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Website home>Liveaboards>Thailand>MV Similan Explorer

Length
20m
66 ft
Max 20
Nitrox
PADI
LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEE
At a glance...
  • Very affordable 3 to 5 night Similans, Surin, Richelieu Rock trips
  • Dive The World Gold Range product
  • Cabins have air-conditioning, windows that open
  • Friendly, professional and helpful staff
  • Communal bathrooms

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The MV Similan Explorer is a wooden mono-hulled boat specialising in 3 to 5 night Thailand diving safaris in the Similans National Park. Up to 20 guests can be accommodated onboard. Although not a 5-star luxury liveaboard option, the boat is bright and comfortable and you can expect a warm, friendly atmosphere.

There are 8 cabins in total; all have air-conditioning and windows that open, allowing plenty of natural light, fresh air and sea views. There are 4 twin bunk bed cabins and 2 4-share bunk bed cabins on the main deck, all fitted with curtains around each bunk for extra privacy. On the upper deck there are 2 double bed cabins with doors to the outside.

Also on the upper deck is the open-air dining area - the social centre of the liveaboard. This shaded area is open along each side so you can enjoy the beautiful island scenery as you dine. Snacks and refreshments are available 24 hours per day. Here you can relax with a movie or listen to music on the stereo. There is also a large collection of fish identification books in several languages.

The dive deck has plenty of room for gearing up and for storing your equipment. The experienced boat crew members are always there to help you with your scuba gear and with your entry and exit. The 3 bathrooms with hot water showers and toilets are located on the same deck and there are 2 more fresh water showers on the dive platform.

Between dives you can chill-out on the sundeck and either top up your tan or relax in a deck chair in the shaded area. Located on the top of the liveaboard, this is the perfect place from which to survey the islands and spot a dolphin or two.


Scheduled departures, prices, destinations, durations...
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More Trip Details...

Dive experience: Participants need to be at least Advanced Diver certified. Otherwise Adventure Deep Diver course is mandatory on board.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, hot drinks, dives (as detailed in the trips above), experienced English-speaking divemaster(s) (4 divers per DM), tanks, weights and weightbelts, use of mask, wetsuit and fins, torch for night dives, towel, return transfers to the boat from Khao Lak hotels.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): 7% VAT on cruise price (to be paid in advance), Similan and Surin park fees at approximately US$ 6 per day (in cash and Thai Baht only) plus 7% VAT, with an entry fee of US$ 14 per park (in cash and Thai Baht only) plus 7% VAT, scuba equipment (BCD and regulator), dive insurance. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash or credit card).

Optional extras: Phuket transfers to/from the boat (approx. US$ 42 per person per way plus 7% VAT), soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers (if available), dive computer (approx. US$ 8 per day), torch rental day dives (approx. US$ 4 per day). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival.

How to get there: MV Similan Explorer liveaboard trips to the Similan Islands depart in the evening from Khao Lak. A minibus service from Khao Lak hotels to and from the boat is provided. Return transfers from all hotels in Phuket or Phuket Airport to and from the boat can be arranged at extra cost. Guests may arrive at MV Dolphin Queen's dive center on the day of departure from 10 am to 2:30 pm for equipment fitting and check in. The departure time from the dive center to the liveaboard is approximately 4:00 pm. For more information see our Thailand travel information section. The last dive of the safari will be at around 11:00 hrs. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving.

Non-diver rate: 20% off the published price.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travellers may choose to share a cabin or pay a supplement of 80% of the published price.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 9 guests and 1 extra person can join the cruise in a 4-bed cabin free of charge (total 10 guests). See whole boat charter rate below.

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Please ask.



Cabins, Berths, Showers, Bathrooms...
There are 4 Standard twin bunk bed cabins and 2 Quad (4-share) bunk bed cabins on the main deck, and 2 Deluxe double bed cabins on the upper deck. All the cabins have windows for natural lighting.

