spd1015_thailand_048

THE
T WO SI DE S OF
A sea fan sparkles
with glassfish.
OPPOSITE:
­Formerly used by
fishermen, longtail boats are a
great way to tour
the coastline.
RICHARD F. EBERT/ENCIRCLE WORLD PHOTOS. OPPOSITE: MOMENT OPEN/GETTY IMAGES
TH A I L A N D
This Southeast Asian country, where reefs burst with marine
life, night life thumps to an insistent bass and the breeze carries
the scent of lemon grass, will ignite all of your senses
BY TAR A BR ADLEY
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M 49
at Hin Muang — Purple Rock — we’re immersed in an
underwater rave. I can almost hear Jamiroquai rocking
it out in the background. Brushed by current, everything
sways to the same beat. The purple and green fingers of
soft corals move with the underwater breeze. Clownfish
dance in and out of anemones, schools of snapper rush
by like a group of backup dancers and a couple of waytoo-cool barracuda glide in for a closer look. The rock
here is a long ridge — you’ll reach the top in about 30 feet
of water; the bottom is at nearly 200 feet.
The heart of Thailand’s unique culture is a melting
pot of attractions: fishing villages, rubber plantations,
lush rainforests, tropical beaches, Buddhist temples,
spicy cuisine, rice paddies, colorful local markets,
open-air massage districts and sunrises that put many
sunsets to shame. The country is popular among backpackers and expats who flock here for the Full Moon
parties, but divers come for the underwater attractions
found alongside its lively, jungle-topped surface. From
the lush green gardens of anemones topped with schools
50 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M
of sparkling fusiliers to the possibility of spotting the
­occasional whale shark or two, the country known as
the Land of Smiles enchants divers at every turn.
Like many Southeast Asian countries, getting to
this far-flung getaway can be a journey (minimum flying time from New York averages about 20 hours). For
access to the Andaman Sea dive sites, visitors fly into
Phuket; for access to the Gulf of Thailand, guests fly
into Bangkok or Koh Samui. From either spot, it’s an
easy boat ride to the island (ko) of your choice.
SERENITY IN SOFT CORALS
With so many islands to choose from (Thailand has
hundreds), my boyfriend, Jamie, and I begin our trip
by flying into Phuket on the west side of the country,
where we’ll dive sites in the Andaman Sea. Upon arrival,
we head to the Ao Por Grand Marina for the 20-minute
speedboat ride to Yao Noi (Small Long Island), the location of the Six Senses Resort. As the sun starts to set, the
WATERFRAME/GETTY IMAGES (2)
A S S O ON A S W E DE S C E N D ON T O T H E S H A L L OW R E E F
misty silhouettes of the karst islets dot the horizon of
Phang Nga Bay. To end the day’s journey, and as a ­poetic
welcome to the Six Senses dock, we are greeted with the
faint scent of lemon grass, a calming note I soon discover to be lingering in everything from the cuisine to the
­gardens, candles, incense and libations.
Rooms here take in the natural ambience of the
area, boasting outdoor showers, windowed-wall views
and private infinity pools — perfect for a post-dive dip.
The property itself is shaded by rubber trees, subtle reminders of the area’s former incarnation as a rubber
plantation. And while maintaining the local environment and history is the mantra here, the island still
holds onto its sense of play, whether you find yourself enjoying a Thai Ja daiquiri at the property’s posh
­Hilltop Reserve or an icy mojito at one of the local
beach bars. (We end up opting for both.) But before we
hit the bars we head for the reefs.
Our first dive is at the aptly named Anemone Reef,
or Hin Jom (Underwater Rock). Camera in hand, it’s
tempting to stay on one coral head for our full bottom
time, but at the guide’s urging, we continue on. Each
turn delivers another shallow coral head brimming
with waving anemones, and inside each watery bouquet,
my eyes focus on another bashful clownfish, skittish
­juvenile fish or darting orange-spine unicornfish.
The dives over the next few days, at places such as
Shark Point and Koh Phi Phi, follow suit, with schools of
yellowtail snapper, curious pufferfish and hard-to-spot
seahorses. Shallow reefs offering lengthy bottom times
are followed by mouth-watering surface intervals —
lunches of steaming pad thai and cooling coconut water.
