Need advice! Koh Phangan + Koh Tao or Similan or Phuket + Phi Phi?

[Davi Magalhães]

Hi everyone!
I'll be going to southeast asia for the first time from mid december/16 until mid january/17.

I'm a novice diver (I completed my PADI open waters on San Andres, Colombia, in april/16) and I intend to dedicate some time on this trip for both diving and getting to know the places I stay in (which includes, for example, going to the temples in Cambodia and a going for a bit of nightlife fun here and there). I'm a solo traveler, btw.
I'll arrive on Saigon and leave from Kuala Lumpur, so my idea is to start from Vietnam and go alongside the gulf until I get to KL. In general, I don't like to cram a lot of places in a short time (my minimum is at least 3 days in a given place)

So far I was planning on diving on Phu Quoc (Vietnam) and Sihanoukville (Cambodia) for 3 days each.
Now, here's where it gets tricky: since I'm going to Koh Phangan for NYE, I was planning on staying 6 or 7 days on Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, since they're really close.
But since I joined this forum and read some of the posts on this Thailand subforum, it seems most people here don't like those 2 islands.

So, what would you guys recommend? Should I keep my original plans and stay 6 or 7 days in Koh Phangan+Koh Tao or should I just stay on Koh Phangan for 3 days for the NYE and then spend 4 days on Similan Islands or even 5 days on Phuket + Phi Phi (I guess I could squeeze one more day there)?

If you guys think that some of the marine life of the places I mentioned (Phu Quoc, Sihanoukville and the Thai islands) are very similar and I could skip one of them, that is good too. I can still make some changes on my trip.

Thanks a lot for all the help!

 

[chillyinCanada]

Are you aware Thailand is in a year of mourning for their newly deceased king? Things should be mostly back to normal during your visit.

If diving is your main focus for this trip, I believe you can do better in SE Asia than the places you mentioned. Frankly, I didn't realize that diving is even offered at Shianoukville.

Koh Tao is a beautiful dive centric island, however, I find the diving to be generally very poor. The season is not right either, while you plan to be there.

Enjoy Angkor Wat! I loved it.

 

[stevenl]

If diving is your main goal, come to the Andaman Coast. Much better diving than the Gulf of Thailand, including Shianoukville. Since you're in Vietnam anyway I would go for a day of diving there, but more is IMO not worth it.

 

[Davi Magalhães]

Are you aware Thailand is in a year of mourning for their newly deceased king? Things should be mostly back to normal during your visit.

If diving is your main focus for this trip, I believe you can do better in SE Asia than the places you mentioned. Frankly, I didn't realize that diving is even offered at Shianoukville.

Yes, I've read about the mourning period but it seems that the "no entertainment" period will end on mid november, so I suppose that everything will be back to normal when I'll be there in late december.
Thank you for your input

If diving is your main goal, come to the Andaman Coast. Much better diving than the Gulf of Thailand, including Shianoukville. Since you're in Vietnam anyway I would go for a day of diving there, but more is IMO not worth it.

Where on Andaman Coast would you recommend me? Between Phuket + Krabi or the Similan Islands, which would you prefer? Thank you very much for your help

 

[stevenl]

Yes, I've read about the mourning period but it seems that the "no entertainment" period will end on mid november, so I suppose that everything will be back to normal when I'll be there in late december.
Thank you for your input




Where on Andaman Coast would you recommend me? Between Phuket + Krabi or the Similan Islands, which would you prefer? Thank you very much for your help

Ideally, a few days daytrips from Phuket followed by a liveaboard of 3 days/3 nights, or preferred 4 days/4 nights.
Of course I'd be happy to help you, see the websites in my signature.

 

[lord khram]

Anywhere in the Andaman Sea is far superior to all other locations mentioned. I have never dived at Sihanoukville and have no plans to do so as I feel it will be no different to other places in the Gulf of Thailand.
Depends what you are looking for apart from diving, personally I like neither Koh Phangan or Koh Tao, but many enjoy those islands.
If diving is your main focus, look at the Andaman Sea, it is by far the best Thailand has to offer where ever you finally chose.

 

[dirtfarmer]

When you are on Phangan try and dive sail rock. It's the best site in the area.

 

[lord khram]

Frankly, I didn't realize that diving is even offered at Shianoukville.

There are several DC's in Sihanoukville. I know a few that have dived there, but none were too complimentary about their experiences.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I have dived Sail Rock but out of Koh Tao. It was a great day, IIRC, we also dove Chumporn Pinnacles on that day trip. That said, I'm not sure it was that great because I found the dibing at Koh Tao to be quite disappointing ergo the day trip out to Sail Rock and Chumporn may have seemed better than it actually is. Dirtfarmer? What do you think over all?

While I was disappointed in the diving, I loved the island! ,

 

[dirtfarmer]

I have dived Sail Rock but out of Koh Tao. It was a great day, IIRC, we also dove Chumporn Pinnacles on that day trip. That said, I'm not sure it was that great because I found the dibing at Koh Tao to be quite disappointing ergo the day trip out to Sail Rock and Chumporn may have seemed better than it actually is. Dirtfarmer? What do you think over all?

While I was disappointed in the diving, I loved the island! ,

I haven't dived Ko Tao for 10 years or so, it was my first diving experience in SEA and I wasn't overwhelmed with I must go back. I did sail rock a few years after that from Koh Phangan, which was my first love affair with tropical islands in SEA. We used to spend a few weeks at Ao Tong Nai Pan on Phangan, and loved it there.

I really thought sail rock was way better than the sites I dove off Koh Tao, and if it's still in the same condition I would say it's a dive site that one should dive when in the area. It had great fish and coral life and if the sites off Tao were like it i would gladly dive Tao even with the crowds.My wife would love for us to go back to Thailand as we love the topside so much, but I'm to spoiled to dive Tao and be super happy about it. I've looked into staying on some Andaman side islands and enjoying both topside and underwater but the trips to the good sites take me away from my wife so long that she says are you here to be with me or your camera?
I'm still hunting for the best of both worlds, great topside, and great close in diving. Soon I'm off to Komodo again solo, while my wife misses me I get to immerse myself in the sea, and in Jan another solo trip to the PI as the wife's goats will have young kids which she doesn't want to leave them so young. I'm lucky she supports my second love behind her.

Some day we should go back and I'll leave the gear at home.