Nicely done, QL! Since we're still recovering from jet lag - and you were on our flight - I'm impressed by the speed at which you posted your trip journal. (Of course, carrying the laptop never hurts, and - little did we know - we had another 10 hours of travel after leaving you at baggage claim). One note I felt might be useful to other Thailand travelers --

"We had a final lunch and the boat took us away as we waved tearful goodbyes to the dive crew and to Rachel, Mark, Jim, and Ellen, all of whom got an extra day, mostly because their travel agent didn’t tell them it was possible to do only two nights."

While I completely agree that many travel agents in Thailand might exclude pertinent information such as this, our experience was a bit different. We had no intention of booking a live-aboard. We arrived at the Scuba Cat dive shop hoping only to book a day trip - we had heard from several shops that the Similan Islands trips were booked through May.

We had been in Phuket for less than 24 hours, after spending over 4 weeks in less-developed, quieter parts of Thailand. In comparison to the peaceful beaches, vendor-free environments and ludicrously cheap accommodations to which we had grown accustomed, Phuket was quite the opposite. Although we did have fun drinking with the Navy, and playing board games with the staff at the local bars, we wanted nothing to do with staying in Phuket for our last week in Thailand. Too touristy, too crowded, and too pricey! Of course, both you and Rachel have shared information about lodging on Phuket that would eliminate the pricey part (thanks), but it still was not our idea of the ideal vacation paradise. It also may not appeal to other potential travelers, who might prefer the quiet beaches of northern Pha Ngan, or Koh Tao.

Anyway, when the Scuba Cat people told us there was room aboard their Similan Islands catamaran, we jumped at the chance. We would have stayed aboard even longer, if not for that pesky "no diving 24 hours before flying" rule. And it was the best diving we experienced in Thailand.

Happy Trails,
j&e