pas mal de discussion déjà sur ce sujet, mais je voulais apporter ma pierre à l'édifice.
J'ai plongé depuis Phuket sur les lieux environnements et sur Koh Phi Phi de manière à passer mon PADI.
Au fil de mes recherches sur ce forum et sur internet, j'avais sélectionné le Sea World Dive Team à Phuket (patong) référencé dans le guide du routard.
=> expérience très positive sur l'instruction et la qualité du service à bord du bateau.
en plus, ils ont une piscine permettant de faire l'instruction pour le 1er jour du PADI qui rend (j'estime) moins nerveux qu'en pleine mer!
Le personnel du bateau prend soin de vérifier l'équipement de chacun avant la plongée et d'aider à enfiler l'équipement. Bon j'étais encore un apprenti et il est clair qu'ils faisaient plus attention à moi, mais j'ai beaucoup apprécié ce côté professionnel que je n'ai pas retrouvé dans d'autres clubs où seul le master diver fait le contrôle minimal avant de sauter! Et la nourriture est abondante et bonne (bon sur quasi toutes les journées de plongées, on nous a servi du poulet! c'est bon, mais ils auraient pu varier :)
bref, matériel bien entretenu et bon en général et contrôle de sécurité fait par le personnel du bateau avant la plongée!
Sur un autre post de 2009 ou du début de l'année, j'avais pu lire qu'ils n'avaient pas de bateau. Cela n'est plus vrai pour 2010, car si j'ai bien compris (mais je n'ai pas étendu la question avec le personnel), ils se sont alliés avec All 4 diving et ils ont depuis un bateau qui effectue différents sites de plongée selon le jour de la semaine (par ex. lundi et jeudi, ils vont à koh phi phi). Il me semble même qu'ils vont changer de nom mais quand même garder en second nom Sea World Dive Team.
L'avantage est: partir depuis phuket sur différent site selon les jours
le désavantage: on plonge vers les 10-11h ce qui est parfois tard pour certaines espèces de poisson et ... forcément le prix car ça a un coût de faire plus de trajet et la qualité du service.
La formule m'a cependant convaincu et je recommande Sea World Dive Team. Voilà si vous avez des questions, n'hésitez pas à poster ou me MP.
Par contre, durant ma visite sur Koh Phi Phi, j'ai pas longtemps hésité à faire de la plongée vu les prix et la qualité des spots (c'est là que j'ai fait mes meilleurs plongée - pas toujours visibilité top, mais belles espèces de poissons/végétaux).
Je suis tombé sur Phi Phi Barakuda Dive Center et je n'ai vraiment pas aimé! Bateau un peu vieillot (bon il ne fait pas beaucoup de mer (entre 30 min et 1h depuis le port)), équipement vieillot (combi déchirée), et personnel au strict minimum. Pas de vérification supplémentaire autre que vous même et votre binôme. Et plein de petits sentiments et sensations qui ne réconforte pas sur ce centre de plongée...
=> Bref, je ne recommande pas Barakuda Dive Center qui ne mérite pas ses 5 étoiles affichés sur son site!
Au niveau des prix, les différents clubs sur Phi Phi sont à peu près pareils. je ne crois donc pas que ce soit le fait qu'ils sont moins chers! Je suis sûr de trouver un autre club pour 2500 Baht pour 2 plongées à Koh Phi Phi qui fait beaucoup mieux que Barakuda Dive Center
In english for those who googled Barakuda Dive Center in Koh Phi Phi: I do not recommend this dive center for safety and technical reason (I received a combi with many holes (not only small!!), there is no personnal on the boat to take care of you, and their equipment looks old and not good maintenance, etc... you can contact me if you need more details.
