Phuket day trips

[JIRAF20]

hi guys ill be in phuket sept 03 -11 this year lookin for recommenadation for 2 daytrips and a reliable one stop shop for booking etc.oh and my wife who doesn't divewill be with me so i should probably include snorkelling pffft!
thanks
jiraf.

 

[mikkylad]

Jiraf,

depends on your level and what you want to see really. For me, the best day trip is the Kincruiser, Shark Point, Ko Doc Mai trip. You get a big wreck, great submerged pinnacles with a good chance of leopard sharks and a wall that is plastered with great macro!!. Not a great day for snorkelling I have to be honest but great for lounging and generally enjoying the sun.

Racha Yai is nice easy diving with some lovely coral reefs, but it does lack the big stuff!! Great snorkelling though, and only a two dive day so home a bit earlier.

Racha Noi is very nice, with big granite boulders. Similan like diving but within day trip distance, and I've seen manta out there in September too (though there is obviously no guarantee). Some great snorkelling too, with some really pretty bays. Much quieter than Racha Yai too.

And then there's Phi Phi. Generally it's a two dive day with a long transfer (unless you choose a speedboat, which can be a little uncomfortable unless you KNOW it will be flat...which it probably won't be in September), though the diving is excellent out there. Again a great chance of sharks. Good snorkelling too, in fact the snorkellers usually see more Blacktips than the divers!!

 

[vladimir]

I am not a good source for current Phuket information. I used to go quite regularly though. Operators would combine Shark Point and Anemone Reef into one trip, often hitting Koh Doc Mai on the way home. All three spots were good for reliable leopard shark encounters, and Koh Doc Mai had a lot of sea snakes in the shallows at the end of the dive. All three spots had nice, healthy reefs (1993-99). That was my favorite itinerary. The other common spots for day trips were Koh Phi Phi, Racha Noi, Racha Yai, and King Cruiser, if I recall correctly. I saw a whale shark at Phi Phi once, although it wasn't one of my favorite spots. The southern tip of Racha Yai was a good dive but the rest was pretty average. A typical itinerary would depart from Ao Chalong around 9:00 am and return about 6:00 pm with a good Thai green chicken curry over rice and fruit for lunch on board. The dive boats staggered their use of sites back then to avoid overcrowding a particular site.

I'm sure somebody will chime in to correct/update my information. Have a great trip!

 

[stevenl]

Personally I prefer Anemone Reef, especially on a daytrip in combination with Shark Point. 2 lovely and very lively divesites, with sightings of almost everything.

The Bida Islands are also very nice, but IMO a trip with 3 dives is better than a 2-tank trip, mainly because of the distance, so the traveltime. A dive on the way breaks that.

For 2 daytrips plus a non-diver, i would recommend day one either Racha Yai or Racha Noi, day 2 either Phi Phi or Shark Point/Anemone Reef area. If you choose the latter, your wife can not go snorkeling though.

 

[OnTheSpot]

Hi Jiraf, you have a plethora of day trip options from Phuket, so check them out and see what strikes your fancy. Plenty of snorkeling and other distractions for the missus too.

As for a reliable one stop dive shop from where to book it all, Dive the World on Patong beach of course There's a map at the bottom of this page, which also has contact details for your ease of use.

 

[ThailandDivers]

Hi Jiraf,

Great to hear that you're coming down to Phuket.

My personal favorite is King Cruiser, Shark Point and Koh Doc Mai, where you get three totally different dive sites in one day. Unfortunately it's not very good for snorkeling.

I would recommend you to go to Racha Noi where you get lots of marine life, including a chance to see Manta rays and it's also good for snoreling.

Hope I've been of some help.

Have a great day

Sanna