Similan Islands Liveaboard: Cloud Nine for Diving Aficionados

One of the top 10 dive destinations in the world, the Similan Islands can be found just about 100 km northwest of Phuket. The region was declared a National Park in 1982 and has since been well protected to preserve its natural beauty. The Similan Island group is comprised of 9 granite islands, running north to south, along with numerous smaller rock outcroppings, white sand virgin beaches, and a tropical garden above water. These collectively create spectacular dive sites with crystal clear warm waters below the surface of the sea.

Liveaboards to the Similans run seven months per year, between mid-October and early May. From May to end of September, Similan islands are closed for diving, snorkeling or any tourist activities in order to allow to marine life to recover and preserve the extraordinary beauty of Similan Islands. Diving varies from magnificently dizzying landscapes to gently sloping coral reefs and deep rocky gorges. East coast dive sites are hard coral reef dives although soft corals also exist. The area also boasts an abundance of marine life. Diving here is relaxed, with weak to moderate currents.

West coast sites, on the other hand, are a little more challenging because of their depths and the complex currents. The area is known for its submarine rock formations and huge granite boulders. Advanced divers will also enjoy giant sea-fan corals and exciting swim-through. This unique mixture of dive sites is exactly what makes diving cruises to Similan Islands the best experience for diving aficionados who find the undersea endlessly fascinating.

Other famous dive sites that you should consider visiting include the East of Eden, the Elephant Head, Christmas Point and the world famous Richelieu Rock. These dive sites open to a world of underwater caves, huge boulders, eerie narrow passages, and over 500 species of soft and hard corals inhabited by an incredible variety of marine life, ranging from guitar rays to leopard sharks, manta rays, turtles, and whale sharks, all waiting to be explored. For underwater photographers, the Similan Islands are also a paradise for muck and macro photography.

Enjoy the underwater treasures of Thailand by Diving in Phuket

No where can you get a glorious view of inland as well as the life underwater, than the Kingdom of Thailand. It is, thus, often seen that several people around the world flock to the Island to have an eyeful of all those underwater treasures on Andaman Sea - Thailand.

There are several places where you get a great deal of scuba diving experience in Thailand. Phuket Island, for instance, is a scuba diver’s paradise. The Koh Bida Nok and Koh Bida Nai, the two diving locations around Phuket and Phi-Phi Islands gives you some of the best that Phi-Phi dive sites have to offer. Every scuba diver wants to get the best of their passion, diving on the best coastal locations of the world but also enjoying all the colors the ocean has to offer. The fact that Phuket Island has both a beautiful array of diving locations and colorful fauna and flora is what makes it one of the best diving destination in the world.

Apart from Scuba diving, there are tourist centers that offer to give you the thrill of underwater diving, without the heavy scuba equipment. Free diving involves staying from a few seconds to several minutes for the most gifted in the ocean, without any air supply, and have a chance of becoming one with the sea creatures in. Such free diving will give you the joy of having an uncommon and fascinating experience, which you may want to repeat over and over again.

So, if you are a diving enthusiast, or would like to learn diving, the best place to start your exciting journey is to book a scuba diving package to Thailand. The whole vacation or the experience, whatever you like to call it, will keep you enthralled in its magnificence.

Scuba Diving in Phuket: Learn Diving While Having Fun

Scuba diving introduces you to a unique and mysterious world underwater. It is one of the activities that you should not miss when you go to Phuket. If you do not know how to scuba dive or you are certified diver but not confident with your skills, you can sign up for PADI certification courses in Phuket and get experience instruction from PADI professionals and have fun exploring under the sea. Scuba diving lessons in Phuket will help you become an accomplished diver with a PADI certification. This way, you can be sure that you are learning the right fundamentals and that you can discover and explore the underwater life following all necessary protocols for safety.

PADI is the world's most respected authority when it comes to scuba diving, and its courses will help you become a better and safe scuba diver. PADI diving courses in Phuket are fun and will help you get the certification you need to become a confident diver. With enough confidence and proper instruction, you can make the most of your trip to Phuket and enjoy diving regularly. PADI scuba diving courses are offered to both kids and adults, but you need to make sure that you are learning from PADI experienced instructors.

The most popular PADI diving courses offered in Phuket are beginner lessons, open water, advanced open water, rescue diver and go pro courses. Reputable diving schools in Phuket have modern classrooms and small groups of students per instructor for a more personalized experience. Some schools will assign two students to one PADI professional scuba instructor. This can be a good way for friends, parent-child tandems, or couples to bond and train privately with help from a PADI elite instructor.

The initial lessons are typically conducted in a private, large swimming pool. Students are then moved to the sea aboard a safe and comfortable yacht. Diving lessons in the open sea will take place in beautiful islands like Phi Phi and Racha where you can enjoy the warm tropical waters while exploring the colorful underwater life.