The very best diving in South East Asia for summer 2006

Summertime is here... The World Cup is finally over, we hope you can tear yourself away from the TV! We'd like to introduce you to some great ideas for Thailand and Malaysia diving trips in the next few months.

Also this month, we have two copies of The Saltwater Wilderness book to give away for the best dive travel stories from you guys. So read on, go diving, and get writing to win.

Superb value dive packages in Phuket or Koh Samui

Resort and diving packages in Phuket

Although the European Summer is officially Low season in Phuket, many divers are of the opinion that the local Phuket diving is better than in the high season, and it's certainly great value. You can combine day trips to Shark Point, Racha Noi, Phi Phi and more with a stay at the Andaman Seaview Hotel on Karon Beach and other resorts in Phuket.

Example packages:

6 days diving and 7 nights with 15 dives @US$ 679
4 days diving and 5 nights with 10 dives @ US$ 484

Resort and diving packages in Koh Samui

The summer months bring fine weather to the Gulf of Thailand. You can enjoy a stay at the excellent Pavilion Samui Spa and Resort, pure relaxation combined with day trips to the very best dive sites of the area.

Example packages:

8 days & 7 nights with 12 dives @ US$ 1,020
6 days & 5 nights with 8 dives @ US$ 701

Read about Thailand's Dive Sites:
Diving in Phuket
Diving in Koh Samui

Contact our Phuket dive experts for details.

A World of variety on offer for diving Sipadan

You can dive the spectacular waters of Sipadan from the nearby resorts on Mabul Island or Kapalai. Mix the best beach dive in the world and the huge numbers of big fish at Sipadan with the macro havens just metres from your chalet. There is an impressive range of accommodation available, from the luxury Mabul Water Bungalows to the funky Seaventures Rig. Read about the: Dive Sites of Sipadan.

August is high season and places are limited now, but September and October are also great months for diving Sipadan and all resorts have space available. The divemasters at Mabul say that September and October are the best months to see pelagics around Sipadan.

Here are a couple of resort options to consider. For more ideas, please see our comprehensive Malaysia Dive Resorts Guide.

Example packages:

Luxury - Mabul Water Bungalows: 8 days & 7 nights with 20 dives @ US$ 1,566

Value for Money - Sipadan Mabul Resort: 8 days & 7 nights with 20 dives from US$ 1,138

Contact our Malaysia dive experts for more information.

Competition:

We are always on the lookout for well-written articles on dive travel adventures that we can use for our periodic newsletters. Also we are always trying to improve the dive site reviews on our website.

So if you are a keen writer and want to share your dive travel experiences with us, we'd be delighted to hear from you. We will of course give you credit should we choose to feature your work and, as an added incentive, we are giving away two copies of The Saltwater Wilderness by Glenn Vanstrum for the two best articles that we receive.

Stan Waterman, five time Emmy Award winning underwater cinematographer said that "The Saltwater Wilderness is 'must reading' for all those interested in or involved with the sea". The author uses his own experiences of diving and surfing the world's oceans together with scientific research to chronicle his lifelong bond with the sea.

The two best articles received by 31 August will each get a free copy of the hardcover version. Please send your entries to: The Saltwater Wilderness Competition.