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Thailand is a colorful fusion of something for everyone. Though pummeled with tourism every year it's still possible to get off the beaten path and follow the footsteps of a long and varied culture. Stay on the path well-traveled and enjoy the many well-known things that make this country so appealing. The best time to go is between October and April as the monsoon season is between May and September. If you do find yourself visiting during rainy season with the craving to dive, the Gulf of Thailand will be your best bet. Extremely clear waters and warm temperatures make this diving eden a favorite with beautiful whale sharks cruising the area between February and May.

Diving is one of the most loved pastimes of travelers in Thailand. Flanked by the Andaman Sea on the west and the Gulf of Thailand on the east there are lots of great spots for snorkeling and scuba diving. The Andaman side is no doubt the best place for experienced and novice divers and is jammed-packed with colorful fish, animated underwater creatures and stunning corals illuminating aquatic beauty at its best. PADI courses here cost a fraction of the prices paid in many other countries and many get certified while on vacation. In the southern region there is a huge opportunity for diving.

The Similian Islands are a favorite with a backdrop of stunning scenery both above and below the water. Rated one of the top ten diving spots in the world the islands are part of a national park roughly 100 km's from the northwest tip of Phuket. Nine granite islands provide outcroppings of rock bordered by picturesque white sand beaches and a tropical jungle. Dive sites include gently graduating coral reefs and plummeting, jagged gorges making up incredible underwater landscapes.

Sites on the west coast are more of a challenge and are perfect for more experienced divers. An aquatic paradise filled with narrow passage ways, huge, sunken boulders, exciting underwater caves and more then 500 different species of soft and hard corals await divers. Marine life around the Similian Islands includes guitar rays, large and small turtles, whale sharks, manta rays, leopard sharks and more.

Found only 13 km's south of Koh Lanta is the beautiful island of Koh Ngai where diving can easily be arranged upon arrival. Koh Ngai is part of a cluster of islands that comprises Koh Lanta National Marine Park and is laden with sandy beaches bordered by crystalline waters and fantastic coral reefs that encircle the entire island. Get

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