Best diving in Southeast Asia

Premium dive holiday destinations from Ranong

Go diving in the Andaman Sea of Thailand or Myanmar

Ranong is a small Thai town that has still managed to evade the clutches of mainstream tourism. It also happens to be located conveniently in an area of the mainland hugged by the seas that hold some of the best dive sites in Southeast Asia.

Why leave from Ranong to go diving?

We often get asked the question, why did you choose Ranong as a home base for your dive center?
Ranong is definitely less popular than Khao Lak or Phuket as far as diving destinations go, so why Ranong?

We decided to settle in Ranong because we fell in Love with the Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar.

Ranong is by far the closest and most convenient port to these wonderful 800 islands and thousands of dive sites which we consider the best in South East Asia! It would take 3 days on the boat to reach the Mergui Archipelago from Phuket, so we prefer to have it right in our backyard. We could also have settled in Kawthoung on the other side of the Myanmar border but Ranong offered a few advantages.

1. We are established close to the top dive sites in Thailand and Myanmar so we can easily visit the best of both countries.

2. Ranong has got 2 amazing islands at its doorstep. While not very famous, Koh Phayam and the small Koh Chang offer an amazing break to those who care to stop there. Idyllic beaches, wooden bungalows and an incredibly relaxed atmosphere. So nice!

3. Ranong is a quiet Thai town seldom visited by tourists so it promises a glimpse into authentic Thailand. Ranong is a well known and travelled destination for Thais from Bangkok looking for a weekend escape and in our opinion is one of the best places in Thailand to experience untouched Thai culture.

4. Ranong benefits from Thailand’s great infrastructure. Being along a major motorway between the tourists hubs of Bangkok and Phuket, budget travellers can choose to travel to Ranong by bus or taxi from either of these major cities. It is roughly 4 hours direct drive from Phuket while the terrestrial route from Bangkok requires a few more transfers and a little more time. For those who prefer a more time efficient way, two direct flights leave every day from Bangkok to Ranong and take about an hour airtime.

5. There are many things to do in Ranong and the surrounding areas should you arrive a few days before your cruise or wish to stay a few days after. Hot springs, waterfalls, national parks and more are very easily accessible from this quiet town.

What destinations do we cover? Only the best dive sites in Southeast Asia...

Thailand and Burma (now named Myanmar) have some of the most amazing dive sites in South East Asia and the world.
The best dives sites in Thailand are situated North of the Andaman Coast namely the Similan islands, Surin Islands and the famous Richelieu Rock.
The Mergui Archipelago in Burma, still off the beaten track, offers even more wonders to the curious. We are one of the few companies venturing into its pristine waters aboard our elite liveaboard dive boat, The MV Smiling Seahorse.

As you can see on this Map, Ranong is perfectly situated in the Middle of both Thailand and Myanmar's best dive sites in the Andaman Sea.

Diving in Thailand and Burma is very different, so which to choose?

We are spoiled to be so close to two of the top diving destinations in the world but how do you choose which place to visit? Each area has its own merits which draw people beneath the surface of their seas for unforgettable underwater adventures. Although they are close together, they really are two distinct entities and we like both for different reasons.

The dive sites in Thailand are fairly close to the mainland and therefore are extremely easy to access and travel around in very little time. Being part of a national park, the Surin and Similan islands of Thailand benefit from laws which forbid fisherman to visit the area during the dive season. This is wonderful for fish populations and allows us to see some of the largest schools of barracuda, trevallies and other similar pelagic fish in the area. The water in the Similans is usually a bit warmer (around 30 degrees celsius) and the visibility is consistently crystal clear all over the region.

Burma has become by far our favourite place to dive for many reasons. Firstly we are always alone on the dive sites in Myanmar with no other boats in sight. This is a nice contrast to sites like Richelieu rock which can have 100 divers swarming the pinnacle at once. We also see many more rare species of marine life in Burma like frogfish, seahorse, ghost pipe fish which are guaranteed to be seen on every trip. Species like harlequin shrimp, nurse sharks and big blotched sting rays are seen slightly less frequently but are still considered some of the regulars in the region. The limestone structure of the islands of the Mergui Archipelago also give rise to many caverns and swim throughs which are much more rare in Thailand.