On a whim, I've just bought a ticket to Thailand for this Christmas. I'd like to spend the first few days in a fairly quiet spot, and I'd also like to dive a little -- I have my AOW and am comfortable in the water but for financial reasons will want to try and not dive daily, maybe 2-4 day trips all in all. (Yeah right. That was the plan in Egypt last year and of course I ended up diving quite a bit more. :-))
My idea: Head right down to Khao Lak. Not too much research has gone into this but it seems like a smart bet. Is it? I've never been to SE Asia and know nobody who has, so it's all hearsay anyway... The Similans sound like just the thing I could give myself for my 40th b'day, which will fall into that time. :-)
Liquid Adventure looks good online and they have fairly nice-looking accommodation as well. I like the on-site idea but would obviously be able to stay wherever.
So: Ideas? Recommended dive shops? Acc that is clean and private and affordable (no need for fancy-schmancy stuff like a/c, think a few small steps up from super-budget cabanas)? Alternatives to Khao Lak that I should look into?
I'm all giddy with planning! :-)
Oh, what a great gift to give yourself!
Well, Christmas in Thailand is high season, so things are going to be at their premium prices. Even in Khao Lak, which is somewhat less busy than Phuket, but busy still. I'm not very familiar with the guesthouses up there, but I would suggest that you consider getting on a liveaboard dive boat for part of your time. It's good value for money since all of your expenses are included in one price: accommodation, diving, food. If there's any chance at all that you will want to do more diving than a couple of daytrips, you really would love a LOB to the Similans. The best trips are at least 4 days, and there are boats in all price ranges.
You are correct, the Similans are some of the best diving Thailand has to offer, and Khao Lak is the perfect departure point. The closest point of land to the Similans, Khao Lak has a huge selection of liveaboards and daytrips to choose from,
As you can pick and choose each trip, it is a great choice to do day trips from Khao Lak. We head out every day to the various islands - including Richelieu rock, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and the Surin islands. So you can take a day on land, see our various parks and beaches, head out for another day of diving, do a round of golf on our local courses, dive, relax...you get the idea. There is so much to do in addition to diving that you might get tired on your vacation.
Sadly there aren't any shops that are also resorts. So you will have a lot to choose from. In your case it sounds like the choice might be being near the water or not. The closer to the beach, the higher the price. There are some great bungalows back a bit that have very reasonable prices.
I can't help but recommend our shop as a great option for diving. With our speedboat, our overnight boat and the fact that we live here year-round might help your choices. If you'd like to ask us more questions on anything to do with Khao Lak, the Similans or life in the region - feel free to click here
Hi there,
We're thinking of heading to Khao Lak in mid-November. Would like to stay somewhere quiet to take a couple of days diving while on our way down to Krabi.
Do you think it'll be possible to find somewhere reasonably priced (ie, 700b max) near the beach that's peaceful (ie no drunks, karaoke, parties etc) - upto 10-20 mins walk is fine.
Thanks!
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