Diving trips aboard M/V Excalibur

Click Here to see a Panoramic view (360°) of Similan Island No. 8

The Similan Islands National Marine Park is an archipelago of granite rocky islands that lies some 55 nautical miles northeast of Phuket, and was declared as a Marine Park in 1982. The Similans are justifiably included in the ten top dive destinations of the World. Divers and skin divers alike are able to explore the underwater circus. The beauty of the Similan Islands with its outstanding rock formations and tropical jungle green coves with turquoise beaches are unmatched. As the surrounding waters are protected, they are unsurprisingly teeming with marine life and the species of both hard and soft corals remain in a very healthy state. Most of the Diving Depth's are between 6 to 40 meters, the similans are very famous for there enormous visibility 30 to 50 meters.

The Similan Islands are the centerpiece of all live-aboard diving cruises in Thailand and are a "must see" for all divers and anyone looking for incredible marine scenery.

Nowhere else is the diving more rich of fish life and colorful than here. There are nine densely wooded islands lying north to south. Each island has its own name but everyone knows them simply by number. Most islands have gorgeous turquoise coves with fine talcum powder like sandy beaches some of them we will visit with our dingy. On most of our MV Excalibur live aboard trips to the Similan and Surin Islands we have Dolphins playing and jumping around our ship.

On the east side the diving is on sloping hard coral reefs and shallow coral gardens. A "Photographers" paradise! Dive the west side and it is as if you are at a totally different spot. Huge granite boulders stacked on top of one another create caverns and swim throughs with soft corals everywhere. Huge gorgonian sea fans and bright yellow tube corals are plentiful. Giant schools of fish, fish and more fish! Only a few places left in this world offer as much variety and enjoyment as the archipelago of the Similan and Surin Islands. During all dives look up to the surface from time to time otherwise you could miss pelagic Mantas and even Whale Sharks cruising just a few meters overhead.

The MV Excalibur departs at 7 PM and cruises to the the Similan Islands first. During the Similan cruise on board MV Excalibur we will visit as many different dive sites as possible with opportunities of up to eighteen dives. Halfway between Similan Islands and Surin Islands are two islands: Koh Tachai to the west and Koh Bon to the east. Both islands are good places for encountering large pelagic fish. Ko Tachai's southeastern tip called "Twin Peaks", which are two pinnacles connected by a reef. Schools of batfish circle at this site which is also a favorite with Stingrays and Whale Sharks. Strong currents make this a good place for huge sea fans.

Koh Bon's west side is a steep rock face that drops to 40 meters. At the bottom we often find Leopard Sharks, Reef Sharks and Manta Rays. Ask the Divemaster to show you the hideouts of some of the rarer species such as Anglerfish, Sea Moths, Jaw Fish, Frogfish or Ribbon Eels. If you are interested in marine biology this is the place to visit!

The Mu Surin Islands National Marine Park features beautiful untouched unique highlight just a few nautical miles south of the Burmese border, 110 nm to Phuket and 50 nm from the Similan Islands. The five islands are closely grouped together with the main island being larger than any of the Similans and covered in verdant rainforest lush green coves and turquoise beaches. A small sea gypsy community lives on the east coast. The diving here is mainly on hard coral fringe reefs, similar to the east side of the Similans. One of our favorite dive sites is Turtle Ledges. Besides Hawksbill Turtles one can also observe juvenile Batfish and Ghost Pipefish. General Diving Depth's are between 3 to 40 meters. The Surin Islands are richer of plankton that's because of why you can see more often giant pelagic cruising about; visibility is fair to good 15 to 35 meters.

Richelieu Rock lies 8 nautical miles east of the Surin Islands. This world-class dive site is by far the best in the Surin area and the place to see Whale Sharks and Manta Rays. We encounter more of them here than at any other location. Swimming along with these huge fish lets a diver's dream come true. The Richelieu Rock is a Whale Sharks paradise. The underwater scenery changes as you alternate between the east and the west side of these enormous underwater rock formations.

