Palm Garden Resort In Khao Lak

The latest resort to join our Dive Resorts Program is the Palm Garden resort in the beautiful surroundings of Khao Lak in Thailand. Located just an our north of Phuket, Khao Lak offers easy access to some of Thailands finest dive sites including Koh Bon and the Similan Islands. The Palm Garden also offers trips to the Richelieu Rock and Boonsung Wreck.

The resort itself is surrounded by a beautiful tropical garden in the centre of which is a purpose built 3m deep scuba training pool complete with jacuzzi and waterfall. Each bungalow is comfortably furnished with air conditioning, TV, minibar, safe, charging station, ensuite bathroom with hot water shower and specifically designed for the needs of divers. The private terrace is a peaceful place to enjoy your breakfast, and savor the morning sun. An ADSL internet connection is available for those who want to keep in touch with the rest of the world.

The Palm Garden is a part of a small group of resorts which are located in specialist scuba diving destinations and includes the Palm Garden Resort in Phuket, which can also be located on our database.

If you would like to find out more about scuba diving in Thailand, including destinations such as the Similan Islands, Phuket and Richelieu Rock, why not visit our main Thailand scuba diving pages, where we cover all the major dive sites in Thailand.

Living Up to the Reputation - Scuba Diving in the Phillippines

To give it its full name, The Republic Of The Philippines is made up of over 7,000 separate islands, and covers an area of just over 300,000 square kilometres (115,000 square miles). Its population of 77 million people makes it one of the larger South East Asian countries, but recent political unrest, and sporadic outburst of militant activity have resulted in the tourist figures for the Philippines being lower than for many of their South East Asian neighbours. The main island groups in the Philippines are Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and the capital city is Manila, where over 10 million of the Philippino population live.

Due to the size of the Philippines, the weather patterns are relatively diverse, however they can be roughly divided into the dry season, which runs from September through until May, and the wet season, which runs from June to September. The average temperature across the Philippines is 78 degrees F (25 degrees C) ranging up to 90 degrees F (32 degrees C) in the drier months.

Diving in the Philippines is possible at any point in the year, although it may be wise to avoid the monsoon months which run from July to September. When considering whether or not to go diving in the Philippines, the figures are very compelling. 34,000 square kilometres of coral reefs, and over 400 species of fish means the Philippines undoubtedly holds a great deal of potential for novice and expert divers alike. The unique location of the waters of the Philippines, means that they are constantly enriched by the currents of the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Celebes Sea.

The diving in the Philippines can be split into five main regions, Luzon, Palawan, Puerto Galera, the Sulu Sea and Visayas. The diving ranges from fresh water cave dives in the inland lakes, through to some of the best drift diving available along one of the Philippines numerous coral reef walls.

The best diving in the Philippines is considered to be at the Visayan Islands, which are towards the centre of the archipelago. Popular dive sites within the Visayan Islands include Bohol and Moalboal. The is also excellent diving to be in the multitude of dive spots around Puerto Galera, where the Canyons is rated is widely rated as a 'must do' dive. Drift diving through the three deep canyons, accompanied by a multitude of barracudas, tuna, jacks and trevally, make this a truly enthralling dive. Add to this the comman sightings of giant manta rays, hammerheads and white tips, and you'll see why many people dive the Canyons more than once.

Overall, the diving in the Philippines is of the highest standards, and the difficult travelling between the various sites is more than compensated for on the actual dive sites. It caters for all standards of scuba diver, from novice up to the most experienced pro's, and undoubtedly leaves all wishing they had booked their stay in the Philippines for longer.

About the Author

Mark Burns is Director of Scubaworld.tv, a specialist scuba diving web site proving extensive information on scuba diving in the Philippines and scuba diving holidays throughout the world.

Scuba Diving in Sharm El Sheikh - the Gateway to the Red Sea

Sharm El Sheikh is located at the very tip of the Sinai Peninsula, and given its ease of access to the Red Sea has grown over the past twenty years into one of the worlds best and most popular scuba diving locations. Large amounts of scuba divers travel here each year to sample the delights that the Red Sea has to offer.

