Diving Koh Tao

[Mel Brooks]

Hi,

My sis and family (5 persons) are coming to Thailand in July/August and 3 of them want to take a dive course - my brother-in-law and 2 nephews aged 14 and 12.

They want a high standard of accomodation (sis's first time out here, she usually goes to a villa in the South of France). Preferably a place on the beach with snorkelling for the young daughter. A swimming pool would be nice too!. They want to be in easy access of other restaurants - they don't want to be stuck in the resort.

I've never been to koh Tao so I don't know where to start!

Can anyone give me some help?

cheers,

PS Is this the correct forum or should it be in the Travel forum?

[jing jing]

Coral Grand is probably the best all-inclusive dive resort on Koh Tao. The island is quite small so there are a few other restaurants in walking distance and the rest are a short motorbike or hotel shuttle ride away. They have some nice bungalows right on the beach - not exactly cheap - and the quality of dive instruction is arguably the best on the island.

PS - Google is your friend

[Mel Brooks]

Coral Grand is probably the best all-inclusive dive resort on Koh Tao. The island is quite small so there are a few other restaurants in walking distance and the rest are a short motorbike or hotel shuttle ride away. They have some nice bungalows right on the beach - not exactly cheap - and the quality of dive instruction is arguably the best on the island.

PS - Google is your friend

Thanks for that.

Google is good but word of mouth is better than any glossy webpage!! I booked into a building site on Koh Chang 2 years ago after seeing their webpage.

[limbos]

Hi,

My sis and family (5 persons) are coming to Thailand in July/August and 3 of them want to take a dive course - my brother-in-law and 2 nephews aged 14 and 12.

They want a high standard of accomodation (sis's first time out here, she usually goes to a villa in the South of France). Preferably a place on the beach with snorkelling for the young daughter. A swimming pool would be nice too!. They want to be in easy access of other restaurants - they don't want to be stuck in the resort.

I've never been to koh Tao so I don't know where to start!

Can anyone give me some help?

cheers,

PS Is this the correct forum or should it be in the Travel forum?

Sunset Buri on Sairee Beach is a nice resort with a pool and easy access to loads fo different restaurants in the Sairee area.

Many dive shops around here as well, amongst others this dive shop

[Prasert]

Sunset Buri on Sairee Beach is a nice resort with a pool and easy access to loads fo different restaurants in the Sairee area.

Many dive shops around here as well, amongst others this dive shop

Indeed it is! Clean sheets and towels every day, and it's located in the center of Sairee (and it's got wireless internet coverage).

Don't worry about dive shops, Koh Tao is packed with dive shops. (and yes, Coral Grand can be argued....)

[scuba junction]

Hi,

My sis and family (5 persons) are coming to Thailand in July/August and 3 of them want to take a dive course - my brother-in-law and 2 nephews aged 14 and 12.

They want a high standard of accomodation (sis's first time out here, she usually goes to a villa in the South of France). Preferably a place on the beach with snorkelling for the young daughter. A swimming pool would be nice too!. They want to be in easy access of other restaurants - they don't want to be stuck in the resort.

I've never been to koh Tao so I don't know where to start!

Can anyone give me some help?

cheers,

PS Is this the correct forum or should it be in the Travel forum?

Good morning,

I have read your post on this forum and would like to introduce you to Scuba Junction on Koh Tao.

We are a smaller dive shop (NO FACTORY DIVING) with the emphasis on high customer service.

ALL our dive groups for courses and fun divers are limited to MAXIMUM 4 PEOPLE per group, this ensures maximum saftey and supervision during your diving experience.

Furthermore we only use diving equipment that meets EUROPEAN standards, with a zero bubble policy (no leaks anywhere), and a 6 month service program to maintain our equipment at the highest level.

We emphasise on the diving site of your holiday, but also offer accomodation, either in our resort Sabai Sabai with nice clean fan rooms, or help you find higher end accomodation that suits your budget and wishes.

Feel free to visit our website www.scuba-junction.com or contact me directly on

[email protected].

Kind regards,

Koen De Wit

Managing Director

Scuba Junction.

[h90]

Hi,

My sis and family (5 persons) are coming to Thailand in July/August and 3 of them want to take a dive course - my brother-in-law and 2 nephews aged 14 and 12.

They want a high standard of accomodation (sis's first time out here, she usually goes to a villa in the South of France). Preferably a place on the beach with snorkelling for the young daughter. A swimming pool would be nice too!. They want to be in easy access of other restaurants - they don't want to be stuck in the resort.

I've never been to koh Tao so I don't know where to start!

Can anyone give me some help?

cheers,

PS Is this the correct forum or should it be in the Travel forum?

Maybe read that before: http://www.damnam.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=658

about some fraudulent theacher....

[jing jing]

The OP mentioned a "high standard of accomodation" and a member of his party having spent time in the south of France. My experience tells me, having been diving from Koh Tao a number of times, that Coral Grand will probably suit the OP's needs better than any other option. Notwithstanding the plethora of independent dive operations on the island, all of whom claim to have the best equipment and most qualified instructors, again -- my experience in bringing friends to Koh Tao to get certified tells me that Mel Brooks' party will probably be happiest staying at Coral Grand and going through their certification course. I've been there, I've been to several others, and I base my suggestion upon what my experiences were.

