November Offers Exciting Diving Opportunities in the Similan Islands

Khao Lak, Thailand -- (ReleaseWire) -- 08/04/2014 --NOVEMBER DIVES INTO TOP SPOT AS BEST MONTH FOR SIMILAN DIVING HOLIDAYS

November Offers Exciting Diving Opportunities in the Similan Islands

November is the best month to dive in Thailand’s Similan Islands, and to back up this claim, Oktavia Dive Center is diving headfirst into the start of the season by offering money-saving deals on their reputable excursions for the first six trips.

Seeing nature in its natural habitat is best done without the hordes of tourists that navigate their way to this popular diving hotspot later in the year. There are many reasons why November is the best time to put on your fins, spit in your facemask and submerge yourself into the waters surrounding the Similan Islands, with the primary one being how quiet it is. According to The Guardian, the Similan Islands rank number nine in their list of the world’s top 10 dive sites and the area attracts divers of all experience levels like sharks to chum lines - but not in November.

Oktavia Dive Center sends its trusty MV Oktavia out from Khao Lak to the Similans and, according to Office Manager Jamie Walsh, November is the best month to see an abundance of aquatic animals: “November is a great time to book a dive trip as the weather is sunny, the water is calm, there are very few dive boats, the visibility is clear and perhaps most importantly, the sea is teeming with marine life.” After ferrying more than 500 divers and snorkelers to the Similan Islands during the 2013-2014 diving season, taking advice from this well-established local dive company is a safe bet.

He went on to add: “We want people to enjoy diving with the local manta rays, turtles and whale sharks and, with few divers in November, we decided to offer all of our customers who book on the first six trips of the season free equipment hire and free Nitrox to encourage more people to take advantage of the great diving conditions.”

The Similan Islands are open from mid-October to mid-May and they have a powerful diver-magnetism, as they are widely regarded as being the top diving location in Thailand for diving holidays. Two weeks before the start of November sees the reopening of the Similan Islands after a five-month hiatus to ensure the reefs and wildlife thrive in a human-free habitat. The start of the diving season coupled with November’s sunny weather ensures that the water is bursting with marine life. Khao Lak is the most convenient place to use as a jump-off point and, as November is officially the first month of high season it remains one of the quietest and therefore best times to visit.

After starting their operations in 2009, Oktavia Dive Center claims that the 2013-2014 season saw more sightings of whale sharks than in the previous five years, a prospect that will get divers wiggling with excitement in their wetsuits. Frommer’s portrays Khao Lak as ‘the perfect gateway to the Similans’, while Rough Guides label it a ‘convenient yet beautiful departure point’, and these are perfect descriptions of the area. December through to May welcomes the majority of the tourists and keen divers to Khao Lak, with some hotels enjoying 90% occupancy rates over the peak and high season periods. However, in November, hotels are peaceful, restaurants are enjoyable and the sun has got his hat on, so a relaxing holiday-buzz can be enjoyed both on land and under the water.

Plus the tempting promise of a great diving deal cements November’s claim for being the best month for diving in the Similans.

For more information: http://www.oktaviadivecenter.com

Contact Jamie Walsh: info@oktaviadivecenter.com / +66 (0) 83 6340 383