It offers a good variety of diving, from shore dives, to reef dives all the way through to one of the most developed liveaboard industries to be found anywhere. Each year, thousands of divers flock to Sharm El Sheikh to sample what is truly fantastic diving is exceptional conditions.

The main reason for the success of Sharm El Sheikh, as a diving destination is the Red Sea, which is one of the worlds richest marine environments. With over 400 recorded species of coral and over several hundred species of fish, coupled with warm waters and exceptional visibility, the Red Sea has everything that a diver will be looking for. On top of this, Sharm El Sheikh, due to its position on the south of the Sinai Peninsula, has easy access to some of the worlds greatest dive sites, including sites such as Ras Mohammed Marine Park, and the famous Thistlegorm wreck. The diving in Sharm El Sheikh tends to be focussed on a few big dive locations, including the Straits of Tiran and Ras Mohammed Marine Park. Both areas, rich in plant and marine life, tend to have something to satisfy even the most experienced of divers.

The Straits of Tiran lie 7 kilometres north east of Sharm El Sheikh, and is actually a series of four major reefs which form the top of an underwater bridge, and which support large amounts of hard and soft corals. The Straights of Tiran also offers divers an excellent opportunity to spot some of the large pelagic marine life that inhabit the area. The four reefs, Jacksons Reef, Woodhouse Reef, Thomas Reef and Gordon Reef all offer excellent dive sites, and it is certainly worth taking the time out to explore the Straights of Tiran in detail over the course of a few days.

The Ras Mohammed National Park is located on the very tip of the Sinai Peninsula, and its nutrient rich waters from the Gulf of Aquaba consistently bring large levels of marine life into the area. Steep coral encrusted walls, sloping down to depths of over 1000 metres tend to dictate the nature of the diving in Ras Mohommed, however there are a number of beautiful shallow reefs which are also worth spending time at. There are a number of good dive sites in the Ras Mohammed area, including Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef, Eel Garden, Anenome City, Jackfish Alley and Shark Observatory, all of which are covered in greater detail in our dive sites directory.

Of all the dive sites accessed through Sharm El Sheikh, undoubtedly the most popular is the Thistlegorm Wreck, a World War II supply ship which sank in 1941. The wreck itself still contains two large Rolls Royce armoured cars, along with crates of Lee Enfield rifles. Within the holds of the Thistlegorm wreck, you can also see the Morris cars, Bedford Trucks, and the BSA military motorbikes, as well as other supplies such as wellington boots and ammunition.

It is possible still to dive through parts of the Thistlegorm wreck, giving divers access to the wheel house, the chart room, and the bathroom salon and the various holds that contained so much of what was sunk. The Thistlegorm is usually a two dive day, with the first dive following the outer curcuit of the wreck, observing areas such the Locomotive (which was blown clear of the wreck), and the propeller towards the rear. Nowadays, a large variety of marine life has made it's home at the Thistlegorm Wreck, and you are likely to see large shoals of Batfish alongside good numbers of Barracuda here. Even a couple of Crocodile fish seem to have made their home on the decks of the Thistlegorm!

Overall, Sharm El Sheikh presents scuba divers both novice and advanced with a multitude of interesting dives. For people looking to learn to dive, Sharm El Sheikh has a particularly strong offering, with numerous established, and professionally run operations. Each year, large numbers of people, especially Europeans, come to Sharm to learn to dive, and to enjoy the various other attractions that the area has to offer. In particular, it is worth while taking the time to visit the St Katherines monastry and climb Mount Sinai, both of which are a short drive away.

About the Author

Mark Burns is Director of Scubaworld.tv, a large scuba diving site specialising in scuba diving in the Red Sea and a leading provider of Red Sea diving holidays.

Scuba Diving in Krabi and the Koh Phi Phi Islands

The stunning scenery of the Krabi and Koh Phi Phi regions of Thailand have long ensured that the area is a firm favourite on Thailand's well trodden traveler and backpacker trails. Dramatic limestone cliffs, beautiful beaches and the low cost of living in the area have ensured that large numbers of tourists flock to the region every year.

