Thursday, June 12, 2008

Away Resort launches The Hub – Activity Centre in Koh Kood

When you talk to most people about what they would love to do to get away from it all the answer is usually a beautiful deserted island hardly touched by man. Somewhere to peacefully relax and watch the world go by. We all know that these sorts of places are getting harder and harder to find. People love these places not for the danger but for a world that offers them somewhere amazing, awe inspiring and to be those fortunate enough to be the first to see such wonders. In today’s society such a place will soothe the soul and rejuvenate the spirit. A virtually undiscovered island, with uncharted diving and unforgettable memories. Welcome to Koh Kood.

The island is a little further away than most but this is what has kept it in such a pristine condition. The beautiful mangroves along the river lead gently up to the waterfall and fill one with a true sense of wilderness and you definitely know you are way from it all. By visiting here you may find turning down the air conditioner back home easier knowing what you will be saving. Trekking through the lush green rainforest, trees over one hundred years old rise up in and provide an undisturbed backdrop, it is obvious why we need to protect and understand the environment. We encourage everyone to help a little by keeping it litter free. The waterfall within the rainforest is a secluded haven with a lovely plunge pool at the bottom to refresh you with a little swim and enjoy the slow pace of life.

The Hub is the dive and activity centre on Koh Kood. Part of the Away Resort it offers everything you need to truly experience this great island.

A little known, up and coming spot in the Gulf of Thailand is Koh Kood. Only 4 hours from Bangkok makes this Island one of the closest and most fashionable off shore locations to the capital. With the relatively short distance from the capital and an airport in the nearest port you start to ask the question why this island paradise remains so unexplored and unknown. The answer is that until recently all access to the island has been limited to delivery boats and expensive day trips on speed boats. Recently the local transport infrastructure has vastly improved and opened up to foreign guests, it is now a rapidly up and coming get away spot. With multi million dollar developments and many foreign investors throwing money at this island it is set to become the ‘Maldives of Thailand’. Fortunately the underwater region of this island have been largely ignored by the commercial sector leaving it pristine and untouched, many sites still to be discovered. With only one dive operation you are spoilt for choice in respect to dive professionals, you have Harvey Rogers PADI MI, Cara Lillis-James PADI IDC Staff, Paul Stock OWSI Ping and Em your friendly Multi lingual DMTs. This modern building is not only the only dive centre but also a hub of activity for the island providing many activities from jungle treks exploring the beautiful water fall to kayaking through mangroves. The well equipped and well organised dive centre houses all your scuba needs as well as a clean and friendly restaurant and pub for R&R after a hard days diving.

Koh Kood is only 25 square kilometres with a population of 2,000. Even though there is a small population the economy and infrastructure is pretty advanced offering a selection of rustic restaurants, pearl farms, fisherman’s villages and surprisingly for such a small out of the way island it comes fully equipped with an on island hospital and police station.

The island scenery is full of gently sloping jungle packed hills full of wild life most notably the huge array of giant colourful butterflies that constantly flutter in and out of the trees. About 70% of Koh Kood is covered by tropical rainforest. Although there is a lot of jungle available to gaze at and explore the stunning coast line is not to be ignored. With the crystal clear waters and enticing pinnacles you will be hard pressed not to listen to your curiosity and take the plunge to discover the glorious under water marine life on offer.

This week sees the launch of The Hub PADI SCUBA and Activity Centre on Koh Kood.

Having recently launched their exciting new website (www.kohkood.com), The Hub is aiming to build on the growing interest in diving and other activities on the Island. The introduction of the first Activity Centre on the Island is expected to generate significant interest from divers around the world to experience the Island’s underwater treasures.

The Hub is situated next to The Away Resort. Centre Manager Harvey Rogers a Master Instructor and his team can offer a range of dives from complete novices to experienced divers wanting to explore the Island’s coastline. Courses range from PADI Open Water all the way up to PADI Divemaster. They are even offering Discover Scuba Diving sessions for anyone wanting to give it a try, the price of which is refunded for anyone subsequently enrolling for a full course.

The Hub is supported by a strong team of divers who between them have amassed thousands of dives, and hundreds of certification dives, with experience in the Red Sea, Caribbean, Maldives, UK, Malaysia, the Mediterranean and of course Thailand.

Further details can be obtained from www.kohkood.com or by contacting Harvey Rogers by phone on +668 5275 8921 or on activities@awayresorts.com.

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