Similan Islands Diving Safaris with MV Giamani, with scuba diving in the Similan’s & Surin Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai & Richelieu Rock.
22 Dives – 6 Days / 6 Nights – Liveaboard Departure every Christmas & New Year
FRIDAY – Welcome on board as we depart for the Similan Islands, cruising around the coast of southern Phuket while enjoying a Thai buffet dinner.
SATURDAY – Wake up in the tropical paradise of the Similan National Park. The first dive of the day begins at 8am on Shark Fin Reef (Similan #3 – Koh Payan), a nice and easy drift dive to start the trip. After a healthy breakfast we have chill time until our second dive at about 11:30am at West of Eden (Similan #7 – Koh Pabu) , a unique blend of soft and hard coral beds and huge boulders followed by lunch. At around 3pm you’ll be dropping in on Anita’s Reef (Similan #5 – Koh Ha), a sloping sandy ridge spotted with patches of hard and soft corals and full of life. Snacks will be served after the dive and there will be a chance of a late afternoon to visit to Koh Miang to see the beaches and walk the trails. Dive number four will be a night dive (7pm) usually in Honeymoon Bay. Stay onboard overnight in one of the secluded bays. Relax and watch a film or read a book.
SUNDAY – The second day will start with dive number five (7:30 am) on Deep Six, a pinnacle on the north of Koh Pabu and for dive six(11am) you’ll be dropping in on the Giant boulder site of Elephant Head Rock (Hin Pusa). The third day dive (2:30pm) will be a gentle drift dive on the eastern side of Similan #9 Koh Bangu (Breakfast Bend / Three Trees / Snapper Alley). Then you will cruise north east for a sunset or night dive in Koh Bon Bay. You stay overnight (at Koh Bon) and can while away the time after dinner swapping fish tales or watching a movie.
MONDAY – Dive numbers nine(7:30 am)and ten(11am) will be on Koh Bon Pinnacle and Koh Bon West Ridge – the current will decide the dive order as a mild or slack current is needed for the Pinnacle (keep fingers tightly crossed for Manta Rays here!!). For dive number eleven Giamani will move north to Koh Tachai with the third dive of the day (2:30pm) being on Koh Tachai Pinnacle (another chance for Mantas!). On Koh Tachai we have another chance for a beach visit followed by a sunset dive (6pm) on either the eastern or western reef of Koh Tachai depending on the prevailing wind. Again you stay on board overnight (at Koh Tachai) while relaxing with dinner, a movie or a book and a game of ‘what did I see today’ while filling in the all important logbook.
TUESDAY – Ko Tachai Pinnacle will be dive thirteen giving us another chance of Manta Ray and even Whale-shark spotting. Then off to the Jewel in our crown – Richelieu Rock for dives fourteen and fifteen. Dive number sixteen will be a sunset dive at Richelieu Rock. Giamani will then head into the Surin Islands to shelter for the night.
WEDNESDAY – Dive number seventeen will be in the Surin Islands (Torinla Ridge or Koh Chi) then back to Richelieu Rock for dive eighteen. Then a long cruise towards the mainland for a late afternoon (4pm) dive nineteen at the fish soup dive site – the Boonsung Wreck. Dive twenty is a night dive(7:30 pm) at the same sight but the transformation between the dives will astound you. Giamani will then travel back south towards Khao Lak where you will overnight.
THURSDAY – A slightly earlier start today (7am) on a rarely dived wreck “The Teak Wreck” (MV Sea Chart) which is a steel haulage vessel that sank in August 2009 carrying 1,200 logs of Burmese Teak. Dive number 22 (9:30 am) will be on the Naiyak Wreck (“Condreco”) a lovely macro life site close out the diving. Once everyone is back on board we start the gentle cruise back to Chalong Bay allowing enough time to clean and even dry your dive gear, pack your bags, fill in your log books swap e-mails and even do some more hard core relaxing on the sun deck. Disembarkation at Chalong Bay is usually around 5pm.
You must be logged in to post a comment.