Explore Thailand’s Similan Islands, one of the world’s best dive destinations, on this popular and great value 4 Day / 4 Night Scuba Diving Liveaboard

What’s Included In The Similan Liveaboard Price?
There’s no hidden surprises with MV Dolphin Queen’s liveaboard packages – everything is included.

• Complete scuba diving gear hire – high quality, fully serviced equipment
• Accommodation on our liveaboard boat (choose which type below)
• 14 dives over four days – 11 day dives, 3 night dives (if you have Night Diver speciality)
• All the food you can eat – meals, snacks, water, tea, coffee
• Expert guidance by our professional PADI dive staff
• Similan and Surin Islands Marine Park Tax (1600 Baht) is included

Beer and soft drinks are available for purchase on board at cheap prices.

How much does the Similan liveaboard cost?
You have a choice of 3 types of liveaboard accommodation:

• 4 bunk bed cabin, Main Deck: 20,400 Baht per person [4 people sharing]
• Double cabin, Main Deck: 23,400 Baht per person [2 people sharing same bed]
• Twin cabin, Main Deck: 23,400 Baht per person [2 people with 2 separate beds]
• Double cabin, Top Deck: 24,400 Baht per person [2 people sharing same bed]
• Learn To Dive! PADI Open Water Diver and Liveaboard package:
  28700 Baht per person [4 bunk bed cabin accommodation]

Please note: If you are a PADI Open Water Diver (certified to 18 metres deep maximum) you will be required to do the PADI Deep Dive speciality to quality you to dive to 30 metres. This is for your own safety and enjoyment. The PADI Deep Dive speciality is 1300 Thai Baht in addition to the liveaboard cost.

Night Dives: If you are a PADI Open Water Diver and wish to do the night dives, you will need to do the PADI Night Diver speciality. The price is 1300 Baht.

Where Does The Liveaboard depart from?
The liveaboard departs from Khao Lak, a small town which is one hour’s drive from Phuket Airport. To get from Koh Lanta to Khao Lak takes around 4 hours by ferry and taxi.

What time does the liveaboard depart and return?
The liveaboard departs at 5pm and returns around 4pm. You can fly into Phuket Airport by 3pm and take a taxi to be in Khao Lak by 4pm. If you are interested in learning to dive with us, you need to arrive one day BEFORE the liveaboard departs to begin your dive course.

What is the liveaboard departure schedule?

There are no Similan Islands trips between June to October each year as the Similan Islands Marine Park is closed during this time due to monsoon season.

How do I check availability or make a booking on this liveaboard?
Just send us an email telling what date you’d like to go on the liveaboard and the type of cabin (Top, Main or 4 bunk sharing) you’d like. We will get straight back to you to confirm availability and send you our booking form.

Do I need to book in advance?
Yes. This liveaboard is very popular as it’s good service and good value. The Double Bed Cabins on the Upper and Main Deck sell out quite quickly, so please book in advance to avoid disappointment.

How do I make payment for the trip?
When you make your booking, we send you a PayPal Deposit Invoice for roughly 20 per cent of the trip price. You can pay this using any major credit card and you don’t need to be a member of PayPal to do so. You can then pay the balance on arrival at the dive shop.

We accept Thai Baht cash, Visa and Mastercard. Please note credit cards have a 3 per cent processing fee in Thailand. There are ATMs and banks near to the dive shop if you wish to withdraw or exchange money.

How much does a taxi cost from Phuket Airport?
The taxi costs 1200 Baht from Phuket Airport to the dive shop in Khao Lak, or 1800 Baht from any Phuket hotel. We can send a taxi to collect you from the Airport – the driver will be waiting for you in Arrivals with your name in a placard. Our taxis are cheaper and less hassle than normal airport taxis!

How much does the scuba gear hire cost?
Nothing! It’s included in the liveaboard price.

Is there a discount if I bring my own scuba gear?
Yes. You get 1000 Baht off the price per person if you bring a complete set of scuba gear, including torch for night dives. A complete set of gear is BCD, regulator, mask, snorkel, wetsuit, fins, and night light.

Is the scuba gear in good condition?
Yes. We only use top quality brand names – Aqualung, ScubaPro etc – and all our scuba equipment is regularly serviced, maintained and replaced.

Which dive sites does the liveaboard visit?
The liveaboard visits the Similan Islands and also goes to Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and the famous Richelieu Rock.

How many divers are on the boat?
There is a maximum of 24 divers on the boat. If you are looking for fewer divers on your liveaboard, we recommend the MV Jazz Similan liveaboard,which has a maximum of 14 divers.

How many divers are led by one dive guide?
We have a maximum of 4 divers with one dive guide.

What are the shower/toilet facilities?
There are 3 big shower/toilet rooms located on the main deck with hot water and good water pressure. The cabins are not ensuite.

I’m a single diver – is that a problem?
Not at all. We have many solo travellers joining us – we will make sure you have a well-matched dive buddy and have a great time!

Can I book a cabin for one person only?
Unfortunately you would need to pay for the entire cabin – i.e. for two people – if you wanted a cabin to yourself. This is obviously very expensive.

Chris: Rob has uploaded a stack of beautiful photos to Flickr of Koh Lanta, both around the island and also amazing shots from underneath the water too. You can see them showcased in the Flickr sideshow that now sits at the bottom of each page on AmazingLanta.com.

