For many scuba divers, the Andaman Sea represents the pinnacle of Southeast Asian diving. The Manta Queen 5 liveaboard offers a low-cost option for this celebrated region, while providing a balanced and well-supported platform from which to explore famous sites like Richelieu Rock, Koh Bon, and the Similan Islands. With a scheduled 4-night safari that includes up to 15 dives, this trip is designed for economy-minded divers who want to maximise their time underwater without sacrificing comfort or safety.
The Manta Queen 5 liveaboard distinguishes itself through a deliberate focus on guest experience, starting with group size. The vessel accommodates a maximum of just 20 guests in twin cabins, which ensures a less crowded and more personal atmosphere than many larger boats. This is complemented by a dive guide ratio of 4 to 5 divers per professional, meaning you receive attentive supervision and briefings, which enhances both safety and the quality of your time on each site. Whether you are navigating the granite boulders of the Similans or searching for macro life at Richelieu Rock, this structure supports a more relaxed and focused dive experience.
Getting to the dive sites and managing your day-to-day needs onboard is straightforward. Round-trip land transfers from Khao Lak and Phuket are arranged for you, and the vessel carries free wi-fi. For those who prefer enriched air or need larger cylinders, rental options for nitrox and 15-litre tanks are available. The Manta Queen operator enforces a mandatory dive computer policy for all guests, and you will need to present valid dive insurance covering medical evacuation at check-in, although divers can purchase this onboard if necessary. These requirements reflect a serious approach to safety that experienced divers appreciate.
The Manta Queen 5 is operated by a team with over 2 decades of experience, recognised as both an SSI Training Centre and a PADI 5-Star Instructor Development Centre. This background is evident in the operational standards and the professionalism of the multi-lingual crew. The safari is crafted to showcase the best of the North Andaman, and the route typically includes the Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock, and the Boonsung Wreck. The schedule is structured to offer a mix of day and night dives, allowing you to experience the changing character of these world-class reefs.
The overall value of the Manta Queen 5 liveaboard stands out in the region. The upfront price covers your accommodation, meals, soft drinks, snacks, and the return transfers. The main additional cost to factor in is the standard marine park fee, which is payable locally. This clear pricing structure, combined with the low deposit required to secure your booking, makes planning straightforward and removes much of the guesswork from your trip budget.
Guest reviews consistently praise the warm hospitality and professionalism of the crew, the quality of the food, and the overall experience, with many divers returning to the Manta Queen fleet. The Manta Queen 5 liveaboard represents an attractive choice for divers seeking a well-managed, high-value trip to the Andaman Sea's most iconic locations.
There are 10 guest cabins on the Manta Queen 5 liveaboard. On the main deck there are 8 twin bunk bed cabins (3 sqm), and on the upper deck there are 2 more twin bunk bed cabins (3 sqm). All cabins share 3 bathrooms on the main deck.
All the cabins have:
- Individual controlled air-conditioning and small fan
- Shared bathrooms with toilet and hot water shower
- Towels, toiletries, hairdryer
- Windows on the main and upper deck
- Reading lights
- Daily housekeeping
- Mirror and shelves
- Life jackets and fire extinguisher
- Bedding and space for luggage
- Mains outlet 220 volts - 24 hours per day (EUR/US-style sockets)
No. of bathrooms / showers - 3 / 3 - hot water
Similan, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai & Richelieu Rock (5 Days / 4 Nights - 15 Dives)
Trip highlights: whale sharks, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, very popular, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock, Bunsoong Wreck
Day 1
Check-in at Thab Lamu Pier from late afternoon, where the crew will greet you and show you to your cabin. After settling in, there is a full safety and tour briefing before you set up your dive gear. A welcome dinner of massaman curry with fragrant rice is served as the boat slips its moorings and cruises north through the night, arriving off the Similan Islands after midnight so you wake rested and ready.
Core Days
The Manta Queen 5 liveaboard follows a route across the Andaman Sea's finest sites, allowing you time to explore at a relaxed pace. The Similan Islands provide a dramatic opening to the trip, with their famous granite boulders creating a labyrinth of swim-throughs, overhangs and gullies. These formations are thick with colourful soft corals, and the spaces between the rocks attract schools of fusiliers and yellowtail barracuda. The western sites offer drift diving along walls that plunge into deeper water, while the eastern slopes are gentler and suit those wanting more forgiving conditions. Leopard sharks rest on sandy patches beneath the boulders, and hawksbill turtles are frequent companions on shallower dives.
