Explorer | Thailand, Similan Islands

Boat

Designed for divers who want to maximise their time underwater while enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of a traditional liveaboard, Explorer offers an excellent balance of comfort, functionality and value. Built to cruise Thailand's spectacular Andaman Sea throughout the diving season, she provides easy access to some of Southeast Asia's most celebrated dive sites while maintaining the friendly and personal service for which Thai liveaboards are well known.

Explorer has been thoughtfully arranged to make life onboard enjoyable for both experienced liveaboard guests and those embarking on their very first diving safari. Wide outdoor decks provide plenty of space to unwind between dives, whether relaxing in the tropical sunshine, reading a book in the shade or simply admiring the dramatic limestone islands and crystal-clear waters of southern Thailand.

The air-conditioned indoor saloon serves as the social heart of the boat. Guests gather here for dive briefings, meals and evening conversations while sharing photographs and stories from the day's dives. Large windows allow plenty of natural light inside, creating a bright and welcoming atmosphere throughout the cruise.

Freshly prepared meals are served daily, combining authentic Thai cuisine with a selection of international favourites. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon snacks ensure divers remain well fuelled throughout an active diving schedule. Fresh fruit, drinking water, tea and coffee are available throughout the day.

Explorer's spacious dive platform has been designed for efficient diving operations. Individual equipment stations, dedicated rinse tanks and easy water access allow guests to prepare comfortably before every dive. The experienced crew assists with equipment handling and provides attentive service throughout the trip, allowing divers to concentrate entirely on enjoying the underwater world.

Whether exploring colourful coral reefs, drifting along dramatic walls or searching for whale sharks at Richelieu Rock, Explorer provides a relaxed and enjoyable platform from which to discover the incredible marine biodiversity of Thailand's Andaman Sea.

Cabin

Explorer accommodates approximately 20–22 guests in a selection of comfortable, air-conditioned cabins designed to provide a restful night's sleep after each day of diving.

Cabins are distributed across different decks and include a choice of double, twin and shared accommodation, making the vessel suitable for couples, friends travelling together and solo divers alike.

Every cabin has been designed with practicality in mind and includes comfortable bedding, storage space for personal belongings and individually controlled air conditioning. Depending on the selected cabin category, guests will enjoy either private or shared bathroom facilities.

Accommodation features include:

• Air conditioning
• Comfortable mattresses and bedding
• Individual reading lights
• Storage space
• Power outlets for charging personal devices
• Private or shared bathroom facilities depending on cabin category

The relaxed atmosphere throughout the accommodation areas ensures guests can recharge fully between dives while enjoying the peaceful surroundings of the Andaman Sea.

Diving

Explorer has been developed around efficient and well-organised dive operations, allowing guests to spend less time preparing equipment and more time exploring Thailand's spectacular underwater landscapes.

The experienced dive team provides detailed briefings before every dive and remains available throughout the cruise to assist divers of different experience levels. Small groups help create a safe and enjoyable diving environment while allowing guides to point out both large pelagic species and the fascinating macro life for which Thailand is famous.

Typical diving operations include:

• Up to 4 dives per day depending on the itinerary and weather conditions.
• Night dives when local regulations and conditions permit.
• Professional dive guides on every dive.
• Easy entries and exits from the dive platform.
• Individual equipment storage throughout the cruise.
• Freshwater rinse tanks for equipment.
• Camera rinse facilities available.
• Final diving day adjusted to provide an appropriate no-fly interval.

Explorer visits a variety of dive environments including coral gardens, granite boulder formations, drift dives, submerged pinnacles and colourful reef systems where divers regularly encounter turtles, reef sharks, barracuda, giant trevallies, eagle rays and, during the appropriate season, manta rays and whale sharks.

Other Informations

• Nitrox: Available for certified divers (subject to availability)
• 15L Tanks: Available on request
• Rebreather Diving: Not available
• Technical Diving: Not available
• Dive Equipment Rental: Complete equipment rental available
• Dive Insurance: Recommended for all divers
• Wi-Fi Internet: Limited while cruising offshore
• Laundry Service: Not available during the cruise
• Payment on board: Cash (Thai Baht) is generally preferred
• Crew: Experienced Thai crew with professional dive guides dedicated to guest safety and comfort

Explorer operates throughout Thailand's Andaman Sea during the diving season, offering carefully planned itineraries that combine the country's most iconic dive sites with lesser-known reefs and pinnacles. Depending on the selected cruise, guests may explore the Similan Islands National Marine Park, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock, Koh Phi Phi and the Southern Andaman Islands.