Recent years however have seen the region develop a reputation amongst the scuba diving community, attracted by the stunning underwater topography which easily rivals the dramatic cliffs and pinnacles found above the water. Today, the popular resort areas of Ao Nang, Koh Phi Phi and Railee Beach are as likely to be filled with scuba divers as the traditional 'horizon-gazers' of the 70's and 80's.

The scuba diving in Krabi and Koh Phi Phi seems to be concentrated into four main regions. The local islands and reefs just south of Krabi, the various dive sites at Shark Point Marine Sanctuary, the sites surrounding the islands at Koh Phi Phi and the two world class dive sites at Hin Daeng and Hin Muang.

Just a few miles south of Krabi lie the small islands of Ko Ha, Ko See and Ko Yaw Bon. The dive sites here are an interesting mix of tunnels, swim through's, coral heads and large boulder formations. With the exception of the tunnel at Ko Yaw Bon, the dives here are accessible for novice divers and provide an excellent opportunity to see marine life including Black Tip Sharks, Banded Sea Snakes and Leopard Sharks.

The dive sites of Shark Point Marine Sanctuary are home to an incredible array of marine life, and although the diving here tends to be dominated by the dive sites at Anenome Reef and Shark Point, the King Cruiser Wreck provides an excellent dive and is now home to a good amount of coral and marine life. Large barracuda and tuna are regularly spotted here, attracted by the large amount of nutrients swept up from the nearby deep waters.

Continuing further south are the stunning islands at Koh Phi Phi, an area characterized by the dramatic limestone cliffs and pinnacles which rise dramatically above the sea, before plunging down into the dark depths below. Once a quiet Muslim fishing village, the region now has a developed diving industry, and today there are at least ten dive centers operating out of the Ton Sai area on Koh Phi Phi.

Underwater, the islands of Koh Phi Phi are a mixture of coral gardens, steep walls and swim throughs, and the islands have a number of excellent dive sites in close proximity. In particular, the dive sites at Ko Yung Pinnacle and Ko Bida nok consistently deliver excellent scuba diving and are widely acknowledged as being the best dive sites in Koh Phi Phi.

Last, but certainly not least are the two world class dive sites south of Phi Phi at Hin Muang (Purple Rock) and Hin Daeng (Red Rock). These sites, a mixture of steep walls and pinnacles are both in close proximity to deep water, and as such the larger marine life are attracted to the large amounts of nutrients that can be found here. The two sites at Hin Muang and Hin Daeng represent the best opportunities for people wishing to see either whale sharks or manta rays, and both are regularly sighted at these dive sites.

The scuba diving throughout the Krabi and Koh Phi Phi region is undoubtedly of the highest standards, and a number of the dive sites offer genuinely world class diving. For divers looking to go scuba diving on Koh Phi Phi or in Krabi, the majority of the dive centers in the region can be found in the resort of Ao Nang or on the beach area at Ton Sai in Koh Phi Phi.

Article Source:
111Articles.info

About the Author

Mark Burns is Director of Scubaworld.tv, a scuba diving website providing a wide range of Thailand diving holidays and information on scuba diving in Thailand.

Scuba Diving on the Great Barrier Reef

Larger than the whole of Great Britain, and comprising of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 separate islands, the Great Barrier Reef is not only the worlds largest organism, it is one of the worlds best scuba diving destinations.

For the sheer diversity of marine life, the Great Barrier Reef is unrivalled. Alive with over 2,000 separate species of fish, as well as 400 separate species of coral, the Great Barrier Reef ensures that every dive is an adventure and that no two dives are the same. Described as one of the natural wonders of the world, and now protected under its status as a World Heritage site, the Great Barrier Reef has long captivated the imagination of scuba divers from all over the world.

