Mergui Archipelago liveaboard recommendations

[buksida]

Have been scouring the web for liveaboards going to Mergui in November. Most dive operators offer the trip but they all seem to come back to the same couple of vessels.

Does anyone have any reccommendations for this trip?

 

[Vie]

I would recommend the MV Panunee. I can’t find their schedule at the moment so I’m not sure if the Panunee is going to Burma in Novenber or not—I’ll get back to you.

 

[Island Hoppa]

Have been scouring the web for liveaboards going to Mergui in November. Most dive operators offer the trip but they all seem to come back to the same couple of vessels.

Does anyone have any reccommendations for this trip?

did a search and found the m/y mermaid 1. cant comment on the boat as i have never been on it. but it is with the same company as the colona and the queen scuba. and both of those boats are amazing. check out the link. good luck with your decision.

http://www.liveaboard-phuket.com/my-mermaid-1-schedule.htm

 

[jlyle]

OCEAN ROVER! Wonderful boat and fantastic crew.

http://dive.scubadiving.com/members/tripreports.php?s=1287

 

[ssra30]

I would second the Panunee. Was on the boat twice for Burma and definitely plan to go back there with the Panunee again next season.

 

[DontLieToMe]

Ocean Rover. I have been on it twice in the last two years to Mergui. Great boat in all respects. Keep in mind that November is the beginning of the season. Personally I usually aim for Feb/Mar - but there are never any guarantees.

 

[stevenl]

There are boats going in November, but the options are limited. The boats mentioned (Panunee, Ocen Rover & Mermaid I) are the boats in the higher price classes. There are other options as well, relatively cheap (Mergui diving is never really cheap) or expensive, but: you get what you pay for.

Later on in the season (February - April) there are more options.

 

[Batfish]

Options are limited?

All these boats have some trips in November:

Mermaid 1
Anggun
Faah Yai
Sai Mai
Nautica
Colona 2

Burma liveaboard summary

The Panunee is always recommended by these guys from the club in Bangkok - do you guys pay the Thai price for it? Or the full farang price? I went to see the boat a couple of weeks ago and was not very impressed. I mean, it's decent but way overpriced. Only 2 of the cabins have bathrooms, the rest are small. The "photographers suites" looked nice in the photos, but would only suit photographers who are about 5 foot tall.

Ocean Rover is certainly one of the top dogs. Built and run by people who really know what they are doing.

 

[stevenl]

Yes, options are limited because when you look at the April schedules you will find many more boats.

There are also about 6 boats going to the Similans at the moment, but still i would say the options are limited.

And regarding the Panunee: the guests I had on the Panunee were very happy with the boat, the service and the atmosphere. I think some other boats are way overcharging, but I would not include Panunee in that category.

 

[Quero]

did a search and found the m/y mermaid 1. cant comment on the boat as i have never been on it. but it is with the same company as the colona and the queen scuba. and both of those boats are amazing. check out the link. good luck with your decision.

http://www.liveaboard-phuket.com/my-mermaid-1-schedule.htm

I did a Mergui trip on the Mermaid I in February this year and was generally satisfied. Decent boat, very cheap Nitrox. If you sail on the Mermaid, consider NOT booking rooms 7 or 8 (Standard Cabin), which are below deck and extra noisy--so I was told (especially when dropping/lifting anchor).

Diving in Myanmar is a joy from the perspective of having all the dive sites to just the folks from your boat--very unlike my three (pre-tsunami) experiences in the Similans when I'd wake up at dawn to find as many as 10 or 15 other liveaboards anchored in the same bay.