Blue Guru Dive Centre
Blue Guru Dive Centre
4.5
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Provide Surin Islands Day Trip & Multi Day Snorkeling Tours and Similan Islands Scuba Diving Liveaboards.
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Blue Guru Dive Centre
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4.5
87 reviews
Excellent
78
Very good
2
Average
2
Poor
2
Terrible
3
rossmck33
Portsmouth, UK3 contributions
Apr 2022
My wife and I and two kids - 10 and 12 loved this trip. Due to the Covid situation I had had to be in touch with Chris Williams long before we arrived and his prompt replies and advice was essential in helping us decide to come (3 of us had recently recovered from covid- the rules at the time were pretty vague re acceptable PCR CT scores).
Re the travel, it's a bit of a trek from South Khao Lak (about 1 hour and a half from The Sands Khao Lak to the pier but absolutely worth it), On the boat Ai, the English speaking guide, couldn't have been more helpful and accommodating. Likewise Abdul, the island rep Ai handed us over to.
Re the bungalow, the pictures don't do them justice - they are magical. Also you can get an extra camping mat and pillow if you need it. DO stay at least a night: once the day trippers have left, it feels like you've got the islands almost to yourselves. It's really amazing.
Re the snorkelling, I'm no expert but the coral seemed to be in pretty good shape and every dive I saw a type of fish which I hadn't seen before. We were so close to them too. I've done a few snorkelling trips and this was the best.
Re the price, at 40 baht to the pound I worked out for the 4 of us it was £155 per person for 1 night 2 days. Considering the e-mail exchanges between Chris and I, distances involved, the food, the organisation, the English-speaking guides, the bungalow and snorkelling experiences, I think that's a very reasonable price. I believe the prices are going up slightly because of fuel costs but I'd still do this trip if I were you.
Re the travel, it's a bit of a trek from South Khao Lak (about 1 hour and a half from The Sands Khao Lak to the pier but absolutely worth it), On the boat Ai, the English speaking guide, couldn't have been more helpful and accommodating. Likewise Abdul, the island rep Ai handed us over to.
Re the bungalow, the pictures don't do them justice - they are magical. Also you can get an extra camping mat and pillow if you need it. DO stay at least a night: once the day trippers have left, it feels like you've got the islands almost to yourselves. It's really amazing.
Re the snorkelling, I'm no expert but the coral seemed to be in pretty good shape and every dive I saw a type of fish which I hadn't seen before. We were so close to them too. I've done a few snorkelling trips and this was the best.
Re the price, at 40 baht to the pound I worked out for the 4 of us it was £155 per person for 1 night 2 days. Considering the e-mail exchanges between Chris and I, distances involved, the food, the organisation, the English-speaking guides, the bungalow and snorkelling experiences, I think that's a very reasonable price. I believe the prices are going up slightly because of fuel costs but I'd still do this trip if I were you.
Written 18 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris and Caroline
1 contribution
Jan 2020
Christopher Williams was very helpful, thoughtful and on the ball when it came to organising our three day trip to the lovely unspoilt islands - great snorkelling. He will look after you with any wide ranging advice on Thailand. All good!
Chris and Caroline
Chris and Caroline
Written 18 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katri K
44 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
Absolutely amazing experience in the Surin islands (2n3d) from the start. We booked the trip through Blue Guru and the informing was exceptionally profound. We had the detailed info before the trip and they aswered to any questions very quickly by e-mail.
The trip itself was also excellent. Everything was very well organized, staff was very friendly and took a good care of their customers. Food was great. Place is gorgeous (both above and beneath the sea level). I highly recommend to choose Blue Guru if you’re planning a trip to Surin Islands. Thank you so much!
The trip itself was also excellent. Everything was very well organized, staff was very friendly and took a good care of their customers. Food was great. Place is gorgeous (both above and beneath the sea level). I highly recommend to choose Blue Guru if you’re planning a trip to Surin Islands. Thank you so much!
Written 18 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liam548
Barnsley, UK190 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
We contacted Christopher Williams after a friend had done a similar trip to the Surin Islands a few months ago (overnight stay and snorkelling trip to the National Park).
We had never been before but Christopher Williams and the Team at Blue Guru guided us perfectly through the booking procedure will all the information we needed in a clear and easy to follow format. This was all done in the UK prior to even arriving in Thailand and meant we had zero worry or stress about the trip. Emails were answered so promptly and politely I can honestly say that many companies could learn Customer Service from Blue Guru!
The two days were a delight and we would definitely reccommended Blue Guru to friends and family. Thank you so much for helping us create some fantastic memories.