But Richelieu Rock has much more to offer than just large pelagic fish. This rocky outcrop is covered in soft corals and seems to act like a magnet when it comes to attracting fish. Every imaginable variety of fish is here including the shy and elsewhere rarely seen Sawfish and Shovelnose Ray or Guitarfish. You could spend hours observing the mating rituals of Cuttlefish and Leopard Sharks. Watch schools of Barracudas cruise by while thousands of colorful Fusiliers swirl around the rocks. This is truly a very special place!

On the last day of the MV Excalibur cruise we are heading back to south doing one dive on The Bang sak Wreck and another back at the Similan Islands. The MV Excalibur returns back to shore arriving at 7 PM.

On a 5 days 5 nights MV Excalibur cruise in addition to the exciting destinations described above on the shorter excursions, featuring more diving sites of the Surin Islands, which hosts the oldest coral structures in the country.

Our cruise ship MV Excalibur departs from one of these locations at 7 PM: Rasada Pier in Phuket town, Phi Phi Island at Ton Sai Bay, Krabi at Ao Nang Beach, Patong Beach or Khao Lak at the Thap Lamu Pier. Full charters only, with prior arrangements can board our cruise ship from any of these locations.

Some of the Similan and Surin Islands best dive sites are: Elephant Head Rock, Fantasea Reef, Sharkfin Reef, Christmas Point, Breakfast Bend, Beacon Reef, The Bang sak Wreck, Turtle Ledge, Richelieu Rock, Koh Tachai, Koh Bon, Boulder City and East of Eden. Though each of these locations has its own characteristics, they all share the underwater panorama that is uniquely to the archipelago. Many divers return to these islands year after year, they all agree the islands never fail to impress them on each return.

Click here to see the dive sites on This Trip

Please note there are many more dive sites in the area and we strive to dive the best sites taking weather, tide and sea state into consideration!

This excellent MV Excalibur cruise showcases "The Best of Phi Phi Islands" National Marine Park. The Phi Phi Islands are very popular and famous for its stunning beauty. No fewer than seven Hollywood films and TV series have been shot in the Phi Phi Island area in the past few years. Some of these include The Phantom, Mortal Combat, Men of War, Cut Throat Island, The Beach and Around the World in Eighty Days. On board the famous MV Excalibur you will visit some of the most outstanding coral reefs and picturesque scenery in the Andaman Sea. The underwater world is full of rich hard and soft corals with Nudibranchs, Seahorses, Ghost Pipefish, Lionfish, Scorpion fish, Barracudas, Reef Sharks, Turtles, Giant Moray eels and if you are lucky Whale Sharks and Mantas. The trip begins in the morning at 8 AM from Ton Sai Bay on Phi Phi Don. Full boat charters on MV Excalibur can start from Krabi or Phuket upon special arrangement.

After boarding our cruise ship MV Excalibur heads out to Shark Point Marine Sanctuary for the first dive, which is then followed with two dives on Anemone Reef and The Wreck of the "King Cruiser", a car ferry which sank on 4 May 1997 at 10.45am. For the first two weeks after sinking, it was initially dived only by Moskito Diving Center team, who made a video and undertook recovery work for the Songserm travel company.

The fist day ends cruising on board MV Excalibur to the renowned beauty of Maya Bay which we explore by our own dingy. Maya Bay is the film location of "The Beach", the movie in which Leonardo di Caprio finds his tropical paradise on Phi Phi Ley Island. There is still plenty of time for a late afternoon dive, a glorious sunset out of Maya Bay and a night dive with lots of macro marine life.

The second day begins at the Phi Phi Ley Island and a visit to the historical Viking Cave with its ancient wall paintings. Morning dives at the southern outcrops of the Bida Nok and Bida Nai islands followed by a dive with the Leopard Sharks at Phi Phi's very own Shark Point "Hin Bida". This is also a hot spot for pelagic creatures like Whale Sharks and Manta Rays! The day ends at Loh Samah Bay with opportunities of more exiting night dives and the most picturesque anchorage you can dream of.