On our final evening on Yao Noi, a hard rain ends
with an evening serenade of frogs, a sleep-inducing
way to end the first half of our trip and aid in banishing any remaining jet lag. Well rested, we wake with
enough time to enjoy the sunrise (a luxury we rarely
get at home). We resume our trek across the peninsula with a quick domestic flight from Phuket to Koh
Samui and end with a 30-minute boat ride to Anantara
on Koh P
­ hangan, an island off the central gulf coast of
­southern Thailand.
A closer look
inside almost
any anemone
will reveal
the colors
of a curious
clownfish.
OPPOSITE:
A diver
explores off
the Similan
Islands in the
Andaman
Sea.
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M 51
A band of
butterflyfish
provides
entertainment
during safety
stops off
sites along
the Similan
Islands.
A C U LT U R A L H O T P O T
Like much of the architecture in Thailand, rooms at
Anantara Koh Phangan, hidden away on the outskirts
of the village of Thong Nai Pan, are all about showcasing the area’s natural beauty. Again, we’re spoiled with
open-air showers and private plunge pools, but before
delving into the amenities, we walk down Thong Nai
Pan Noi beach to H2O Original for an overview from
Alis Empey, the manager, on what we can expect on the
next day’s dive.
“I’d love to get you out to Sanran Pinnacle (the Secret
Pinnacle),” Empey says. “This site hadn’t been dived in
years until we went searching for it late last year. Unfortunately, fishermen accidentally dropped a large fishing
net on the reef, killing a ton of fish. Today, it looks almost haunted. Because of that, we are planning a Project
AWARE cleanup to help restore it to its glory days.”
DIVERS GUIDE TO THAILAND
Average water temp 82°F to 86°F >> What to wear Shorty or 1 mm
full wetsuit >> Average viz 100 feet >> When to go Gulf of Thailand,
May to September; Andaman Sea, October to April >> For more
­information, go to sportdiver.com
DON’T-MISS DIVES
Sail Rock
North of Koh Phangan in
the Gulf of Thailand, this
site is a popular wall dive.
Although you might see a
turtle or two, stingrays, puffers and batfish are nearly
constant ­residents.
Shark Point
Named for this site’s topside
resemblance to a dorsal fin,
this dive is almost like two
dives in one. Located in the
Andaman Sea, multiple
sides of the islet offer a variety of critters, including soft
corals, sponges and morays.
Six Senses Yao Noi
sixsenses.com
Anantara Koh Phangan
anantara.com
H2O Original
h2oscubaschool.com
Bangkok
Sanran
Pinnacle/
Sail Rock
Andaman
Sea
Koh Phangan
Koh Samui
Phuket
Shark
Point/
Anemone
Reef
52 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M
Yao Noi
Phi Phi Islands
Gulf of
Thailand
MARK STRICKLAND
Anemone Reef
This Andaman Sea site is
popular among all levels of
snorkelers and divers for its
shallow reef — the seabed
starts at about 10 feet of
water. With sea anemones
covering the reef almost in
its entirety, it isn’t hard to
spot clownfish, juvenile fish
and colorful sea stars.
THAI LAN D
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M 53
Although the Phi Phi islands
gained attention as the location
for the film The Beach, these
islands are revered by divers for
their vertical walls, soft ­corals
and swim-throughs.
ANAMARIA TELES/ARGOSFOTO
LIV E IT UP
54 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M
Want to hit all of
the dive sites in one
swoop? Thailand
Aggressor offers
itineraries that
cover the ­Andaman
Sea, from the
­famous Richelieu
Rock in the north
to Tarutao National
Park in the south.
What you can expect: whale sharks,
mantas and more
than 500 species of
hard and soft corals.
aggressor.com
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M 55
Lucky for us, Empey makes
life, including giant m
­ oray eels,
it ­happen, and upon descent on
rainbows of fusilier and sea stars
Sanran Pinnacle, we discover
­
looking like a jumble of stickers on
she has described the site pera child’s art project. Because postfectly. The dropped fishing net
lunch is said to be the magic hour,
is suspended like an eerie bindwe wait out our surface interval
in true Thai style with another
ing on the reef. The dead fish
just-cooked spread of Thai falong gone, juvenile fish weave in
THE CLE A N UP CR EW
and out of the netting. Above, a
vorites, including fried rice, and
To remove the damaging nets found on
school of jacks swirls in unison
­massaman and ­panang curry.
Sanran Pinnacle, H2O Original heads up
as two barracuda lurk big-eyed
Fully recharged, and with any
a weekly Project AWARE cleanup with a
in the background.
other
visible dive boats long gone,
three-tank dive open to anyone who wants
to help bring the site back to its glory days.
