If you live and work in diving then believe me – it’s good to get away once in a while!  Lots of us choose to go diving somewhere else for a bit of fun, to see something different and to be surprised by what is around the corner.  I live and work in Thailand so we have lots of opportunity for different dive locations right on our doorstep yet one of my good friends has been exploring a completely different area for diving.

Khoa Sok National Park is made up of thick ancient rain forest, calm and peaceful, with beautiful limestone columns towering out of the 165sq km lake that dominates the park.  Most people go to trek in the jungle, spot wildlife and absorb the tranquillity, but a lake that large holds too much temptation for avid divers.

The lake was created due to a damming project which has left many of the stunning rock formations underwater. While the underwater the terrain remains largely uncharted, gradual, careful research and exploration has located many divers playgrounds with many new sites just waiting to be discovered.

Fresh water diving is certainly a different experience for those used to salt but it’s nice to surface without feeling sticky and crusty from salt water. Diving in the park takes you back to the old days of diving in Thailand.  A limited number of longtails provide the only transport on the lake and a backward roll entry is the only way to splash in.  The water is warm but once you descend through the first few meters the temperature drops a few degrees and it becomes crystal clear.  The water has a greenish tinge rather than tropical blue and sets a great atmosphere for the fantastic structures below the surface.  Swimming around some of the stalagmites and stalactites you will be both dwarfed and awed by the gradual march of nature that has created these behemoths.  There are some amazing grottos too and their grandness and structure awesome.  In places you can see strange patterns in the walls that look like alien cave writings and the eagle eyed might even spot a few fossils too.

Without a cavern or cave certification the diving is well within the light zone and the sometimes eerie silhouettes with the green water back drop are awesome.  You can enjoy the diving here without ‘going in’ and there’s certainly enough to see for those who prefer wide open spaces. Catfish and large silverside fish stalk in crevices and are clearly unused to divers.  The cat fish are particularly curious, often swimming dizzyingly around your head and joining your dive team without invitation. There are villages submerged at the bottom of the lake and a fantastic area which is home to a submerged forest.  Huge trees are a regular feature on any of the dives and swimming passed them is like cruising through an enchanted forest.

There are some amazing cavern and cave systems though and it’s a perfect place to learn the skills required to complete your cavern and/or cave training too. My next trip here will be to do just this.  I love the area and enjoy the challenge of photography here but recognise the need to complete atleast the cavern course to be able to capture the images I want.

The team involved in the exploration are currently putting together a mission to penetrate what used to be a mountain pass before the dam.  The pass is around 1km long with at least half of it now submerged. If you have a cave certification then its you’re going to love it, its truly uncharted and has fantastic exploration opportunities.

It’s truly quite different and the peace and quiet of the surrounding completes the relaxation of a total break.  Electricity is by generator only which runs for a few hours each night at the accommodation.  Phones don’t work and there is certainly no internet! The overnight accommodation is simple but somehow once on the lake you don’t seem to need much!  Raft houses made up of individual bungalows floating on the lake are pretty much the norm.  The food is the best I have tasted in a long while and the service and friendliness of the families who run these resorts is refreshing.  Sunset is stunning and waking up to the sound of actual monkeys in the morning is something to remember.  I can never wait to get back.  I’ll be sure to let you know how I get on with my line laying on my next trip!

I LIVE ON KOH TAO, I WORK HERE, I LOVE IT.

And I don’t want to get into any of this forum led east coast / west coast bashing….ever.

East or west coast both have their merits and reasons to visit and its worth bearing in mind that if your holidays are particular to a certain time of year then you may not actually have a choice. The west coast :- Phuket, Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, Khao Lak, Similans and Surins, all enjoy the best dive conditions between November and March whilst the east coast is the complete opposite, seeing the best conditions between March and October.

That said, if you are not held to a particular time of year then your decision centres around who you are travelling with, your budget and what you want to do during you stay.

Koh Tao is certainly the budget choice; it’s one of the cheapest places in the world to learn to dive and offers a great range of budget accommodation too. With over 40 dive centres, it’s a fabulous place to learn anything scuba related in any language you choose. I would be so bold as to say that if you want to learn it and it can be taught then you will find it on Koh Tao. From entry level through to professional level and every speciality imaginable, compressor maintenance and gas blending and equipment courses for those mechanically minded, photography and videography from published image makers and technical tuition for those deep water explorers too.

Koh Tao certifies a significant percentage of Asia Pacifics total certifications yearly which means it’s busy with new divers. This in turn makes it a fabulous place to train for a professional rating too as would-be divemasters and instructors have endless opportunities to learn by observing many full classes. Koh Tao is home to some of the largest and busiest dive centres in the world and your professional training here will certainly prepare you well for the logistical side of any diving organisation.

That said, for simple fun diving experienced divers might not find it to their liking. Choose wisely though as there are a handful of operators who make sure their boats do not adhere to the same time table as the rest, meaning quiet dive sites and an altogether different experience.

If you are travelling with non divers then I suggest you choose somewhere that doesn’t revolve just around diving. Phuket is more package resort based and has a great range of activities and accommodations to choose from. It’s probably one of the most developed areas in Thailand and although there are quieter areas it’s probably not the best choice for peace and tranquillity.

Travelling with kids in your crew then my choice would certainly be Koh Lanta, its peaceful, has a range of accommodation and lots of long sandy beaches. The diving is fab too and many of the sites are closer to Koh Lanta than to Koh Phi Phi. This makes the diving a little cheaper too on the comparable sites. Phi Phi is a very small island, gets crowded and on the whole is more expensive than Koh Lanta which is only a short distance away.

If leaving land behind for longer than a few hours is more what you need then there are plenty of liveaboards to choose from. Almost without exception they cover west coast dive sites. The closest jump off point to the Similans and Surins is Khao Lak which means your cruising times and sometimes costs are less than those liveaboards leaving from Phuket. Certain operators run day trips to the closer Similans sites from Khao Lak too.There are a growing number of liveaboards that cover the southern sites of the west coast too leaving from Phuket and Lanta. Whatever you choose the sites that the west coast liveaboards visit are stunning where Mantas are the highlights and the lucky will be graced by the sight of the magnificent whaleshark.

No matter where you choose, Thailand will surprise and thrill you and not just under the waves. Non divers will have plenty of culture to soak up . The food is a treat too and on the whole very easy on the purse. If you have never been before, give it a try, there’s really nothing to be scared about. It’s a very easy place to travel, the people are lovely too and the warm clear blue waters of whichever coast you choose are very inviting.