JM wrote:

> Not only is it not the most accessible place around but I have no fond
> recollection of my dives there. Granted I dived the place at possibly
> the worst time in the year (Christmas). The visibility was somewhere
> between crappy and horrendous. I took those as a good opportunity to
> test some navigational skills. In any case I don't think Koh Tao has
> accomodation anywhere near to Susanne's standards.

It varies immensely there. I have dived there in endless viz and in peasoup.
I have seen huge schools of barracuda in deep blue water, and I have friends
who have dived there with whale sharks, manta rays, bull sharks and false
killer whales! It's very much the luck of the draw, but the best season is
November through May (more pelagics the later in the season).

> Thanks for the name. Did a quick search and this looks like a nice area.
> Although diving should take most part of the day, It is probably
> possible to combine trips with island hopping / beach / snorkeling for
> the kids. Furthermore, the area seems to have good land excursion
> possibilities which could allow us to alternate diving and other
> activities for the kids.

It is certainly a nice area. Good hotels are few down there, though, and
English is not as widely spoken. How's your Thai coming ? :-)

> Hard to say from websites but Kho Phi Phi seems to be closest to what we
> are looking for. Have you been there?

Never stayed there, always dived the sites while enroute to Hin Daeng, or on
day-trips from Phuket. Reasonably good diving, but like Robert says, the
visibility is not the greatest. However, I have friends who have dived with
mantas and whale sharks there, again late in the season. The sites closer to
Krabi are not worth it, the viz is generally awful.

Bjorn