In 1999, I came to Thailand every bit a PADI Dive Instructor looking for piece of work together with thinking of spending a twelvemonth here, perhaps 2 years if the diving was good. Certainly no thoughts of staying for e'er or getting married or raising a family. No, get-go together with foremost, I wanted to dive the Similan Islands. I'd already been education scuba diving for a twelvemonth together with had this romantic notion of working on a liveaboard dive boat, cruising the islands, diving every solar daytime together with getting paid for it too!
It took a twosome of months earlier I got to the Similans, get-go doing some local diving together with education courses together with fifty-fifty joining a dive boat inwards Burma for a twosome of weeks. There was non that much freelance piece of work together with I did intend of leaving for greener pastures when lastly that get-go Similan trip was offered. four days on a liveaboard, fourteen dives. Yes! Now, the local dive sites unopen to Phuket together with Phi Phi are good, there's lots of variety, masses of marine life, but... these sites create lack crystal clear waters. I had come upwards from the Caribbean, where forty meter visibility was normal. I however remember that get-go minute of the get-go dive inwards the amazing Similan Islands - clear water, a frenzy of fish life, white sand... I state i time again YES!
From that really get-go dive I knew this was the house to live - the Similan Islands, Thailand together with Phuket. The diverseness of dive sites is amazing - in that location are beautiful reefs, pinnacles together with many sites which characteristic huge granite boulders amongst swimthroughs together with soft coral gardens. Most liveaboard dive trips also caput farther N to Koh Bon, Koh Tachai together with Richelieu Rock, which is sure my favourite dive site. After almost K dives inwards the area, I've seen everything from tiny ghost pipefish, frogfish together with the rare seamoth upwards to manta rays together with a few whalesharks too.
The Similan Island chain is almost forty miles due west of Khao Lak, or sixty miles NW of Phuket (depending where you lot mensurate from, every bit the islands stretch fourteen miles N to south). There are are ix islands, which create accept existent names such every bit Koh Miang, Koh Similan, exactly they are commonly referred to yesteryear number. Islands v together with half-dozen are picayune to a greater extent than than piles of rocks. Island four is the national common HQ together with has 2 beaches at Princess Bay together with Honeymoon Bay. You tin walk betwixt the 2 inwards less than 10 minutes. On Island four you lot tin remain inwards tents or some basic bungalows, some of which accept aircon. There's also a modest restaurant, exactly no dive operation. All diving ops are based at Khao Lak or Phuket.
The Similans are uninhabited except for the national common facilities. No hotels, no bars, no noise... exactly inwards high flavour i helluva lot of divers together with solar daytime trippers. There is verbalise of limiting numbers, exactly I don't reckon it volition happen. Maybe 10 years agone it was pretty much exclusively liveaboards heading there, exactly these days in that location are lots of speedboats heading out from Khao Lak on solar daytime trips for snorkeling together with that "remote isle paradise" experience. I must say, aside from the beach at Island eight inwards what is called Donald Duck Bay (where you lot tin climb upwards the rocks for a corking view), I accept never had a occupation amongst crowds. The solar daytime trippers to a greater extent than ofttimes than non all become to the same places for snorkeling, which does non impact the dive boats. You create sometimes teach a few dive boats on the same spot (or to a greater extent than than a few at Koh Bon or Richelieu Rock), exactly I've never establish this to live a worry.
For me, the Similan Islands are a especial place. My argue for staying hither - at to the lowest degree initially - was the diving. After my get-go flavour diving the Similans, I was dorsum inwards Phuket. I met a daughter who was working inwards the run for the same dive company. The remainder is history.
Similan Links... You tin volume diving amongst me at Sunrise Divers.
• Similan Islands Information, Photos, Dive Site Guide
• Similan Islands Liveaboards Sumber http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com
It took a twosome of months earlier I got to the Similans, get-go doing some local diving together with education courses together with fifty-fifty joining a dive boat inwards Burma for a twosome of weeks. There was non that much freelance piece of work together with I did intend of leaving for greener pastures when lastly that get-go Similan trip was offered. four days on a liveaboard, fourteen dives. Yes! Now, the local dive sites unopen to Phuket together with Phi Phi are good, there's lots of variety, masses of marine life, but... these sites create lack crystal clear waters. I had come upwards from the Caribbean, where forty meter visibility was normal. I however remember that get-go minute of the get-go dive inwards the amazing Similan Islands - clear water, a frenzy of fish life, white sand... I state i time again YES!
From that really get-go dive I knew this was the house to live - the Similan Islands, Thailand together with Phuket. The diverseness of dive sites is amazing - in that location are beautiful reefs, pinnacles together with many sites which characteristic huge granite boulders amongst swimthroughs together with soft coral gardens. Most liveaboard dive trips also caput farther N to Koh Bon, Koh Tachai together with Richelieu Rock, which is sure my favourite dive site. After almost K dives inwards the area, I've seen everything from tiny ghost pipefish, frogfish together with the rare seamoth upwards to manta rays together with a few whalesharks too.
The Similan Island chain is almost forty miles due west of Khao Lak, or sixty miles NW of Phuket (depending where you lot mensurate from, every bit the islands stretch fourteen miles N to south). There are are ix islands, which create accept existent names such every bit Koh Miang, Koh Similan, exactly they are commonly referred to yesteryear number. Islands v together with half-dozen are picayune to a greater extent than than piles of rocks. Island four is the national common HQ together with has 2 beaches at Princess Bay together with Honeymoon Bay. You tin walk betwixt the 2 inwards less than 10 minutes. On Island four you lot tin remain inwards tents or some basic bungalows, some of which accept aircon. There's also a modest restaurant, exactly no dive operation. All diving ops are based at Khao Lak or Phuket.
The Similans are uninhabited except for the national common facilities. No hotels, no bars, no noise... exactly inwards high flavour i helluva lot of divers together with solar daytime trippers. There is verbalise of limiting numbers, exactly I don't reckon it volition happen. Maybe 10 years agone it was pretty much exclusively liveaboards heading there, exactly these days in that location are lots of speedboats heading out from Khao Lak on solar daytime trips for snorkeling together with that "remote isle paradise" experience. I must say, aside from the beach at Island eight inwards what is called Donald Duck Bay (where you lot tin climb upwards the rocks for a corking view), I accept never had a occupation amongst crowds. The solar daytime trippers to a greater extent than ofttimes than non all become to the same places for snorkeling, which does non impact the dive boats. You create sometimes teach a few dive boats on the same spot (or to a greater extent than than a few at Koh Bon or Richelieu Rock), exactly I've never establish this to live a worry.
For me, the Similan Islands are a especial place. My argue for staying hither - at to the lowest degree initially - was the diving. After my get-go flavour diving the Similans, I was dorsum inwards Phuket. I met a daughter who was working inwards the run for the same dive company. The remainder is history.
Similan Links... You tin volume diving amongst me at Sunrise Divers.
• Similan Islands Information, Photos, Dive Site Guide
• Similan Islands Liveaboards Sumber http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com