Welcome to Big Blue Diving Khao Lak. 

On the West coast of Thailand less than an hour from Phuket airport lies the newly developed seaside resort of Khao Lak. 25 kilometers of holiday coastline. You would really only be advised to go here between the months of October & May as the Rainy Season can get pretty intense with buckets of rain relentlessly pounding down for days at a time. Which is also why Khao Lak boasts a beautiful National Park of enormous trees, & extremely dense jungle featuring a wide variety of native animals from laughing monkeys to timid elephants. By being surrounded by a coastline that stretches as far as the eye can see on side of you & then witnessing the mountainous jungles of Southeast Asia on the other it is not hard to see why Khao Lak has become the fastest growing holiday destination in Thailand.

Khao Lak is also the gateway to  the world famous Similan Islands National Park. The Similans consist of nine beautiful tropical islands, stretching from south to north. Covered with dense forest and surrounded by white sandy beaches with crystal-clear waters, these islands are a magnet for divers from all over the world. Below the surface they offer a variety of different dive sites from deep rock formations with a spectacular array of pelagic schools, to gentle coral gardens featuring a bright mass of colour & a large number of different reef fish.

The Surin Islands boasts arguably Thailands top three Divesites- Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, & Richelieu Rock, (one of Jacques Cousteau's favourite divesites). Regular residents & visitors to this side of Thailand come as large as Whalesharks & Manta Rays, but there is also an enormous array of smaller species aswell like the Ghostpipe Fish & the tiny Harlequin Shrimp.

The best way & most financially economical to incorporate everything you look for in a holiday is on a Liveaboard. These large comfortable vessels will accommodate upto 20 people including guests & crew & will cruise the best divesites over a period of 4 days & 4 nights. You'll wake up every morning surrounded by the tropical warm azure waters of Thailand, the deserted island, the constant sunshine, good food, sociable company & most importantly - world class diving!

We recommend a 4day/ 4 night Liveaboard as it will take you diving at all the best places in the Similans & the 3 dives sites of the Surin Islands. If you choose to do a 3 day Liveaboard, or less than 3 days, you will not allow yourself enough time to soak in the pleasure of the Surin Islands.

Below is a choice of Liveaboards we recommend for their reputation, their service, their boat & their staff but if you can't find what you are looking for then please This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with your desires & we will endeavour to find you just the ticket!

Happy holidays!

Read More for 2011-2012 schedules.

M/V Manta Queen 2 is a perfect addition to the M/V Manta Queen. She can comfortably accommodate 20 guests in spacious air-conditioned cabins. Big salons and wide sun decks invite you to relax and enjoy your holiday while the boats bring you to some of the worlds top ten dive sites. Wide dive decks allow for easy entries and exits. The tanks are refilled with the gear attached to your tank - so all you have to do is what a liveaboard cruise is all about - sleep, eat, relax, chat with fellow divers & dive!

Similan Islands and Myanmar scuba diving liveaboard trips on MV Nautica are always one of the top choices for discerning scuba divers. She was launched not long ago in 2005 and the design and build was well thought out. Just look at the photos on this page to see how lovely she looks both inside and out. There is an extremely tasteful outdoor dining area that is kept in tip-top condition, and the selection of cabins are also designed and decorated to be warm and welcoming after a hard days scuba diving. A maximum of only 12 passengers are carried at any one time to ensure guests comfort.

Similan & Surin Islands Itinerary (4 Days & 4 Nights, 14 Dives)
Master Cabin - B36600pp
Twin / Double Cabin - B33800pp
Bunk Cabin -B26990pp

Similan & Surin Islands Itinerary (6 Days & 6 Nights, 22 Dives)
Master Cabin - B54900pp
Twin / Double Cabin - B50600pp
Bunk Cabin - B39900pp

Similan Islands & Burma Itinerary (8 Days & 8 Nights, 27 Dives)
Master Cabin - B81900pp

Twin / Double Cabin - B76300pp
Bunk Cabin - B65000pp

Read More for 2011-2012 Schedules

M.V. White Manta

The White Manta was designed and owned by cruise leader Vincent Chew who has more than 20 years of diving experience diving in the South China Sea. The boats were built by divers for divers. Our Highly Experienced Crew take Great Pride in Exceptional Service Whilst Always Maintaining Safety. With 8 Luxurious Air Conditioned Cabins, an Extensive Dive Deck, Lounge Equipped with TV and DVD & Full Compliment of Safety Equipment, This Vessel is Truly Comfortable. Relax, Enjoy Delicious Thai & Western Food All Day Long. 

This is one of the more comfortable boats cruising the Similans. She has one master cabin with a large king-sized bed, a large en suite bathroom with hot water, a DVD entertainment system with movies, a complimentary fruit basket, air conditioning, and panoramic ocean views. Queen Scuba also has five deluxe cabins with double-beds en suite bathroom with hot water, air conditioning, and ocean views. And there are three cabins with single bedding below; one twin, one triple and one 4 bed, perfect for friends or families, & these all feature en suite facilities with hot water and air conditioning. The huge interior saloon features a DVD entertainment system and is a great place to catch some zzzz's in between dives There is a covered deck area to the rear of the saloon where meals are served & the seating area here comprises of wooden tables and comfortable chairs where for groups of 4. Meals are served buffet style, with fresh breads, fruit, and a choice of either Thai or Western cuisine. The dive deck is spacious and well designedthe crew will handle the lifting. Put your gear together and forget about it. There are two dinghies to handle pick ups & drop offs if needed since many of the dives are drift dives, this system is pretty common practice in these waters.

