Region

Diving in Southeast Asia

30 curated dive destinations across 7 countries including Cambodia and Indonesia in Southeast Asia. Conditions peak around Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr and Dec.

Cham Islands & Hoi An · photo yeowatzup

Destinations: 30
Countries: 7
Peak season: Jan–Dec

Common encountersNudibranchsSea turtlesBarracudaOctopus & cuttlefishMacro critters

Diving by country

Thailand16
Vietnam6
Malaysia4
Cambodia1
Indonesia1
Myanmar1
Singapore1

What is diving in Southeast Asia like?

Thailand's Andaman Sea is the core of mainland Southeast Asian diving. Liveaboards and day boats run to the granite boulder swim-throughs of the Similan Islands and to Richelieu Rock, where the prime whale shark season runs from February to April. Further south, Hin Daeng has a sheer wall with manta rays, and the remote Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar is dived only by liveaboard.

Much of the diving on the Gulf of Thailand and South China Sea side is rated for beginners. Koh Tao is the Gulf's training hub, with deeper pinnacles for whale sharks, and Malaysia's east-coast islands, Redang and the Perhentians and Tioman, have sheltered reefs and turtle-nesting beaches. Vietnam's Nha Trang and Phú Quốc are macro diving over granite and sand, and Côn Đảo is one of the country's last dugong refuges.

Best diving in Southeast Asia for wrecks, big animals, beginners, macro and liveaboards

One destination per theme, picked from the species, dive types, access and site records on each destination page.

Wrecks
Redang & Perhentian Islands
Malaysia
Its dive sites take in 5 wrecks, including KM Ligitan and Pasir Tani.
Big animals
Whale Island & Van Phong Bay
Vietnam
Whale sharks, whales and manta rays are all on its species list, the most of any destination here.
Beginners
Côn Đảo
Vietnam
Rated for beginners, with mild current and shore diving. Best Jun–Aug.
Macro
Phi Phi & the King Cruiser
Thailand
Muck and macro diving is one of its main dive types, with nudibranchs, macro critters and octopus & cuttlefish on the species list.
Liveaboards
Mergui Archipelago
Myanmar
Dived only from liveaboards, best Dec–Mar; manta rays and whale sharks are on its species list.

When is the best time to dive Southeast Asia?

The busiest stretch is February–April: in April, 22 of the 30 destinations here are in peak season.

October is the leanest month, when Pulau Weh is still at its best.

Pulau Hantu & Singapore's Southern Islands rates good or better in every month.

Destinations in prime seasonRated good

Destinations in Southeast Asia in prime and good season, by month
Month	Prime	Good
Jan	15	7
Feb	18	3
Mar	21	6
Apr	22	7
May	8	14
Jun	7	7
Jul	7	7
Aug	6	8
Sep	5	8
Oct	1	7
Nov	8	11
Dec	14	6

Compare every destination in Southeast Asia

Tap a column heading to sort.

Dive destinations in Southeast Asia: best months, water temperature, level, signature animal and access

