Introduction To most western tourists visiting Thailand, the Thai people are a friendly happy go lucky people. However, you have to bear in mind that they come from a culture that is very different to that of most western visitors to their country, and…

Introduction Wide angle photography of large subjects underwater is one of the hardest types of underwater photography to master, for several reasons. Fundamentally, there are so many different variables to master such as lighting, f stops, composition and general diving environment, that it takes…

Introduction You may have heard of them, or experienced divers – especially those who are technically trained – might have mentioned them to you in a conversation, you may even have read a thing or two about them. But the question remains, what the…

Introduction Buoyancy is the key! Almost every aspect of your diving will improve slightly just by improving your buoyancy skills. Unfortunately, developing good buoyancy skills is one of the most difficult aspects of diving to master for most novice divers. The reason for this…

Introduction: Nitrox the low down Chances are as a diver you have heard about Nitrox – even if you are just about to start diving you probably will hear about Nitrox in the first few days of your course. Today, Nitrox is the most…

Introduction A while ago, an amazing video of some Australians larking around on a cliff near Sydney was making the rounds as the latest viral sensation. In the video, one of the group leaps of the cliff into the blue water below him with…

Introduction Chances are you have heard of coral reefs. If you are a diver then in all likelihood you have dived on a coral reef and like the rest of us have been amazed and stupefied at the sheer size, color and abundant life…

Introduction Comic book writers have often looked to the animal world for inspiration when creating their superheroes. From flying to the ability to crawl up walls and throw out a web from their wrist, tiny little animals have been the source of inspiration. However,…

Introduction The good news is that globally the number of active divers is up, the bad news is without proper training and education these divers although armed with the best of intentions will ultimately have a negative impact on the environment they love so…

Introduction If anything the magnificent manta ray reminds many people of watching an old war film or a busy airport. Your eyes are drawn to the distance and you are mesmerised as your see aircraft after aircraft appear in the gloom, and make their…

Let’s face it, divers need to see sharks underwater, it’s one of the most exciting and exhilarating experiences you can have, along with encountering manta rays and dolphins. If you still haven’t seen a shark or have seen many, then in all likelihood your…

Almost all dives are familiar with the beautiful and intriguing nudibranchs. These magnificent little creatures are so widespread around the globe that it is almost impossible to choose a dive destination that does not have some resident species of nudibranchs. Most divers are familiar…

If you’ve seen some guys sweating in the tropics wearing dry suits and talking about bottom time and gradient factors, then you probably have already bumped into a bunch of technical divers. Within the diving community, technical diving is often jokingly referred to as…

Today, we are getting in a time machine and voyaging back a whopping 260 million years to the Mesozoic era of planet Earth. We are not going back to check up on dinosaurs – as much fun as that would be – but to try and figure out how some of the favourite dive sites on the west side of Thailand formed. These include world favourites such as the Similan Islands, Richelieu rock, and almost every other rock outcropping on the Thai west coast. Little did mother nature know that when she pushed out those relatively tiny rocky outcroppings out of the belly of the earth, that millions of years later they would become such a favoured destination for Earth’s future inhabitants.

Introduction So you have bought a new underwater camera and started reading the manual – and now things have gone bad. For the uninitiated, researching underwater photography can get very confusing and sometimes, you feel you need a degree in advanced mathematics to understand…

Thailand is one of the most beautiful countries on earth: with lush jungles teeming with wildlife and outstanding natural beauty, as well as mountains and spectacular marine life around its coast, it offers some of the best diving and snorkeling locations worldwide. In addition…

Seahorses are hard to find and they are one of the favourites to spot by most divers. These super photogenic little creatures are considered by many to be one of the cutest animals in the underwater world. They have been known for centuries and…

Sea snakes are a paradoxical creature; on the one hand, they have a reputation for being gentle beautiful creatures that people often interact with while diving, and they don’t create anywhere near the fearsome and terrifying reactions that most of their land counterparts do….

