Our long-anticipated live-aboard trip in Thailand’s Similian Islands and north to Koh Bon was the most active and exhilarating fun of our trip. After a 2-hour mini-bus ride north from Karon Beach on Phuket, we hopped a speedboat for an hour long trip to dive boat. With about 14 private cabins, a roomy outdoor lounge area, and a roof-top sundeck, the dive boat offered reasonable comfort for the luxury of 7 dives in 2 days. We had not yet been diving from a live-aboard boat before, so we were surprised and delighted by the ease with which we could enter and exit the water. Our dive equipment was prepped and in place for every dive, and the ready help of the dive staff – they practically pulled us up the ladder and out of the water – eliminated any work we had to do between each dive.
We basically just sat around and waited for the evil nitrogen in our blood to dissipate so we could get back in the water. The only drawback of the boat was our cabin…Inoperable windows and constant ocean dampness impart a certain distracting and distasteful feel to the sheets and blankets we needed to combat the fierce air con in the room. Next time, we’ll be bringing our own.
Our dive guide, an American gal who has been working the Thailand dive season for 5 years, led us across coral reefs and through rocky passages for each of our 6 day dives and 1 night dive. It is her set of underwater photos that we have shared on our photo gallery and in this blog entry. The rich marine life included 3 leopard sharks, a blue-spotted stingray, a host of moray eels, several highly poisonous purple crown of thorns, 2 even more poisonous banded sea snakes, delicate fan coral, 2 barracuda (thankfully at a distance), 1 sea turtle, and countless colorful reef fish. Top side, we also saw flying fish, large schools of flashing silvery fish, and even a very hungry sea turtle who loved bananas. We were very sad to go.
Our dive guide, an American gal who has been working the Thailand dive season for 5 years, led us across coral reefs and through rocky passages for each of our 6 day dives and 1 night dive. It is her set of underwater photos that we have shared on our photo gallery and in this blog entry. The rich marine life included 3 leopard sharks, a blue-spotted stingray, a host of moray eels, several highly poisonous purple crown of thorns, 2 even more poisonous banded sea snakes, delicate fan coral, 2 barracuda (thankfully at a distance), 1 sea turtle, and countless colorful reef fish. Top side, we also saw flying fish, large schools of flashing silvery fish, and even a very hungry sea turtle who loved bananas. We were very sad to go.
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