Diving in Burma with Mermaid1 you depart from Phuket on Thailand's west coast for a fantastic 2 country safari taking in the best that diving in Burma and Thailand has to offer. Please note Mermaid liveaboards have re-located to Indonesia and no longer dive in Burma
We travel overnight on the first night to arrive in the morning at the Similan islands in Thailand for your first dive. Heading north over the course of 2 days diving Koh Bon and Richelieu rock looking for mantas and whale sharks we arrive at the border into Burma to begin your Burma diving experience -
Mermaid2 is also available for full charters to Burma.
Check out our special offers page for cheap Burma liveaboard trips or subscribe to our Rss feed to get all the latest Burma diving updates and deals direct to your computer.
Mermaid1's Burma diving safaris leave from Phuket on Thailand's west coast travelling through the beautiful Similan islands and on to the border crossing into Myanmar at the Kawthong immigrati
on checkpoint diving as we go.
Our trips are of a 9 days duration and experience the great diving in the crystal clear
waters of the Similan islands in Thailand first before moving on north wards through the Andaman sea to the border crossing at Kawthong and into Burma.
Burma is an amazing place. The Mergui Archipelago contains over 800 islands and is sparsley populated by Mokken, Burmese sea gypsies, that stay for months at a time on their boats fishing and living amongst the islands and Mangrove swamps.
The special thing about diving in Burma is that you really feel like you are out there doing something unusual and not following the tourist trail. You rarely see another dive boat and the sites are many, varied and spread over a large area. Hundreds of islands hide new dive spots that are found each year, dolphins and whales are not uncommon sights and the mangroves present other treasures such as dugongs, kingfishers, wild pigs and monkeys, there's even reports of tigers and elephants hiding in there, a possibility not as ar fetched as it sounds as both were once common here.
Burma liveaboards vary greatly from sailing yachts to larger motor cruisers and consequently the price for scuba diving in Burma also varies a reasonable amount but you generally get what you pay for and so if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Diving Burma normally costs from around 150 - 250 Euros a day for a decent boat dependant on such things as the size of the boat, cabins, en-suite bathrooms,
air-con etc. There is also a visa entry charge for Burma of US$ 230 to factor into the cost.
It is only possible to dive in Burma by liveaboard boat as access via land is forbidden and in any case would be very difficult due to the lack of any local infrastructure, travel restrictions and the distance from the nearest airport to a useable departure port.
Our Burma liveaboard also includes a brief spell diving in the Similan islands as you make your way north to the border crossing between Thailand and Burma. Summary: Burma diving is accessed through Thailand on the west coast with the boat leaving and returning to the diving from Phuket.
The trip lasts 9 days and also visits the more northern islands of the Similan islands and dive Richelieu rock and sometimes Koh Bon for 2 of these days to look for manta rays and whale sharks - check out the links below to find out more details or just read on...
M/V Mermaid I is a 28 metre, double engine steel motor yacht. She comfortably holds 15 guests in 1 Master State Room (king bed), 1 Single and 4 Deluxe Cabins (double or twin beds) and 2 Budget Cabins (double/twin beds) below deck. The master, single and deluxe cabins have ensuite bathrooms, refrigerators and panoramic windows offering great sea views during your Burma liveaboard.
The budget cabins are below decks with ensuite bathroom and refrigerator. All cabins have TVs for reviewing your pictures or watching a dvd, bathrobes , toiletries and loads of fluffy towels. There is a wide stern dive platform with two exit ladders and fresh water showers. 4 camera rinse tanks, a large camera table and our resident on-board video and photo professional will help keep all the photographers happy and help with your all important lens decisions.
Burma liveaboard diving is not just about the diving, delicious Thai and western meals are served in our "Sawasdee Restaurant" with large windows to enjoy the views as you cruise. Our new barbeques are also a great hit! After meals relax in our saloon equipped with a large flat screen Tv and library with a full selection of marine life books. There are two outside decks, one shaded with outside seating and the upper deck sundeck with sunshade plus cushioned sun beds a great place to relax.
Guests transfer to Patong between 17:00-18:00 checking in at Royal Phawadee Village. A delicious Thai buffet is served after completing the check in process. Transfer to MV Mermaid I by 19:30 for boat and safety briefing, settle into your cabin then set up equipment. Prior to getting underway, the crew set off firecrackers to bring good luck for the cruise , dinner is served and we sail usually calm seas for 6 hours to the Similan Islands.
