Koh Tao - Dive Central, Gulf of Thailand

Want to learn how to snorkel or dive at one of the easiest dive spots and clearest waters around?  Then head for Koh Tao, the little island in the Gulf of Thailand with over 30 dive operators, 20 dive spots and visibility of up to 40 meters on a good day.  Koh Tao is one of the cheapest places to get dive certified.  If you are lucky, besides the reef sharks, turtles and stingrays, you may bump into the whale sharks that occasionally drop by.

There are several wrecks to sniff around, among them the USS Lagarto and the spooky Tottori Maru from the Second World War and the Seacrest Drill Ship hammered down by Typhoon Gay in November 1989.  Be aware that storm season in the Gulf of Thailand is usually in the month of October thru November.

Not only is Koh Tao a little remote from its popular neighbour Koh Samui, its also much quieter, just nice to get away from it all to its secluded beaches, or go hiking, abseiling or biking. 

This short video by photographic75 shows off glimpses of Koh Tao.

And this video by MasterDiversKohTao may inspire some to go diving soon.

Diving in the Gili Islands

Indonesia is host to 25% of the world’s reefs with 3,500 marine species living in its seas and reefs.  The Gili islands offer a good sampling of sea fauna such as sharks, manta rays, cuttlefish, eels, crabs, turtles and fish.  There are 15 to 17 dive spots around the Gili Islands.

The Gili Air Wall is covered with soft coral, and shines yellow orange in the sun.  The coral block at 22 meters is surrounded by shrimps, pipefish, glass fishes and in the deeper parts, white tip sharks.   

Shark Point at Gili Trawangan has different levels at 24, 20 and 18 meters.  It is home to the Hawksbill and Green turtles and a wide variety of marine life such as Napoleon fish, White Tip sharks, manta rays and eels.  There is an undersea 'golf course', the ‘Volker Golf Course’, so called because of its green color, east of Shark Point. This dive is best tackled by the pros for its very strong currents.

Another dive for the pros is the 20 meter long Japanese wreck south of Gili Air, sitting upright on the sandy bottom at 45 meters.  It is home to huge frogfish, lionfish, scorpion fish and much more. And don’t forget to check out the Biorocks, the manmade reefs by the dive schools at Gili.

This video by cacchionegiovanni  shows of the wonders of the waters around the Gili Islands.

Gili Islands - Ibiza of the East

Fancy going to a place where there are no cars and motorcycles? Just laze on the beach, go snorkelling or scuba diving and then later just party and forget the weight of today?  There is a name for such a dream; the Gili Islands in Indonesia.

The Gili Islands are just off the northwest point of Lombok Island, east of Bali. There are three islands in the group, Trawangan, Meno and Air.  Trawangan is the happening island, with white beaches, dive schools, resorts and a party scene complete with throbbing beach bars and an Irish pub.  Meno and Air are rather laid back, for sun bathing, snorkeling and diving.

Once catering just for backpackers, the Gili now beckon the hip and wealthy too. There are no motorized vehicles on these tiny islands.  Only bicycles, horse carts and your own two feet to get around.  And the boats to travel to the other islands and civilization. 

There are six dive centers, with great dives to see sharks, turtles and seahorses with the stunning coral.  Powdery white beaches, clear waters and a brilliant sun with the unpolluted air clean of fumes give one a feel of a tropical paradise.

This video by mariekevangameren showcases a relaxing day at the Gili Islands.

And this video by sir0 gives a glimpse of a beach party.

Scuba Diving at Boracay

There are over fifteen dive spots around Boracay Island with eighteen plus dive operators..  Most of the dive spots are off White Beach and the rest are scattered around the North and Southeast points of Boracay.  The currents are moderate to strong.

The best dive spot is Yapak Dive which has two walls and a chimney at its southern end. Yapak goes from 30 meters to 70 meters deep.  Grey and Whitetip Reef Sharks are common here along with schools of barracuda, tuna, surgeonfish and many more.  Hammerheads and Mantarays have been spotted in this area too.  Great spot for the pros.

Start depth are mostly at 5 meters for the dives in front of White Beach.  The Beach Night Dive is 5 meters deep and close to White Beach.  Camia Dive’s start depth is 18 meters.  It is a wreck sank to be an artificial reef.  For beginners, Angol Point Dive is great starting point, with various types of coral and fishes.

This video by beachbum32 shows the dive at Angol Point.