[az_column_text animation_loading=”no” animation_loading_effects=”fade_in”]The trip reports we write often have so many cool things to talk about that we often forget that many people have never spent a night on a boat before. This week we are going to focus on something that we sometimes overlook. What is a Liveaboard?

What is a Liveaboard?

In short, a Liveaboard is a Scuba diving boat you can sleep on. Once you have done one diving liveaboard, you may never want to do a day trip again. Every morning you wake up already at the dive site and your equipment already set up. Just help yourself to a real cup of coffee and go for a dive. But before we go into the details of the diving, have a look at the video below to get a glimpse of something you could never see on a Similan Islands daytrip. So what is a Liveaboard? It is something completely  unforgettable…

[az_video_embed class=”” link=”https://youtu.be/zzlLI2_DrZQ”]

The MV Hallelujah

There are many different kinds of Liveaboard around the Similan Islands. We have to say we are very proud of ours. The MV Hallelujah is a beautiful boat. 37m long and specifically designed for the job. We hold 25 guests but even at full capacity the boat still feels big. Every room is en-suite, the beds are comfortable and there are many places around the boat to relax. Most importantly for me I have to say a huge thank you to our cooks Anne and Rat who cook the most delicious Thai food. You will not go hungry when you are on the MV Hallelujah. At Big Blue Diving Khao Lak we run a 4 day and 4 night Liveaboard. We feel this is the perfect length of time to experience all the best dive sites the area has to offer. 14 dives around the Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock and the Boon Sung Wreck.

The Schedule

First dive takes place around 7am, after a fresh coffee of course. Come back for breakfast and then if you fancy, join us for a trip to the beach. Second dive is around 11am, followed by lunch. There are always long surface intervals which gives you plenty of opportunities to have a chat with the guests and instructors, read a book, relax on the sundeck or have a little snooze. There is always time to relax. Third dive is around 3pm and this is once again followed by more delicious food. The last dive is either a night or sunset dive and adds a bit more variety to the diving. Two of my personal favourite dives are the sunset dive at Koh Tachai and the sunset dive at Richelieu rock. The fish are more active and you can often see more hunting action. After the last dive have a warm shower in your private bathroom and then for the last time of the day, enjoy another feast.

The Diving

The overall experience of spending 4 wonderful days on a beautiful boat is enough to boast about on its own. But the best thing about the whole trip is of course the diving. 14 dives in 4 days covers all of the best dive sites in the area. We sometimes alter the schedule depending on conditions and reports of Whale Sharks or Manta Rays at different dive sites. However, typically we will do six dives in the Similan Islands, two dives at Koh Bon, two dives at Koh Tachai, three dives at the magnificent Richelieu Rock and one final dive on the way back to the pier at the Boon Sung wreck. The variety in these different sites is staggering. Richelieu Rock is arguably the best dive site in Thailand with stunning corals and an abundance of life. Koh Bon is famous for Manta Rays. Koh Tachai has the big schools of Trevally and Barracuda and is great to watch some hunting action. Then surprisingly the Boon Sung wreck can have the largest schools of fish in the whole area! So What is a Liveaboard? It is the chance to see everything that the area has to offer in just a few days.

Anything else?

The MV Hallelujah is a high end boat and the dive staff are experienced. We are happy meet all your needs. Are you vegetarian? Thats no problem. Do you have children? We can arrange a babysitter or if they are old enough we can take them diving. Do you get seasick? We have seasickness medication but even better than that, the MV Hallelujah is probably the most stable in the Similan Islands. Whatever your request, we will make do our best to make you comfortable. Please feel free to contact us if you have any more questions about the MV Hallelujah or Big Blue Diving Khao Lak. So what is a Liveaboard? If you’re still not sure, have a look at a few more photos from our most recent trip.

Photo Gallery

[/az_column_text]

[az_gallery_images images_gallery=”3338,3337,3336,3281,3278,3029″ gallery_layout=”grid-gallery” carousel_gallery_item=”6″ carousel_gallery_item_tablet=”3″ carousel_gallery_item_mobile=”1″ carousel_gallery_navigation=”false” carousel_gallery_pagination=”false” carousel_gallery_autoplay=”false” gallery_columns_count=”2clm”]