Chinese New Year Liveaboard Availability

Good luck for this liveaboard trip

This weekend is shaping up to be the busiest of the season for Phuket and for the Phuket dive boats. Thousands of holiday makers from around Asia are descending on Phuket for a long weekend over Chinese New Year.

Most liveaboard dive boats are fully booked.

Of the low budget boats as of today there are a couple of spaces free on South Siam III and a couple of berths free on Mariner One.

All our mid budget boats are full.

In the higher budget Nautica has 3 spaces available departing 21 January. So does the Junk.

If you have a small group of 4-6 divers the Saimai is available for charter.

January Liveaboard Sales

Happy New Year! Here are some non Thailand special offers for liveaboards in the coming months:

• Mermaid II: Feb 25 Bali-Komodo-Maumere - cruise price now includes return airfare to Bali. If guests wish to stay and enjoy the Three Colour Lakes or just chill out, we can help. The airfare offer is valid till their selected return date to Bali.

• Mermaid II: cruise with Mermaid II to Sorong.  Join the Feb 25 Bali - Komodo - Maumere cruise and then relax on board free of charge as the boat travels from Maumere to Sorong. Enjoy the sights then stay on board for Mar 7 to 15 for an awesome time diving both the north and south of Raja Ampat region. Or join Mermaid in Maumere on March 3 and cruise through - dive Raja Ampat March 7-15 2012 - cost as per Raja Ampat trip cost only.

• Mermaid II: Raja Ampat cruises March/April - 10% off

Mermaid II

• MV Nautica has a special price for it's up coming Burma trip on 12-20 Jan 2012. Price: 74,880 baht per diver (reduced from 83,200 baht)

Nautica

The following offers are valid until 31 January:

• S/Y Philippine Siren Tubbataha 21st - 27th March 2012 – was 1800 Euro 20% off NOW 1440 Euro Sailing from Puerto Princesa the S/Y Philippine Siren brings you to the atolls of Tubbataha and Jessie Beazley reef for opportunity to see many different shark species.

• S/Y Indo Siren 23rd May – 2nd June Komodo 2600 Euro less 30% NOW 1820 Euro Departing from & returning to Bima Bay- a macro critter hotspot. This fantastic 10-night tour in Komodo takes you to Sangeang Island, Gili Lawa Laut -Castle & Cannibal rocks, Manta Alley and Nusa Kode. See mantas, reef sharks, schools of fish and creatures galore!

• S/Y Maldives Siren Central B 21st - 31st May 2012 – was 2600 Euro 10% off NOW 2340 Euro Departing from Laamu, visiting Thaa, Ari Rasdhoo atolls before ending the 10 night safari in Male. Schools of reef sharks can be sighted in the kandus, whilst whale sharks visit the shallow bays which are excellent for critter hunting too!

• S/Y Palau Siren 12th - 22nd February 2013 Palau Islands 10 Nights 2950 Euro less 10% NOW 2655 Euro.From Koror to dive the wrecks, Ulong Channel & Jelly Fish Lake as well as German Channel & Blue Corner. See the Rock Islands & dive with sharks & mantas over superb coral reefs.

Liveaboard trips this weekend

The Thailand liveaboard season gets into full swing in about two weeks time but if you are in Phuket or Khao Lak now and you want to go diving, here are two trips departing this weekend:

Mantas are common at Hin Daeng

MV SaiMai
21-25 October
4 days 4 nights 14 dives
Phi Phi, Koh Haa, Hin Daeng, Hin Muang

This'll be the first liveaboard to Hin Daeng/Muang this season so it'll be interesting to see if Mantas are there yet. There is one cabin left. If no one books this cabin I'm going to go on this trip so if you want to ruin my weekend...book now.

MV Daranee
22-24 October
3 days 2 nights 9 dives
Phi Phi, Koh Haa, Hin Daeng, Hin Muang
16,400 baht per diver

This is a lower budget, shorter trip to Hin Daeng / Hin Muang and Phi Phi Islands. Twin bunk cabins are still available.

Nautica Liveaboard announces new prices

MV Nautica

I posted a while back that Nautica planned to raise prices on 1 October. Well, it took them a bit longer than that but the new management released the new prices today.

Prices are up between 6 and 9 percent! You can see them here. At first sight the price rises seem steep but actually it's just bought them more in line with some of the other boats on the market.

Pre season bookings have been good for Nautica, I think that they have benefited from a gap in the market left by the departure to Indonesia of Queen Scuba, Black Manta, Mermaid I and Mermaid II.

More details about Nautica liveaboard here.

What happens to Phuket Liveaboards in Low Season?

Dilok Shipyard Phuket

With the Similan liveaboard season running from late October until early May some may wonder what the boats do for the rest of the year.

