Phuket: Base for Island Hopping

Flying into HKT, I found Phuket best as a base. We found one resort to stay for 4 days and use as a base to explore the island. We then went on a 5 day scuba boat trip up the coast through the national marine park. We dove on sites within the southern coastline of Burma as well. The boat was a converted fishing boat, and worked very well for our purpose even when a typhon rain storm caught us in the protection of a bay. Not that I could remember the Song from Gilligan’s Island “ The Minnow would be lost”. My most memorable dive was being at 60 feet and about to commence my ascent when another diver came by and wanted to share my air tank as he did not seem to have one. He wouldn’t let me go up, until my divemaster intervened. We later found out it was a Marine Park Wardon free diving 60 feet to see if we had paid the entry fee to the Marine Park. Trips to Phi Phi Islands are easy from the mainland. We saw them while on the scuba trip. While at the resort initially we went into the main city for the night life. During the day we visited other beaches. Transport requires planning for the side visits. What I’d do differently: stay outside main tourist zones. Note to self, if you get a massage on the beach, and are already perhaps a little over sunned, please ask the masseuse not to use the massage oil with the extra heat included.