For those who love to Dive, Malaysia is a Must-See Destination

For those who have developed a love of diving, the coasts of Borneo are a must-dive. The warm waters of the South China Sea that surround this idyllic island just north of Australia are teeming with sea life and beautiful coral reefs and land and rock formations. There are areas on deep and shallow sea diving as well as muck diving. There are so many points along the lengthy coastlines for scuba diving, that you would be hard pressed not to find somewhere that you love. For those who love to dive, Malaysia may be the best place on Borneo to start.

The northern tip of Borneo is an area called Sabah, and the capital of this area is Kota Kinabalu, a beautiful resort town with open market shopping, fine dining, and first class hotels. Diving centers abound in this area, and it is easy to rent a boat for the day. If you are unfamiliar with the area, you will be pleased to know that a boat rental comes with a captain and a first mate who will do more than just man your boat; they will show you the best diving sites for your particular goals, and, if you are not a seasoned diver, they will advise in you regarding the best places and methods for diving.

Of course, these captains are not instructors, but if you are novice diver, there are instructors available as well. You can hire one for the day or the week to help you learn what you need to know to enjoy your first dives. Off the coast of Kota Kinabalu, there is a series of small islands, known as Tunku Abdul Rahman, around which the waters are shallow but full of beautiful reefs and rife with water life. Diving in this area is safe but rewarding, and is ideal for a beginning diver.

Sabah is a part of Malaysia, one of three sovereignties that have land on Borneo. Diving in Malaysia, whether in Sabah or other parts of the island, can make a wonderful and memorable holiday. Malaysia is beautifully decked out with rain forests and tropical plants and trees. Exotic wildlife inhabits the less travelled areas, making hiking and sightseeing as much fun as diving. This means that the whole family will love the trip, even if only one of you wants to dive. Add to this the shopping, dining, and deluxe accommodations. In fact, one of the islands off the coast of Malaysia has been transformed into one giant resort.

In an area where the temperature never, dips below 28 degrees Celsius, you do need to remember that this area only enjoys sunlight for six or seven hours per day year round. This is no matter, however, because the night air is warm and sweet, and there is plenty to do around the clock. In fact, there are particular sea life that is more interesting in the evening hours. If you have the correct gear, you can enjoy an evening dive; Malaysia truly holds something for everyone.

Thailand's Best Diving Areas Explained

Even the most biased Gulf of Thailand enthusiast would admit that, for pure diving reasons, the best places to dive in Thailand are on found the country's west coast, in the Andaman Sea. Yes, there can be some wonderful experiences to be had when diving from Koh Tao, and even Koh Chang, but the water depths, clarity and marine life mean that diving in The Similan Islands, or other Andaman Sea diving areas is generally and consistently better.

On the west coast of Thailand, there are two main areas where liveaboard diving boats sail around full of enthusiastic divers eager to jump in and see something special. These are west and northwest of Khao Lak, and south of Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta. Directly west of Khao Lak's Tab Lamu pier is the well-known Similan Islands archipelago. Eight main islands and dozens of islets are home to more than twenty fantastic dive sites, with sloping coral reefs or granite rock formations. To the northeast or the Similan Islands, and northwest of Tab Lamu, are Richelieu Rock, Koh Bon and Koh Tachai, the three making up Thailand's best diving spots for those who want to dive in clear waters and see large pelagic fish species. The third area is southeast of Phuket and south of Koh Lanta. Here Koh Haa and Hin Daeng make a very genuine alternative to liveaboard diving in the Similan Islands and northern sites.

The Similan Islands are basically uninhabited. There are a few park rangers who stay there to protect the national park. One or two islands in the far south of the chain are privately owned by the Thai royal family and Island 4 has a few bungalows and tents for tourists, but very few decide to stay there. The scuba diving at the Similan Islands is extreme enough for even the most daredevil scuba divers, which depths and currents to cater for every taste. However, there are also lots of opportunities for newly-certified divers to spend an hour underwater here. Even those who have never dived before can try scuba diving at the Similan Islands. The reefs are home to tens of thousands of colourful and exciting species, and the sea and weather conditions during the diving season are unbeatable. The liveaboard cruises, or scuba diving safaris as some call them, nearly always give guests several chances to venture onto the beaches and do a couple of hour's trekking or relaxing.

The northern sites, which include Richelieu Rock, are located at the border areas of Mu Ko Similan National Marine Park and Mu Ko Surin National Marine Park. Richelieu Rock is Thailand's best diving site, and one of the best in the world. It's easy to do three long dives there on the same day, but it's not suitable for night diving or snorkelling. Koh Tachai, a little further south and towards Khao Lak, is an uninhabited island with a pristine beach and a great and snorkel dive site offering probably the best chance in Thailand to see Manta Rays. Koh Bon, doesn't have a beach, but is also great for snorkelling and its two or more excellent dive sites are often visited by Manta Rays and other large and special fish species.

Finally, the southern dive sites are often overlooked by those looking for the best diving in Thailand on a liveaboard cruise. However, with Hin Daeng and Hin Muang on the itinerary, that is often a foolish presumption. These two sea mounts barely touch the sea's surface but are home to some very special members of the marine life community, and large sharks and rays often pay a visit. Koh Haa is nearer to the mainland, to the east of Hin Daeng and there are also some great dive sites for all levels of scuba diver.

Although some liveaboard cruises visit both the Similan Islands and the northern sites, these are normally 4D/4N trips. The two and three-day trips usually visit one or the other, but not both. Due to the extreme distances, very few (if any) liveaboard cruises are available to visit all three of these great diving areas in one trip. However, seven-day cruises on vessels such as the 'Flying Seahorse' do incorporate all three from time to time. For the best advice on which diving liveaboard safari is best in each circumstance, it's recommended to deal with an online agent who offers a large selection of boats which sail to all of them, and can therefore give unbiased information and help.

When choosing which is the best diving trip in Thailand who should you ask? Dive centers who own & run boats are usually hidden away from tourist areas. They rely on agents to sell their trips. Agents & direct sellers will naturally encourage customers to choose trips they sell. Therefore, finding an agent with a large selection of boats and helpful customer service is vital. Similan Diving Tours have more than thirty boats on offer, visiting all the best dive sites in Thailand. They have no affiliation with any particular boat or dive center, Similan Diving Tours always gives the most honest unbiased customer service & trips at unbeatable prices.

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