Trip report and photos from Thailand

[Maggy]

We spent 9 days in Thailand and it was a great trip. It didn't start very well, but fortunately it continued much better. Our flight to Bangkok was supposed to leave at 8PM and we travelled on standby tickets. Got seats in business class and we sat there so happy in our comfortable seats, with a glass of champagne that was offered, looking forward to a nice tasty dinner. Life was good and we pushed back on time. On the way to the runway we suddenly stopped and we immediately got suspicious. And we were right, a technical problem had occur and after the mechanics tried to fix it for 3 hours, the flight was cancelled. We were back home again 2AM tired, hungry and disappointed. Anyway, in the morning we went back to the airport (we live just 20 minutes from the airport luckily) and tried on Thai's flight and managed to get a seat on that flight. So we only missed one day. From Bangkok we flew to Krabi.

We stayed 6 nights at Pimalai resort on Ko Lanta. We normally don't stay at this fancy resorts, but they had a really good offer, which made it worth the money. The resort was nothing but wonderful. The breakfast was great and there was nothing you could possibly miss and they had the best tasted coffee I have ever had in my life. Except for breakfast it also included free internet, water sports like Hobie cats and kayaks and lots of other things.It was beautifully settled on a hill with great views and lush gardens. We stayed in their least expensive room, but that was still fantastic. Here are a couple of pictures from the resort.

We did a day trip to Koh Haa with Pimalai's diving operation. The trip took one hour and their boat was very comfortable. The diving was really good but more challenging than the dives I done in the Caribbean. I did my deepest dive ever 27,1 meters. We did two dives and got a some lunch during the surface interval. These photos are taken deeper, so they are not so good when it comes to light. I would probably need a strobe to take photos this deep. I also need a better editing program than the one I have. So I know these photos can be better. I also had a couple of issues during these dives, that made me take less photos.




Lionfish

Nudibranch

Scorpionfish

False Clownfish

The last 3 days of the trip we went to Ao Nang. It had really changed since we were there the last time (2002). We would probably not go back, as it was too crowded and you couldn't even be undisturbed by people trying to sell stuff to you, while you were eating dinner in a restaurant. Who wants to buy a fake Rolex while you are enjoying your dinner? I can understand the people walking down the beaches selling drinks and clothes, but this was too much. We had still a good time and stayed only 3 nights.

One day we went on a full day diving and snorkeling trip to Phi Phi islands with Kat_Diver on SB. It was a great day at sea, with beautiful weather and nice sea conditions. We went to Koh Bid Nok and Ao Nui bay. It was very good diving conditions at Koh Bida Nok but very crowded. It was scary to swim back to the boat, as lots of boats were everywhere and one boat almost drifted into ours, while we were still climbing into our boat. Ao Nui was less crowded but also much less visibility.

Here are a few picture from that trip:

White eyed Moray

Yellowhead fusilier

Singular Bannerfish

Java? Rabbitfish

Rabbitfish feasting on jellyfish

Colorful reef

Red Saddleback Anemonefish

Just surfaced:

Overall a very nice trip, our fourth to Thailand. I would go back to Koh Lanta, but maybe not to Ao Nang for a while at least.


Please feel free to correct any wrong fish ID I have made.

 

[Arizona]

Nice pictures! I felt the same about Krabi. How was the water temp for you? Thanks for sharing.

 

[katdiver]

Hi Maggy, glad you enjoyed the trip! Just remember next time you can get your peace and quiet away from the tat hawkers if you go around to Klong Muang, just a bit further west of Ao Nang. Many of the hotels there have heavilly discounted their prices this season. Usually the boats aren't as aggressive as the K T boat going in that day, and to think when we jumped in on the other side of Bida Nok we hardly saw any boats!

 

[Bowmouth]

Please feel free to correct any wrong fish ID I have made.

You are mostly right:
1: Common lion fish
2: Chromodoris annulata ("Fried egg" nudi)
3: Bearded scorpion fish
4: False Clown anemone fish
5: White eye moray eel
6: Schooling big eye snappers
7: Dendronephthya soft corals
8: Java rabbit fish
9: Red saddle back anemone fish
10: "Enterprise" boat!

