We’ve added next season’s schedules for two of our liveaboards, for those of you who want to think about bookings from October 2009 onwards, when the next dive season on the west coast of Thailand begins.
You can see the 2009 – 2010 schedule for the MV Flying Seahorse here and for the MV Jazz here – scroll down to the bottom of the page to see next season’s list of dates.
Chris: A couple of weeks ago I went on a liveaboard to Burma on the MV Jazz – we had a great time despite some cold water and faulty showers – brr! I’ve written up a full report of the Burma trip with lots of photos on Divehappy.com
Check this video of a leopard shark that got up close and personal with us on our first Burma dive at Eagle’s Nest:
Rob:We at AmazingLanta are always trying to improve our services. We now think we have found the perfect solution so you can arrive on Koh Lanta quicker, easier and more refreshed than normal giving you more time to enjoy the Islands relaxed lifestyle.
Koh Lanta is an Island and is easily accessible to the mainland by 2 car ferry crossing’s. Because of this many people who arrive at Krabi Airport travel direct by minivan or car. This trip is very nice and scenic but is sometimes prone to lengthy delays at the piers.
Krabi Airport to Koh Lanta
First we pick you up from Krabi Airport in a Luxury minivan. The ride will take you around 45 mins directly to a private Pier at Hua Hin. Then it’s a 15 minute speedboat ride to Koh Lanta Yai. Arriving in Saladan Koh Lanta’s main center where you are then transferred safely to your Hotels by a car. This misses out the 2 car ferry’s and also the drive over Koh Lanta Noi saving you several hours of your valuable time giving you more time to relax and enjoy the sun.
Koh Lanta to Krabi Airport
Pick up by car from your resort depending on what time your flights is. The car will drive you direct to Saladan Koh Lanta’s main town center. From here it’s a 15min speedboat trip to a private pier on the mainland at Hua Hin. Then a luxury minivan will take you direct to the airport normally a 45 min journey.
If you have an early morning flight and don’t want to be traveling at an unusual hour to make that connection then this transfer is perfect for you as it will give you time to wake up and enjoy your breakfast at the resort. Who knows you may even have time for an extra swim or a massage.
I actually tried and tested the quick boat transfer last week and was amazed by the speed and smoothness of the service. When the speed boat arrives at the pier the minivan or car is waiting for you so no waiting around. Add on top the beautiful scenery as the boat goes along mangrove forests, small uninhabited Islands with golden beaches and beautiful mountains. Believe me it really does make for a quick and unforgettable journey.
Chris: We’ve re-organised the information about the MV Flying Seahorse to make it easier to understand all the info about the different trips. The MV Flying Seahorse runs 2 Day, 4 Day, 5 Day and 7 Day liveaboard trips, all with different itineraries, so it can get a bit confusing having the info all on one page.
As such, we’ve now got a page for each different type of trip, complete with full itinerary, departure dates and pricing, along with our Video Tour of the boat and photos, so you can see exactly what it looks like.
We’ve also got our Liveaboard 4 for 3 offer going on, which is now running from January to March 2009 — if four of you book together, one of you goes for free! That works out as a 25 per cent discount per person. Read our 4 for 3 Offer page for more info.
The MV Jazz is a spacious Similan liveaboard that takes a maximum of 16 guests, with airconditioned cabins that have ensuite shower and toilet. You can see more photos of the MV Jazz and the Departure Date Schedule on our main MV Jazz Similan and Burma Liveaboard page.
Burma trips remained unchanged at $1190 per person plus $200 Burmese immigration tax. It’s a hefty chunk of change but Burma is worth it if you’re interested in real exploratory diving. You’ll see no other dive boats out there (unless you’re really unlucky) and the topside scenery of limestone karsts blasted by the elements is stunning. Underwater there is a huge variety of marine life, from whale sharks to mantas to frogfish, all of which are highly unpredictable – you just don’t know what you’re going to see when you jump in. Viz and currents can also be unpredictable too, so it’s not for the faint-hearted.
In late February, the MV Jazz is doing two special one-off Burma Discoverys trip – one for seven days and one for nine days long – which will be spent looking for new dive sites in the region. Obviously, not every dive will be good – that’s the luck of the draw – but to be the first to discover a great new dive site is pretty special. Ric and Clive, who manage the boat, already have a pretty good idea of where to look so there should be some great surprises on this trip.
The 7 Day Burma Discovery trip costs $1430 plus the $200 Burma immigration tax. It runs from 15 to 22nd February 2009.
The 9 Day Burma Discovery costs $1960 plus the $200 Burma immigration tax. It departs on 26 February 2009, returning 07 March 2009
If you’re interested in a place on either trip, simply email us at amazinglanta@gmail.com or use the contact form on the MV Jazz page
Rob: We would like to wish you all a Happy New Year and Safe Travels and Diving Adventures in 2009.
Here on Koh Lanta 2009 started with a bang as the fireworks and rockets endlessly went off. So far the only downside has been the stormy weather. Ah well that only means you can’t sit to long on the beaches so you might as well come diving.
After finishing an Open Water Course with Edward (which was great fun ) I got the chance to go and fun dive at Hin Daeng. Due to the current being strong in the morning we decided to make 2 dives here and it was spectacular.
Thank you! to Pauline from Singapore for making this trip a lot of fun! and thank you for letting me take my camera. We got to see quite a lot of cool stuff. Barracudas, 2 Ghostpipefish, Juvenile Emperor Angel Fish, Octopus, Boxfish, Giant Moray Eels and Batfish. Looking for the smaller stuff tho we were lucky enough to find a whole variety of Shrimps.