On day three MV Excalibur visits a number of outstanding lush green coves and turquoise beaches. You may be lucky enough to encounter a school of Dolphins around our cruise ship, just below the water surface. Dive sites for multiple dives to be visited include: Nui Bay, Wang Long Bay, Hin Dot, Hin Phae, Garang Heng, Pi Leh Bay, Maya South, Window Rock, Table Coral City, Pha Long, Fantasy Reef, Hua Raket, Rock Bay, Maya Corner, Loh Moo Dee and Mosquito Island. For divers who still have power in their fins, an optional night dive is available. The MV Excalibur returns back to shore the following morning at 8 AM.

Please note there are many more dive sites in the area and we strive to dive the best sites taking weather, tide and sea state into consideration. It is incredibly rare not to be able to dive around the Phi Phi Islands due to weather conditions!

Click here to see the dive sites on this trip

To read more about the dive sites, click on links below:

• King Cruiser Wreck
• Shark Point
• Anemone Reef
• Bida Nok
• Bida Nai
• Hin Bida
• Maya South
• Maya Corner
• Hin Dot
• Garang Heng

Our most popular MV Excalibur cruise features the Phi Phi Marine National Park islands and selected highlights from "The Best Of Phi Phi Islands" cruise and also includes the stunning Hin Daeng (Red Rock) and Hin Muang (Purple Rock), these two dive sites are rated as some of the best diving in South East Asia and is truly world class diving. The Phi Phi Islands are very popular and famous for its stunning beauty. No fewer than seven Hollywood films and TV series have been shot in the Phi Phi Island area in the past few years. Some of these include The Phantom, Mortal Combat, Men of War, Cut Throat Island, The Beach and Around the World in Eighty Days. On board the famous MV Excalibur you will visit some of the most outstanding coral reefs and picturesque scenery in the Andaman Sea. The underwater world is full of rich hard and soft corals with Nudibranchs, Seahorses, Ghost Pipefish, Lionfish, Scorpion fish, Barracudas, Reef Sharks, Turtles, Giant Moray eel and even Whale Sharks and Manta Rays. Dive sites to be visited include: Nui Bay, Wang Long Bay, Hin Dot, Hin Phae, Garang Heng, Pi Leh Bay, Maya South, Window Rock, Table Coral City, Pha Long, Fantasy Reef, Hua Raket, Rock Bay, Maya Corner, Loh Moo Dee, Mosquito Island and the southern Islets Koh Ha, Koh Rok Nok, Hin Daeng and Hin Muang. The trip begins in the morning at 8 AM from Ton Sai Bay on Phi Phi Don. Full boat charters on MV Excalibur can start from Krabi or Phuket upon special arrangement.

After boarding our cruise ship MV Excalibur heads out to Shark Point Marine Sanctuary for the first dive, then followed with two dives on Anemone Reef and The Wreck of the "King Cruiser", a car ferry which sank on 4 May 1997 at 10.45am. For the first two weeks after sinking, it was initially dived only by Moskito Diving Center team, in order to make a video and undertake recovery work for the Songserm travel company.

The first day ends cruising on board MV Excalibur to the renowned beauty of Maya Bay which we explore by our own dingy. Maya Bay is the film location of "The Beach", movie in which Leonardo di Caprio finds his tropical paradise on Phi Phi Ley Island. There is still plenty of time for a late afternoon dive, a glorious sunset out of Maya Bay and a night dive with lots of macro marine life.

The second day begins at the Phi Phi Ley Island and a visit to the historical Viking Cave with its ancient wall paintings. Morning dives at the southern outcrops of the Bida Nok and Bida Nai islands are followed by a dive with the Leopard Sharks at Phi Phi's very own Shark Point "Hin Bida". This is also a hot spot for pelagic creatures like Whale Sharks and Manta Rays. The day ends at Loh Samah Bay with more opportunities for exiting night dives and the most picturesque anchorage you can dream of.

Day three starts with an early morning cruise, all the way down to the southern island groups of Koh Ha and Koh Rok Nok. When we awake MV Excalibur will be moored over the highlight spots of this trip, Hin Muang (Purple Rock) or Hin Daeng (Red Rock). The day is spent diving these two sites for a very good chance of seeing Mantas and Whale Sharks, before moving to Koh Rok Nok for a night dive and a safe anchorage between the two islands.