Liveaboard owners are always looking for a way to earn some revenue during the low season. Every year we receive low season schedules for boats who plan to run trips throughout May-October to the Phi Phi Islands or the Racha Islands. These schedules are often wishful thinking because the boats struggle to find bookings are rarely run more than one or two trips. Diva Andaman has done well with her Racha and Phi Phi trips because they are short and they focus as much on non divers as divers. MV SaiMai has also had several low season charters, at just 6 guests maximum it easier to find enough guests to run. The Junk finds it harder to fill the boat for her low season 6 night trips.

The Junk has another unique way of earning her keep in low season. She has been rented out several times by film crews. She was used in the movie Shanghai which was filmed in Bangkok in 2008. She also starred in The Swiss Family Robinson and a documentary called Das Weisse Gold. This is a great deal for the Junk, production companies pay well and she normally gets a complete repaint out of it.

Some liveaboards are lucky enough to get chartered for the low season. This year Giamani was sailed round to Koh Samui where she was chartered by a group of tec divers. She is returning to Phuket now and will head straight into the ship yard for a spruce up before the Similan season starts.

In previous years Thailand liveaboards spent the Thai low season diving in Komodo or Manado. However with a change of Indonesian regulations, Thai flagged boats are no longer able to operate as liveaboards in Indo. Mermaid 1, Mermaid 2, Black Manta and Queen Scuba therefore all took the decision to leave Thailand and re flag as Indonesian liveaboards.

White Manta in Phuket Shipyard

Most boats just don't run in low season. They get put on the hard stand in Ratanachai or Dilok shipyards. It's a chance for the crews to take a well earned holiday. After 6 months of living aboard many of them go home to their families for a couple of months. Some go and get jobs in other countries. Dive crew go to Bali or Egypt. I know one Thai cook who is currently working on a liveaboard in the Maldives. It's a time for hiring and firing as some crew members quit never to return, some are fired and some are poached by rival boats.

About this time of year the shipyard work starts in earnest as the boats are prepared for the high season. For most that means engine maintenance and a paint job but some boats go through more extensive redesigns and improvements. Nautica has changed her Nitrox membrane system this year. Also, some boats are built, White Manta is new this season, and others change owners. Viking of the Orient will sail as MV Hallelujah this season.

Low season is when a lot of companies decide on their schedules for the next season and schedules tend to change a lot as full charter requests force changes. This year we are seeing an increase in shorter trips and also more emphasis on Surin only trips. MV Daranee is departing from her usual 4 day 4 night format and offering Surin or Similan trips instead. It will be interesting to see if it's popular. Fewer boats are scheduling Burma diving this year. Maybe because of the entry costs or maybe because the sharks have largely been fished out.

New Special Offers for Phuket Diving

Our low season early bird offer expires today but a few liveaboards are still offering discounts for booking early:

The Junk Liveaboard

• 10% off Nautica for bookings before 30 Sept.
• 15% off The Junk for bookings 6 months in advance.
• 10% off The Junk for bookings 3 months in advance.
• 5% off The Junk for bookings 1 month in advance.
• 5% off Diva Andaman for bookings 6 months in advance.

We've also added a few more specials:

• 5% discount if you book 3 days of Diving day trips
• 10% discount if you book 5 days of Diving day trips
• 5% off a Dive course or Diving day trips if you book a liveaboard with us.
• 5% discount off your second booking with us.
• 10% discount off your third booking with us.
• 10% off Phuket tours if you book Phuket diving with us.

I hope one of these special offers tickles your fancy.

Early Bird Discounts Ending Soon

Save Money Diving

Just a quick reminder that our early bird special offer on Thailand liveaboards will expire on 15 September. That's just 10 days away.

If you want to get 10% off a Thailand liveaboard for the coming high season book before 15 September and pay in full.

Details here

Discounts on Komodo Liveaboards August - October

Black Manta has a couple of special offers for last minute bookings on their Komodo liveaboards:

Black Manta Komodo Liveaboard

24-30 August 2011
7 days 6 nights Labuan Bajo - Komodo - Labuan Bajo
20 dives
Normal Price US$1,875
Discounted Price US$1,500

30 September - 4 October 2011

5 days 5 nights Labuan Bajo - Komodo - Labuan Bajo

13 dives

Normal Price US$1,375

Discounted Price US$965 plus FREE Nitrox (worth US$120)

More details here: Black Manta Komodo Liveaboard

Where to stay if you are diving Phuket

Phuket daytrip dives depart from:

Chalong Bay for Phi Phi Islands, Shark Point, King Cruiser Wreck, Anemone Reef, Koh Doc Mai, Racha Yai and Racha Noi diving. (Year Round).

