scubafanatic67
Registered
My husband and I just returned from 2 fabulous weeks in Thailand. We used Katie at Reef and Rainforest. Reef & Rainforest Travel agency Dive & Adventure Travel We have used them before & they have always been top notch.
We flew Korean Airways from JFK to Seoul then from Seoul to Phuket. Though the flight was long the service was great (even
in economy) & the airport in Seoul was really beautiful & very easy to navigate.
We arrived in Phuket @2 am and were transferred to the Chedi resort. Welcome to "THE CHEDI" Phuket Pansea Beach, Thailand We were immediately greeted with warm smiles, an upgrade of our accommodations to a deluxe cottage(a little closer to the beach & a plate of sandwiches(a really welcome touch after a long day of travel)
Our accommodations at the Chedi on the Pansea Beach were wonderful. I highly recommend it for a peaceful place to unwind from the long travel before going out on a livaboard adventure. It boasts a beautiful beach with soft powdery white sand & the tranquil Andaman Sea and no huge crowds that can be found in many of the surrounding resorts near Surin Beach.
The rooms were nicely appointed with a very comfortable bed & soft linens. The bathroom was spacious, the shower hot, the lighting good, all kinds of good smelling lotions & conditioners, a hairdryer & huge makeup mirror. There was a safe, honor bar, all the complementary bottled water you could hope to drink. There is WIFI in the rooms for no charge for those who need to stay connected.
Could there be a few bugs in the room? It is the tropics people...this is to be expected. They provided mosquito repellent & a mosquito net for the bed but we never needed it. There are a lot of steps so be prepared for that...I was able to get my daily work out with out much thought. I would not recommend this resort to someone with disabilities.
Though the beaches are private, there are still a couple of vendors on the beach that are quick to bring a cold drink or a fresh cut mango for a few dollars. Though the spa at the resort is beautiful & has wonderful treatments available, I would recommend skipping it & for @ 400 baht you can get a wonderful massage right on the beach.
The resort offers kayaks & sailboats for the use of their patrons. Waterskiing & jet skiing is available from local vendors just off the resort property.
The resort offered a number of dining choices. We had great meals & phenomenal service at all locations. If you like Thai ...the Panang Curry was awesome. They even made a batch of menu one night. The breakfast buffet was included & more than plentiful with an omelet bar, traditional Thai treats, plenty of fresh fruits & cereals. There were also many options within a 10 minute walk from the resort in the Surin Beach area.
Take the time a learn how to say please, thank you, this is very, very good etc...in Thai. You will be meet with an enthusiasm you can't imagine.
After 3 wonderful, quiet, restful days soaking in the sun & adjusting to the 12 hour time difference, we left for our real adventure...10 days on the Mermaid 1.
Liveaboard Diving Thailand | Burma | Komodo | Andaman Islands | Mermaid I | Mermaid Liveaboards
We were transferred to our new home with 12 other guests. We were like a representation of the UN! John & I from the US, couples from Russia, Spain, Italy, England, & Koula Lumpur (lucky bastards!!) a fellow from Finland & another from Germany. It was a very diverse group that blended very well together.
We boarded the ship for Xmas Eve dinner & took care of paperwork & got our room assignments. Again, great accommodations, comfy bed, ac that worked, shower with hot water plenty of storage space & places to charge our electronics.
The food was some of the best I've ever had on a dive boat. Traditional Thai was the best. Mai was available for massages on the sun deck most of the day & the dive deck crew couldn't do enough for you. They even rinse & hang your wetsuits for you between every dive!
We woke up Xmas morning to our first day of diving. We did our diving off dingy in 3 separate groups each with a dive master. We were lucky our group only had 4 divers. I am convinced our dingy mates from the UK had gills...one dive lasted 84minutes!!!
The staff was great. PJ , Jerry, & Debbie were our guides in the water for the trip. Debbie lead our group & was great at finding the little guys. The dive briefings thorough, safety focused & artistic. The diving was spectacular. Loads of seahorses, ghost pipefish, octopus, cuttlefish, nudibranchs galore. This trip was mainly about the smaller stuff. Though there was a manta sighting that we missed & rumored sighting of a leopard shark.
We traveled from Phuket, to the Similain Islands on to Myanmar. The views were gorgeous. Each sight more beautiful than the next. The vis wasn't always spectacular but the creatures always were. There were some currents & one group did get caught in a washing machine type of surge. Luckily it was near the surface & according to the dive computer, lasted about 90 seconds before spitting them out. I wouldn't recommend this trip for beginner divers. There was some surge, currents & vis to deal with. I strongly recommend for divers with some bottom time under their belts & knowledge of their limits.
M/V Mermaid I Itinerary| Similan Island | Mergui Archipelago | Komodo | Mermaid Liveaboards
This links gives a pretty good idea of the itinerary. Unfortunately, the Burma banks have been the victim of over fishing & dynamiting and is no longer on their schedule. All in all an amazing value for the money with a great staff & great boat. We are trying to figure out how to get enough vacation time to join them in Bali for the summer season!
