PADI OW in Thiland- again

[btotten]

thanks to the community here, i've already gained some valuable information from looking through old threads.

My girlfriend and I are flying into Krabi tommorow feb 18, 2013. We're on the tail end of a trip through southeast asia. Awfully last minute, but we're trying to find a good place to do our PADI open water.

We're looking for somewhere that is quiet, uncrowded, and beautiful on shore with budget accomodation available (without reservations). And of course a beautiful and appropriate underwater learning environment. We're intimidated by the crowds and nightlife we hear about in Phuket, Ko Phi Phi, and Krabi/Ao Nang. Railay Beach sounds beautiful but maybe difficult to go diving or do our course right from there. Ko Lanta and Khau Lak sound nice but maybe not as striking as far onshore beauty goes. And I think i'll probably go to Khao Lak to do my advanced open water afterward.

We may not get everything we're looking for, but any input would be great (including specific dive shops), as well as correcting any misconceptions i might have mentioned above. We would also like to hear any recommendations on places i didn't mention above.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Quero]

Let's start with conceptions/misconceptions--
• Phi Phi is rather touristy, but a lot of resorts are off on their own with in-house dive ops, which means you don't have the kinds of crowds you're worried about. However, for walk-in budget accommodations, you'd probably end up in the village, which, it's true, can be noisy and crowded.
• Phuket is a very large island with only a few areas that are crowded and densely developed; there are plenty of less crowded areas, though you might have to rent a car to get around if you end up in a really isolated part of the island.
• Railay is on the backpacker highway, so it's far from quiet or uncrowded. It's rustic, though. There are a few dive ops in the village so you could get your diving and training there if you wished.
• While Koh Lanta itself isn't as stunning as Railay, the areas where you dive, particularly Koh Haa, are gorgeous both above and below water, and the beaches at Lanta are lovely. I think this is your best option given your preferences.

I would bet that you'd like Koh Lipe, but it's nowhere near Krabi.....

 

[Bubble Junky]

I'd go for Koh Lanta - Check out Dive & Relax...