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Patrick Cotter is Managing Director of Asian Adventures, a company
that offers a full line of dive courses and liveaboard cruises but
has expanded into the ecotourism industry with customized trekking,
kayaking, climbing and sailing adventures around Thailand.
"I see the inbound market as more experienced and sophisticated
about travel to Thailand who want more variety in their holiday.
We have re-organized with a variety of services that should satisfy
visitors who want to design their own holiday," states Patrick.
Patrick first came to Thailand in 1987 on holiday from work in
the construction industry and decided to move to Bangkok
where he spent a few years managing nightclubs. In his free time,
he worked on his land in the country's northern region planting
and tending to tamarind and mango orchards.
By 1990, a friend had built Phuket's
first herbal sauna spa and contacted Patrick to manage the operation
now known as the Hideaway
Spa. He took his first dive course the following year and by
1994 opened the Dive Inn, a guest house and meeting place for the
growing international diving industry.
Today, Patrick manages operations for Asian Adventures and has
assembled a team of experts that qualify his company as a member
of the International Association of Nitrox Technical Divers (IANTD)
who specialize in decompression and wreck diving going far deeper
down in the sea than normal PADI certificate programs.
Asian Adventures were chosen as the official marine team in charge
of safety aspects of all water activities for the film, The Beach,
recently completed on Phi
Phi Island.
The company has been chosen by the Australian Army to assist with
their adventure training in tropical jungles and on the sea.
Twenty-two soldiers recently completed dive courses while another
eight chose a three day mountain bike and one day sea kayaking trip
to Khao Soke National Park.
"We specialize in four day/four night dive packages which
include dive training before heading off on our dive boat to the
Similan Islands," comments Patrick. "
There are fourteen dives in total over the four days including
Surin, Richilieu Rock and various points around the Similans." Asian
Adventures has also moved into the full boat chartering operations
by contracting Captain David Plant and the SY Sirius, the first
Australian rigged yacht to sail around the world, for sailing and
diving charters around Thailand, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Andaman Islands and the Indonesian archipelago.
For those who want an extended sea kayak trip, Asian Adventures
has four or five day trips into lovely Phang Nga Bay and around
to Krabi Province with naturalists who point out local exotic birds
and wildlife.
Asian Adventures is a great place to start looking into how to
make the most of a holiday in the Andaman region. With so many outdoor
recreation options available to visitors to Phuket, the only problem
will be deciding how many and what kind of adventures to have during
a holiday to the island. And Patrick Cotter will be available to
advise you on how best to enjoy yourself.
Contact Asian Adventures at 341 799,
stop by their office at 237 Rat-u-tit 200 Year Road in Patong Beach.
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