Phuket Logistics are killing me!

[lttleldydver]

Hello! I'm in the beginning, obsessive, planning stages for a trip to Thailand in April. For the most part, the basics are set. I don't want to over-plan, we'd like to leave some room for spontaneous adventure! :buggy:

I did have to lock down flights and some hotel because we are using points. Hence, the logistical nightmare...

We arrive Phuket airport (from Bangkok) on April 10 at 1:45. Our wish is to head to Don Phi Phi for 3 nights to dive, etc.. But, we we will miss the ferry. Is is possible to still get to Phi Phi on the 10th?

We will check into the JW Marriott April 13th (check out the 18th). The remote aspect of this hotel really concerns me, but heck, we are using miles so I can't complain too much. We plan to do a few day trips during this time. I know Chalong is a haul, any other options?

If we can't figure out how to get to Phi Phi on the 10th, we might consider staying a couple of nights in Kata. We could do some diving from there and see a different part of Phuket. I looked into a liveaboard, but timing doesn't seem to work. We also thought about shifting the Marriott/Phi Phi nights... but then we back up into when our most intense diving would be and when we'd need to fly (like by 2:45 the next day).

So, I know I'm way over-thinking this portion of the trip. I've noted severly really good threads here and bookmarked dive shops. Should we just show up, figure it out... and dive??

 

[Quero]

Well, there's good news and not so good news for you in terms of your logistics planning.

One bit of good news is that April is a great time to leave things a little fluid and not over-plan because it's the end of our season, which means fewer visitors, so that things don't sell out as fast as they do during the height of the season.

One bit of bad news is that you can't get to Phi Phi for less than a fortune once the ferries have departed. There are private speedboat transfers to Phi Phi, but for the cost, IMO, you may as well book a seaplane transfer and enjoy the views from the air.

Another piece of good news is that you CAN do a multi-day dive trip that includes Phi Phi on the 12th and 13th, with an overnight on Phi Phi Don. That way you could stay at Kata, do a day of diving on the 11th, dive the two days of the trip to Phi Phi, and still check in at the Marriott on the 13th in the late afternoon.

PM me if you'd like more detailed information which can't really be provided efficiently in a board post.

 

[lttleldydver]

Great advice, thank you! We may change our flight to an hour earlier and chance a close connection in Bangkok. Or, we may decide to go to Khao Lak for a few nights instead (do day trips to Phi Phi). Guide books say diving in Khao is good through April?

 

[Quero]

From Khao Lak in April you can probably still get on one of the kinds of boats I call "flexible stay liveaboards" for daytrip diving. For these trips you take a speedboat out on a long ride to a large boat that stays out in the Similans with overnight guests. The daytrippers and the overnighters join to dive on a couple of sites, and then the daytrippers return to Khao Lak by speedboat, along with whichever overnighters are going back to land. Speedboat daytrips where you dive from a small boat are not really recommended at this time of year when weather conditions are changeable. It's a question both of safety and comfort since it's quite a long ride out to the dive sites in a speedboat, and it can be very bumpy in rough seas. Many (if not most) speedboat operators shut down for the season by the end of March.