urgent request for Trip advice

[eugeni]

I’m looking for Similan LOB for January 2012.
I found MV Dolphin queen. It is more for budget lob option. Does anyone heard about this LOB?
I also consider to dive around Phuket, Ko Phi Phi, and Hin Daeng/ Hin Muang.
I heard that diving sites near from Phuket & ko PhiPhi is just so so, is it true?
How far is Hin Daeng/ Hin Muang from Khao Lanta using daytrip?
How long do I need to arrange time for each place?
Is there any dive operator which operate Burma LOB?
Could you please help me to organize diving tour route & schedule and also recommend budget options for diving operators and accommodations around these places?
I searched internet, but I couldn't get exact info to plan my trip.
Thanks for your advice.

 

[Quero]

Wow eugeni! That's a lot of questions! You sound super frustrated.....

I’m looking for Similan LOB for January 2012.
I found MV Dolphin queen. It is more for budget lob option. Does anyone heard about this LOB?

1) DQ is okay as a boat. It is indeed a budget option, and there are a few others in that price range. I know you're coming off a Komodo liveaboard before heading north to Phuket, so the best option would depend on your exact dates.

I also consider to dive around Phuket, Ko Phi Phi, and Hin Daeng/ Hin Muang.
I heard that diving sites near from Phuket & ko PhiPhi is just so so, is it true?

2) There are some really beautiful dive sites near Phuket and Phi Phi. Last week I had two different customers dive both the Similans and the local Phuket sites who told me they enjoyed the Phuket sites more! Maybe they were just unlucky with some dives and lucky with others, but the fact is that the area near Phuket and Phi Phi offers some nice dives.

How far is Hin Daeng/ Hin Muang from Khao Lanta using daytrip?

3) It typically takes between 2.5 and 3 hours to travel from Lanta to Hin Daeng.

How long do I need to arrange time for each place?

4) Minimums: A liveaboard to the Similans is usually about 4 days and 4 nights. There are a few 3-day trips, and a few 5 or 6 day trips as well. I think two diving days out of Phuket is good. And two more days for Lanta. Of course you could spend more time at each place, and you need to factor in time for transfers.

Is there any dive operator which operate Burma LOB?

5) There are several LOBs starting in Thailand that visit Burma.

Could you please help me to organize diving tour route & schedule and also recommend budget options for diving operators and accommodations around these places?

6) There are whole books written about this subject, but my recommendation is to do it one step at a time. First figure out your diving with a focus on the budget range of the liveaboard, and then work accommodations around that, again with a focus on the budget range you are comfortable with.

I searched internet, but I couldn't get exact info to plan my trip.
Thanks for your advice.

It's complicated, and you should get professional help rather than trying to do it on your own.

 

[wilson7561681]

It's complicated, and you should get professional help rather than trying to do it on your own.

I completely Disagree.... Trips, Hotels, and Diving are always always always cheaper if you go to the source. It may take a little but more time, but you will save TONS in the long run. Do as much research as possible before hand, ask questions, get advice, and then when you get there book your trips through the source, not a travel agent/third party

 

[Quero]

I completely Disagree.... Trips, Hotels, and Diving are always always always cheaper if you go to the source. It may take a little but more time, but you will save TONS in the long run. Do as much research as possible before hand, ask questions, get advice, and then when you get there book your trips through the source, not a travel agent/third party

Blanket statements like this are appealing, and it's nice to feel like you've got all that power, but this is simply not true. It actually depends on what it is you're trying to book.

The prices for diving, for example are the same whether you book directly or through a consultant.
Hotels are cheapest when booked online through the big consolidators rather than walking up to the front desk and asking for a room. (Of course the very cheapest places like those THB 400 bamboo huts on the beach don't meet the standards of quality to be approved by the consolidators for sale on their sites, so if that's what you're looking for, finding it in person is the only way.)
For air travel, the best rates are to be had by internet booking with the airlines through their websites rather than walking up to a counter at the airport.
For bus and train travel, it's best to book at the source. (Though you should be careful with booking at places like Khao San Road in Bangkok since passengers in these buses not infrequently are the victims of theft of their stuff on the overnight trips when they're asleep.)

This kind of insight that a tourist may only learn "the hard way" is what a travel consultant can offer.

 

[lord khram]

I agree entirely with the last post. With regard to agents / bookings in Thailand my personal experiences / thoughts are as follows.

1) Diving is the same price regardless of how it is booked, my preference for day diving is to book direct so I can visit the particular shop and get a feel for the place prior to booking. Liveaboard diving I would always book based on recommendation from a friend or through an agent.
2) Air, bus and train tickets are always better booked direct, agents seem to unnecesarily complicate things and the cost is generally significantly more.
3) Hotels are best booked on internet, but have also had deals matching or cheaper than internet rates by calling the hotel direct a few days prior to my stay (best to get a Thai friend to do this). Walk in rates are generally significantly more.
4) With regard to Khao San Rd, I simply wouldnt go there. Went once and without doubt it is the worst place I have ever visited in all my years experience of Thailand.

John

 

[aquamarin]

If I may just add one more thing to the above (I completely agree with Quero and LK btw): beginning of January is still peak season here and LOB trips are filling up quickly, so if you're planning to be here at that time, I'd strongly recommend booking soon.......

Enjoy
Karin