Lads trip to Thailand

[sabine_john]

...since we're booked from 6-19 Oct at Phuket!
We were wondering if anyone has any idea what the weather is doing there in October.

 

[sabine_john]

Hi there Clive,
We're going to Phuket early October. Since we're new we'd love to get some advice about anything and everything. We'll be staying at the Palm Garden resort...
Don't get us wrong... we're doing a lot of research... we booked through a DM friend through Orca and are so damned excited it's scary.

 

[Sylvie]

:11:

 

[Sylvie]

Hi

I agree with Clive Francis. The locations mentioned (Koh Samui, Koh Phan Nan, Koh Tao & Chumphon) are located at the Golf of Thailand, which is best suited for diving during the summer months, because it's the monsoon season in the Winter Months.
During the winter months, I'd recommend diving in the Andaman Sea. January is a great month to take a liveaboard to the Similans, Richelieu Rock, the Surin Island, and further north to the Burma banks (Myanmar). Liveaboards leave from either Patong in Phuket or Tab Lamu in Khao Lak. Most of these sites can also be reached from day trips out of Tab Lamu in Khao Lak, which is a developing resort area about 60 -90 minutes up the coast from the Phuket airport. There is also diving (either on liveaboards or land based) in the area surrounding the Koh Phi Phi islands south of Phuket. The Koh Phi Phi islands are stunningly beautiful and offer good diving, however the marine national parks of the Similans etc north of Phuket are far more popular for diving and considered amongst the best in the world.

Thai Airways International offers some reasonably priced flights within Thailand, including packages of several flights. http://www.thaiair.com/. There is another Thai airline that offers the same thing but I forgot its name.
Keep in mind that if you only have two weeks holiday and want to spend some time in Bangkok, and go on a liveaboard, you won’t really have much time to fly around the country (you’ve got 2 days flying & 12 days holiday, plus post-diving no fly times to think about). I think that you’ll have plenty to see and do if you stick to the Andaman Sea, and you should consider going to the Golf of Thailand on another trip when the whether will be better.

 

[DORSETBOY]

aye, thanks Sylvie I'll have a look at their website now.

Got an itinerary worked out...

day 1. land in BK. catch bus from koh sarn road at 17.30 to chumporn.
day 2. catch early morning ferry to Mae Hadd. Start diving in afternoon plus do night dive if available that day.
day 3. Dive as much as poss!
day 4. Do morning and afternoon dives, catch night ferry to surrathani.
day 5. Take minbus / taxi to phuket. Leave evening on liveaboard.
days 6-10 Liveaboard. Back on land evening of day 10, stay in Phuket.
Day 11 Stay in Phuket, look at afternoon dives locally.
Day 12 Fly to Pattaya.
Day 13 Taxi to BK. Book into Koh Sarn Road. Beers!! and a bit of sight seeing.
Day 14 Fly back to uk late afternoon / evening.

I can move the days around a bit if need be and might be tempted to extend the trip in total by a day or two. I'm not too fussed about BK as I've been there so many times last year, might also change Pattaya for going up country to chang Mai for a day or two.

Greg Jenkins PADI OWSI

 

[DORSETBOY]

Ps. spot the 'deliberate' mistake!... will not really be able to do afternoon dives on day 11, can do morning ones though..

 

[Sylvie]

Well Dorset Boy it seems like your plans will keep you and your pals very busy. I get the feeling that when you return home to sunny sunny Scotland you'll need a vactation to recover from your vacation.

Cheers

 

[DORSETBOY]

aye, hoping to pack in as much as poss!

Greg