Day One - 4 dives
Wake up call at 7am in paradise ! After a continental breakfast, 1st dive around 8am at the beautiful coral encrusted crystal clear East Of Eden on island # 7 followed by a full western breakfast. Visit Princess Beach at Island #4, visit the small museum or shop for a Similans souvenir. Dive #2 at Koh Bon for chance for Manta. After a delicious lunch and time to relax, enjoy a 3rd dive at Koh Tachai for pelagics and the chance for whale shark and mantas followed by an interesting night dive. Then relax with a cool beer and new friends after a delicious dinner
Day Two - 3 dives
First dive today either at Koh Tachai or the world famous Richelieu Rock. After breakfast, dive # 2 and # 3 at Richelieu Rock then its north to clear the Burma border. Relax on the wonderful sundeck or sort your Richelieu photos in our spacious saloon. After clearing the border and a delicious dinner, we head off for our 1st stop in Burma.
Day Three - 4 dives
Wake up in Burma and get ready for some fascinating diving. Today we dive High Rock, Stewart Island, Rocky Island and experience some great macro opportunities such as rare nudibrancs, stick pipe fish, spindle cowries and more. Not into small stuff - then check out the millions of moray, stone fish, scorpion fish, lion fish in full predatory action.
Day Four - 4 dives
Some call it "In through the out door" some call it Shark Cave - awesome diving awaits what ever you call it ! Maybe the nurse sharks will be in the chamber ? Maybe some Grey Reef sharks in their sleeping formation cruising in the canyon ? If not, then you will still be busy with loads of snappers, bait fish, sea horse, ornate ghost pipe fish, beautiful soft corals housing rare and unusual cowries and more.
Day Five - 4 dives
Today's feature site is Black Rock where we make 3 day and 1 sunset dive. Awesome dives with grey reef shark, white tip reef shark, leopard sharks, huge garoupa, giant marbled rays and trevally, huge remoras and masses of pelagic fishes. Top this off with ornate ghost pipe fish, frogfish and a million glass fish and this day will please every diver! Weather allowing we will cruise 8 hours overnight to the Burma Banks.
Day Six - 4 dives
An early start on our shark safari for nurse sharks, white tip and black tip reef sharks, silvertip sharks as we do 4 day dives on Heckford Bank (Big Bank) and Silvertip Bank. The Banks are really weather dependent as they are way out to sea. If the conditions are not favorable for the Banks, we will divert to some other great sites in the area.
Day Seven - 4 dives
Keep your eyes open for bull shark, white tip reef sharks and leopard sharks at Fan Forrest. Pinnacle during dive 1 & 2. After a scrumptious buffet lunch of Thai and western specialities Its time for a snooze on the sun deck, write up your dive log before the next dive around 3-4pm. The afternoon dive at Western Rocky Island is a treat for all with a tunnel going through the island full of glass fish, hinge beak shrimps and a regular haunt for nurse and other sharks. Before dinner, we make a night dive around Western Rocky for all the night treasures Burma offers. A great day's diving complete !
Day Eight - 2 dives
Two good dives around Western Rocky island or pinnacle - then we cruise to Kaw Thaung for border clearance and maybe some sightseeing. Relax on board, sort pictures, snooze a little and enjoy the sunset at we cruise south to Thai waters and more great dives in the Similan Islands.
Day Nine - 2 dives
Last but not least, East of Eden or Anita's Reef followed by Boulder City or Shark Fin Reef - a great way to end a super 9 day safari. Make sure you leave some film/disc space for loads of reef fishes, stunning coral formations, nudis and turtles! Then enjoy lunch as we cruise south to Patong, Phuket. The crew will rinse your gear for you ! We arrive at approx 16:00 hours and will transfer you to your hotel where you can dream about your next cruise on board Mermaid Liveaboards !
TOTAL DIVES FOR BURMA SAFARI - 30 (22 in Burma, 8 in Thailand)
Burma visa entry and park fee for diver and non-diver $230 (in new clean notes please)
NB Non divers – Burma diver rate less 10%.
Single suppliment is 90% of the second place to have your own cabin (apart from our single cabin). Please note the Thai Immigration laws at the Ranong border have changed. When guests re-enter Thailand after a cruise to Burma they will be given only a 15 DAY visa for Thailand. Children Policy:
Diving child 10 years or older - pays full diver price.
Non diving child 12 years or older - pays full non diver rate.
Child 12 years or under - non diving - pays 50% of diver rate if shares with 2 parents/guardians
Child 12 years and under - non diving - pays full non diver rate if sharing with only 1 parent/guardian. Parents/guardians have to be with the child at all times. If both parents want to dive and the child remains on board, we will hire an additional dive crew - at euros 30 per day x total number of cruise diving days - at the parent's cost to supervise the child's activities only while the parents/guardians are in the water. We require a minimum of 4 weeks notice to arrange this service.