The jump off point for scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef is the city of Cairns in Queensland. Once a laid back coastal town, today Cairns is one of Australia's premier tourist destinations, complete with a large number of dive centres and liveaboard operators. Every day, large numbers of scuba divers travel here to sample the underwater splendour that is the Great Barrier Reef. The scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef is itself split into four key areas, which are home to the vast majority of the dive sites on the reef. Though these regions are spread out over a large geographical spread, diving can be arranged across all via day trips or liveaboards from Cairns.

The Inner Reef Gardens, as their name suggests are located in close proximity with the Queensland coastline. Easily accessible by day boats from Cairns, the shallow and somewhat sheltered nature of the sites here mean that the Inner Garden Reefs are popular areas for diver training and diving courses.

Slightly further offshore lie the aptly named Outer Reefs, characterised by the large series of canyons and gorges that can be found throughout the reefs here. There are a large number of smaller reefs here including Thetford Reef, Paradise Reef and Agincourt Reef, and throughout all of the sites there is prolific marine life, including one of the largest colonies of clownfish you are ever likely to see!

The Far Northern Reefs include the famous Ribbon Reef system, a strong of ten coral reefs which stretch over 100 miles to the north of Cairns. At the top of this remarkable reef system lies the most famous dive site on the Great Barrier Reef, the Cod Hole. Here a large family of resident Potato Cod will amaze you with their friendly antics as well as their sheer size. Due to their more remote location, the dive sites of the Far Northern Reefs are usually taken in on one of the many three day liveaboard trips that operate out of Cairns.

For more experienced divers, the dive sites of the Coral Seas prove a huge attraction. Located around 200 kilometres offshore, the Coral Sea is considered to be one of Australia's best dive sites. Throughout the year, large numbers of liveaboards travel here from Cairns to sample the superb diving that can be found at dives sites such as Osprey Reef and Bougainville Reef.

Overall, the Great Barrier Reef is fully deserving of its legendary status as one of the worlds best diving locations. The range and diversity of marine and coral life is barely rivalled anywhere else on earth. Thankfully, the considerable conservation efforts of the authorities will ensure that this natural wonder is experienced by many generations to come.

About the Author

Mark Burns is Director of Scubaworld.tv, a large scuba diving holidays website, and a comprehensive source of information on scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef.

Scuba Diving in Phuket - the Pearl of the Andaman

Located on the western coast of the Thailand Peninsula, with its shores on the warm waters of the Andaman Sea lies the beautiful island of Phuket. The largest island off the coast of Thailand, the island of Phuket covers an area of just over 300 square miles, and is connected to mainland Thailand via a bridge at the north of the island.

For the past 25 years, the island of Phuket has catered for a large number of tourists from all over the world, a large percentage of whom are scuba divers looking to dive on some Asia's finest dive sites. Today, scuba diving in Phuket is big business, and the island has a large number of excellent dive centres offering a number of diving services ranging from leisure dives through to the most advanced courses.

The Racha Islands, located off the Southern tip of Thailand are one of Phuket's best dive sites, and the two islands offer excellent diving in crystal clear waters as well as the opportunity for big animal encounters. In particular, the smaller island, Racha Noi, offers some breathtaking underwater scenery, and is renowned for both whale shark and manta ray encounters.

The dive sites off Ao Phang-Nga, including the famous Shark Point and King Cruiser Wrecks, are widely acknowledged as being the best dive sites in the Phuket region. The waters around in and around Ao Phang-Nga are notable for the profusion of marine life, offering divers access to a range of marine life and coral which is unrivalled elsewhere in Phuket.

Phuket is also home to one of the worlds most developed liveaboard industries, with a large number of liveaboards offering diving in destinations such as the Similan Islands, the Mergui Archipelago and the Burma Banks. For scuba divers wishing to dive these more remote destinations, a Phuket liveaboard is the only realistic option for access. As such, the liveaboard industry in Phuket is a thriving and competitive business, with an increasing number of liveaboards operating from Phuket.

