Underwater lovers will thoroughly enjoy a day trip to any of Phuket’s fabulous sites, and there are plenty of dive shops that are eager to book a trip out for you. The best dive sites are Shark Point, Koh Racha Yai and Koh Racha Noi. Racha Yai and Noi is the most popular trip at this time of year and offer some incredible marine life. Racha Noi consists of an 18-metre drop where you will be surrounded by a stunning rock formation and mantas can be seen quite regularly. Racha Yai is surrounded by stunning hard coral that is home to numerous fish including titan tiggerfish, cuttlefish and pufferfish. Those that are lucky may even catch a glimpse of a passing yellowtail barracuda.

Shark Point is also a popular Phuket dive as it is filled with leopard sharks that can be seen on a regular basis. Purple and pink soft coral surround the 3 rocks that make up this site where bannerfish, angelfish and pufferfish can be seen. As well, this site is home to yellow seahorse, moray eels and schools of glassfish.

Beginners all the way up to the most advanced divers can enjoy a day of diving around Phuket, which is sure to result in an incredible, picturesque day.

This adventure tour from Phuket by speedboat will include a visit to Hong Island and the most beautiful beach in Krabi. Krabi is situated in the East of Phi Phi and it is known for it’s world of limestone cliffs, beautiful coves and caves.

It is a wonderful adventure as you get to explore Krabi on this full day tour from Phuket by a speed boat and it comes with lunch as with hotel pick ups and drop offs. You will explore the white sandy beaches and coves of Krabi National park, enjoy swimming and snorkeling on the on the Dham Kwan island, enjoy a delicious traditional Thai lunch and explore the dramatic limestone formations at Pra Nang caves with a visit to Bho-Da island and it’s fine white sandy beach.

This is a great full-day tour with plenty of time to swim and snorkel the pristine waters of Krabi and it can be booked through any of the many tourist operators in Phuket or you can also book it at your hotel or guest house. Pick up is from 9.00am though you have to be ready at least 30minutes prior to departure and the whole tour takes nine hours. It cost around $120.00, which includes a round trip on speedboat, lunch, English speaking guide and pick-ups and drops from your hotel or guesthouse.

SNUBA is growing in popularity around the world, with a number of SNUBA operators being found in places like Hawaii, Japan, Mexico, and the Caribbean. SNUBA is considered to be the easiest and the safest way to try scuba diving without the hassle of having to get a certificate. You also don’t have to worry about lugging around heavy equipment.

Phuket’s SNUBA operators take visitors to most of the popular dive sites around Phuket, so you can enjoy the same sights and experiences as those going scuba diving. SNUBA allows you to go down a maximum of seven metres, so you really can enjoy the best of scuba diving as well. You will be able to explore some of the most amazing reefs and marine areas around Phuket.

All of the SNUBA operators make sure that you have a fully qualified guide and instructor accompany you on a trip. One of the great things about SNUBA is that it is a very family-friendly activity. Unlike scuba diving which is restricted to adults, SNUBA can be enjoyed by anyone as young as eight years of age.

It is easy to organise a SNUBA trip from Phuket. Almost all travel agents will be able to book you a seat on a SNUBA boat, so all you need to do is just tell them the time and day that you want to try it out.

An alternative is to go on a day trip to Koh Racha and tours can be organized by a travel agent. Koh Racha is split into two islands called Koh Racha Yai and Koh Racha Noi. The white sandy beaches of the islands attract many tourists and the clear water is a good place to go swimming. Popular activities include snorkeling and diving.

There are diving sites suitable to both beginners and experienced divers. In some regions the water is deep and larger animals can be seen such as manta rays, whale sharks and barracuda. Through the clear water you can see sandy seabeds, coral formations and schools of tropical fish. The water depth ranges from 3 to 30 meters and the visibility of the water is good.

If you are diving during rainy season Koh Yai’s east coast is the best place to dive and there are areas that are sheltered from the wind.

For accommodation options head to Koh Racha Yai which is the larger island and luxury resorts are also available. The island is inhabited by Muslim people, who make a living from the land, fishing and tourism.