Chris: We’ve just added a new liveaboard to AmazingLanta.com – the MV Jazz, which is a luxury liveaboard that goes to Burma’s Mergui Archipelago. The Jazz also goes to the Similan Islands, Thailand’s world famous dive destination. If you’re feeling really intrepid (and fit!), you can do a combined Similan Islands and Burma trip, making for 9 days of incredible diving. You can see pictures of the Jazz, read more info and see the prices and departure schedule on our MV Jazz Similan Islands – Burma liveaboard page.

MV Jazz – Myanmar liveaboard

I’m doing a trip on the MV Jazz later this week, which will be my first time diving in Burma. My friend Clive who works as a dive guide on the Jazz tells me that conditions in the Mergui Archipelago are fantastic at the moment, so fingers crossed I will be able to get some good pictures and video to put up here on the site when I get back. No doubt I’ll tell you all about it when I get back

Rob: Happy New Year!!!

It’s been crazy busy on Koh Lanta over Christmas and New Year. Suddenly overnight it becomes the busiest time of the dive season as people want to be on holiday for Christmas. All the dive boats are full and the sailing boat is cruising everyday. If you don’t like the masses and the extra expense of flights and accommodation then December is not for you – but if you want to meet plenty of people for diving and partying, it’s great!

Christmas Visa Run Fun – Not!
It wasn’t the best time for me over the 24th and 25th. My visa had expired on the 24th and I had to go to the Malaysia border to renew it. Normally you can do it in one day, but not this time. After travelling to the border I had to queue for over 2 hours to leave Thailand. Very unusual but obviously many people are going home for the holidays. Then I had to queue again for over 2 hours to return into Thailand. The last ferry departs at 10pm to Koh Lanta so I had to stay the night in Trang. Great! Xmas eve alone and travelling on the 25th also bummer as I missed my first year diving with my friends. Lesson learned for next year!

Amazing Whale Sharks at Hin Muang
All that was forgotten next day because something truly amazing happened – Amazing Lanta indeed! It was the best Christmas present ever – we saw two Whale Sharks at Hin Muang on the 26th. I do say lucky as I have only seen 2 in all my life and I know people who have dived 15 / 20 years and never experienced the pure adrenalin felt when witnessing these magnificent animals. Although quite small for whale sharks at only around 6 metres long (a mere 6 metres… 3 times bigger than a person) they are still an impressive sight. The two videos were shot by the lovely DD, a French instructor working with me at Go Dive. Big thanks to her for letting us putting them on this blog.

The first clip is quite short and shows the sheer size of the whale shark next to a diver. The second clip is awesome, a couple of minutes long as DD follows the whale shark as it moves around the pinnacle and goes to check out the divers and their bubbles. It is just beautiful.

Tsunami Anniversary
26th December was also the anniversary of the Tsunami. I can still remember it like it was yesterday. I was one of the lucky ones, far out at sea on the dive boat. I saw nothing of what happened when the tsunami struck, only the destruction when we arrived back on land. Koh Lanta was not too badly damaged by the tsunami, unlike poor Koh Phi Phi, and now looking around the island you would never even know the tsunami happened. But we should never forget those who lost relatives and friends – our hearts are still with you. A lot of rememberance ceremonies were held all over Thailand. I placed a flower in the water and gave a minute’s silence before my boat departed from Hin Muang.

New Year’s Eve on Koh Lanta
New Year came with a bang. We all met up at Ozone bar on Long Beach. It has a great vibe and always has a great party every Thursday and it’s where you will find most of the dive community. Fireworks where going of everywhere and in Thailand we have these candles. They stand maybe a meter high and when the candle is lit inside it gives off an amazing glow. When it’s finally warmed the inside air up you can let it go and watch it rise steadily into the night air. When you see hundreds of these going up it’s an impressive sight.

From Chris and Rob we would like to wish you all a Happy New Year 2008! Or, according to the Thai Buddhist calendar, 2551. We hope you all stay safe with your Diving adventures and hope we’ll see you this year diving in Thailand.

October 2011: Please Note – MV Jazz has been sold and is moving to Singapore. The 2011 – 2012 Similan Islands and Burma schedule will no longer be happening. Please see Burma Liveaboard MV Flying Seahorse for Burma and Similan trips and MV Dolphin Queen for Similan Islands trips

MV Jazz is a comfortable Thailand diving liveaboard that runs trips to Thailand’s Similan Islands and Burma’s Mergui Archipelago. You can visit either dive destination or do a fantastic combination trip that visits both Thailand and Burma.

• Ensuite or shared bathroom double bed and twin cabins
• Similan Islands Liveaboard 4 Days / 4 Nights Price
  860 US$ Shared Bathroom / 895 Ensuite + 40 $US Marine Park Tax + 60 $US Baht Scuba Gear Hire
• Burma Liveaboard 6 Days / 6 Nights Price:
  1450 US$ Shared / 1485 Ensuite + 200 US$ Burma Entry Fee + 90 US$ Baht Scuba Gear Hire
• Contact us about your booking – scroll down to our Contact Form below
  or email amazinglanta@gmail.com
• Scroll down to see the Jazz departure schedule
• Maximum of 14 guests
• Experienced PADI dive staff – 4 Divemasters and 1 Tour Leader
• New and fully maintained scuba gear for hire
• Similan Island and Burma trips both depart from Khao Lak, one hour’s drive from Phuket Airport and 4 hours travel from Koh Lanta