Description
Boat
Similan Explorer is a budget liveaboard that offers guests great value for money when looking for a diving liveaboard trip in Thailand. This boat will suit guests who like to stick to a budget.
Similan Explorer does 6D/5N Similan liveaboard trips and offers scuba divers great diving in the Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu rock, and also the Surin Islands. With the opportunity to visit a traditional Sea Gypsy Village in the Surin Islands.
Similan Explorer offers cheap prices but good standards, the full set of equipment is included. There is a TV so any videos made on the trip can be reviewed, or you can watch a movie. There is also a stereo so you can relax with some of your favorite CDs.
The Main Deck is the dining area. Here you can help yourself with coffee, tea, toast, water, electrolyte drinks, and fruits which are always on the table for your convenience.
The dining area consists of 3 tables on each side of the dining area so there is plenty of room for eating and chatting with other guests. The sides of the boat are open so you can enjoy the good weather and sea breezes. There are also canvas fold-down flaps in case of bad weather.
Similan Explorer provides guests European style breakfast: brown bread, omelets, fried eggs, sausages, cornflakes, muesli, fruits, and fresh ground coffee or Nescafe. We keep real milk on board too. Lunch and dinner are served with traditional Thai food. We cater to vegetarians too – just tell us your needs when you book with us.
The dive Platform is also located on the main deck, there is gearing-up area for your diving equipment which has ample room to put on and store your dive gear. There are 36 Luxfer 12-litre tanks. Our tanks use an INT connection and have DIN adapters.
Cabin
Similan Explorer offers basic but comfortable accommodation, 8 cabins in total, which can host up to 20 people.
All cabins are air-conditioned and have a sea view window that opens. All cabins have 220v plugs, so you can charge your smartphones, battery packs, or your lights. All cabins use shared bathrooms.
2 Double Bed Cabins
The Upper Deck, comes with a double bed.
These are our sea-view cabins. When you open the cabin door the view is the ocean and islands.
4 Twin Bunk Bed Cabins
The Main Deck, comes with two single beds (Bunk style).
These cabins are fitted with curtains on each bunk bed for your privacy.
2 Quad Berth Cabins
The Main Deck, comes with four single beds (Bunk style).
These cabins are fitted with curtains on each bunk bed for your privacy.
Diving
- 6D/5N Similan trip: up to 18 dives (including night dive)
- No dive will be provided on the embarkation day
- 1 - 2 dives will be provided on the departure day.
- All diving will provide an experienced guide to lead the dive.
Other Information
- Nitrox：Available with additional cost
- 15L Tanks：Available with additional cost
- REBREATHER Dive：Not available at the moment yet
- Technical Dive：Not available at the moment yet
- Dive Equipment Rental：Available with additional cost
- Dive insurance：Divers must have valid dive insurance
- Wi-Fi Internet：Not available at the moment yet
- Laundry Service：Not available at the moment yet
- Massage Service：Not available at the moment yet
- Payment on board：Cash only (THB)
- Crew Number：Unknow, include 4 dive guides
Itineraries
Quick info
Please arrive at Phuket Airport by 1.30pm on day of liveaboard departure. It takes one hour to travel from Phuket Airport to Khao Lak by taxi.
Phuket Airport/Phuket to Khao Lak transportation is NOT included. A taxi costs 1600 Thai Baht from Phuket Airport to Khao Lak. It can be up to 2500 Thai Baht from a Phuket hotel.
Khao Lak is a small town about one hour’s drive up the coast from Phuket. It’s a very chilled out town with several bars and restaurants, a good range of hotels for all budgets, and a nice beach.
Gustes MUST be in Khao Lak by 3PM AT THE LATEST. We need to fit you with your scuba gear. Transport from Khao Lak to the liveaboard departs at 4pm.
Boarding the Similan Explorer around 4:30pm.
6D/5N Similan Trip
After your Wake up call, you receive a light breakfast, fresh coffee & some toast. After your 1st dive a full western and Thai breakfast buffet will be served, menus will differ throughout the trip, but it will generally be fried potatoes, baked beans, fried eggs, or scrambled eggs or omelette, rice soup and tropical fruits. We also serve German brown bread, muesli, cornflakes, oats, and lots of fresh fruits always available in the dining area: water melon, banana’s, pineapple, oranges. Electrolyte sachets are free for you to use, at any time during the safari, these help to prevent dehydration.
You will receive a Dive site and Dive Safety briefing before every dive. All dives are Multi level dives and each diver must dive with a buddy.
All of our dive guides have computers and are experienced with all the dive sites so if you have any special requests e.g. Sea Horse, Ghost pipe fish, Nudibranchs, this is the team who can find them for you. Our guides speak all major European languages.
Day 1 – Similan Islands (4 Dives)
Day 2 – Similan Islands & Bon Island (4 Dives)
Day 3 – Bon & Tachai Islands (4 Dives)
Day 4 – Surin Islands, Richelieu Rock (4 Dives)
Day 5 – Richelieu Rock, Boonsung Wreck (2 Dives)
The daily Schedule
1st Day : wake up call @ 6am. You receive a light breakfast, fresh coffee & some toast and fresh fruits. For after your dive you can order, boiled eggs, fried eggs, omelet, pancakes, French toast, sausages and ham. We also serve German brown bread, muesli, corn flakes, oats, and lots of fresh fruits always on the table: water melon, banana’s, pineapples, oranges. Electrolyte drinks are free for you to drink at any time during the safari this helps to prevent dehydration. You will receive a Dive site and Dive Safety briefing before every dive. All dives are Multi level dives. and each diver must dive with a buddy. All of our dive guides have computers and are experienced with all the dive sites so if you have any special requests e.g. Sea Horse, Ghost pipe fish, nudibranchs, this is the team who can find them for you. Our guides speak all major European languages.
