Notes

Best of Thailand

The Best of Thailand
. 10 day Liveaboard Diving Trip
. Whalesharks and Mantas Galore on a luxury liveaboard dive safari!


The SY Siren offers a special 10-day Thailand liveaboard safari, including visiting the top 7 dive sites famous for manta rays & whale sharks!

These sites include:

• Hin Daeng

• Hin Muang
• Koh Racha Noi

• Koh Ha Yai

• Koh Bon

• Koh Tachai

• Richelieu Rock

The adventure starts from where the Siren sails either towards the Surin Islands or Hin Daeng & Hin Muang for the first dives. Hin Daeng and Hin Muang, are two dive sites famous for sightings of whale sharks and manta rays with Hin Daeng hosting the deepest vertical wall found in Thailand.

The next destinations, Koh Ha Yai and Koh Racha Noi, are among a group of five small islands where you will witness beautiful corals, swim through caverns and striking rock formations. The boat will then set sail towards the Similan Islands which are a group of nine uninhabited islands situated 100 km northwest of Phuket.

On this luxury liveaboard you will dive at many different kinds of dive sites and see some of the best diving Thailand has to offer, ranging from sloping reefs, to rocky outcroppings & giant granite boulders. After visiting at least eight different Similan diving sites, the Similan liveaboard leaves the Islands and sails towards Koh Bon and then Koh Tachai, both of which are also famous for whale shark and manta ray sightings. Then onwards to one of the top dive sites in the world, Richelieu Rock, a mass of giant submerged pinnacles situated in the middle of the ocean.

After the underwater explorations of Richelieu Rock, SY Siren will sail westwards to the Surin Islands. Since few other liveaboard dive boats venture as far north you are likely to have dive sites to yourself. Koh Torinla boasts the best dive spot in the whole of the Surin Islands where sightings of humphead parrotfish, blacktips and even marlin are regular.

Schedules that in the Surin Islands will visit all these dive sites in a reverse order from north to south, taking in the best diving Thailand can offer.

Andaman Islands, India

The Andaman Islands are in Indian territorial waters, but due to the fact that they are far closer to Thailand (with Phuket some 450 miles to the southeast) than to India itself (with the mainland well over 1000 km to the northwest), diving here has, so far been pioneered by long-range liveaboard dive boats, such as the Siren.


The Andaman Islands cover an area of just over 8,000 sq km, and with 500 islands, islets and rocky outcrops in the archipelago (just 26 islands are currently inhabited), they are best discovered by liveaboard diving. The larger islands are fairly mountainous and blanketed with dense rainforest. A high proportion of these forests are protected with a confusing network of Tribal Reserves, six National Parks and Coastal Belts, and no less than 94 wildlife sanctuaries.


Forming the western border of the Andaman Sea, this extensive archipelago offers a rare opportunity to experience tropical islands and reefs in pristine condition. There is almost no commercial fishing, resulting in unusually abundant fish populations, including schooling species like bumphead parrotfish, trevallies and barracuda. Big animals including giant sweetlips, Napoleon wrasse and dog-tooth tuna are also encountered frequently, as are mantas. Other highlights may include giant grouper and mobulas (devil rays), sometimes in schools of 30 or more!

This region is also home to endemics like the neon-blue Andaman damselfish, distinctively patterned Andaman sweetlips, and a newly discovered dottyback species that is found nowhere else in the world. Another iconic fish is the beautiful Indian spine-cheek anemonefish, whose vertical bands are brilliant yellow instead of typical white or gray. The Andamans are also home to some interesting invertebrates, including colorful Trapeze Crabs, wire-coral shrimp, bobtail squid and various nudibranchs.

Another highlight is the widely varied underwater scenery, ranging from steep slopes to towering pinnacles to pristine coral gardens that are equally suitable for snorkeling or diving. Perhaps the most dramatic seascapes are found at the isolated volcanic islands of Barren and Narcondam, where the terrain includes ridges covered with huge fans and barrel sponges, and breathtaking walls that disappear into the abyss. At Barren Island in particular, spectacular fields of soft coral stretch into the distance, their vibrant colors accentuated by the dark volcanic substrate.

Adding to the appeal is unspoiled natural beauty throughout the archipelago, with vast forests and empty beaches all around, and rarely another boat in sight.

Choose Your Activity

• Canoeing & Kayaking
• Cycling
• Dive Liveaboards
• Mountain Bike Tours
• Rafting
• River Cruises
• Snorkeling
• Trekking