March 2008 Easter Weekend - Dive in Thailand?

[SCU5]

Hi All,

My first post, a pleasure to make your acquaintance!

I currently live/work in HK, and am keen to make a few dive trips out of here in the next year. I'm going to Puerto Galera in Jan and Feb to dive and hopefully get my Advanced OW and Nitrox certs. One of the key factors in choosing PG is the proximity to HK and easy access, as well as the fact that the diving is supposed to be good, hopefully great.

For Mar 21 -24, Easter weekend next year, I'm trying to get some ideas of where I should/could go. The ideal location should be easily accessible from HK (since I don't have a ton of time to travel) and have great dives.

Do you have any recommendations for spots in Philippines that are easily accessible and have great dives? Unfortunately, I would probably only be able to get in two days of diving because I have to fly, but would like to make a trip anyway.

I am open to other destinations as well, Malaysia, Indonesia, Maldives, etc.

Thank you!
Jim

 

[Quero]

Jim, you mention mainly PI in your post, but you put it in the Thailand forum, so I'm guessing you x-posted and really do want info for Thailand.

You may know that there are two main dive areas in Thailand--the Andaman Sea, which has several areas where you can base yourself for two days of diving; and the Gulf of Thailand, with a few more. With your limited time and desire not to spend a lot of it in travel, the Andaman side makes more sense for you since there's an international airport at Phuket, and there are direct flights from HK; from the airport you have two easy options requiring minimal travel. You could stay on Phuket and do daytrips. Phuket has a couple of 2d/1n options, but unfortunately they most likely don't coincide with your dive dates. You could also go up to Khao Lak and get on a flexible-stay LOB in the Similans for a couple of nights and a couple of days or do daytrips from Khao Lak to the Similans. I personally think that for your parameters, the flexi-stay option is a good one.

 

[OnTheSpot]

Hello Jim,

How about Sabah, Malaysian Borneo? The capital city, Kota Kinabalu is easily accessible from HK (MAS and Dragonair), and the diving is without doubt world class. You can use the Sipadan link in my signature to see full details of diving in Sabah.

Cheers.

 

[limbo]

Jim,

Koh Samui has also direct flights to/from Hong Kong, so you may wantto check this option out as well. Seeing that you have limited time, Phuket may be the best option unless more time is available and you could travel from Samui to koh Tao, just an hour and a half ferry ride.

 

[plonske]

Oooooohhh Samui Airport, the most beautiful airport off Thailand! Wwwwaaaaawwww.
To stay a few days on koh Samui looks fine, during that time you can do you' re divecourse.
Many choices here on the island.

Recomandation???? Look at www.CoralGrandDiver.com.

Cheers,