May in LOS. Where to go?

[lapin_lebrune]

hi folks,
i´m looking forward to spending all may ´06 in los.
starting in bkk for several days i want to go on a diving safari, maybe to similan islands.
after this i want to enjoy phuket for a few days. (a friend told me about nai harn beach and a place there called "laguna")
then it would be mid may and i´ll have to calculate with the possibility of monsun weather.
so my questions to experienced los-travellers are:
- where do i book a diving safari? any company recommended?
- any experiences in nai harn beach? accomodations, places to go, etc.
- i want to visit chang mai, chang rai and the mekong river. since i´m not a backpacker i do not intend to go by bus and i like nice decent hotels. any suggestions?
- may seems to be a very popular time to travel for thai people. so will i have to fix some reservations for bungalows in ko samet or hua hin?
- any suggestions for other places to go in may?

thanks in advance

[domifletch]

I'm not a diver so I can't help you on this point

I was in Nai Harn last year : really nice beach, appreciated by Thai people, some friendly restaurants, quiet, not far away from Chalong, Phromtep Cape, Rawai... but I think you should rent a car (500 - 600 bath/day) or a motorbike to visit the island.
This is the place where I was last year and I negociated it for 30.000 bath for 23 days (house with 2 bedrooms) http://www.houseinphuket.com/houses/STR/p0006/03/

Laguna is in the North of the Island. No nightlife. I don't like too much but many luxury hotels there.

Easy to take a plane to Chiang Mai (I think the cheaper will be airasia.com) and you will have a stop in BKK if you come from Phuket. You can also take a night train from BKK to Chiang Mai, cheap but a little boring as you see nothing. The guy in the train will make your bed at 8:00 PM, then you can only sleep.

Hua Hin is the place where the Royal family has holidays, I have a friend who has lived there a few months : he told me it was quiet but a good place to relax.

If you have never been in LOS, don't forget to visit BKK where you will find Royal palace, temples .... but it is noisy and for me 3 days are enough

[lapin_lebrune]

thanks for your post.
"laguna" must be a bar in nai harn beach where people go when other bars close after 01:00 ....

[andy50]

i think "laguna" is a beach resort

[Crustasian]

Sorry,but the diving season on the Silimans will be closed down for charters by then.Normally the last trips out there are in April.Storms and heavy seas make long term visits unviable.Some operators out of Koh Lak may still run speed boat day trips out there but are weather dependant.

Laguna is the posh high end luxury resort area near Bang Tao Golf course.

[banger_chris]

Originally Posted by lapin_lebrune

- where do i book a diving safari? any company recommended?

Hi!

I was diving with Similan Diving Safaris located in Khao Lak end of February. Around 340 Euros for a 4 days tour including all equipment. Really fun crew, excellent equipment and perfect organisation. Google for Similan Diving Safaris.

cheers,

[lapin_lebrune]

@banger_chris
this company seems to be a little on the expensive side. what´s the difference to the other companies who offer similar trips for 100,-€ less?