Salut je connais ce club et franchement tu as raison , ils sont très bien , l'an dernier un lundi nous n'étions que trois plongeurs sur le bateau et encadré par une instructrice thai , sympas
à recommender à tous les plongeurs
A+
Rahan, y pouvait pas s'perdre car y savait pas où il allait
N'ayant jamais plongé, et étant tres attiré par ca, j'ai bien noté votre adresse pour le bon centre de plongé! mais j'avais une ou deux questions:
C'est pas trop compliqué de se comprendre et de faire son bapteme, etant novice, et ne parlant pas le meme langage?
ou vous me conseillez de me faire une petite experience ici?
et sinon les prix d'une plongé, d'un bapteme?
si vous avez quelques infos a me donner, ou conseils, je suis preneur de vos experiences!
merci d'avance
" L'expérience, ce n'est pas ce qui arrive à quelqu'un, c'est ce que quelqu'un fait avec ce qui lui arrive."
Bonjour,
ne soit pas inquiet, tu passeras ton discovery dive encadré par des moniteurs pro , avec d'autres débutants comme toi, en général sur phuket tu pars la journée avec le bateau pour 2 plongées, sur le bateau tu as un breefing complet sur les conditions de sécurité et les bases de la plongée.Si tu tombes sur un moniteur anglophone, il va se mettre à ta portée .Tu peux demander aussi un test en piscine si tu penses être juste, mais sincèrement pas la peine, pour ma part j'ai commencé avec eux direct en mer, de toute façon tu ne dois plonger qu'a 10 mètres environ et sur un spot facile.le prix environ 4000 Bath la journée avec bateau-2 plongées-casse croute-soft drink à volonté.
N'hésite pas à rejoindre le grand bleu, après tu ne pourras pas t'en passer
A+
Rahan, y pouvait pas s'perdre car y savait pas où il allait
non pas de souci si le français ou l'anglais sont l'une de tes langues maternelles. Le club sur lequel j'ai fait une bonne revue est français (le patron et les dive masters). Ils parlent tous l'anglais mais à la française (les suisses/canadiens me comprendront).
sinon, pas de souci, d'autres clubs proposent des dive master de presque tous les pays développés (hollande, allemagne, japon, ...), mais là il te faudra faire des recherches pour savoir lesquels sont biens! Il est presque plus dur de trouver un dive master parlant thai que hollandais!! LOL
le prix d'un Discover Scuba Dive (DSD) est entre 2500 et 3400 baht (respectivement pour 1 à 2 plongée) depuis koh phi phi, 4000 baht depuis phuket
Par contre, vu les prix pratiqués ici en Europe et là bas (bali, thailand, ...), fais tes plongées directement là bas!
Activités aquatiques en voyage › Thaïlande · 8 replies
J'écris ce petit message car lorsque j'étais en Thailande et que je cherchais un endroit pour me poser et faire du snorkeling, on peut dire que tous les forums…
J'hésite entre 3 destinations j'aimerai quelque retours d'expérience pour m'aider à choisir... Je voyage seule avec mon fils de 12 ans, j'ai un budget de 2000…
We’re planning a trip to Thailand for next summer. It’s the rainy season, but that’ll let us explore forest parks (Khao Yai and Khao Sok, most likely) in full bloom and teeming with wildlife. We’d also like to spend a few days on beaches with nearby coral reefs during this trip. That’s where we’re hitting a snag—I’m struggling to find an island or region with favorable weather. I’ve gone through quite a few threads on this forum, but most are pretty old and mention a few names (Tao, Phaluai, Ma, or Phang Nga), though with doubts about visibility or overall appeal. Crowds also seemed like a bit of an issue. Just to clarify, our family has mixed interests when it comes to fish-related activities—some are Level 1 divers, while others are snorkelers only.
Are there any good options in July-August for great experiences in the area?
Thanks for your tips!
Hi everyone! 😊
I’m looking for a place in Albania to go scuba diving with my boyfriend. We’ve never done it before and we’d love to try this activity.
Thanks so much! 🌺🌺
hi
I wanted to know the best snorkeling spots in Tuamotu since I unfortunately don’t have enough time to do everything—I’ll have to pick and choose.
Thanks in advance for your help!
I’d describe myself as a "former diver." I’ve done around 450 dives in natural environments across different settings. I put diving on hold about 5 years ago due to work/schedule constraints and, let’s say, family reasons. Since then, I’ve still tried to stay in shape with hiking trips, running, swimming, and freediving in protected environments, etc...