Crops that are farmed include jack fruit, coconuts and cashew nuts. Located on Koh Racha is Ter Bay, which is a beautiful beach where you can swim and snorkel. There are facilities available such as a snack bar and sun chairs.

At Siam Bay you can relax on the white sandy beaches and enjoy a traditional Thai meal by the ocean. Batok Bay is another option and tour boats are available to hire in this region.

Surat Thani Province is home to several great tourist destinations, including Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan, Ko Tao and the stunningly beautiful Ang Thong Marine National Park.

Although to many people the town of Surat Thani is simply a stop off point on the way to one of the area’s beautiful tourist destinations, the town and surrounding area actually has a lot to offer and is worth looking at more closely.

Worth exploring is the tiny village known as Chaiya. In the village you will find Wat Suan Mokkhaphalaram, which is a tranquil forest temple founded by Ajahn Buddhadasa Bhikku, who is perhaps Thailand’s most famous monk. The temple holds monthly meditation retreats, and this is a perfect place to get in touch with your spiritual side and discover a sense of inner peace and harmony.

Also situated in the village is the Chaiya National Museum, which is a good place to discover the area’s interesting history. Another interesting place is the Folklore Museum, which is located around 300 meters from Chaiya, whilst Ban Phumriang is a small handicraft village, which can be found 6 kilometres east of Chaiya.

The stunning Khao Sok National Park features 646 square kilometres of thick rainforest and mountains. With its sparkling waterfalls, mysterious caves and cool lakes, this area has an ancient feel about it. Elephant trekking is a great way to explore, and you can spend the night on a floating lodge if you find yourself reluctant to leave and return to the ‘real’ world straight away.

When it comes to eating, just about anything is possible in this province of plenty. If you love oysters, pay a visit to the Oyster Farms, where you can buy large fresh oysters for a bargain price.

Ao Nang is the closest beach to Krabi Town. This area is mainly occupied by large, upmarket beach resorts. You can hire a sea kayak or long-tail boat and explore the uninhabited island of Ko Hong.

Just 6 kilometres away from Ao Nang is the well loved are much talked about Hat Noppharat Thara, which is a famous 3 kilometer long white sandy beach, perfect for taking it easy and soaking up some rays. Elephant trekking is popular in this area, while the hot springs at Khlong Thom are a good place to ease aching muscles. Whilst there, check out the informative Wat Khlong Thom museum.

Railay is perhaps the prettiest beach in this area. This is a great place for rock climbing, and the sunsets at Hat Rai Leh West are spectacular.

There are some interesting limestone cliffs to explore. Tham Phra Nang is named Princess Cave after a local legend. The cave is hidden in the lagoon of Sa Phra Nang (Holy Princess Pool). Climb the cliff top for spectacular views.

Nearby, Tham Phra Nang Nai (Inner Princess Cave) is a series of illuminated caverns of high beauty. A feature point is the unusual ‘stone waterfall’, which is made of sparkling golden quartz.

Khao Phanom Bencha National Park consists of 50 square kilometres of virgin rainforest and a whole host of pretty waterfalls including Nam Tok Huay To, Nam Tok Huay Sadeh and Nam Tok Khlong Haeng and it is possible to swim in most of the waterfalls. The park is also home to the cave of Tham Khao Pheung, which contains stunning shimmering mineral stalactites and stalagmites.

Another area of natural beauty is the large Than Bok Khorani National Park, where caving is the main activity. Caves of interest here include Tham Hua Kalok, Tham Lawt and Tham Sa Yuan Thong.

Hat Chaweng is the island’s longest and most popular beach. This area is party central and you will find restaurants catering to every taste, large beach bars and theme pubs and clubs. Although not as large as those on Ko Pha-ngan, there are often lively beach parties at Chaweng, especially around the full moon.

Also popular is Hat Lamai, which is famous for the Grandfather and Grandmother rocks and the slightly seedier night life.

Hat Bophut is a quiet and romantic fisherman’s village. This area is relaxed and more traditional than the larger communities, and has a number of very good French-owned cafes and restaurants.

