Phuket, Thailand

There's a reason Phuket is known as the "Pearl of the South." The waters off its coast are teeming with life and there's a range of diving opportunities to take part in, from coral fields to shipwrecks and caves.

To experience this amazing spot properly, hard-core divers opt for a "live-aboard" cruise, where, as the name indicates, you board a boat and dive for days on end without setting foot on land. It's on these trips that you're most likely to pet a docile whale shark, swim with manta rays and explore grottos.

Those who want to remain near land can take advantage of numerous day trips that bring you to one or two out of more than 15 great diving spots in the Andaman Sea. Either way, head to Phuket between October and May, once monsoon season dies down.

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