I’m planning to get back into the bubbles somewhere this year.
Any destinations you’d recommend—or avoid—for getting back into it?
I’m looking for a spot for April/May this year.
For my trip to Thailand with two teens aged 13 and 16, do you have any info or tips to share? I’d like to go jet skiing, either in Phuket or Koh Samui, but I’d need at least two jet skis since there are three of us. Can my 16-year-old ride alone? Is it better to rent on-site or book an all-inclusive excursion online or in person?
Our Bali-Lombok trip is taking shape, but we’d love to wrap up the stay with at least a solid week of snorkeling somewhere the coral is still in great condition. In your opinion, are the Gili Secrets in southern Lombok better than Flores Island, where there are supposedly amazing underwater landscapes?
We’ll be in Dahab again this October—we’ve been going since 1979—to freedive. In 2025, to our surprise, access to the Blue Hole is now paid: on top of the 10 € taxi fare, you have to pay $10 per person to enter the park. So we’re heading outside Dahab to the Three Pools site by bike, rented locally. Is there a bus that goes there, or shared taxis, instead of the tourist taxis? And where can we catch them? We’ve seen big buses full of local families on the site, but we don’t know where to find them. Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
The comments about this public beach are generally negative:
tiny beach, crowded, dirty, and noisy.
Is that really the case?
Could you please post some of your recent photos of the public beach—not photos from the big hotels?
Hello,
For flight schedules and prices from Bordeaux, and ease of reaching Alexandria by bus/train afterward, I’m considering spending 4 days around Hurghada (direct flight from Bdx).
I don’t think I’ll go for courses to get my Level 1, since I don’t plan to dive often in the future—unless you think it’s better than doing 2 discovery dives in this area (I only have one baptism under my belt, in Koh Tao 15 years ago—amazing! But I’m not targeting trips for diving; I need to go to Alexandria, so this is a chance to get back into diving and snorkeling).
I’m looking for a spot to do some snorkeling, 1 or 2 baptisms, and explore the surroundings. I’ll arrive in early March on the evening of Day 0. I’ll have 3.5 days after that (I’m planning to leave on Day 4 around 4 PM by bus/train).
Is Hurghada completely to be avoided in favor of another area in the Red Sea, or can I still have a nice 3.5 days there? I know places like Dahab are more pleasant, but the convenience and timing of Hurghada appeal to me...
I usually prefer more authentic travel spots and places, but I’m willing to compromise on that if it’s still worth it for the diving.
Or should I only stay 2.5 days and head to Alexandria a day earlier? (I’ve already seen Cairo and Luxor a bit.)
Hi there,
I’m heading to Hurghada for a few days in November. I’m looking for a spot where I can go snorkeling right from the beach. Is that still possible, or do you absolutely need to take a boat trip to see anything worthwhile?
I’ve read about Makadi Bay, but also that it’s packed with big resort complexes—which I’d rather avoid. Are there any beaches accessible without staying at one of those huge hotels?
Any great tips or advice for me?
Thanks in advance,
Lucille
Hey everyone!!
I’m planning a 3-month trip to the Philippines for May 2026.
As a diving enthusiast, I’d love to hear about must-visit diving spots.
I’m traveling with a buddy, and we don’t really want to spend all our time moving around, so if you have recommendations for one area that’s better than others for diving, that’d be great!
What do you think are the best diving sites? (I’d appreciate an overview of the country so I can decide based on that.)
Compared to my buddy, I love macro photography (nudibranchs, etc.), so I’d also love any tips on that.
And completely unrelated to diving, but I’d also like info on places to visit (national parks, reserves, etc.) to see the local wildlife.
Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to reply!
Safe travels, everyone!
Hello everyone!
So glad to be back on this forum to swap some great tips.
I’m heading to Malaysia from mid-May to mid-August 2025 for nearly 3 months.
With my advanced certification in hand for a few years now, I’m on the lookout for the best dive spots in Malaysia.
I’ve obviously heard about the Perhentians and Sipadan.
Someone mentioned Tioman too, but not necessarily for diving.