Every itinerary has been designed to maximise diving opportunities while allowing guests to experience the remarkable diversity of Thailand's marine ecosystems. From colourful coral gardens and giant granite boulders to thrilling drift dives and world-famous whale shark sites, each destination offers its own unique underwater character.

Similan Islands

The Similan Islands are widely regarded as Thailand's premier liveaboard destination and form the highlight of most Explorer cruises. Protected as a national marine park, the archipelago is famous for exceptional visibility, spectacular granite formations and healthy coral reefs that attract an incredible variety of marine life.

Each island offers its own personality. Massive boulders create dramatic swim-throughs and caverns, while gently sloping reefs are covered with hard and soft corals that shelter thousands of tropical fish. Divers regularly encounter turtles, moray eels, octopus, reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse and countless species of reef fish. Calm conditions and varied dive profiles make the Similan Islands suitable for both recently certified divers and experienced underwater photographers.

Koh Bon

Located just north of the Similan Islands, Koh Bon introduces divers to deeper walls, stronger currents and larger pelagic species. Its famous western ridge descends into the blue and serves as a cleaning station for manta rays during the appropriate season.

Visibility is often excellent, allowing divers to scan the open water while colourful reef fish, sweetlips, snappers and fusiliers fill the reef below. Every dive at Koh Bon carries the excitement that something larger may suddenly appear from the deep, making it one of Thailand's most anticipated dive sites.

Koh Tachai

Although no longer accessible from the island itself, the underwater pinnacle near Koh Tachai remains one of Thailand's classic dive locations whenever regulations permit access through authorised itineraries.

Powerful currents bring nutrient-rich water that attracts enormous schools of barracuda, giant trevallies, tuna and rainbow runners. Reef sharks are common visitors, while lucky divers may encounter manta rays or whale sharks cruising through the blue. The combination of dramatic topography and abundant fish life makes Koh Tachai a favourite among experienced divers seeking exciting drift dives.

Richelieu Rock

Often considered the finest dive site in Thailand, Richelieu Rock is the destination many divers travel halfway around the world to experience. Rising from deep water as a horseshoe-shaped pinnacle, it supports one of the richest marine ecosystems in the Andaman Sea.

Soft corals cover the rock in shades of purple, pink and orange, creating a spectacular backdrop for enormous schools of glassfish, snapper and fusiliers. Hidden among the reef are frogfish, ghost pipefish, seahorses, harlequin shrimp and countless nudibranchs, making every dive equally rewarding for macro enthusiasts.

During the whale shark season, Richelieu Rock becomes one of Thailand's most reliable locations for encounters with the world's largest fish. Even without these gentle giants, the sheer biodiversity found here ensures every dive offers something new to discover.

Koh Phi Phi & Shark Point

Selected itineraries may also include the famous limestone islands of Koh Phi Phi and nearby dive sites such as Shark Point, Anemone Reef and King Cruiser Wreck.

These sites combine colourful reefs, dramatic underwater landscapes and excellent opportunities to observe leopard sharks, turtles, cuttlefish, octopus and dense schools of tropical fish. Shark Point's vibrant soft corals and Anemone Reef's countless sea anemones create beautiful underwater scenery, while the King Cruiser Wreck has become an artificial reef supporting an impressive variety of marine life.

Southern Andaman Islands

Longer Explorer cruises may venture farther south towards Koh Haa, Hin Daeng and Hin Muang, destinations renowned for spectacular walls, deep pinnacles and encounters with large pelagic species.

These remote dive sites offer some of Thailand's healthiest coral reefs and are particularly popular with experienced divers. Giant schools of fusiliers, hunting trevallies, reef sharks and occasional manta rays patrol these nutrient-rich waters, while colourful soft corals and sea fans cover the underwater cliffs.

Seasonal Marine Life

Thailand's Andaman Sea offers rewarding diving throughout the season, with marine life changing as the months progress.

From October to December, divers enjoy excellent reef life and improving visibility after the southwest monsoon. January through April generally provides the calmest sea conditions and the highest chance of encountering manta rays at Koh Bon and Koh Tachai, while Richelieu Rock offers seasonal opportunities to observe whale sharks together with an extraordinary diversity of macro life.

Regardless of the itinerary selected, every Explorer cruise combines comfortable liveaboard accommodation with access to some of Southeast Asia's most celebrated diving, creating an unforgettable journey through the tropical waters of the Andaman Sea.