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Do you know what is going on in Phuket?

There is a sense of excitement in the air in Phuket. Just as we find ourselves on the brink of another high season there have been some changes with plenty going on in Thailand’s best dive and holiday destination

Loads of events coming up to keep you entertained when you are not diving Phuket. November sees the return of the much anticipated King’s Rugby Cup-80. December has a packed programme of events including the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, Phuket International Marine Expo, Phuket International Dragon Boat Challenge.

Other recent activities of note include the 17th Patong Beach Clean Up which happened on the 1st November 2007. We were delighted to participate in these clean up dives and you would be amazed at the amount of good these activities do.

Just have a look at what was gathered: Total 1,030 kgs of Debris removed during 10.00 a.m. – 2 p.m. with 2 dives in very poor visibility.

Fishing Nets, Ropes: 474.2 Kgs.
Metals: 213.1 Kgs.
Rubbers: 205.4 Kgs.
Wood: 53.9 Kgs.
Plastic bottles, bags 43.9 Kgs.
Fabrics: 23.3 Kgs.
Glasses: 16.3 Kgs.
Anchors: 6 Items
Crown of thorns starfish: 3 of them

Plus, bottles, cans, glass, plastic and other debris from beach goers.

Of course the dive sites of Phuket are not to be found near Patong beach but it is one of the main tourist spots and should now provide a great and clean environment for all of those enjoying the beach and the many watersports activities on offer.

We have also just had the pleasure of hosting the Phuket Thailand Open Beach Volleyball World Tour where the top women players from 30 countries around the world gathered to show off their skills. We all enjoyed admiring the athleticism and sporting prowess of teams including the current World and Olympic champions from the USA, plus teams from Brazil, China, Russia, Germany, Switzerland, France and Japan.

Add to that the colour and excitement of Phuket’s vibrant party scene, golden beaches to visit, wildlife and nature tours and you can see that the fun never stops in Phuket.

As for the diving, well conditions are perfect at the moment with excellent visibility, sunny settled weather and plenty of whale shark sightings around the area particularly at Richelieu Rock. However there are loads of dive sites in Phuket and the Similan islands which are sending divers away full of excitement with the quality of the diving.

You can either choose to do diving day trips from Phuket or jump on a Similans liveaboard. It all depends how much time you want to spend enjoying Thailand’s best dive sites.

Day trips from Phuket are proving as popular as ever allowing you to take shorter breaks and still get to dive in awesome sites. You can dive such nearby but entertaining sights as Racha Yai and Racha Noi. These are great spots for beginners and experienced divers alike where in easy conditions you can see all manner of marine life including batfish, blue spotted rays, parrotfish and trumpetfish. Kingcruiser wreck is another popular site and one which provides shelter for an enormous array of tropical fish. Only between November and April can you benefit from the optional trips to Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock and Koh Bon so now might be just the time for you!

Of course there is also the fabulous diving Phi Phi and Khao Lak to consider. Both have great diving and particularly beautiful topside scenery so there is something for everyone.

The Similans Islands liveaboard season is now in full swing and glowing reports are emerging about the diving there. Whale sharks, leopard sharks, manta rays and tonnes of fish are patrolling around the islands and are just waiting for you to drop by and say hello. Dive sites such as Christmas Point, Elephant Head Rock and Batfish Bend are well established favourites of the Similans where huge granite boulders rise majestically from the sea floor and are festooned in sponges and corals making the area unique to behold and one that keen divers return to again and again. Check here for: For all the information you need for diving Phuket, Similans and more see here: Latest Deals and Specials on Thailand Liveaboards.

Isn’t it about time you treated yourself to a break in somewhere that promises awesome diving and lots of other fun activities besides?