Prices- To Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock

4 days / 4 nights (14 dives)
Master Cabin     44,000 Baht
VIP Cabin     37,000 Baht
Twin Bunk Cabin     32,000 Baht
Triple Cabin     30,500 Baht 
Quad Cabin     29,000 Baht

Similan & Surin National park fees 400 Bt entry plus 200 Bt per day diving fee
All cabin prices are per person
NITROX SPECIAL: Book and pay 3 months in advance and receive free Nitrox

The MV Scuba Explorer is a spectacular Similans Liveaboard. She's large and stable and the quality of service is very high. She used to cater primarily to the Japanese scuba diving market, but these days the boat is filled with a mixture of various nationalities. She is a whopping 37 metres long, almost 8 metres abeam, and more than comfortably accommodates up to 24 guests in twelve cabins. The entire ship is air-conditioned throughout, the cabins are larger than you would expect to find on a scuba diving liveaboard and the sun and dive decks are enormous. The music system is piped throughout the vessel, but there are separate volume controls in all areas. She cruises at an impressive 12 knots and has a maximum speed of 16 knots.

The MV Giamani offers liveaboard dive holidays to the Similan Islands, the Surin Islands including Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock, as well as Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. The Giamani was built to international (IMO) standards, and although a large and spacious boat, guest numbers are limited to sixteen people to ensure guests comfort. Giamani has four deluxe cabins as well as a further two standard cabins. All the deluxe cabins have individually controlled air-conditioning, or if you don't like air-con there are also fans. The deluxe cabins also have ensuite bathrooms and fantastic sea views. Standard cabins on the Giamani also have air-con and fans, large windows, but share one bathroom.

 The Similan & Surin Islands Itinerary (4 Days & 4 Nights / 14 Dives)
Standard Cabin Twin Share Rate (Shared bathroom) - Thai Baht 33,200pp
Deluxe Cabin Twin Share Rate (Ensuite) - Thai Baht 37,200pp
 
The Similan & Surin Islands Itinerary (6 Days & 6 Nights / 22 Dives)
Standard Cabin Twin Share Rate (Shared bathroom) - Thai Baht 49,800pp
Deluxe Cabin Twin Share Rate (Ensuite) - Thai Baht 55,800pp

Read More for 2011-2012 Schedule

She has a wooden hull & has room for 14 divers within seven cabins, which makes this is a nice smaller boat with less people on than most Similan Liveaboards. The cabins are mostly Bunk beds except for the Master Cabin which is a double. All cabins are en suite, a small fridge, a wardrobes, air conditioning & reading lights are positioned above each bed. The social area or saloon is outdoors in a covered deck area. Meals are served buffet style, and there are four separate seating areas which makes it a nice social lay out. The upper deck is a nicely designed shaded area great for reading, chatting & sleeping. The dive deck has individual tank holders for every diver, with storage below for your extra equipment.

Price: Twin Bunk Cabin 35,200 Baht
Double Bed Cabin 37,200 Baht

Hin Daeng, Hin Muang and Phi Phi - 2 days/2 nights (7 dives)
Twin Bunk Cabin 17,600 Baht
Double Bed Cabin 18,600 Baht
Combine both trips for the 6 day Andaman Safari:

Andaman Safari - 6 days/6 nights (21 dives)
Twin Bunk Cabin 52,800 Baht
Double Bed Cabin 55,800 Baht

Similan, Surin & Richelieu Rock - 6 days/6 nights (21 dives)
Twin Bunk Cabin 52,800 Baht
Double Bed Cabin 55,800 Baht
Entry fees for Similan/Surin/Hin Daeng national parks 400 Baht + 200 Baht/day diving fee.
All cabin prices are per person

NITROX onboard : tank fills 250 Baht - course 8,000 Baht

25% discount on Nitrox if booking all Nitrox dives and paying at the time of booking.

Read More for 2011-2012 schedules.

The Junk, also known as the MV June Hong Chian Lee, was one of several traditional Chinese Junks built in Penang in Malaysia. Built in 1962, The Junk was originally designed to transport charcoal and she traded up and down the coast from Malaysia to Burma. In 1985 she was restored and redesigned to serve as a classic yacht. Then in 1997 her current owners acquired her and she was once again completely restored and redesigned to operate as a luxury liveaboard dive yacht. She has appeared in many big screen productions including the James Bond classic, The Man With The Golden Gun.

Prices From 42000 THB
Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock, Surin Islands.
Max Guests 18
Trip Duration 5 Days / 6 Nights
Nitrox is not available
 

 Read More for Schedule