I've attach a few of my favorite pictures from the trip. Hope this was helpful.
We flew Korean Airways from JFK to Seoul then from Seoul to Phuket. Though the flight was long the service was great (even
in economy) & the airport in Seoul was really beautiful & very easy to navigate.
We arrived in Phuket @2 am and were transferred to the Chedi resort. Welcome to "THE CHEDI" Phuket Pansea Beach, Thailand We were immediately greeted with warm smiles, an upgrade of our accommodations to a deluxe cottage(a little closer to the beach & a plate of sandwiches(a really welcome touch after a long day of travel)
Our accommodations at the Chedi on the Pansea Beach were wonderful. I highly recommend it for a peaceful place to unwind from the long travel before going out on a livaboard adventure. It boasts a beautiful beach with soft powdery white sand & the tranquil Andaman Sea and no huge crowds that can be found in many of the surrounding resorts near Surin Beach.
The rooms were nicely appointed with a very comfortable bed & soft linens. The bathroom was spacious, the shower hot, the lighting good, all kinds of good smelling lotions & conditioners, a hairdryer & huge makeup mirror. There was a safe, honor bar, all the complementary bottled water you could hope to drink. There is WIFI in the rooms for no charge for those who need to stay connected.
Could there be a few bugs in the room? It is the tropics people...this is to be expected. They provided mosquito repellent & a mosquito net for the bed but we never needed it. There are a lot of steps so be prepared for that...I was able to get my daily work out with out much thought. I would not recommend this resort to someone with disabilities.
Though the beaches are private, there are still a couple of vendors on the beach that are quick to bring a cold drink or a fresh cut mango for a few dollars. Though the spa at the resort is beautiful & has wonderful treatments available, I would recommend skipping it & for @ 400 baht you can get a wonderful massage right on the beach.
The resort offers kayaks & sailboats for the use of their patrons. Waterskiing & jet skiing is available from local vendors just off the resort property.
The resort offered a number of dining choices. We had great meals & phenomenal service at all locations. If you like Thai ...the Panang Curry was awesome. They even made a batch of menu one night. The breakfast buffet was included & more than plentiful with an omelet bar, traditional Thai treats, plenty of fresh fruits & cereals. There were also many options within a 10 minute walk from the resort in the Surin Beach area.
Take the time a learn how to say please, thank you, this is very, very good etc...in Thai. You will be meet with an enthusiasm you can't imagine.
After 3 wonderful, quiet, restful days soaking in the sun & adjusting to the 12 hour time difference, we left for our real adventure...10 days on the Mermaid 1.
Liveaboard Diving Thailand | Burma | Komodo | Andaman Islands | Mermaid I | Mermaid Liveaboards
We were transferred to our new home with 12 other guests. We were like a representation of the UN! John & I from the US, couples from Russia, Spain, Italy, England, & Koula Lumpur (lucky bastards!!) a fellow from Finland & another from Germany. It was a very diverse group that blended very well together.
We boarded the ship for Xmas Eve dinner & took care of paperwork & got our room assignments. Again, great accommodations, comfy bed, ac that worked, shower with hot water plenty of storage space & places to charge our electronics.
The food was some of the best I've ever had on a dive boat. Traditional Thai was the best. Mai was available for massages on the sun deck most of the day & the dive deck crew couldn't do enough for you. They even rinse & hang your wetsuits for you between every dive!
We woke up Xmas morning to our first day of diving. We did our diving off dingy in 3 separate groups each with a dive master. We were lucky our group only had 4 divers. I am convinced our dingy mates from the UK had gills...one dive lasted 84minutes!!!
The staff was great. PJ , Jerry, & Debbie were our guides in the water for the trip. Debbie lead our group & was great at finding the little guys. The dive briefings thorough, safety focused & artistic. The diving was spectacular. Loads of seahorses, ghost pipefish, octopus, cuttlefish, nudibranchs galore. This trip was mainly about the smaller stuff. Though there was a manta sighting that we missed & rumored sighting of a leopard shark.
We traveled from Phuket, to the Similain Islands on to Myanmar. The views were gorgeous. Each sight more beautiful than the next. The vis wasn't always spectacular but the creatures always were. There were some currents & one group did get caught in a washing machine type of surge. Luckily it was near the surface & according to the dive computer, lasted about 90 seconds before spitting them out. I wouldn't recommend this trip for beginner divers. There was some surge, currents & vis to deal with. I strongly recommend for divers with some bottom time under their belts & knowledge of their limits.
M/V Mermaid I Itinerary| Similan Island | Mergui Archipelago | Komodo | Mermaid Liveaboards
This links gives a pretty good idea of the itinerary. Unfortunately, the Burma banks have been the victim of over fishing & dynamiting and is no longer on their schedule. All in all an amazing value for the money with a great staff & great boat. We are trying to figure out how to get enough vacation time to join them in Bali for the summer season!
I've attach a few of my favorite pictures from the trip. Hope this was helpful.
![n599141293_2322125_921[1].jpg](/community/data/attachments/15/15931-c0c1bed82a5be0fcaad6f76110dabeed.jpg)