In the morning of day four we do an early morning dive at Hin Daeng to say goodbye to the Whale Sharks and then head back to the Koh Ha island group for two more dives. Finally the cruise returns to the Bida Islands for an exiting night dive. The MV Excalibur returns back to shore the following morning at 8 AM.

Please note there are many more dive sites in the area and we strive to dive the best sites taking weather, tide and sea state into consideration. It is incredibly rare not to be able to dive around the Phi Phi Islands due to weather conditions!

Click here to see the dive sites on this trip

To read more about the dive sites, click on links below:

• King Cruiser Wreck
• Shark Point
• Anemone Reef
• Bida Nok
• Bida Nai
• Hin Bida
• Maya South
• Maya Corner
• Hin Dot
• Garang Heng
• Hin Daeng
• Hin Muang
• Koh Ha
• Koh Rok Nok

Between the months of May and October we will be offering a rather unique service and one that will suit everyone, friends, parents, companies, neighbors, clubs and even whole families on board our boat. MV Excalibur can cater for up to 14 guests. Our flagship, MV Excalibur, will be cruising around the extremely picturesque Ao Phang Nga Bay, famed for its outstanding scenery and Hollywood backdrops. Ao Phang Nga National Park covers a vast area both onshore and offshore of about 100,000 acres, striking scenic views, mountains of limestone and other artistic rock formations that soar up to 300m out of the sea like an eerie army of stone monoliths.

MV Excalibur will be dropping anchor in such places as Koh Hong and James Bond Island, named as such due to its starring role in the film, "007 The Man with the Golden Gun". For those wishing to simply get away from it all with as much relaxation as possible these trips are for you; however for the slightly more energetic there will be opportunities for kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, beach combing and sun bathing. Come and see the most impressive sunsets between the enormous limestone cliffs on board MV Excalibur.

We use our dingy to explore the mysteries of the mangrove swamps and enjoy a scenic view of distant forested limestone hills. The natural beauty of the bay is breathtaking as you pass remote coves and bays with idyllic lush and green tropical vegetation and golden beaches. Most of the mountains are of limestone origin covered with a dense vegetation, bushes and climber vines overhanging the sharp cliffs. Many of these odd rock formations are actually hollow and conceal hidden caves, or "Hongs". A Hong is a collapsed cave system that is an open to the sky lagoon with wild jungle, flora and fauna. These are often accessible with purpose-designed inflatable canoes at low tide only. Limited numbers of people are taken in the labyrinth of caves and special trained guides accompany every canoe, not just to lead the way and provide commentary, but also to advise how to conserve these precious natural resources.

It is easy to understand how pirates managed to operate in this area for centuries and were able to defy the authorities by simply vanishing into one of many hiding places. The many odd shapes of the high rising rocky islets have resulted in a variety of popular names, for example, Koh Khai or "Egg Island". A geologic super nature called Koh Khao Tapu, "Nail Island", emerges from the surface on an impossibly thin base but soars to a height of 200m (650 ft) above the water surface and from a distance it looks like a giant space shuttle being launched from the bottom of the sea. Koh Ma Chu is also known as "Puppy Island". Koh Hong or "Chamber Island" is named because of its many separated little caves. At a limestone island called Tham Lowt, smaller boats are able to pass all the way through the cave, which forms a natural arch some 40 to 60m long. The cave is adorned with picturesque stalactites hanging like chandeliers from the ceiling. Khao Khian, "Writing Mountain", contains a cave with prehistoric drawings of men and animals such as Sharks, Crocodiles, and Dolphins, that are believed to have been painted by people who inhabited this region more than 3000 years ago. The bay is home to a variety of exotic creatures, among them the Fiddler crab with its one enormous claw. Also seen is the Pigtailed Macaque (monkey) which is excellent swimmer and the so-called "Walking Fish" which can crawl considerable distances on land. On the island of Koh Panyi, at the foot of an immense limestone mountain is a fishing village built entirely over the water on stilts. A tall limestone peak protects the 2,000 villagers from the full force of monsoon. The fabulous Excalibur Adventure Discovery cruise returns back to shore at 8 AM.
Note: Extra services and Sea Canoeing are not included in the cruise price!

Click here to see the map for this trip