Cham Islands & Hoi An Vietnam	Jun–Aug	24–29°C	Intermediate	Nudibranchs	Day boat
Côn Đảo Vietnam	Jun–Aug	26–29°C	Beginner	Dugongs & manatees	Shore, Day boat
Hin Daeng & Hin Muang Thailand	Dec–Apr	27–29°C	Advanced	Manta rays	Day boat, Liveaboard
Khao Lak Thailand	Nov–Apr	26–30°C	Beginner	Nudibranchs	Day boat
Koh Chang & Koh Rang Thailand	Dec–Apr	28–30°C	Beginner	Whale sharks	Day boat
Koh Kood & Koh Mak Thailand	Nov–Apr	28–30°C	Beginner	Barracuda	Shore, Day boat
Koh Lanta & Koh Haa Thailand	Nov–Apr	27–30°C	Beginner	Manta rays	Day boat
Koh Lipe & Tarutao Thailand	Feb–Apr	27–30°C	Intermediate	Whale sharks	Shore, Day boat, Liveaboard
Koh Rong & Koh Tang Cambodia	Nov–Apr	27–31°C	Beginner	Nudibranchs	Day boat, Liveaboard
Koh Samui & Koh Phangan Thailand	Jan–Apr	28–30°C	Beginner	Barracuda	Day boat
Koh Tao Thailand	Mar–May	27–30°C	Beginner	Whale sharks	Shore, Day boat
Kota Kinabalu & Tunku Abdul Rahman Park Malaysia	Apr–Dec	26–31°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Shore, Day boat
Mergui Archipelago Myanmar	Dec–Mar	26–29°C	Intermediate	Manta rays	Liveaboard
Nha Trang Vietnam	Feb–May	24–30°C	Beginner	Nudibranchs	Shore, Day boat
Pattaya & the Sattahip Wrecks Thailand	May–Jul	26–31°C	Intermediate	Barracuda	Day boat
Phi Phi & the King Cruiser Thailand	Nov–Apr	27–30°C	Intermediate	Reef sharks	Day boat, Liveaboard
Phú Quốc Vietnam	Dec–Apr	28–31°C	Beginner	Nudibranchs	Day boat
Phuket — Racha Islands & Local Reefs Thailand	Nov–Apr	27–31°C	Intermediate	Manta rays	Shore, Day boat
Pulau Hantu & Singapore's Southern Islands Singapore	Year-round	27–31°C	Beginner	Nudibranchs	Day boat
Pulau Weh Indonesia	Oct–Apr	27–30°C	Intermediate	Reef sharks	Shore, Day boat
Quy Nhơn & Hòn Khô Vietnam	Mar–Sep	22–31°C	Beginner	Barracuda	Day boat
Redang & Perhentian Islands Malaysia	Apr–Jul	27–30°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Shore, Day boat
Richelieu Rock Thailand	Feb–Apr	27–30°C	Intermediate	Whale sharks	Day boat, Liveaboard
Sail Rock — Hin Bai Thailand	Mar–May	28–30°C	Intermediate	Whale sharks	Day boat
Similan Islands Thailand	Dec–Apr	27–30°C	Intermediate	Manta rays	Day boat, Liveaboard
Surin Islands Thailand	Dec–Apr	27–30°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Day boat, Liveaboard
Tenggol Island Malaysia	Aug–Sep	27–32°C	Intermediate	Whale sharks	Day boat
Tioman Malaysia	May–Jul	26–30°C	Beginner	Reef sharks	Shore, Day boat
Trang Islands — Kradan, Mook & Ngai Thailand	Nov–Apr	28–30°C	Beginner	Reef sharks	Day boat
Whale Island & Van Phong Bay Vietnam	Apr–Sep	25–29°C	Beginner	Whale sharks	Shore, Day boat

