Lotus Diving

Lotus Diving is one of the oldest names in Phangan diving — it started back in 1999 running dive trips out of long-tail boats, and by 2002 had grown into a full dive center with its own facilities in Chaloklum. That kind of longevity on a small island tourism scene says a lot on its own.

The full PADI course ladder is on offer, but a lot of the reputation comes from the boat trips for already-certified divers — Sail Rock especially, which regularly turns up whale sharks in season and has a well-known vertical swim-through that's become one of the signature dives in this part of the Gulf of Thailand. Ang Thong Marine Park trips are the other big draw, mixing diving with the park's dramatic limestone islands.

Being one of the longer-established operations in the village, it tends to come up as a safe, experienced choice rather than the newest or cheapest option — reliability over flash.