DIVING

Thanks to Thailand’s 2,000 kilometers of coastline, hundreds of islands, and prime position straddling its namesake gulf and the Andaman Sea, divers will find plenty to keep them occupied. Seasons vary according to the monsoons, with November to April being the ideal time for underwater explorations in the Andaman Sea, while the Gulf of Thailand is a good alternative between May and October, when the west coast typically experiences heavy rain. Over on the east coast, Koh Tao is the place for learning to dive, with Big Bubble Dive Resort ( bigbubble .info) and Phoenix Divers ( phoenixdiverskohtao .com) among two of the island’s most reliable outfits. Calm conditions for beginners and an array of excellent dive sites in the surrounding waters make Koh Tao a very popular destination. That said, the best diving in Thailand is really in the Andaman Sea. If you’re staying in Phuket or Krabi, hot spots such as Shark Point, the Racha Islands, and the Phi Phi archipelago are all reachable within an hour by boat. Farther out to sea—and best reached on the diving yachts known as liveaboards—Hin Daeng (Red Rock) and Hin Mouang (Purple Rock) are must-dos for more experienced divers seeking out whale sharks and other large creatures. North of Phuket, Khao Lak makes an ideal base for daily trips to the protected Similan Islands, where manta rays are often spotted in March and April. Or you could cut down on travel times by staying on a liveaboard with Phuket-based

Sunrise Divers ( sunrise-divers.com), which provides a range of vessels and itineraries to suit every budget. These can take you to more distant dive sites including the remote Surin Islands and beyond it, Richelieu Rock. The latter was introduced to the diving world by none other than Jacques-Yves Cousteau.