All the /liveaboard cabins have:
  • Air conditioning
  • Shared bathrooms with shower, toilet, hand basin & toiletries
  • Towels provided only in Deluxe double bed cabins
  • Seaview windows
  • Reading lights
  • Wardrobe, shelves and mirror
  • Bedding & towels
  • Twin pin mains outlet 220 volts - 24 hours per day
  • Life jackets
  • Space for luggage
No. of bathrooms / showers - 3 / 3 - hot water


Crew, Facilities, Dive Courses...
The 11 crew comprise:
  • Cruise Leader / Divemaster
  • 4 Divemasters
  • Captain
  • Cook & Assistant Cook
  • Engineer
  • 2 Deck hands
Enriched air nitrox - Motorised dinghy - 13m² dive deck with hot water showers & toilets - 9m² dive platform with ladders and rinse tanks - 20m² shaded social & dining area on upper deck with TV, DVD video, music system, movie library & fish ID/diving books - Satellite phone & cellphone - 27m² sun deck with matresses - Water dispenser

No indoor saloon.


Menu, Cuisine Type...
  • Thai main meal dishes and European breakfast, buffet-style service on the upper deck.
  • Pre-breakfast, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with snacks
  • Coffee, tea, electrolyte drinks, drinking water, fruit, biscuits, toast are provided free of charge.
  • Soft drinks and beer are available for purchase.
  • All diets catered for - please send us your requirements.
  • Dining service begins on the first evening of the safari.
  • The liveaboard operator rates their dining experience as a very important aspect of the tour.
Sample Breakfast - Brown Bread, Omelettes, Fried eggs, Ham, Sausages, Corn Flakes, Muesli, fruits...


Technical Specifications...
  • Built in year 2000, refurbished annually
  • Last upgraded in 2012
  • Size - 23 x 5m
  • Weight - 59 tonnes
  • Top speed - 10 knots
  • Cruising speed - 8 knots
  • 246 HP Hino engine
  • 2 x 375 KW Isuzu generators
  • 2 x Bauer Mariner dive tank compressors
  • Enriched air nitrox system
  • 12 litre aluminium tanks with international fittings. DIN adaptors available free of charge.
  • DIN adapters available
  • Electricity 220 volts - 24 hours per day
  • Water capacity - 10,000 litres
  • Fuel capacity - 3,000 litres
  • Waste storage tanks


Navigation, Safety Features...
  • Life raft
  • 30 HP Yamaha motorised dinghy
  • Radio
  • Radar
  • Global positioning system (GPS)
  • Fishfinder
  • Plotter
  • Autopilot
  • Satellite and mobile telephones
  • Bilge pump alarm
  • Horn
  • Medic first aid box
  • Emergency oxygen - 109,000 litres
  • Life jackets in each cabin
  • Fire extinguishers throughout


Customer reviews:

Customer rating - Good
"The liveaboard was very nice, the staff and crew on the boat were excellent" - , USA, 15 December 2017 ...

Customer rating - Good
"Very attentive staff, helpful in kitting up and with equipment before and after every dive. Fun dive masters who kept briefings light hearted. Being a vegetarian, I found the food a bit limiting – esp breakfast as i ended up eating only hash browns every morning (for meals, it was veggies and Tofu most of the time) but i was expecting it and carried a few supplements. The Christmas dinner and the final lunch were great. The living quarters are a bit cramped with the beds too short for any one who is of regular height. Same with toilets where there was no leg space while sitting down! I knew it is a budget boat so not really complaining. All in all, a good trip." - , India, 02 January 2017 ...

Customer rating - Excellent
"Friendly and extreme helpful staff, nice liveaboard boat with nice cabin and good, and enough food." - , Germany, 15 March 2014 ...

Customer rating - Very good
"Very friendly and professional staff on board but the cooking was very poor." - , Hong Kong, 6 January 2014 ...


Thailand


Middle Budget Options

Click to view product. Special discounted trips highlighted in yellow


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