Ask any one about sport in Thailand, and 99 % of the time, people will respond Thai boxing or Muay Thai. In recent years, with the gaining popularity of mixed martial arts competitions like the UFC and such, Muay Thai, along with one or…

Introduction You may have seen them before dives meticulously cleaning and preparing O-rings for their cameras; you may even have seen them on dives, holding everyone up as they hover over a small pinnacle taking a photo of a tiny critter. You can’t help…

Thailand is synonymous with spectacular festivals, from the Thai New Year, and the Vegetarian Festival to the Loi Krathong Festival. This festival is considered the second most important festival in Thailand. Loi Krathong translates as “to float a basket”, after the woven baskets “krathong”…

Introduction If the animal Kingdom ever had a competition to crown its own superhero, with its supernatural freaky powers, the cute and colorful Mantis shrimp would be the outstanding favorite to claim the title. This humble crustacean packs an amazing array of unusual talents…

Thailand is renowned for its unusual celebrations and festivals. Apart from the traditional Thai New Year Festival, during which the whole country grinds to a standstill to celebrate on the streets with water fights and daubing each other with colored chalk, Thailand also hosts…

Sorry Bus Ticket service is NO LONGER available from us There is no cheaper way to get from Khao Lak to Bangkok than the bus. The bus ride is a long journey bus you can catch the bus from Khao Lak and it will…

Minivan transfer service FROM Khao Lak to Other places, NOT FROM Other Places to Khao Lak, sorry. Shared minivan transfer service will take you fast and safe for the best price. It’s the most cost efficient versus time saving way of traveling. Local Government…

When you first glance the humble octopus while diving, it seems interesting but does not have the wow factor that some other species have. It is neither big or graceful like a whale shark or a manta, nor is it as hyper colorful and…

On the morning of the 26th of December 2004, the seafloor shook and rumbled off the west coast of Sumatra. Within 100 seconds, an enormous rupture in the earth crust appeared 30 km below the seabed. Measuring 400 kilometers long and 100 kilometers wide,…

You may have experienced some currents so far in your diving career, and they can be challenging and fun at the same time. Diving in currents is a must if you want to experience the “Big Stuff” since most large Open Ocean pelagics like…

Khao Lak Lamru national park also spelled wrongly Lam Ru or Khao Lak-Lam Ru, is the closest national park from Khao Lak. Khao Lak area is surrounded by mountain and tropical evergreen forest and waterfalls, parts of the area is protect and called Khao…

Have you ever wondered why, at most dive resorts, the instructing staff seem to be all relatively slender, even though they don’t seem to be regular gym users or avid fitness practitioners? Well, you would be surprised to know that it’s mostly due to…

Phang-nga Coastal Fisheries Research and Development Center (also known as “Turtle Heaven”) was founded in 1985. It originally was set up as Phang-nga Mollusk Culture Research Station to produce cockle, oyster seeds, and shrimp larvae. Later on in 2002, it was then promoted to…

The Similan Islands National Park located in North Andaman Sea, only 60 kilometers from Thaplamu pier, Khao Lak. Khao Lak dive sites are known for its white coral sand beaches, crystal clear blue waters, and beautiful rock formations, The Similan Islands offer some of…

The Scuba Monkey’s Khao Lak Explorer Update – 1 November 2013 Great week here at Khao Lak Explorer; great weather, good diving, happy customers! This week the crew kicked up with some liveaboard trips, day trips and we have some new PADI Open Water…

The conditions at sea look good and we’ve got 4 days on a Similans, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock. It promises to be a good trip. The guests this time are Pim, from Thailand, and Ken, from Taiwan. They’re both really excited…

Welcome to our beautiful Khao Lak!!! to get around Khao Lak nothing easier if you have a map , so come to our shop and get a free edition of our Khao Lak map, then we can arrange you a motorbike rental and you…

Khao Sok Lake Diving No Longer Possible Diving at Cheow Lan Lake is an amazing experience specially combine with the sightseeing tours we provide. The huge Cheow Lan Lake attract a lot of wildlife. The trip start from Khao Lak for 2 Days 1 Night…

If you are looking for an affordable taxi service from Phuket airport to Khao Lak or from Khao Lak to Krabi, Phang-Nga or other destination, plan ahead and book your taxi. Facts: Taxi rate from airport are a lot more expensive if you choose…

Generally, the season for Manta Ray here in the Similans are from mid-October to mid-May. The time we see them varies each year. Sometimes we see them in November or every other month during the diving season. But mostly, we see them the more…

Many customer ask me how to get to khao Lak!! Well you have a few solution to come to Khao Lak and join us in time for your scuba diving holidays. The easiest way to get to Khao Lak is to fly into Phuket…

It’s the final liveaboard trip before Christmas and everyone is in festive mood as we go to board the boat, Manta Queen I. In fact, most of the guides are wearing Santa Claus hats although, with the day time temperature in the mid-30’s, it…