Koh Kaew Noi

[IrishIvan]

I noticed in another thread that Joe had been diving at Kaew Noi. Ive snorkeled and dived at the big island with the temple on it. I was wondering what the diving is like there at Kaew Noi and is there moorings there? Is there a nice beach on the island? Any restaurants on the island? How did you get there by longtail or private boat?

[NomadJoe]

It was my first time diving there. Longtail out of Rawai is 1500B for two dives, one on the south side of Koh Keaw Nok that wasn't great and one on the north side of Nai just off the Buddha beach that was better than I had expected, and we toured the island during the surface interval. The area between Koh Keaw Noi and Promtheap Cape gets down to 20+ meters and you could think you were on Shark Point, with a little less viz and occasionally massive boulders as big as a house. Some gentle current. Big barrel sponges, gorgonians, and the soft and hard corals and anemones we see on SP. No big stuff but lots of reef fish, your idols. bannerfish, seargonfish, and some big parrots. Schools of yellow tail snapper, and we saw several different species of lion fish, an oriental sweetlips, an emperor angel fish, a snowflake moray sharing a hole with a small white-eye moray. Lots of vericose wart slugs, and about a dozen blue dragon nudibranchs which are pretty rare.

There is no restaurant on the island, only a a small wat with few monks a couple of which spoke surprisingly good English. There is a farang doing monk training there. One of the staff took us for a tour of the island to a few statues and of the large one you can see from Phuket. I kept looking for a donation box to drop some cash in, but there werent any. Very interesting and unexpected little side venture.

Edited March 25, 2013 by NomadJoe

[IrishIvan]

Thanks for the info. I might go out and check it out on the weekend. I think you got touched on the price though. It was 1200 last time I went

[IrishIvan]

I am really interested in the part of the outer island that goes to 20 meters. Did you get pics? I agree with your opinion on the beach dive from the main beach on where the temples are. Go north for sure. On another note. That island is in dire need of a beach cleanup. Count me in if you decide to do a bit of a cleanup there as a promo for your dive shop. Ive been involved in a few around the place and I am happy to chip in for tanks and a longtail

[NomadJoe]

Thanks for the info. I might go out and check it out on the weekend. I think you got touched on the price though. It was 1200 last time I went

1500B is new this year. That is even what a dive instructor friend of mine pays to the longtail driver he has been using for years. The longtails are taking a page out of the tuk tuk handbook. Same on Kata and Karon beaches. What was 800B just 3 years ago is now 1500B no haggling.