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#217
Australia or Thailand?
DiveGirl - 8/21/2009 8:56 PM
Category: Travel
Replies: 4

Anybody ever dove in Australia or Thailand? My husband is deployed overseas and we figured this might be a good time to dive somewhere far away since we will only have to pay for my ticket. We are looking to dive in late September or early October. Any tips?
#10632
m_grieco - 8/24/2009 10:19 PM
I went to Indonesia back in October this past year and it was great. The reefs are healthy, beautiful ecosystems. There was more fish/coral species there than any other place I’ve dove (and I’ve been to Bonaire, Roatan, Egypt, and the Cook Islands). Interestingly, we met an Austrailian couple there honeymooning, and they said the Great Barrier Reef is too touristy, and is actually being extensively damaged due to it’s popularity as a dive destination and they actually went as far as saying "don’t waste your time/money". I have to say, it’s still on my list of places to dive, but based on what I heard, do some type of liveaboard there where you go far out to the outer reef. I can say from experience though the reefs of south east Asia are amazing...I’d go to Thailand (or even consider Indonesia, I could get you information if interested). 
#686
EasyDayThailand - 9/01/2009 10:21 AM
Thailand is my favorite destination, but as you looking at end of September to beginning of October I can’t recommend it as its raining a lot and diving conditions are not very good. :-(

Indonesia is a great alternative. Great diving and end of September still very good diving conditions. Komodo is a must and easy to combine with a few days Bali, which offers also some great dive sites.

If you like to hear more let me know. :-)
#5700
dirtguy49 - 9/04/2009 8:34 AM
Thailand!! The diving is good on the west side of the peninnsula. The gulf of Thailand side is so/so. Liveaboards out to the Surin and Similan Islands are a lot of fun. The food and people are great. Not to say that the Aussies aren’t nice also. You can probably get Fosters Beer in Thailand if you really want it, but the Singha or Change beers are tasty also.