Thailand/Burma/Sipidan-Advice?

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ChaCha225

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Dear ScubaBoard Community,

I just joined the community and would love your thoughts on a trip I am putting together for this December. I was AOW certified in 2017 and have ~150 logged dives in Indonesia (Gillis/Lembongan/Komodo), Roatan, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Cozumel. I would describe myself as "totally hooked" on diving but unfortunately don't have much time off from school. I'll be starting my medical residency next year (which means even less time off) and am looking to get as much diving in as possible now which is I planned back-to-back trips. My concern is that the following itinerary may be too ambitious and physically straining. I've also never been on a liveaboard before and haven't found online reviews particularly helpful in terms of gauging the experience or safety standards of the boat. What do you think?

December 2019

5D5N Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai & Richelieu Rock aboard M/V Oktavia
Similan Islands Scuba Diving in Thailand | Snorkeling Liveaboard Cruises

-1 day off-
5D5N Mergui Archipelago: Western Rocky, Twin Isand & Shark cave aboard Sea World 1
Sea World - 1 : Dive Boat
-1 day off-
7D6N Sipidan w/ SeaVentures

Thank you!

Regards,

ChaCha
 
I’ve done a liveaboard in the Similan islands, and dove at Seaventures, and also am considering doing a Burma Liveaboard in the future, so I’ll give you my feedback.

I think it’s a bit ambitious.

Here’s my recommendation, based on things I’ve done.

Do 5/6 days in the Andaman sea, as you’ve currently scheduled. I might consider M/V Marco Polo, which is 6 days and hits both Similan Islands and richeleau rock. Then, give yourself a bit of a breather, maybe spend a day in Phuket and a day in Bangkok. Then, fly to Kita Kinabalu. Air Asia flies direct from bangkok maybe 5 days a week?

KK is a really fun and cheap city. The diving in the TARP marine park isn’t earth shattering, but it’s easy diving and cheap. Island hopping is also fun. Restaurants are good and cheap as well. I’d spend maybe 3 days diving in KK.

Then, fly to Tawau. It’s a short 40 minute domestic flight from KK, costs like 30 dollars. From there head out to the seaventures rig. Try to minimize your time in Semporna, it’s a dump. But they’ve got a good starbucks at least?

My girlfriend and I did 4 days of diving, which gets you one day guaranteed in Sipadan. You need to go for 8 days to “guarantee” two days, but in our 4 days we got 2 days on the island, so as long as you book a full room I think you can pretty much expect more than one day on. I’d probably recommend 5 days diving. You’ll hit 3 dives in the morning, and if you want you can dive the rig twice easily after that. Just keep an eye on NDL, it’s a pretty square 18 meter profile.

For me at least, I think two back to back liveaboards would wear me out. The cabins are tiny and I don’t sleep so well like that. I think Andaman and Sipadan is a great combo, but I’d recommend a stopover in KK to do some easy diving and spend some time in the city between “highlights”

my two cents. If you have any specific questions I’ll do my best to help!
 
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