arranged a boat transfer to and from Ao Nang that ran directly to the dive boat: no inconvenient stopovers on Ao Nang beach! This made our lives significantly easier. And the best part was that the boat didn’t need to depart until 7:15 am, leaving my wife and I just enough time to raid the Railay Beach Resort and Spa’s breakfast offerings before rushing mouths stuffed to our awaiting longtail, replete with a smiling and helpful boatman to help us get our gear onboard.
The Finnish Connection:
Phranang Divers has a working relationship with Raya Divers out of Ao Nang. Phranang Divers books things from Railay Beach along with the longtail transfers and then Raya Divers takes care of the boat trip and diving schedule for the day.
Here is their website:
Raya Divers
Raya divers is a top notch and very professionally run boat with a friendly crew. It is true that Finnish is the language of choice on board this boat, and the paint on the boat seems to suggest either a Greek motif or one inspired by the Finnish flag. The boat does cater primarily to divers from Finland, but the non-Fins onboard are also welcomed. The crew made sure to include us in the conversation about boat safety and diving conditions, in impeccable English to boot.
The Raya boat is really very nice with a large covered common area on the upper deck. There is also a section overlooking the stern that has white deck chairs for those who want to sun themselves. There are also a few booth-like stalls on the lower deck for those who prefer that environment and for those who need a bit of privacy to do coursework for certifications. The designated smoking area is at the bow of the boat, and there were quite few divers who took advantage of this option. As a nonsmoker I can say that this was never troublesome or irritating. The boat is really very well thought out.
As I recall one of the crewmembers mentioned that the boat can hold a max of 22 divers and crew. We had close to that number on the final day and there was plenty of room for people to find a place to rest. The only time it was a bit cramped was when it came time to suit up. With a little preplanning and an early move to the dive platform, one can avoid most of the mayhem.
The Raya has plenty of water available, a bottomless cooler of electrolyte drink called “electropedrofoogostodol” or something like that, and there are also warm drink options at the ready throughout the day. A diver can even partake in an ice cold Coke or Sprite that can be purchased for a measly 20 Baht. A thirsty diver can also purchase cold beers at 50 Baht a pop for the long ride back to Ao Nang once the diving is over.
The Raya boat also serves a hearty lunch after the first or second dive (dependent on how many dives are done on the day), which generally allows for seconds for everyone on board (including the crew). The food fair is usually a Thai curry or noodle mix with an occasional pasta thrown in for good measure. There are also vegetarian options for those who do not want to eat meat. In between this meal helpful Thai crew members tempt lazing divers with freshly sliced watermelon and pineapple. You will not go hungry on the Raya boat. That is for sure!
Phranang DM Guides:
Phranang Divers organized two great DMs for us. For the first two days, we went with a very nice man named Peter. We enjoyed diving with him very much because he takes things nice and slow. He allows for divers to hang out in areas long enough to take in all the macro as well as any big stuff that might be swimming about. He does a very meticulous dive briefing that isn’t condescending nor overly dry. He was very fun to dive with. Unfortunately, Peter’s ears were suffering from on oncoming cold that prevented him from diving with us on the third dive on the second day. My wife and I went on with the dive comfortable we knew where we were going (or mostly so). At the end of the dive, I looked over to my wife who pointed over my head. I looked up to see that Peter had been following us from the surface to make sure we were okay.
On the third day we had Bubbles as our new guide (I think his real name is Steve but I am not sure). He is aptly named. He is a “bubby” and gregarious and DM who is very passionate about diving. He was also quite thorough in his briefings about location and depth, though his approach was different from Peter’s. My only criticism is that he had an element of ‘gloom and doom’ in his projections about the dives we would do on the day. He made it seem as though the current was going to be much stronger than it actually was, which raised a few alarm bells for my wife and I. In fairness there was a full moon happening and this does make tides a bit strong and unpredictable. I just wish Bubbles hadn’t hyped it up as much as he did. This created greater tension than was needed in my opinion. He really only needed to make us aware of the possibilities of current instead of lowering expectations for the dives before we even jumped in the water. Other than that, I felt he was very aware of the surroundings (in one case managing a missing diver situation calmly and giving feedback to the diver after the fact that eased his stress for the next two dives). I thought he did a great job there. So Bubbles is a bit of an anomaly for me. I would definitely dive with him again despite any disagreements I have about his style of communication. He was a very good guide and a thoughtful DM.
Final Comments:
If you are like my wife and me and prefer the Railay Beach experience and also want to take advantage of the dive options that abound in Ao Nang we highly recommend Phranang Divers as one of the best options that are available at the moment. If you are like us and want to stay on the Railay Beach side, they are probably the best option in our opinion, certainky the only option if PADI certification is a requirement for you. Luckily, they also take diving quite seriously and in a fun and welcoming way. Kyle is a very fair operator who even went so far as to give us a discount for the third dive of the second day because Peter was unable to descend with us due to his ear problems. Both of us were very impressed by this.
You can contact Kyle directly at this e-mail address until the website is up and running again. I am sure he would be willing to discuss dive options and itineraries if you are planning on staying at Railay Beach.
info@phranangdivers.com
We also recommend the Railay Bay Resort and Spa, which was more than willing to give my wife and I a slightly earlier breakfast than usual and also allow us to take pool towels with us on the boat (The Raya boat doesn’t provide these).
We would also highly recommend Raya Divers to any English speaking diver or non-Finnish speaking diver who might otherwise not find information on this boat. This in no way takes away from the other shops I mention in this report. As I stated before, Kontiki appears to be the best of the lot, as many SBers have said from earlier posts that I have read. We will hopefully get the chance to dive with them some day as well. Make sure to do the “super day” with them, a three-dive extravaganza including shark point. It was very impressive!
I hope this info is helpful for anyone headed in the Krabi direction sometime soon! Happy diving everyone and Happy Tet or Chinese New Year!
Dadvocate
going to do 2 or possibly 3 if the non-diver friend can wing it - they do accept snorkelers right? anyway about the dive spots which ones did you try and what are they like - just got my cert last december and i dont think im ready for a close encounter with jaws hihihi anyway thanks! 