[Mel Brooks]

Hi,

My sis and family (5 persons) are coming to Thailand in July/August and 3 of them want to take a dive course - my brother-in-law and 2 nephews aged 14 and 12.

They want a high standard of accomodation (sis's first time out here, she usually goes to a villa in the South of France). Preferably a place on the beach with snorkelling for the young daughter. A swimming pool would be nice too!. They want to be in easy access of other restaurants - they don't want to be stuck in the resort.

I've never been to koh Tao so I don't know where to start!

Can anyone give me some help?

cheers,

PS Is this the correct forum or should it be in the Travel forum?

Maybe read that before: http://www.damnam.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=658

about some fraudulent theacher....

Sorry I don't follow what you have posted/are implying.

I've never posted on that site, in fact following your link was the first time I've been on it.

Are you trying to imply that the guy you linked to is now working in Koh Tao?

[Mel Brooks]

The OP mentioned a "high standard of accomodation" and a member of his party having spent time in the south of France. My experience tells me, having been diving from Koh Tao a number of times, that Coral Grand will probably suit the OP's needs better than any other option. Notwithstanding the plethora of independent dive operations on the island, all of whom claim to have the best equipment and most qualified instructors, again -- my experience in bringing friends to Koh Tao to get certified tells me that Mel Brooks' party will probably be happiest staying at Coral Grand and going through their certification course. I've been there, I've been to several others, and I base my suggestion upon what my experiences were.

Thanks for all the input everyone.

Jing Jing,

Yeah, the high end accommodation is a major factor as she loves her creature comforts. The captain's cottage at the Coral Grand looks ideal for them. What size diving classes might they expect at the Coral Grand?

Cheers.

[llewynx]

Coral Grand might disappoint you. Not at all as classy as they make out to be. Try Thipwimarn, Koh Tao Cabana, Sensi Paradise or Charm Churee Villa instead. None of them's got diveschools attached (which is more a relief than an inconvenience), but will be happy to help you book a course or fundives with any of the 40 or so dive schools that are operating. Shop around when you arrive to see which one you like the best - the standards are pretty similar so go for the people and atmosphere you like best.

[jing jing]

The OP mentioned a "high standard of accomodation" and a member of his party having spent time in the south of France. My experience tells me, having been diving from Koh Tao a number of times, that Coral Grand will probably suit the OP's needs better than any other option. Notwithstanding the plethora of independent dive operations on the island, all of whom claim to have the best equipment and most qualified instructors, again -- my experience in bringing friends to Koh Tao to get certified tells me that Mel Brooks' party will probably be happiest staying at Coral Grand and going through their certification course. I've been there, I've been to several others, and I base my suggestion upon what my experiences were.

Thanks for all the input everyone.

Jing Jing,

Yeah, the high end accommodation is a major factor as she loves her creature comforts. The captain's cottage at the Coral Grand looks ideal for them. What size diving classes might they expect at the Coral Grand?

Cheers.

I typically saw classes of about 6 people at Coral Grand. Please don't get the idea that I'm trying to railroad anyone into a particular program; I've got no dog in this fight. Koh Tao is not like Samui, that is, there are not so many high end places to choose from. I'm sure there are other more luxurious places than CG somewhere on the island but as the poster above stated, they don't have dive schools attached. Believe me -- when you're taking a 4 day certification course, you'd much rather have the convenience of stumbling out of your bungalow in the morning, walking 50 yards, and being in an air conditioned classroom rather than piling into the bed of a pickup truck with your gear and trundling off halfway around the island to sit through a few hours of video in a "nice fan room." For backpackers and adventurous types who are happy with just a roof over their heads it's fine to arrive on the island, schlep around for half a day comparing lodgings and schools and fly by the seat of their pants, but if you've got 5 people and some of them are used to being comfortable the best bet is to go to one place that you know has everything you need. Coral Grand may not be like a villa in the south of France or a luxury lanai on Maui but it's one of the best in that particular area. I doubt anyone would be too disappointed there, especially once they saw the alternatives.

[Mel Brooks]

Well, I've passed on all the info to my sis, and she has now took it on. Your help is much appreciated. She's now in contact with a few places.

Thanks all.

[tjo o tjim]

I vote with llewynx, FWIW on accommodation; Coral Grand isnt' that great. We looked at putting family up there, and decided it wasn't worth the money. Koh Tao Cabana is a better value. The only downside is that the water is fairly shallow at the beach, although there is a channel that you can swim out to go snorkeling if you wish.

Scuba Junction is a good dive shop-- not too big, not too small. Been around a long time and generally has a very good reputation for small groups and professional management. I'm sure Koen would be happy to arrange a course just right for the family.

Prices are fairly consistent across shops, personally I recommend staying away from shops that have divers coming in from Samui each day. It destroys the atmosphere and the calm that you otherwise see on the island. I would also stay away from the dive shops that tell you that you can become an open water diver in 2.5 days! Look for a shop with pride in a solid, four-day course.