Heading north to Koh Bon changes the diving character entirely. The limestone ridge drops vertically to 40 metres, and the west ridge is a reliable cleaning station for manta rays. Divers often spend whole dives hovering in the blue, watching mantas make repeated passes overhead while cleaner wrasse attend to their gills. Grey reef sharks circle the deeper sections, and giant trevally hunt with explosive speed among the snapper schools. Koh Tachai continues the theme with a submerged pinnacle rising to within 12 metres of the surface, its sides covered in gorgonian fans and sea whips. Currents here sweep nutrient-rich water across the site, attracting large schools of batfish, barracuda and the occasional manta ray.
Richelieu Rock sits isolated in open water and is widely regarded as Thailand's finest dive site. Its shallow top sits just 5 metres below the surface, a garden of anemones and soft corals in vivid pinks and purples. The walls descend to 30 metres and beyond, with macro life tucked into every crevice. Whale sharks pass through between February and April, drawn by the plankton and cleaning services on offer. Even when the megafauna are elsewhere, Richelieu rewards patient observers: ornate ghost pipefish sway among the fans, seahorses grip coral branches, and dancing shrimp hide among crannies.
Day 5
The last morning opens with 3 dives. The first is usually a return to Koh Bon Pinnacle, a smaller rock formation that often attracts mantas early in the day. The second maybe at Koh Bon proper and third dive on the Boonsung Wreck. Corals encrust the hull and superstructure, while schools of trevally and batfish patrol the deck. Frogfish and countless morays are common among the wreckage, making this a satisfying final dive. A full breakfast is served, followed by lunch as the Manta Queen 5 cruises south to Thab Lamu Pier, arriving in the late afternoon.
[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].
A typical day aboard the Manta Queen 5 liveaboard follows the dive schedule, with meals providing welcome punctuation points throughout. Breakfast is served from 8 am to 9 am, lunch appears around 12:15 pm, and dinner is ready from 7:30 pm. Between dives, the crew puts out fresh fruit and snacks, and there is always ice cream available for those wanting a cool pick-me-up.
Mornings start early on the Manta Queen 5, with the first dive planned to take advantage of the Andaman Sea's calmest conditions. After surfacing, breakfast awaits. Alongside the familiar spread of eggs cooked to order, sausages, bacon, and hash browns, you might discover khao kluk kapi, a fragrant shrimp-paste fried rice served with sweet pork, green mango, and shredded omelette. For a lighter start, khao tom (rice soup with minced pork and ginger) warms you from the inside. Fresh pineapple, watermelon, and dragon fruit sit alongside yoghurt, muesli, and toast with spreads. The drinks table holds coffee, tea, and fruit juice.
Lunch and dinner rotate daily, showcasing the kitchen crew's broad expertise in regional Thai cooking. One day you might be enjoying khao mok gai, Thai-style chicken biryani with a cooling cucumber salad and sweet chilli sauce, or gaeng hung lay, a Burmese-influenced northern Thai pork curry with ginger, tamarind, and pickled garlic. Seafood lovers might find goong pad nam prik pao, prawns stir-fried with chilli paste and long beans. Noodle options include kuayteow reua, a robust boat noodle soup with dark soy broth, beef, and meatballs. Salads bring brightness: yum pla duk fu combines crispy catfish with green mango and chilli, while yam khai dao is a tangy salad of crispy fried eggs with red onion and herbs.
Desserts are far from an afterthought. Bua loi,chewy taro and pumpkin rice balls in warm coconut milk, appears regularly, alongside sakhu sai moo, tapioca pearls stuffed with seasoned pork and served with crispy garlic. Fresh coconut jelly and slices of ripe papaya round out the meal. Between dives, the galley keeps a steady supply of salted peanuts, prawn crackers, and seasonal fruit. Soft drinks, juice, tea, and coffee are always available.
When the weather obliges, the crew hauls the barbecue onto the sun deck. The evening might bring whole grilled snapper with lemongrass stuffing, garlic-and-pepper chicken wings, and moo yang, marinated pork neck sliced thin and served with a spicy dipping sauce. If the wind turns, the barbecue moves into the sheltered dining area, but the relaxed, sociable mood holds firm.
The Manta Queen 5 crew cooks with genuine care, and guests regularly comment on the standard of the food. Vegetarian and vegan diners are well catered for, and MSG is banned across all trips. Allergies or dietary requirements can be noted during reservation. The daily routine on the Manta Queen 5 is straightforward: the crew manages the meals and logistics, and you manage the diving. Everything else takes care of itself.
