Our trip on MV Manta Queen II, 14 - 18/04/11

Team Malaysia with their instructor.

To Khao Lak Scuba Adventures

Love the nickname earned on this trip - TEAM MALAYSIA! (Apparently, we were the only THREE Asian Chinese on board) : )

Had loads of fun with fellow Thai staffs, dive instructors and other divers too!
Super fantastic first time LOB experience!

Thai staff: Awesome
Instructors: Brilliant
Fellow divers: Charming

Thanks a thousand to everyone on board!

Always,
Bridget, June & Rachel
From Malaysia

My first day trip on M/V Manta Queen III.

Happy safety stop : - )

I saw a few at Barracuda point.

Once again on my day off, I went diving and snorkeling with new boat Manta Queen III. My friend from Sweden is visiting me here in Khao Lak and he came on the boat with Khao Lak Scuba Adventures to snorkel. I did my first dive at Barracuda point. A minute after descending I saw a big school of Yellow Tail Barracuda. What a dive site, full of Garden Eels. The dive guide said "you are not allowed to touch anything underwater except Garden Eels" HAHAHA! These Garden Eels are very shy, when you get close, they will move into the sand and disappear. No one got a chance to touch them. I saw many colorful Nudibranches, Flounders, a few Giant Morays and beautiful soft corals. It was an easy, relaxed dive.

I went snorkeling with my Swedish friend in the afternoon at Hide Away Bay Islands number 5 and 6. We swam for 1 hour and saw a Great Barracuda that was bigger than my leg, big Jacks and school of small common reef fish. The sea was calm and we swam around island number 5.

The boat crew were helpful and the food was good. My friends and I had a very good time. Thank you to Mr. Oh (my boss) for my lovely day off, I'm looking forward to the next one.

Songkran festival 2011

Of all the feasts and festivals in Thailand, which are many, the Songkran Festival is the most striking, for it is widely observed not only in this country but also in Burma, Cambodia and the Lao State.

Songkran is a Sanskrit word in Thai form which means the entry of the sun into any sign of the Zodiac. But the Songkran in this particular instance is when the sun enters the sign of Aries or the Ram. Its full name is Maha Songkran or Major Songkran to distinguish it from the other ones. But the people call it simply the Songkran for it is the only one they know and in which they take interest. It is their traditional New Year when they can enjoy their holidays to the full with no economic hindrance. 

Songkran is a fixable feast on the solar calender. It begins on the 13th April and ends on the 15th April, but occasionally in certain years on the 16th April. The Songkran is in fact the celebration of the vernal equinox similar to those of the Indian Holi Festival, the Chinese Ching Ming, and the Christian Festival of Easter. 

This is how Khao Lak Scuba Adventures celebrate our SongKran : - ) 

Start at 10am in front of the shop.

Going around Khao Lak by car with buckets of water.

Ready to make you wet.

Noooooo! Cold water!

Stop on the way for a loo, easy to be boys : - )

This is Mr.Wat, the boat boy on MQ I. He has so much fun today.

Our empathy and best wishes for Japan.

The last days I've watched the news on TV and I see good things in the tragic disaster. There are many people around the world who donate money and things to help the Japanese affected by the tsunami. It makes me proud that Thailand is the country who has donated a lot.

This shows that Thais are generous and good friends of Japan. As you know we were also affected by a tsunami seven years ago and we got a lot of help and support from many people around the world, not least from the Japanese.

Our unity together with a lot of help, made us recover very quickly so we could get back on our own feet again. We Khao Lak Scuba Adventures wish Japan will go through this tough time and get back to normal again soon.

                                                      Story by: Watcharapol Daengsubha
                                                                      PADI IDCs 469535