Do you have any feedback on these places for diving? (visibility, marine life diversity, etc.)
Any idea about the rates for fun dives?
Dive centers you’d recommend?
Any help would be super valuable for planning the trip, so thanks a million in advance to those who take the time to reply.
Safe travels, everyone!!
Hi there.
For taking photos while snorkeling, is it better to go with a disposable camera or a waterproof pouch? If a pouch, which brand is reliable? Thanks for your feedback!
Hi there,
I’m looking for a destination in Vietnam for January to spend a week and go snorkeling.
Anyone have any suggestions?
I know Thailand well, and with my Thai friend, we’d like to try a different country.
This is the excursion we shouldn’t have done in Mauritius.
We did it with The Friendly Dodo, but from what I saw, it’s the same with most agencies.
Departure at 6 a.m. (even though the sun rises at 7 a.m. in August). Why? Because there’s only one well-known spot where the dolphins are, and all the agencies race to get there first.
For 45 to 60 minutes, it’s just straight-line navigation to the spot. No one’s looking for dolphins—we’re just speeding there in silence, full throttle.
Once we arrive, there are already 5-6 boats. The dolphins are there, sure. The boats fight for the best position, cutting off the dolphins’ path, and then—go, go, go—everyone jumps in. Not a single instruction is given on how to approach the dolphins respectfully. Result: everyone jumps in at the same time from 3 boats, creating a huge splash, and rushes toward the dolphins. Outcome: faced with this chaos, the dolphins dive, and you can’t see them from the boat anymore. The swimmers who are right in their path might see them pass below for a few seconds at best.
Everyone climbs back onto the boats, and as soon as the dolphins resurface, the same cycle starts all over again.
After 5 or 6 jumps like this (3 of which I didn’t even see the dolphins), it’s back to the port the same way we came.
Not a single explanation is given during the entire excursion about the dolphins themselves or how to approach them.
Safety-wise, I didn’t feel comfortable either with all the boats fighting for position. I bumped into another boat (no pain) while swimming, and I wasn’t reassured about the propellers.
With all this circus, my daughters didn’t even want to get in the water. The problem is, when you stay on the boat, you don’t get much out of it either—because as soon as the dolphins resurface, everyone jumps in haphazardly and scares them off again.
Having done the same kind of outing in Réunion, I can confirm it’s nothing like this (much better organized and ultimately much more rewarding in Réunion).
Under these conditions, this is an activity we never should’ve done! !
My partner and I are heading to Mauritius at the end of October (Tamarin Bay), and one of our wishes is to find a great small-group excursion out at sea to meet dolphins.
I’m looking for a provider that’s respectful of the animals and gives us a fun, discovery-filled day.
I’ve heard a lot about Amistad on this site—what do you think?
Do you have any tried-and-tested alternatives to suggest?
Thanks so much!
We're heading to Praslin, La Digue, and Mahé for 15 days in early March. Do you have any good snorkeling spots to recommend? Just to let you know, we're beginners, and I get scared easily if it's too deep.
Also, another important question: what do you do with your belongings on the beach while snorkeling? Our phones, accommodation keys, wallets, etc.?
Hi everyone!
I’ve been in Malaysia for a month now and still have two more to go. I started traveling with friends, but I’ll be solo for the next month and a half.
We did a pretty classic route: Perhentians, Cameron Highlands (which I found pointless), Tioman, and Kinabatangan in Borneo. Now I’m thinking of heading to Redang Island—Langkawi is also an option, but it doesn’t appeal to me as much. Any feedback on these two spots?
Especially Redang?
Any thoughts on the diving there?
So far, I haven’t had much luck with diving—at the Perhentians, it was pretty disastrous with water at 31°C 😵😫
I’d love to find a nice island where I can meet people (locals and travelers) because going from a group of six to solo at the end is going to feel weird.