On Board Courses:
Price#
Enriched Air Nitrox Diver
8000 baht incl materials
Advanced Open Water
10000 baht incl materials
Discover Scuba Diving- first dive/following dives
4500 baht/3000 baht
Specialty courses: Deep Diver, Drift Diver, Multi-level/Computer Diver,
8000 baht incl materials #
Night Diver, Underwater Naturalist, Underwater Photographer, Peak Performance Buoyancy
# does not include camera rental for photography
Rental Equipment
Per item/set
Price Per Day
For diver safety individual dive computer use is mandatory – no sharing !
FULL SET- items marked *
full set*
800 baht
Dive Computer
item
300 baht
BCD*
item
300 baht
Regulator/gauges/octopus*
item/reg set
300 baht
Wetsuit - shorty*
item
300 baht
Wetsuit - long
item
400 baht
Mask/Snorkel/Fins*
Set only
300 baht
Compass
item
200 baht
Dive Torch
item
No charge
Weights/weight belt
item
No charge
Surface Marker Buoy
item
No charge
Others
Per
Price
EANX Nitrox
fill
200 baht per fill
-10% for all dive package
Digital Camera Rental
day
1,500 baht
CD Burn/DVD Burn
CD/DVD
200 baht/500 baht
Similans/Surin Park Fees
person
1,800baht
Burma Entry Visa + Port Fees
person
$230 new unmarked notes
Andaman Island Fees
person
To be advised
Red and White Wine
bottle
As per wine list 1000-2000 baht
Beer
can/bottle
100 baht
Polo Shirts
shirt
800 baht
T shirts
shirt
600 baht
Notes:
All prices are applicable till end of Thai/Burma 2009-2010 season only. Mermaid Cruise Ltd retains the right to alter prices without prior notice. US$/Euros are accepted on board at the boats exchange rate for that cruise.
Probably the most spectacular diving in Burma with the most potential for big stuff in the archipelago, Black Rock is a rocky island approximately 100 meters long. Here is the closest you’ll come to having a true wall dive, with depths to over 60-meters and a dramatic drop off in most areas.
Some of the fish you will see here include black-spotted pufferfish, spotted hawkfish, scorpionfish, and blue-ringed angelfish. If you are a moray eel fan, then this is your dive site. Many unusual and rarely seen morays are common, including extra-large common green, zebra, and fimbriated and white-eyed morays. Octopus and cuttlefish can be found here, the latter easy to photograph.
Great Swinton Islands / North Twin Island
There is a large underwater plateau located close to the North Twin Island. The top of the reef has an average depth of 5-15m, with large mating cuttle fish and the highlight here are the Manta rays that visit this place many times with there graceful displays. On the deeper side of this dive site there are big boulders dropping down to 40m where you usually find a large populationof black spotted stingrays sleeping on the sandy bottom.
An underwater pinnacle located close to North Twin Island. The shallowest point of this pinnacle is around 12m and continues down to over 60 meters. As you descend down the slopping reef which has been dynamited you will find a huge amount of sea fans swaying in the usually strong currents. At around 25 meters you can find large Indian nurse sharks sleeping in the overhangs. A look out in to the blue can be rewarding with large dog tooth tunas circling above.
Shark cave / in through the out door / 3 stooges / Cavern Island
This site has so many names and for very good reason, it's amazingly full of life and everyone wants it named by them. Harboring some of the best marine life in the archipelago. Huge schools of fusilier and silversides surround you upon entering the water. The sandy base of the islands reveals unusual anemones and starfish, while the walls are covered with orange cup corals, whip corals, and green tubastrea coral. It is one of the better areas to see harlequin shrimp and harlequin ghost pipe fish.
If you’re looking for drama, there is a canyon that leads to a tunnel connecting the northern and southern part of the main, middle island. Here, if you’re lucky, you can witness gray reef sharks swimming in and out of the canyon. The trick here is to hang out against the east side of the wall and just watch what comes by.
Western Rocky Island
This limestone island features beautiful underwater terrain, including a tunnel–often full of large tawny nurse sharks–which traverses the island about 20-meters down. The island is more like a series of pinnacles rather than one big rock and the soft limestone makes for crevices offering shelter for a wide variety of sea creatures. Some of the marine life you will see here include mantas, gray reef and spinner sharks, and eagle rays in the open water next to the island, while leopard sharks and spotted rays lie on the bottom. On and around the rocks, spiny lobster, cowrie shells, feather stars, anemones and an assortment of crabs abound. Reef fish include blue-ringed angelfish, moray-eels, snappers, frogfish, and ghost pipefish.