Southeast Asia offers some of the most spectacular diving in the world. The region traverses where the Indian and Pacific oceans meet, with much of its eastern reaches encapsulated by the stunning and largely pristine Coral Triangle.
Divers can undertake a wide variety of dives and there are sites that will impress, and are suited to, all skill levels. Costs by international standards are very reasonable, though those looking for more creature comforts can spend more if they'd like to—fancypants liveaboards can be world class.
Learning to dive
If you’re looking at getting underwater for the first time, Southeast Asia is a great place to learn. Introductory PADI and SSI courses are offered in loads of locations and you'll most likely be able to step into a course shortly after arrival. Popular destinations to do the first certification course, known as Open Water, include:
Cambodia: Sihanoukville, Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem
Vietnam: Phu Quoc Island and Nha Trang
Vietnam
Diving is centred around four locations in Vietnam: Phu Quoc in the far south, Con Dao off the southeast coast, Nha Trang on the south central coast and Cham Island near Hoi An.
As with neighbouring Cambodia, the diving should be considered a bit of a step down in quality from what you’ll experience in nearby Thailand (and a leap down from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines). Diving centres are located in all the above, along with more far-flung locations like Con Dao, so you will be able to easily learn to dive in any of these places, and conditions are reasonable for beginners.
Burma
Burma’s dive scene is the least developed in the region thanks to country's long years of tourism isolation. Since the late 1990s, a nascent liveaboard scene has developed operating out of Phuket and Khao Lak on Thailand’s southwest coast. This situation is expected to change as tourism develops in Burma.
The diving in Burma is focused around the Mergui Archipelago in the Andaman Sea. As it is primarily liveaboard focused, the scene is aimed more at experienced divers than beginners. This may change as the selection of shore operators expands.
The diving season in Burma runs from October to May, with the latter part of the season considered to be better for whale shark sightings.
Cambodia
The diving scene in Cambodia was once based out of Sihanoukville on the country’s south coast, from where you’d visit the key dive sites surrounding the offshore islands. However as the island scene on Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem (and other islands) has developed over the last decade, plenty of dive outlets now operate on the islands themselves. You can still dive from Sihanoukville, but many are opting for using the islands as a base now.
It would be fair to say that thanks to unsustainable fishing practices in the past, including dynamiting, the diving in Cambodia is not in the same class as Thailand, and a significant step below that of Malaysia and Indonesia. Still, it's growing in popularity (as are the islands in general) and new sites continue to be unearthed. Sites for now are centred around Koh Rong Samloem, Koh Tang and Koh Prins. Much of the diving is in relatively shallow water, making Cambodia a good alternative to Thailand for those wanting to learn.
While it is possible to dive year-round, the primary dive season in Cambodia is November through to late May or early June.
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