Pawara, Hallelujah, White Manta, Mariner

[natxwong]

Looking for a live aboard in Andaman sea.
Does anyone have any recent reviews or experience with Pawara, Hallelujah, White Manta, Mariner?

• What the positives and negatives of each boat?
• Differences between Standard and Budget rooms?
• Do they dive the exact same sites?
• Day trip to Similan islands?

Big Blue Khao Lak has a new site, but not many reviews of Hallelujah.

 

[stevenl]

Mariner is most basic of the boats you mention, White Manta the biggest and most comfortable. Pawara is excellent value for money but cabins etc. will be smaller compared to Hallelujah or White Manta. Hallelujah's main disadvantage is that there are only two double bed cabins and the other cabins are bunk bed cabins.

 

[Zippsy]

I can give a partial reply only on the White Manta. As I am highly biased, I'll stick to the facts, rather than opinions. Well, mostly.

1) What the positives and negatives of each boat? - - - I can't think of a single negative.
2) Differences between Standard and Budget rooms? - - - The five standard (what you call "budget") cabins on the White Manta have a wash basin in the cabin but shared toilets / showers (four bathrooms shared between those cabins and the crew) and port holes on the lower deck. All cabins are two people per room but three of the standard cabins have two sets of bunk beds with the upper bunks used during the Singapore season. The Deluxe cabins (what you call "standard") have very nice en-suite toilets & showers and full windows. Four of those cabins have a king sized beds and the others only have single beds.
3) Do they dive the exact same sites? - - - I assume they would be similar. Our normal trip would be a day or so in the Similans, then up to Koh Tachi & Koh Bon, the next day at or near Richelieu Rock and the last day, two dives at the Boon Sung or other wreck. The trips vary a bit based on the number of other boats around, sea conditions, recent sightings, etc.
4) Day trip to Similan islands? The White Manta does not provide day trips at the moment.

 

[natxwong]

Thanks for the responses.

 

[Buadhai]

White Manta is, by far, my favorite liveaboard in Thailand. I've been on many, starting with the old Short Cut back in the mid 90s. I've done at least one trip per year on the White Manta since she first sailed. The management is excellent, the boat crew experienced and well trained and they always provide superb dive guides. The food and accommodation are first class.

That said, the White Manta is now priced out of my range, even with a returning diver discount. For example, the Tapana Catamaran offers four day, 14 dive trips at 30K baht for a big cabin with an en suite toilet. White Manta charges 45K for a similar trip with similar accommodations. In addition, the Tapana allows you to sleep on the boat the last night and transports you to the airport the next day after you've waited out your no-fly time. This saves a couple thousand baht in hotel and taxi expense.

Of course, the rub is that the Tapana is a Thai owned and operated boat and probably not suitable for Westerners who have no patience for the Thai way of doing business. On a scale of punctuality and precision, White Manta is near or at the top. Tapana Catamaran is not.

Booking is another issue. With White Manta you can book far in advance either online or through an Agent. Booking the Tapana is an ever-evolving mystery involving multiple visits to Facebook and dive agent web sites and Line chats that only my wife can fathom.

Another consideration is that Tapana Catamaran and her sister craft, MV Tapana, are both offering South Andaman trips this year. AFAIK, White Manta is not.

• Do I prefer White Manta? Yes
• Can I afford White Manta? Maybe
• Can I persuade my wife (also a diver) that the difference in cost is worth it? Probably not.

YMMV