Phuket & Ko Phi Phi |
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The islands of Phuket & Ko Phi Phi, on Thailand's Andaman Coast, are two of Thailand's hottest tourist spots.
Phuket offers everything from great beaches to world-class shopping malls, while the more remote Phi Phi Islands, made up of Phi Phi Don & Phi Phi Lae, have become a tourist mecca for their sheer beauty, with incredible limestone outcrops rising straight out the sea.
There is also some very good diving in the area with a good range of easy and more challenging dive sites. Both Phuket & Phi Phi are very popular places to learn to dive. |
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 Part way between Ko Phi Phi & Phuket are a group of three spectacular dive sites - Shark Point, Anemone Reef & the King Cruiser Wreck.
Shark Point is actually 2 pinnacles - a main pinnacle that just reaches the surface and slopes down to 25 metres and a second submerged pinnacle to the south. The pinnacles are adorned with a forest of colourful soft corals and are teeming with life, from schools of Snapper & Silversides to numerous Cuttlefish, Lionfish & Morays. Macro life here is also fantastic and this site also offers a good chance to encounter Leopard Sharks.
Anemome Reef is a fully submerged plateau that is equally spectacular & diverse, while the King Cruiser is the best wreck dive on Thailand's Andaman Coast. The wreck was once a large car ferry and came to a sticky end in 1997 when it collided with Anemone Reef. It now sits in 30m of water and has become a refuge for all manner of large & small marine life.
To the south, just a short ride from Ko Phi Phi are the islets of Bida Nok & Bida Nai. These two rocky outcrops receive a good flow of nutrient rich waters and, as a result, boast very healthy corals & Seafan gardens, plus a fantastic diversity and abundance of marine life, from Seahorses & Ghost Pipefish to Turtles, Reef Sharks & Leopard Sharks.
Ko Phi Phi itself also has some good dive sites, such as Maya Bay & Maya South on the west coast of Phi Phi Lae. Karen Heng, a few kilometres east of Phi Phi Lae is also an excellent site. There are a number of other dive sites on the eastern coast, which offer protection in the low season from June to October, meaning it is possible to dive here all year round.
Closer to Phuket are Ratcha Yai & Ratcha Noi, two small islands with diving opportunities. Ratcha Noi, the smaller of the two, has the best of the diving. The northern tip of the island offers the chance to see larger marine life, while the southern end has nice drift diving. There is also a small wreck, lying in around 28m, which is home to plenty of reef-life.
Ratcha Yai, to the north has more gentle, relaxing diving and is great for beginners & snorkellers. Rocky, sloping reefs are full of fields of hard corals and colourful reef-life. This site can be dived year-round, as the protected eastern coast offers the better diving.
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The dive sites around Ko Phi Phi & Phuket can all be dived as day trips from Phuket, Phi Phi Don & also Ko Lanta to the south.
The main dive season in the area is from November until May, although certain sites are protected and can be dived all year round. |
- Phuket
- Ko Phi Phi
- Krabi
- Ko Lanta
 
Phuket is one of Thailand’s most famous & well established tourist centres. It is a large island, around 50km from north to south, and can almost be considered part of the mainland as it is connected by bridge. The island is fairly mountainous, with numerous white sand beaches.
There is a huge range of accommodation options in Phuket, from budget hotels to luxury resorts & spas. Most of the accommodation is centred around the main beaches of Patong, Kata & Karon, but there are places to stay all around the island.
The dive industry in Phuket is very well established and there are literally hundreds of dive shops to choose from. Many run a combination of Liveaboard trips to the Similans & beyond, plus local day trips to sites around Phi Phi & Phuket.
There is a well-connected international airport on the island, with flights to destinations in Asia & Europe. The airport is in the north of the island, while most of the tourist facilities are in the south. While the island is busy, it has excellent roads so getting from the airport to the resorts is no problem. The island can also be reached by passenger ferry from Ko Phi Phi & Ko Lanta. There are also land connections north to Bangkok & Khao Lak and south to Krabi.
There are numerous other activities aside from diving in Phuket. There are many beaches to explore, plus vibrant nightlife & great restaurants. It is a great place for shopping, with numerous malls selling Thai & western goods. There are many watersports available and even a zoo for kids.
Ko Phi Phi is a stunning & hugely popular tourist destination about 40km off the coast of Krabi on Thailand’s west coast.
Ko Phi Phi's numerous dive shops make daily trips to all the local sites, including the Bida Islands, King Cruiser & Shark Point. Occasionally, there are speedboat trips to Hin Daeng in Ko Lanta Marine Park to the south & Liveaboard trips to the Similan Islands to the north.
There are many accommodation options on the island, although due to its popularity & small size, the rates tend to be higher than most places in Thailand. The most luxury resorts tend to be on private bays away from the tourist centre and can only be reached by boat. It is advisable to book in advance, especially in high season.
The island is well connected, with airports close-by in both Phuket & Krabi. From either airport, you simply hop on a minibus to the ferry port and then on a passenger ferry for the short journey to the island. In the high season, there is also a ferry connection to Ko Lanta, 30km to the east.
The island is famous for its lively nightlife, with many bars remaining busy into the small hours of the night. Due to the numerous limestone cliffs around the island, Rock-climbing is also popular, as are day-trips to Maya Bay, where the hit film 'The Beach' was filmed.
Krabi is the gateway to Thailand's Southern Andaman region. It is a beautiful area, with white-sand beaches and a stunning landscape of limestone karsts that rise imperiously to the sky.
There are many dive centres in the area, with most based around Ao Nang - the region's most popular tourist spot. They make trips to local dive sites, plus the sites around Phi Phi, Phuket & Ko Lanta.
There is a huge range of accommodation options in Krabi, from budget hotels to luxury resorts & spas. Most of the accommodation is centred around the beaches of Ao Nang and Raleigh, but there are also quite a few options in & around Krabi Town.
Krabi Town has a small airport with flights to Bangkok, KL & Singapore. From the airport, a short minibus or taxi ride can take you to your resort. The region is well-connected by ferry and it is possible to reach Krabi by passenger ferry from Phuket, Ko Phi Phi & Ko Lanta. There are numerous bus connections from Trang to the south and Bangkok & Phuket to the north and Surat Thani to the east.
Due to the spectacular limestone topography, one of the most popular activities in the area is rock-climbing and there are many excellent schools in the region. There are also numerous islands to visit, some hot springs, a golf course and plenty of shops.
Ko Lanta is a popular tourist island on the west coast of Thailand. It is famous for its laidback atmosphere and beautiful sunsets.
Ko Lanta's dive operators make daily trips to Hin Daeng, Ko Haa, the Bida Islands, King Cruiser & Shark Point. It is a popular place to learn to dive and there is also one liveaboard operator.
There is a huge range of accommodation on the island from cheap bamboo huts to luxury hotels. The cheapest accommodation costs just a few US dollars per night, but if you want real luxury, it is possible to pay hundreds of dollars. Most of the resorts & tourist facilities are on the west coast, which has the best beaches.
The island is fairly easy to reach. The closest regional airport is in Krabi. From here, it is possible to get a bus or ferry to Ko Lanta. There is also a small airport in Trang to the south and a larger international airport in Phuket. In high season, boats leave daily from Phuket for Ko Lanta and it is also possible to go by bus.
Apart from the diving, there is also plenty to do on this relaxing island, from sunbathing & massages to thai cooking classes & elephant trekking.
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