Further east lie the islands of Ko Phi Phi Don, and Ko Phi Phi Lae, a region characterised by the stunning topography of the amazing limestone cliffs. These islands are fringed with a number of hard coral gardens, as well as some excellent examples of soft corals, orange sea fans, sea whips and black coral.

Phuket is well deserving of its title as the 'Pearl of the Andaman,' and undoubtedly the region boasts some of Thailand's best dive sites. As environmental issues such as marine conservation slowly work their way up Thailand's political agenda, the future for scuba diving in Phuket looks a healthy one.

About the Author

Mark Burns is Director of Scubaworld.tv, a large scuba diving site specialising in scuba diving in Thailand and a leading provider of information on Scuba diving in Phuket.

More Than Just Sharks - Scuba Diving in South Africa

Traditional perceptions of holidays in South Africa conjure up images of vast open plains, roaring lions and beautiful game lodges, names of regions such as the Kruger National Park immediately come into people's minds.

What is less well known is the incredible diversity of scuba diving that is on offer for visitors of all levels of experience. From the cooler waters around the Western Cape, up to the tropical waters around Sodwana Bay near the Mozambique border. South Africa undoubtedly offers some of the finest scuba diving throughout Africa, and in sites such as Protea Banks, Aliwal Shoals and Sodwana Bay, arguably some of the best in the world.

The nature of the scuba diving in South Africa tends to be dictated by its unique geographical location on the southernmost tip of Africa, the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The area around Cape Town and the Western Cape tends to offer diving in cooler waters, typically with lower visibility. Whereas further up the coast towards KwaZulu Natal, an increase in the water temperatures and visibility tends to offer diving more in keeping with more tropical locations.

Understandably, the large variation in the water temperatures, have resulted in a variety of different marine life inhabiting the coast line of South Africa, ranging from the notorious Great White Sharks found around the Gansbaai and Cape Town areas, through to the dolphins and manta rays of tropical Sodwana Bay.

The scuba diving in South Africa tends to focus predominantly around two main regions, the Western Cape and the Garden Route, and the almost legendary sites in Sodwana Bay, Aliwal Shoals and Protea Banks which are found further north within KwaZulu Natal. Whilst there is a great diversity of diving on offer throughout South Africa, it would be safe to say that the standard of diving here is of a consistently high standard, with each site having something to offer the majority of divers.

Located within the Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park, Sodwana Bay is arguably the pick of the fantastic dive sites in South Africa. Its warm, clear waters, and stunning reefs and rich variety of corals act merely as a veneer to what rich rewards lie within these beautiful waters. Huge Potato Bass, morays and manta rays are all regular inhabitants of sites such as Nine Mile Reef, Three Mile Reef and Antons.

Despite this rich variety of marine and coral life in the waters of Sodwana Bay, it is the opportunities for scuba diving with the large populations of sharks, and particularly the Ragged Tooth Sharks that people visit the region. Here in Sodwana Bay, as well as Protea Banks and Aliwal Shoals, are some of the finest shark diving locations in world. Alongside the Ragged Tooth sharks, large populations of Bull Sharks, Thresher Sharks and Hammerheads regularly inhabit the waters off the coast of KwaZulu Natal.

Diving in South Africa is available all year round, although the majority of visitors to the region tend to visit during the summer months of late November through to February. Water temperatures vary greatly with location, with the Atlantic Ocean cooling the waters off the Western Cape to around 10 - 14 degrees Celsius whereas the more tropical waters around Sodwana Bay tend to average around 20 - 21 degrees.

Throughout South Africa, large numbers of dive operators offer a variety of scuba diving courses across all the major accreditation agencies, and overall, the standard of dive operator tends to be relatively high. Good local knowledge, well maintained equipment and boats tend to be the norm in a region that is looking to attract an increasing number of scuba divers to its waters.
Overall, South Africa offers a wide range of unique diving experiences, and has something to offer scuba divers of all experiences. With South Africa becoming increasingly aware of its rich wildlife heritage, on land and in the water, it only bodes well for future visitors to this beautiful country.

Our partners at Offplanworld.tv, offer a wide range of off-plan property in South Africa.