 

[Maggy]

Thank you Arizona! The water temp was 28C and 29C and I didn't use my wetsuit that I brought. I was only a bit cold after the longest dive (62 min) but not too bad.

katdiver, you are right. Klong Muang would probably suit us better. Maybe next time. It will definitely be a next time to Thailand. I didn't mean to come out that negative. I also liked Koh Bida Nok very much. Just too bad we couldn't go where you intended.

Thanks Bowmouth for the correction of the snappers. I can clearly see that now.

 

[katdiver]

Hi Maggy, take a look at our Face Book link, there's a link to a hotel there, very popular with my divers. True with the dive though, the other direction is prettier, but the big fans on the route we took are quite something. We would have ended up in the same bay! This week Bida Nok has been just perfect, there today and back tomorrow! If you like you can add some of your pictures and a write up onto the Face Book group.

Katdiver

 

[h90]

there should be more reviews like that.....
I visit Ko Hai now and hope to bring some infos (but without pics)

 

[ScubaSteve]

We did a day trip to Koh Haa with Pimalai's diving operation. The trip took one hour and their boat was very comfortable. The diving was really good but more challenging than the dives I done in the Caribbean. I did my deepest dive ever 27,1 meters. [/quote]


Thanks for this report Maggy. One part of it really stuck out (quoted above) because I will be travelling to Thailand for 3 weeks this coming November and I will be travelling with a newly certified OW diver (I will get a couple dives under his belt this summer prior to the trip but not likely more than 4 or 6 max) and my GF who is certified OW but has a limited number of dives logged.

When you said what you did above, what were you meaning? What about the dives was challenging? Were you informed of these challenges ahead of time? I am thinking that because of the experience level of my two companions, easier dives should be what is ordered. I guess I will need to ask around to see what "easier" diving Koh Lanta has to offer to make sure I am not booking beyond their experience or comfort.

Any feedback on your experience would be very much appreciated.

 

[Maggy]

Thank for your reply Scubasteve!

I think we were divided into three groups and since I am advanced certified (even if I don't at ALL count myself a advanced since I have only been doing 27 dives) I was placed in the most advanced group. That was probably correct depending on who were on the boat, but I felt a bit rushed as we were supposed to go in the water first and fast. Their defogging did not work, so during my first dive I didn't see very much. I have to rinse the mask all the time (good practice but not too fun). It was also less visibility than I am used to and the dives deeper. When you dive among rocks it's also a bit darker than if you dive with white sand in sight.

Also much more divers around and in the second dive (after rinsing my mask with our own defogging and it worked much better) I almost got separated from my buddy (the guide). That I guess is my fault, as he stopped and showed the other a harlequin crab and when I hovered and waited a big group of divers mixed up among us. It was also a bit current, so I drifted away a bit and suddenly I didn't see my buddy. After one minute (I turned back again after realizing I followed the wrong guy who looked exactly like our guy) I found them again. I had just started to breath a little extra and making up plans for myself what I should do if I didn't find them immedeately. It was kind of scary, but as soon as I saw them I was fine. I have to compliment the guide here, as he saw in my eyes that I was stressed, and he held my hand for a little while and then everything was ok again.

I do believe that you could dive with your friends there. We had OW students with us so there were many sites to visit. You didn't have to go down to 90ft I guess. That was btw no big deal to me.

I have also dived two dives in the Similans last year, and then we had similar conditions but also stronger currents.

It might be a coincidence, but my Caribbean dives have mostly been in good visibility, little current (except Mexico) and in general shallower.

I still liked the diving here very much and after my unpleasant experience, I booked another dive day, so it shouldn't be the last dive for me. I didn't feel uncomfortable at all and I never let that dive guide out of sight (lesson learned).

Hope this helps. I think you would like Ko Lanta. It was nice and laid back and the Thai people are wonderful.

/Karin

 

[deeper thoughts]

Thnx for the report