What’s even better? It’s not
we jump in at Sail Rock, where we
uncommon for a passing dark
­
swim among schools of batfish,
cloud to materialize into a passing whale shark. “For our
friendly giant puffers, crusty-looking scorpionfish and
second dive, the rest of the dive boats usually head back,
comedic big-lipped grouper. Soft corals beckon with
and it’s just us and the fish,” says Empey. “This is when
the lure of photogenic residents hiding in their tubular
we typically see a surge in life returning to the Rock —
waves. And while that tinge of hope for a whale shark
sighting evaporates when we surface, the long list of
and it’s the best time for spotting whale sharks!” Because
there was a rumored sighting the day before at Sail Rock,
life we have seen quickly washes away any brief ­feelings
Empey kindly makes it our next destination.
of disappointment.
Known for its signature iceberg-shaped p
­ innacle,
The rest of our days continue with the same rhythm:
Sail Rock is one of the most sought-after sites in
dive, eat, repeat. Thanks to Empey and her crew, we
­Thailand. Just 25 minutes from Thong Nai Pan, it has
are treated to an insider’s list of some of their ­favorite
numerous swim-throughs and a hodgepodge of ­marine
sites, dishes and dive bars. At Baan Muay Thai, one
56 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M
TOBIAS FRIEDRICH. OPPOSITE, FROM TOP: SCOTT JOHNSON; TARA BRADLEY
A yellow
boxfish
swims in for
a close-up
at Richelieu
Rock in Mu
Ko Surin
National
Park.
­O PPOSITE:
Local markets are
some of the
best places
to sample
Thai dishes.
of Empey’s recommended eateries, we saddle up to a
cozy table with an order of pad krapao moo kai dao,
spicy stir-fried pork with Thai holy basil and a fried
egg. (We’re told that kai dao basically means “throw
an egg on top!”) Almost every table is packed, and they
aren’t trying to turn tables here, so we spend our time
taking in the local entertainment — the restaurant’s
chef, a one-woman show mixing up steaming dishes
of Thai delicacies, accompanied by the occasional call
from the resident parrot. As the aroma hits our ­noses
just s­ econds before the taste hits our tongues, our
­patience is quickly rewarded.
Jamie and I end the evening, and our nine-day
adventure, at what has become our favorite watering hole
in the village, the Sand Bar. (So much so that we’ve admittedly played the part of impromptu DJ and fired up
the dance floor.) By night’s end, we’ve met new dive buddies from all over the world: a family of 10 from ­Holland,
a couple of 20-somethings from Spain and a solo backpacker from France. Although Thailand’s fun-loving
party side is definitely a draw, we have fallen in love with
its other side too; the one with lemon-grass-scented air,
warm smiles from strangers, savory food, and coasts
boasting beautiful waters and reefs. It’s this side that
has ­ignited our senses and left us enchanted.
A TA ST E OF T H A I L A N D
W H E R E T O E AT
A visit to Thailand
isn’t complete without sampling the
spices, curries and
soups that make it a
favorite for foodies.
East: Baan Muay
Thai, located in the
village of Thong
Nai Pan, features a
home-style setting
with ­made-to-order
favorites from
panang to pad thai.
There’s one cook,
so be patient; the
piping-hot dishes are
well worth the wait.
West: The chefs at
Six Senses pride
themselves on their
garden-to-table ingredients, including
fresh herbs, vegetables, ­mushrooms
from the mushroom
hut and ­just-gathered
eggs from the
hen house.
WHERE TO DRINK
No matter what
your taste, there’s
no better way to end
the day than with a
­favorite libation.
East: The Sand Bar, a
circle-shaped watering hole in Thong Nai
Pan, is the gathering
place for expats and
travelers from all
over the world.
West: Romance
exudes at the bar at
Six Senses, where
you can nestle into
a comfy lounge area
surrounded by lily
ponds and views of
Phang Nga Bay.
W H E R E T O S TAY
You can’t go wrong
with rooms offering
private plunge pools
coupled with a sense
of escapism.
East: Anantara
­Resort Koh Phangnan, on Thailand’s
eastern side, has a
South Beach vibe
that lets you choose
to mingle with guests
or hide away among
your nature-inspired
amenities.
West: Six Senses Yao
Noi, on the western side, exudes
elegance with a side
of adventure and a
calming vibe that
tempts with long afternoon naps spent
daydreaming by
Phang Nga Bay.
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 | S P O R T D I V E R .C O M 57