Liam and Katherine Sandie
(UK)
We had never been before but Christopher Williams and the Team at Blue Guru guided us perfectly through the booking procedure will all the information we needed in a clear and easy to follow format. This was all done in the UK prior to even arriving in Thailand and meant we had zero worry or stress about the trip. Emails were answered so promptly and politely I can honestly say that many companies could learn Customer Service from Blue Guru!
The two days were a delight and we would definitely reccommended Blue Guru to friends and family. Thank you so much for helping us create some fantastic memories.
Liam and Katherine Sandie
(UK)
Written 21 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sabine S
2 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
We very much enjoyed the excellent organization by Christopher W. All worked out fine and we got quick answer to our questions...... we would book again with blue guru. Thank you so much!
Andreas & Sabine
Andreas & Sabine
Written 20 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A-Kit Wong
Leidschendam, The Netherlands13 contributions
Nov 2019
Everything was going smooth.
Booking, paying, pick up at hotel, snorking, dropping at hotel at the end, everything was arranged well.
Booking, paying, pick up at hotel, snorking, dropping at hotel at the end, everything was arranged well.
Written 17 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nick K
9 contributions
Nov 2019
We had a wonderful time at the Surin Islands and Blue Guru provided an amazing experience. I booked everything through Christopher Williams at Blue Guru and he could not have been more helpful and accommodating. The snorkeling was extraordinary. 10/10 experience. If you are visiting Thailand, the Surin Islands is a must and I would 100% book through Blue Guru.
Written 15 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your kind words. I am glad you enjoyed your Surin Islands experience and appreciate your taking the time to give this positive review. Wishing you all the best for the future.
Written 20 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Helle D
Bagn, Norway3 contributions
Feb 2019 • Couples
This is our second trip with Blue Guru! We also went last year and were so impressed by the company. They plan everything in advance and keep you informed on any details! The snorkeling itself was amazing! We stayed for two nights at the island and had 9 trips to different reefs. Clear waters and abundant amount of fish! We even saw octopus and barracuda . The stay at the island is very pleasant. By three o’clock all the day tourists are gone. Food is good!! Highly recommended!!!
Written 28 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It is always lovely to welcome back happy guests - we have several couples and families who return year after year. We are pleased you find all the advance planning, organisation and communication helpful. Glad you also enjoy the snorkelling, marine life and quiet evenings in Surin National Park. We look forward to your third visit!
Written 3 March 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Marcella
2 contributions
Dec 2018 • Couples
We booked a snorkeling trip to the Surin Island with Blue Guru and had an amazing time! The islands were beautiful. the food was delicious and the staff was very friendly and helpful. One of the staff members even showed us the best snorkeling spots in the water! We will definitely go again if we are in the area!
Written 28 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are ever so pleased you enjoyed your snorkelling day trip in Surin National Park. We look forward to welcoming you back. Next time you may want to consider a 2d1n or 3d2n trip to experience even more of Surin's scenic beauty & tranquility and snorkel at a wider range of sites around Surin's 5 islands. Details on both these overnight options can be seen on our Surin Islands website which is linked to from the snorkelling page of our Blue Guru website.
Written 19 February 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lucia B
Amsterdam, The Netherlands17 contributions
Sep 2016 • Couples
They gave me a BCG which started self-inflating when I was in 20m so I went straight up :(.
I complained about the deflator malfunction prior to the dive but the dive master convinced me that everything was ok.
I was in shock after the dive but still the dive master wanted to continue with 2nd and 3rd dive right after the 1st one as if nothing had happened. Their only concern was obviously money, not safety.
I complained about the deflator malfunction prior to the dive but the dive master convinced me that everything was ok.
I was in shock after the dive but still the dive master wanted to continue with 2nd and 3rd dive right after the 1st one as if nothing had happened. Their only concern was obviously money, not safety.
Written 25 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lucia, you have never dived with Blue Guru. So you have either posted this review about the wrong dive centre or have maliciously posted this review for some unknown reason. I can definitely say that this review is fictitious for the following reasons:
1. We have searched our customer records for the past 8 years since our inception and have never had a customer called Lucia.
2. We are closed from May-October every year due to monsoon season when diving is not possible in our region. You therefore definitely did not dive with us in September 2016, as you have stated in your review.
3. Furthermore, we have not run any dive trips for the past 1 1/2 years since April 2015 due to family medical reasons. So again, you definitely did not dive with us this month.