1st dive 7am The first dive is what we call a check dive, we can check how the air consumption is of the divers and put them in the groups of the same air consumption if they wish. Dive time is 55 min, then we do a 5 min safety stop. With most of the dives you are picked up by the liveaboard or our dingy this makes for easy stress free diving. Small dive group size: 1 guide to 4 divers.
After breakfast you have 3hrs in-between dives. You can go to the beach with our dinghy and take a walk on deserted beaches or trek some of the jungle trails, snorkel the reefs, cool off in your A/C cabin or just relax on the boat with the new friends you made on this fantastic diving safari. Fish books are on board for you to read.
2nd Dive 11am. After your second dive lunch is served at 1pm. The afternoon can be spend visiting the islands or just relaxing on board the M/V Similan Explorer.
3rd Dive 3pm. After your dive snacks, fruits & drinks are available until your night dive. Snorkeling, swimming, or visit the beach. Dinner is around 6pm.
4th Dive 7pm. The night dive or a dusk dive.
More
| Destinations | Similan Islands |
|---|---|
| Facilities | Nitrox support, Sidemount Friendly, Camera Station |
| Languages spoken | English, French, Italian |
Schedules & routes
| Date | Duration | Destination | Departure - Arrival | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22/04/2024 to 27/04/2024 | 5 nights | Similan Islands | Tap Lamu - Tap Lamu | From $667.29 | Detail |
| 28/04/2024 to 01/05/2024 | 3 nights | Similan Islands | Tap Lamu - Tap Lamu | From $457.57 | Detail |
| 02/05/2024 to 07/05/2024 | 5 nights | Similan Islands | Tap Lamu - Tap Lamu | From $667.29 | Detail |
| 08/05/2024 to 13/05/2024 | 5 nights | Similan Islands | Tap Lamu - Tap Lamu | From $667.29 | Detail |
Prices & conditions
| Destination | Duration | Cabin | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Similan Islands | 3 nights | Quad | From $457.57 |
| Similan Islands | 3 nights | Twin | From $492.98 |
| Similan Islands | 3 nights | Double Upper Deck | From $520.22 |
| Similan Islands | 5 nights | Quad | From $667.29 |
| Similan Islands | 5 nights | Twin | From $759.90 |
| Similan Islands | 5 nights | Double Upper Deck | From $787.13 |
Included
- VAT and local taxes
- Full-board meal plan (including snacks)
- Complimentary beverages (water, tea, coffee)
- Diving activity (incl. tanks, weights, weight belts)
- Dive guide service
- Land excursions and activities throughout the trip
- Boat accident insurance
- Cabin towels and complimentary toiletries
- Cabin cleaning service
Not included
- Domestic flights in destination country
- Transfers from airport and/or hotel to the yacht
- Marine park fees & Port fees
- Alcoholic beverage
- Soft drinks
- Dive equipment rentals
- Larger tank (15 L)
- Nitrox fills
- Dive insurance (mandatory requirement)
- Travel insurance (trip cancellation insurance)
- Crew gratuity
Useful information
Similan Islands
Best time for diving
Mid-October - May is the optimum diving season on the Andaman coast (west coast). From early December until late April you can usually expect clear skies nearly every day. On average, you can expect 20 meters of visibility at The Similan Islands throughout the diving season.
Due to the likelihood of extreme weather during the monsoon months, the local authorities close the marine parks from May 16th until October 14th every year. Therefore the Similan diving season is from October 15th to May 15th.
About temperatures
Air: throughout the year, temperatures range from 25°C to 34°C with April through May being the hottest month and January the coldest
Sea: between 27°C - 29°C all year round, there are times when it drops to the mid or even low 20s, but in general these are rare or temporary occasions.
Wetsuit Recommendation
We recommend a 3 mm wetsuit year-round.
Diver requirement
Suitable for all levels. You can find out more information about diving in Similan Islands here : Similan Islands
Embarkation / Disembarkation
Most of the embarkation and disembarkation are in Khao Lak, or Phuket, guests can fly in/out of Phuket International Airport (HKT).
Transfer between Phuket Airport and Tap Lamu Pier (Khao Lak) is approximately 1 ½ - 2hr, depending on traffic.
Transfer between Phuket Airport and Chalong Pier is approximately 1 ½hrs, depending on traffic.
A few liveaboards set their embarkation and disembarkation in Ranong (UNN).
Visa Requirements
Many nationalities can visit Thailand without a visa under the Visa on Arrival rule or Visa Exemption scheme. These options allow visitors to stay for up to 30 or 45 days.
To find out more information, please visit the Thai Visa on Arrival, or Visa Exemption and Bilateral Agreement or contact your nearest embassy/consulate.
Vaccinations
No specific vaccinations are required unless you are coming from or passing through contaminated areas. Yellow fever certificates are required for those who are coming from the following 14 countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Angola, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Mauritania, Mali, Nigeria, Sudan, and Zaire.
Money Matters
The local currency is the Thai Baht (THB). The majority of established hotels and restaurants accept major credit cards.
However, smaller, family-run places probably will not. There are money changers and ATMs located at the airport and the ports.
Drones
Tourists can bring their drones into Thailand. However, they are not allowed to fly their drones here until they have registered their devices with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT).
Extending your holiday
We offer a range of hotels/resorts, land-based diving packages, and excursions that can be arranged before or after your liveaboard holiday. Just ask us if you need such service.
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