Thailand has so much to offer holidaymakers of all types. From the hustle, bustle and culture rich streets of Bangkok to the tranquil waters and picturesque beaches of the Phi Phi Islands, Thailand is a fabulous holiday destination. What most people might not have known is that it is also one of the best scuba diving locations in the world – especially for those on a tight budget. Historically, the British pound has been very strong against the Thai baht and this has made Thailand a very affordable holiday destination. The pound has taken a dip over the past year, but it is slowly climbing back up against the baht and this is making a big difference to the cost of Thailand holidays. The recent political unrest has also had an understandable impact on Thailand’s tourism numbers and the knock-on effect of this has meant cheaper flights and hotels for travellers who are willing to make the trip to Thailand’s exotic shores. The combination of cheaper holidays and a strengthening pound has meant that there isn’t a better time than now to visit Thailand and get yourself PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certified while you are there. With crystal clear, warm waters and an abundance of exotic marine life, including whale sharks, turtles and beautiful coral reefs, Thailand is a scuba diver’s paradise. You can often pay up to £500 in the UK the PADI Open Water Diver course, which runs for about four days and is the most popular dive programme in the world. In Thailand this same course can cost around £170 and with average sea temperatures of about 28oC – much better than around 16oC on the UK’s south coast. Once you have your PADI Open Water Diver qualification, you can go for more advanced qualifications or just go scuba diving for fun. Again, Thailand has some of the cheapest fun diving and liveaboards in the world. You can find fun dives around the island of Koh Tao for as little as £12 per tank or £10 if you bring your own equipment. Liveaboards can be found for all budgets and can last from two days to two weeks. Staying on a boat and diving each day is definitely a good way to expand your diving skills and get a wide variety of dives in during your holiday. A typical four day/four night liveabord trip in Thailand starts at around £400 and will often include multiple destination dives, accommodation and diving equipment. There are many different dive locations around mainland Thailand and its islands, such as Phuket, Koh Samui and Phi Phi. One of the most recognised is the Similan Islands National Park, a group of small islands in the Phang Nga Province of southern Thailand. There are plenty of spectacular dive sites in this region, with sightings of whale sharks not uncommon. Visibility is around 30 to 40 metres in good weather conditions and the sheer abundance of marine life makes diving there something very special. Thailand holidays are usually associated with relaxing on a beach or hunting a bargain in a busy Bangkok market, but learning to dive in Thailand is something that will make you holiday even more memorable. Scuba diving is a fun experience and will give you skills and memories that will last a lifetime and have a huge impact on where you will want to spend your holidays in the future.

Perfectly located on the Sinai Peninsula on the tip of the Red Sea in Egypt, Sharm El Sheikh offers tourists a fantastic holiday experience where you can merge the world’s most astounding sites with the adventure of diving to the rarest tropical waters in the world.
This village is only a fishing village way back in the early years. However, it has evolved into a major tourist destination in the area. The city is also considered the administrative center of the Southern Sinai province. The city is also known as The City of Peace. It hosted several international peace conference a few years ago.
It is easy to reach the city if you are from other parts in the globe, with the Sharm el Sheikh International Airport serving several flights from other cities in the country as well as flights from Gatwick airport in London. So definitely if you reside in UK this might be an option for you. Tourists also come in through chartered flights from other cities in Europe. And if you want to travel from Cairo by land, that won’t be a problem since there are several excellent bus services to and from Cairo. There are also ferry services to nearby Aqaba and Hurghada so you would definitely enjoy the place. In addition, there is also a passenger terminal for cruise ships that frequently stops in the city, as well as a marina for private sailboats and yachts.
Customers are advised to book their hotels in Sharm El Sheikh earlier as they are popular amongst visitors there. You are guaranteed a great time in a fantastic place. Although it would be a shame to pass up the opportunity to dive in one of the world’s most renowned diving destinations, there will be more to your visit. With superb facilities to kick back and relax, Sharm El Sheikh really is the perfect holiday destination.
One of the most famous activities in Sharm el Sheikh is scuba diving, with some of the best diving spots in the world located just a few miles from shore. From areas near the Gulf of Suez to the Straits of Tiran, corals and marine creatures abound to enchantment and astonish even the most experienced diver. For a small rental fee for diving gear and your boat, you can encounter fishes of all shapes and sizes, ranging from tiny reef fishes to the real big ones that are found in the bluest part of the sea. Numerous boats with friendly crews are available all year round to take scuba divers to day trips as well as overnight adventures. Moreover, Sharm el Sheikh Hyperbaric Medical Centre is available to provide medical assistance and support for diving related illnesses, as well as accidents. Fishing enthusiasts are also not disappointed, as most of the local boat crews know just where to throw the line in to get a really big catch to brag about.
It is good to spend the day underwater in their golden beaches. However, this city has much to offer. You would surely want enjoy the country’s culture. They also have a unique taste when it comes to food. Their cuisine is full of delight. Aside from their own cuisine, you could also taste other international cuisine for they were able to adapt some international delicacies due to the fact that there are a lot of foreigners visiting the place. After dinner you can let you hair down in the discos and nightclubs Sharm El Sheikh has to offer or if you fancy a flutter then head down to the local casino.

The Canary Islands are a massively popular network of islands located off the coast of North Africa in the Atlantic Ocean, their location alone means that the popular islands Britons visit each year such as Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote enjoy year-round sun. Being islands they have plenty of coastline and perfect sandy beaches to laze on, but for many tourists they don’t want to spend their entire holiday soaking up the sun.This is why many families will hire a car and venture out to see other parts of the island, quite often a water park or a little known quiet port town. Others may look to the sea for more entertainment with many favourites such as jet ski or pedalo hire, but for those holidaying on the island of Lanzarote they are in for a real treat; scuba diving.Lanzarote is a scuba divers paradise with the volcanic island providing interesting environments and wildlife that set it apart from other diving locations. On the south and east coasts there are many locations that divers flock to, there are over 500 species of fish that call Lanzarote home including: Barracudas, Angel Sharks and sea horses.With the islands being created as a result of volcanic activity the seas around Lanzarote are home to many impressive lava reefs, as well as this many Spanish and Portuguese shipwrecks from the 14th century provide habitats for the sea life as well as interesting places to dive at.Scuba diving on Lanzarote is certainly not just for the seasoned pro, there are many diving centres where you can learn or brush up on your diving, for those who may not like the idea of scuba diving with a tank there is still plenty to be seen when snorkelling from the surface.This activity can introduce you to a rewarding pastime as there are many other famous diving locations people have visited such as a Sharm-El-Sheikh for instance, in many cases if you were to get qualified as a scuba diver then potentially wherever there is a diving centre on your next holiday you’ll be able to hire equipment and go.Lanzarote isn’t the only diving hotspot; Pechiguera has the nickname “The Grand Canyon of the sea” which is home to many of the 500 species of sea life in the seas around the Canaries. If the idea of seeing various sea life is something that interests you but you would rather see them from the safety of dry land then there is still an aquarium on the island at Costa Teguise Los Zocos and Apartments Lanzarote Gardens. Some of the aquariums allow you to actually touch the creatures.So if you are looking for something new and interesting to do on your next beach holiday then give scuba diving a try and discover the depths around Lanzarote or any of the other Canary Islands.