4. We are extremely safety-conscious. In fact, you would be hard pushed to find a more risk averse dive operation. All our equipment is well-maintained. Our staff conduct thorough equipment checks when they assemble the equipment and as part of every pre-dive safety check. We would never take a diver in the water with a faulty BCD (not BCG as you have stated in your review. BCG is a vaccination. BCD is a buoyancy control device. From this error you make in your review, I wonder if you are even a certified diver.)
5. We carry 6 large crates of spare rental equipment on our National Park dive trips. This means that if ever a member of staff or customer was not 100% happy with the equipment allocated, we can change any piece of equipment for a fully functional one. This includes BCDs, regulators, wetsuits, fins, masks & snorkels. There is absolutely no way that any of our staff would let you dive even once with a faulty BCD, let alone 3 times, when there is a whole crate of fully functional BCDs on board.
6. We never conduct 3 dives immediately in a row as you have described in your review. The only trip in which we offer 3 dives a day is our Richelieu Rock 2d1n trip. In this itinerary the 3 dives each day are evenly spaced throughout the morning & afternoon with a minimum of 2 hours between each dive to allow for safe diving within no decompression limits. It also allows plenty of time for all equipment to be checked again and any items changed with spares if required. So the scenario you have described would never happen on a Blue Guru dive trip.
7. We are definitely more safety conscious than money orientated. We turn away customers who do not meet required health standards or do not have proof of their certification, even though other less professional dive operators may take their money and take them diving. We limit our dive groups to a maximum of 4 divers per dive guide. Often there are only 1 or 2 divers per dive guide, as we also construct our dive groups based on having the same levels of certification/experience within each group. All our dive guides are fully qualified PADI dive instructors and divemasters who have had professional training, comply with PADI standards and take the safety of our customers extremely seriously. Safety is our company's top priority, along with environmental conservation and high customer service. So your assertion in your review that our only concern is money could not be further from the truth.
If you realise after reading this response that you have posted your review for the wrong dive centre, then I would request that you delete your review from our page and post it about the correct dive centre, so that readers are warned about the actual dive centre with which you dived this month. If on the other hand, this is a fraudulent review that someone has asked you to post on their behalf for some malicious reason, then feel free to leave it on this page so that others can read about our exceptionally high safety standards outlined in my response and realise for themselves that there is absolutely no truth in your review.
Written 1 October 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jennifer P
United States15 contributions
I'm going to Phuket next week & I was wondering if I could take a snorkeling or diving tour to the Similn islands, that leaves from Patong. Also, is it possible to see sharks, sea turtles & whale sharks, & other sea animals besides fish while snorkeling? Or it's only through diving where you can see sea animals besides fish?
HelenMacnee
Rayne, UK35 contributions
All diving liveaboards to Similan Islands depart from Khao Lak (about 1 hour north of Phuket airport) - see Blue Guru's liveaboard webpage for itinerary options. You may see turtles whilst snorkelling. Sharks are usually seen more when diving. Whale sharks & manta rays are rare but this is the best time of year to spot them. If you want to increase your chances of seeing them, you should join a dive trip including Richelieu Rock, Tachai & Koh Bon. If you just want to snorkel, then you could consider a 3d2n snorkelling trip to Surin Islands where there are potential chances seeing juvenile blacktip reef sharks and hawksbill & green turtles. Details can be seen on Blue Guru's snorkelling webpage. Of course, do bear in mind that no marine life sightings can be guaranteed, as trips are in nature not an aquarium.
nelli
Melbourne, Australia103 contributions
We'd like to dive with Blue Guru but we can only find liveaboard trips on the website. Do you do day trips from Koh Pra Thong?
Christopher W
9 contributions
Blue Guru can no longer offer diving day trips from Koh Phra Thong because the new owner of Horizon Eco Resort stole their dive centre buildings. They can however still arrange diving packages including a liveaboard trip, transfers and accommodation at the superior Moken Resort on Koh Phra Thong. Submit an enquiry via the liveaboard page of the website for a tailor-made package.
CocoBeans1
Virginia95 contributions
We are considering staying at the Nangthong Bay Resort and want to go snorkeling. Are you close to this resort? Do you take folks snorkeling? All the reviews only mentioned diving. Thanks in advance for any info you can provide.
Yasmina H
Berlin, Germany16 contributions
Blue Guru Diving has snorkelling packages too -- check their website. My husband doesn't dive so when we go on their offshore trips, I sometimes do a combination snorkel + package trip so I can spend time underwater with my husband too.
Nangthong Bay Resort isn't near Blue Guru Diving unfortunately.