So I’m open to all tips and opinions. Also, I’d love to hear about Langkawi, and if anyone knows of an island that’s a bit more off the beaten path, that’d be amazing. Thanks in advance, and happy travels to you all!
hi everyone
we’d love to visit Borneo and I’m not finding much info on it yet (just starting my research)
so I’m reaching out to you, like I do for every trip—it’s worked out great for us so far 😎
we’re a family of 4 with two teens, 14 and 18, and we’re going for 3 weeks.
what’s the weather like in August—too much rain?
any political issues to be aware of?
which little beach paradises should we not miss?
we love discovering animals and diving… any top spots?
as for airfare—any budget-friendly airlines or easy routes? (Singapore, Denpasar, etc.)
I’ve got so many questions! All of this on a reasonable budget…
thanks in advance to anyone kind enough to take the time to reply
Hi,
I’d like to do several boat trips to go snorkeling during my stay in Florès: Islands departing from Riung, Maumere, and Labuan Bajo (Seraya).
- WHO?: Do you have any contacts to organize these boat trips?
- HOW MUCH?: What’s the cost for a full-day trip, including boat rental and possibly meals (picnic, barbecue, etc.)?
Hello,
I’d like to go on a 5-day kayaking trip with snorkeling, island visits, and village tours in the Philippines. I don’t have a specific island in mind, but I’d love something off the beaten path. I’m traveling solo but can join a small group. This would be around March 20th. Thanks so much for your suggestions!
I’m looking for a 5-day kayaking and snorkeling trip with a few village visits and no mass tourism. I’m alone but open to joining a small group. Any recommendations for around March 20th? Thanks a bunch for your feedback!
Hey everyone reading my post!
I’ll be in Mexico, specifically in Playa del Carmen and Tulum, from March 11 to April 2.
I’m looking online for things to do, but they all seem pretty similar—I’m after something a bit more original but don’t wanna get ripped off either!
If you’ve had any great experiences in those areas, feel free to share them. Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
I have my flight to Malé from February 3rd to 15th.
I want to visit Malé first, then head to 2 or 3 nearby islands. I’d like to take the ferry to keep costs down.
I’d love to be able to snorkel right from the beach.
Which atolls or islands would you recommend?
Thanks for your help!
Hi there, my husband loves fishing, and during our upcoming vacation in French Polynesia, he’s planning to do two half-day trips. We’ll be staying in family-run guesthouses on the following islands: Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine, Bora Bora, Rangiroa, and Fakarava. Which type of fishing should he choose for the best experience, and on which islands? Thanks in advance for your help! 🙂
Hi there,
We’re heading to South Africa for a two-week vacation next March.
We’d love to see great white sharks and maybe even try the cage diving. We’re planning to go to Gansbaai—do you think we’ll have a chance to see them? Also, do you know of any specialized agencies that aren’t too commercial and are respectful of the animals?
Thanks
notre voyage en Indonésie étant annulé, et notre agence nous déconseillant l'Egypte, nous sommes à la recherche d'un lieu où nous pourrons faire du snorkeling depuis la plage (et en excursion bateau). Je connais un peu Zanzibar pour y être allé il y a plus de 10 ans, ainsi que Pemba (mais les prix ont explosé), et je me tourne aussi vers Mafia.
Est ce propice au snorkeling , des resorts ont ils des house reef où l'on peut voir des choses intéressantes (je ne m'attends pas non plus au niveau de la Sulawesi ou des Raja).
Merci d'avance pour toute info.
Je pose ma question malgré la situation incertaine actuellement, mais évidemment mon plan de voyage est conditionnel à l'évolution de la pandémie, donc merci de vous abstenir ceux qui me diraient juste de rester chez moi ;)
Donc, je planifie de passer l'hiver au sud de l'Europe, et ou vers les Balkans et j'aimerais savoir si c'est partout de la plongée en eau froide donc avec le drysuit et tout ou s'il y a des endroits qui sont superbes et ou je peux plonger avec un suit plus épais seulement même exemple en février et mars. J'ai lu pas mal ici sur le portugal et malte https://divezone.net/diving/portugal mais j'aimerais l'opinion récente de plongeurs du coin! :)
Ce que j'aime en plongée c'est l'eau claire, les fonds marins attrayants, la vie aquatique particulière, etc. Je ne suis pas une fan d'épaves, mais je considérerai tout les sites / pays proposés :)