Thap Lamu (Khao Lak) for Similan Islands and Koh Bon diving. (November to April)

With this in mind look at the map of Phuket here. Chalong Bay is in the south east of the island. Thap Lamu is one hour drive north of the island (not shown on this map).

For diving day trips departing from Chalong Bay. Most dive operators start picking up at their divers at Patong hotels. They then travel south to Karon, then Kata, then across to Chalong Bay. They do not pick up in other locations without special arrangement and extra charges.

Staying north of Patong beach is not ideal if you plan to be diving from Chalong Bay. There are some dive centres that will transfer you from Kamala but you'll spend more time in a minibus than if you stay at, say, Kata beach.

For diving daytrips to the Similans and Koh Bon from Thap Lamu. Transfers start in the south of the island at about 6am and work their way north up the west coast so in this case staying up near the airport in somewhere like NaiYang beach is better.

Phuket Town is not a good location for divers. Dive companies don't like going there. Koh Maphrao (Coconut Island) is also off the transfer route, as are Thalang, Mission Hills, Cape Yamu, Ao Por. You will need to arrange a private taxi if you stay in one of these locations. Most companies also charge extra for pick ups in Rawai, Naiharn, Ao Yon, Cape Panwa.

I understand that there are many other factors that go into picking your hotel location other than diving but it certainly bears thinking about if you plan on doing a few diving day trips.

Divers staying in Khao Lak also need to be careful with locations. Khao Lak is rather stretched out and some resorts are miles from the Thap Lamu boat pier and an extra fee for transfers may be charged.

Another issue is that some resorts that are actually off Phuket Island still advertise themselves as Phuket even though they are in Phang Nga. Khok Kloi resorts are an example of this. Some resorts advertise themselves as Khao Lak even though they are in Thai Muang or further.

If in doubt please contact us and we'll advise the best location for you.

Backpacker Liveaboards in Khao Lak

Nangnuan budget liveaboard

We've just added three more liveaboards to ThailandLiveaboards.com. All three boats fall in the budget category and are popular with packpackers. All three boats depart from Khao Lak (we can arrange transfers if you are staying in Phuket).

There are a lot of lower budget dive boats departing from Khao Lak. New ones come and go all the time so it's hard to keep a check on quality. So we have chosen three boats from a long standing Khao Lak dive centre with a good reputation. We sold these boats last year on our KhaoLakLiveaboards website and got good feedback.

These liveaboards are great value. The prices include a full set of dive equipment (including dive computer). To book you just need to pay a 20% deposit. You can pay the balance when you arrive in Khao Lak.

MV Andaman does 4 day 4 night trips (13 dives) to Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock for 17,900 baht per diver (incl. equipment).

MV Mariner One offers 3 day 3 night trips (9 dives) for 15,300 baht per diver (incl. equipment). You can choose the Similan Koh Bon itinerary or the Surin, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Itinerary. Or combine both trips for just 26,900 baht.

MV Nangnuan is the real budget boat. There aren't many boats left like this. She's small and has no cabins. She takes just 8 dives who sleep on mats on the covered upper deck. Facilities are basic but everyone comes back happy from these trips. It's a friendly, fun boat and the diving is the same great Similan diving as on the fancier boats. Nangnuan does 3 day 2 night trips (9 dives) to Similan and Koh Bon for 11,900 baht per diver (including equipment). It's often necessary to book Nangnuan early because she only has 8 spaces available.

For a full list of our Similan liveaboards departing from Khao Lak and Phuket look here.

Fewer Burma Liveaboards this season

Nautica Liveaboard to Burma

As well as there being fewer Similan liveaboards for this coming season there are also far fewer boats planning to dive Burma. Mermaid 1 has moved onto Indonesia. Saimai, FahYai and Giamani all plan to stay in Thai waters (except for private charters). So that leaves us with just MV Jazz (low budget Burma liveaboard) and Nautica (high budget Burma liveaboard) with set schedules for Burma next year.

The reputation of Burma diving has suffered in recent years. Burma used to be a destination for big sharks but most of those have been fished out now. Marketers selling Burma liveaboards on the promise of shark diving are deceiving their customers but that isn't to say that Burma diving is no good. Burma diving is excellent with amazing critter life, probably just as good as Indonesia diving. And it's not all small stuff. There are still a few sharks around, plus manta rays and if you are lucky squadrons of mobula rays. Plus on a Burma liveaboard that departs from Phuket you also get to dive the best of the Similans, Richelieu Rock and Koh Bon along the way.

One of the great things about Burma diving is that you are almost alone among the thousands of islands of the Mergui Archipelago. That will be even more true this season.

More info about Burma Liveaboards here
More info about Burma Dive sites here