Destination guides

30 guides

Best Jun–Aug
Cham Islands & Hoi An
Vietnam
Coral gardens and deep pinnacles in a marine park a boat ride off Hoi An
24–29°C · 75–84°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftintermediate
Best Jun–Aug
Côn Đảo
Vietnam
One of Vietnam's last dugong refuges with protected turtle nesting beaches
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftbeginner
Best Dec–Apr
Hin Daeng & Hin Muang
Thailand
Sheer purple-coral wall with manta rays and occasional whale sharks
27–29°C · 81–84°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftadvanced
Best Nov–Apr
Khao Lak
Thailand
Tin-dredger wrecks full of fish on a half-day boat trip
26–30°C · 79–86°Fvis 15 m · 50 ftbeginner
Best Dec–Apr
Koh Chang & Koh Rang
Thailand
The HTMS Chang wreck and whale sharks from January to April
28–30°C · 82–86°Fvis 15 m · 50 ftbeginner
Best Nov–Apr
Koh Kood & Koh Mak
Thailand
Fringing reefs and small islands within 45 minutes of the boat pier
28–30°C · 82–86°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftbeginner
Best Nov–Apr
Koh Lanta & Koh Haa
Thailand
Limestone caverns and swim-throughs at Koh Haa, a short boat ride out
27–30°C · 81–86°Fvis 40 m · 130 ftbeginner
Best Feb–Apr
Koh Lipe & Tarutao
Thailand
Granite pinnacles and intact park reefs off Thailand's far-southern border
27–30°C · 81–86°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftintermediate
Best Nov–Apr
Koh Rong & Koh Tang
Cambodia
Four hours offshore to Koh Tang, where the water finally clears
27–31°C · 81–88°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftbeginner
Best Jan–Apr
Koh Samui & Koh Phangan
Thailand
Longtail reef dives at Koh Ma and Rock Point off Koh Phangan
28–30°C · 82–86°Fbeginner
Best Mar–May
Koh Tao
Thailand
Gulf of Thailand training hub with deeper pinnacles for whale sharks
27–30°C · 81–86°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftbeginner
Best Apr–Dec
Kota Kinabalu & Tunku Abdul Rahman Park
Malaysia
Easy macro and training dives in a marine park on Kota Kinabalu's doorstep
26–31°C · 79–88°Fvis 15 m · 50 ftbeginner
Best Dec–Mar
Mergui Archipelago
Myanmar
Remote liveaboard-only archipelago with the shark-rich Burma Banks seamount
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftintermediate
Best Feb–May
Nha Trang
Vietnam
High nudibranch diversity in granite boulder fields off the Vietnamese coast
24–30°C · 75–86°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftbeginner
Best May–Jul
Pattaya & the Sattahip Wrecks
Thailand
Gulf wrecks and the 100 m Samaesan Hole, two hours from Bangkok
26–31°C · 79–88°Fvis 15 m · 50 ftintermediate
Best Nov–Apr
Phi Phi & the King Cruiser
Thailand
An 85 m car ferry upright at 12–30 m beside the reef that sank her
27–30°C · 81–86°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftintermediate
Best Dec–Apr
Phú Quốc
Vietnam
Shallow boulder reefs and sand macro in Vietnam's south-western gulf
28–31°C · 82–88°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftbeginner
Best Nov–Apr
Phuket — Racha Islands & Local Reefs
Thailand
Year-round day-boat diving from Chalong, with Racha Noi's boulders for the bigger animals
27–31°C · 81–88°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftintermediate
Year-round
Pulau Hantu & Singapore's Southern Islands
Singapore
Year-round macro diving on reefs a short boat ride from the city
27–31°C · 81–88°Fvis 10 m · 33 ftbeginner
Best Oct–Apr
Pulau Weh
Indonesia
Volcanic gas bubbles through the sand off a current-swept island
27–30°C · 81–86°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftintermediate
Best Mar–Sep
Quy Nhơn & Hòn Khô
Vietnam
Short boat hops to rocky islands and reef walls off Nhơn Hải
22–31°C · 72–88°Fbeginner
Best Apr–Jul
Redang & Perhentian Islands
Malaysia
Turtle-nesting beaches and a shallow wreck on Malaysia's calm northeast coast
27–30°C · 81–86°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftbeginner
Best Feb–Apr
Richelieu Rock
Thailand
Thailand's top-rated pinnacle dive, prime whale shark season Feb-Apr
27–30°C · 81–86°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftintermediate
Best Mar–May
Sail Rock — Hin Bai
Thailand
A vertical chimney runs up through the rock from 18 m to 6 m
28–30°C · 82–86°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftintermediate
Best Dec–Apr
Similan Islands
Thailand
Granite boulder swim-throughs on one coast, sloping coral reefs on the other
27–30°C · 81–86°Fvis 40 m · 130 ftintermediate
Best Dec–Apr
Surin Islands
Thailand
Thailand's best shallow hard-coral gardens, in five to twelve metres
27–30°C · 81–86°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftbeginner
Best Aug–Sep
Tenggol Island
Malaysia
Current-swept rock and drifts, with whale sharks from August to October
27–32°C · 81–90°Fintermediate
Best May–Jul
Tioman
Malaysia
Sheltered South China Sea reefs popular with Singapore and KL divers
26–30°C · 79–86°Fvis 15 m · 50 ftbeginner
Best Nov–Apr
Trang Islands — Kradan, Mook & Ngai
Thailand
A sunken train and sheltered reefs a short longtail ride from Koh Ngai
28–30°C · 82–86°Fbeginner
Best Apr–Sep
Whale Island & Van Phong Bay
Vietnam
Whale sharks and whales feeding in Van Phong Bay from April to June
25–29°C · 77–84°Fbeginner