I booked a very last minute deal (1 day ahead) for a 3 day liveaboard safari in southern Phuket. The itinerary was scheduled to dive Phi Phi islands, Koh Haa and Hin Daeng + a few local sites - 11 dives in total. I checked the weather prior to boarding and it did not look hopeful for smooth sailings- with winds and rain predicted for the next 10 days - errgh. very unseasonable for Phuket. Needless to say we didn't make it to Hin Daeng but the trip was wonderful nonetheless.
What surprised me first off was the health of the reefs and amount of fish life. On each dive we made the reefs teemed with small fish, such as damsel fish, juvenile barracuda and two spot snappers. On several sites, particularly Chimneys at Koh Haa, the soft corals were truly amazing whilst on the King Cruiser wreck we had some current and all the polyps were open on the yellow cup corals - really pretty. I found several nudibranch and flatworm species (not just wart slugs), there were numerous moray eels and so many anemones with resident fish of different species. I also found porcelain crabs, squat shrimp, banded coral shrimp and a whip coral mollusc similar to a cowrie that i needed the id books for. At Shark Point there are huge gorgonian fans which would be great if i'd brought the fish eye lens with me, but they were lovely to look at in any case.
The boat itself was well maintained with a small crew of 6 for a maximum of 12 guests. We had an additional dive master also. My fellow divers were a family from Singapore, a dad & son from the UK, a guy from Hong Kong and a lady from Australia (who was my cabin buddy). The dive deck was quite tight but we dived in small groups and geared up at separate times. Entries were from the back platform and the captain dropped us very well each time. On surfacing we put up SMBs and the main boat cam to collect us - again very efficient and safety conscious. The cabin was small and basic but clean and comfortable with and good a/c unit. Bathrooms are shared but there are 3 for the guests and I never felt i had to wait for others.
The food was delicious - plenty of fresh fruit, salads and veggies at each meal with a choice of chicken, fish or meat for main course. Soft drinks and alcohol were not included but prices were very reasonable and no more than you'd pay in an average bar in Phuket (probably a lot cheaper than some!)
I know the owner of the yacht as I live here in Phuket so I'm fortunate to have received a great discount, but even without that the trip would certainly have been worth it and good value for money. I will go again and fingers crossed I make it to Hin Daeng!
What surprised me first off was the health of the reefs and amount of fish life. On each dive we made the reefs teemed with small fish, such as damsel fish, juvenile barracuda and two spot snappers. On several sites, particularly Chimneys at Koh Haa, the soft corals were truly amazing whilst on the King Cruiser wreck we had some current and all the polyps were open on the yellow cup corals - really pretty. I found several nudibranch and flatworm species (not just wart slugs), there were numerous moray eels and so many anemones with resident fish of different species. I also found porcelain crabs, squat shrimp, banded coral shrimp and a whip coral mollusc similar to a cowrie that i needed the id books for. At Shark Point there are huge gorgonian fans which would be great if i'd brought the fish eye lens with me, but they were lovely to look at in any case.
The boat itself was well maintained with a small crew of 6 for a maximum of 12 guests. We had an additional dive master also. My fellow divers were a family from Singapore, a dad & son from the UK, a guy from Hong Kong and a lady from Australia (who was my cabin buddy). The dive deck was quite tight but we dived in small groups and geared up at separate times. Entries were from the back platform and the captain dropped us very well each time. On surfacing we put up SMBs and the main boat cam to collect us - again very efficient and safety conscious. The cabin was small and basic but clean and comfortable with and good a/c unit. Bathrooms are shared but there are 3 for the guests and I never felt i had to wait for others.
The food was delicious - plenty of fresh fruit, salads and veggies at each meal with a choice of chicken, fish or meat for main course. Soft drinks and alcohol were not included but prices were very reasonable and no more than you'd pay in an average bar in Phuket (probably a lot cheaper than some!)
I know the owner of the yacht as I live here in Phuket so I'm fortunate to have received a great discount, but even without that the trip would certainly have been worth it and good value for money. I will go again and fingers crossed I make it to Hin Daeng!