Nearby, Ao Bang Po is a quiet bay perfect for snorkeling, swimming and meditation, whilst Ao Tong Takian is a small cove north of Lamai beach. Also known as Silver Beach, this is a good place for people who crave tranquility.

Bang Rak, is situated just two kilometers east of Bophut. The big attraction in this area is the 19-metre gold tinted statue of Lord Buddha, which overlooks the entire bay. Climb the steps to the top for an excellent view over the island.

Getting to Ko Samui is pretty simple as there is a large airport on the island with regular flights from Bangkok. The flight takes just over an hour, or you can choose to travel by train or air-conditioned bus to Surat Thani and then take the ferry.

Snorkeling First, you don’t need to have or take PADI (diving) license or take expensive diving trips to discover the underwater beauty of Andaman Sea. Snorkeling is a great experience and is recommended to beginners and normal tourists. Near Islands The best places for snorkeling close to Phuket are the Freedom beach, the North and South end of Kata Beach, Phi Phi and Racha islands.

You can reach Freedom beach by long-tail boat which will cost you approximately 200Baht per person (round trip). Racha Island is a diving site for divers but snorkelers are also welcome too and it costs approximately 1050Baht per person with a day trip boat and breakfast and lunch are also included.

Racha Island is also accessible by speed boats from Patong and Rawai beach. Diving Day Trips There are many diving sites around Phuket and it takes between 60 to 90 minutes, but you can take a ferry to Phi Phi and stay overnight, then you can dive from boats out Phi Phi’s harbor for one or more days.

Generally, one day boat dive tours from Phuket leave 7.00am and return late afternoon with at least two or tree dives. The boats depart from Chalong Bay harbor which is located on the east side of Phuket Island, around 30 minutes from Patong beach.

Phuket Diving Destination include The Shark Point (Hin Mu Sang):- This is a beautiful and colorful place. You have the possibility to spot sharks, mainly leopards.

King Cruiser Wreck ;- The king cruiser wreck was a catamaran-hull type of passenger ferry, 85 meters in length and 25 meters in width. She sank a few meters off shark pint.

Anemone Reef: – This dive site id found less than a mile north of shark point and it is a single submerged rock covered in sea anemones.

Tacha Island: – This Island offers easy diving with clear water and a good variety of tropical marine life, suitable for beginners and snorkelers.

Phi Phi Island (Hin Bida):- A big variety of tropical fish and leopard sharks and turtles are spotted easily.

Live Aboard The diving sites west of Phuket are only accessible live aboard and are one of the world’s best diving sites. These sites include, Similan Islands, Richelieu Rock, Koh Surin, Burma Banks and Mergui Archipelago.

So town is set to be a bit livelier from the 3^rd to the 7^th of March, as homesick sailors from USS Patriot, USS Rushmore and USS Cleveland enjoy ‘morale, welfare and recreation’ (MWR). What exactly this means is not clear, but apparently many sailors take the opportunity to go on diving trips and catch up on sleep.

Now maybe times have changed, but I’m sure that’s not the traditional image of sailors on shore leave I’ve been brought up with, and I have no doubt you will find at least of few of them enjoying the less-wholesome delights of Phuket.

Apparently, and unbeknown to me, Phuket and Thailand as a whole have been experience a bit of a slump in visitor numbers recently.

The latest air passenger numbers tell a different story, however. Even the recent difficulties with Cambodia and the notorious ‘sit-in’ don’t seem to have put them off.

Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, which is the main gateway to Phuket, has seen a rise of almost 30 per cent on last year’s peak season passenger figures.

In total, the amount of happy sun seekers on their way to Phuket’s sunny shores between Christmas Day and January 5^th were no less than 1,668,863 this year. Pretty amazing for just 10 days.

Apparently the biggest resorts in Phuket are already reporting a better month this February than last month, and while I’m pleased that our local business are thriving, I can’t help feeling a bit like a kid with a new toy when I hear about figures like these.

Can’t these people find their own piece of paradise and leave mine alone?