Thailand
The greater Phuket area including the provinces of Phang Nga, Krabi and Trang have emerged as star performers in Thailand's thriving tourism industry.Pristine beaches, crystal clear blue waters, warm winter climate and isolated magical islands are the prime attractions that lure millions of tourists here every year. It is these very same attractions that 'yachties' from all over the world seek out. The first amongst the boating attractions of the area is Phang Nga Bay, famous for its stunning limestone mountains that rise vertically out of a tranquil aquamarine sea. The bay offers year round shelter, even during the heavy months of the monsoon a yacht can find calm waters, tranquility and dramatic beauty. When the northeast monsoon season arrives in November/December, the bay transforms itself into a fabulously beautiful playground and great day sailing destination. Safe anchorages are numerous in the bay. When exploring the bay, a dinghy, or a sea canoe is needed to get into the many little coves, bays and tidal seacaves which open up to hidden lagoons within the center of many islands. Moving south from northern Phang Nga Bay you'll discover that the water clarity changes from a thick milky green to a near crystal clear clarity around the islands off Krabi. These islands offer outstanding pristine beaches. Krabi itself is one of the most dramatically beautiful places you'll ever see. Phra Nang beach, where moutainous slabs or limestone tower over each end of the beach has been called one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Heading further south from Krabi the snorkelling becomes even more interesting. There are beautiful coral reefs and an abundance of small, colourful reef fish. The Phi Phi Islands are a must see port of call in the common, circular route taking in the three provinces that enclose Phang Nga bay. Anchorages here are plentiful, usually deserted and always beautiful. From here boats sail east, then turn south to the Ko Hong (Krabi) group of islands. If weather permits, these make a delightful overnight stop. Phra Nang, Krabi is the next overnight stop for most. The Similan Islands is another major, but very different island attraction in the Andaman Sea. They are located north west of Phuket and compose nine, low-lying islands which are completely different in there geological form to Phang Nga's Bays sea mountains.
Over 1000 miles of coastline bordering the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand, literally thousands of islands, countless beaches with pristine white sand, crystal waters and super coral reefs , hidden creeks and headlands meeting the sea, mystical sea mountains. All these combine with a tropical climate to create the world's most stunning cruising waters. Welcome to Thailand . The Thailand that independent cruising yachtsmen tell tales about on their travels. This Thailand that many have never left.
The sheer numbers of destination awaiting you within Thailand 's borders is outdone only by the unbelievable variety. From world-class marina to tiny fishing village, from big city Pattaya to deserted beaches and uninhabited islands, this is the marine wonderland of Thailand . This is Asia 's boating playground. This is the “ Caribbean ” of East.
Ko Racha Yai 12 miles south of Phuket A very popular anchorage with an excellent beach, crystal clear water and a new resort with restaurants. Racha is also a popular snorkel, kayak and dive destination near Phuket.
krabi Ko Rok Nok 48 miles South of Phuket These twin islands are separated by narrow channel. Anchorage is in the channel with gin-clear clear water, good snorkeling, plenty of beaches to explore by kayak, a trek ashore to a lookout and diving. There is a shrine on the shore surrounded by phallus effigies. You will find minimal facilities at the National Parks station. Expect to see some day tourist boats with the place to yourselves early morning and later afternoon and over night. Pure Relaxation.
Rok Nok Phi Phi Islands 28 miles ESE of Phuket Koh Phi Phi Lee Here we find Maya Bay made famous by the movie "The Beach". Phi Phi Le lays 20 miles east of Phuket Island. Maya Bay is a picturesque bay with majestic limestone cliffs. Phi Phi Lee makes a pleasant stopover before Phi Phi Don. phi phi Koh Phi Phi Don Is an excellent anchorage in most if not all conditions and is protected by huge limestone cliffs. Facilities ashore include numerous restaurants catering for all tastes, low- key nightclubs and the mandatory clothes and souvenir shops. There are an abundance of activities ashore to keep one occupied. Phi Phi is a great place to partake in a traditional Thai massage. One of the most pleasant walks in the area can be found here, to a lookout above the two bays, Tonsai Bay and Yongkasem Bay. Picture postcard quality photos can be taken here.
Phang Nga Bay is 30 miles NE of Phuket with 220sq miles of breathtaking surroundings. Here you will find numerous limestone formations rising vertically up from the seabed to as high as 350 m (1150 ft) make up scenery that is unique in the world. Several of the pinnacles shaped islands feature hongs (Thai for room). A Hong is a large space inside, such an island with a chimney -like opening to the sky. Try to imagine being inside the crater of a long-dead volcano. Access to hongs is mostly by kayak or dinghy at certain heights of the tide. The atmosphere inside a Hong is one of a strange tranquility and sheer beauty Phang Nga Bay's limestone islands and cliffs are riddled with caves, many of which can be safely explored on foot or again by kayak or dinghy. On the shores you'll find prolific flora and fauna. In the late afternoons you will often see and hear crab-eating macaques (monkeys) on the beaches hunting their favourite prey.
Similan Islands
55 miles NW of Phuket
An archipelago of nine islands. One of which has a tiny settlement and a small
restaurant. Typical for these islands are the abundance of huge boulders, which make up weird and spectacular formations. Good snorkeling and kayaking. The Similans are considered to be Thailand's best diving area.
Surin Islands
Virtually on Thai/Burmese (Myanmar) border.
Breathtakingly beautiful with mostly deserted beaches and lush rainforest. You will find a small colony of Sea Gypsies here and a national parks office along with a small group of bungalows. The Sea Gypsy village is sensibly located near a stream that provides fres
Burma itinerary
Day 1: Kawthung – Barwell Island
Transfer by long-tail from Ranong ( Thailand ) to Kawthung ( Burma ) arriving on Stressbreaker around lunchtime. Once all the paperwork is sorted, we sail to Barwell Island for an evening arrival.
Day 2: Barwell Island – Lampi National Park
After exploring the island we sail north to Lampi National Park.
An idyllic anchorage and your first opportunity to see the White Bellied Sea Eagles and Bryon my Kites that circle the skies.
Day 3: Lampi National Park – Great Swinton
In the morning, we explore one of the mangrove rivers on the west side of Lampi Island . Plenty of wildlife and huge, century-old mangrove trees towering overhead. After, we set sail for Great Swinton Island , stopping off on the way at the Sea Gypsy village on Pu Nala.
Day 4: Great Swinton
Great Swinton Island has several kilometres of white sand beach, beautifully clear warm water and the most pristine coral you have ever seen!!! It is ideal for those that want to “have a go” at Scuba Diving. Or for the more experienced, just offshore, there is the world class dive site of Shark Cave !!!
If diving is not your scene, the day can be spent Sea Kayaking around to our night anchorage on the other side of the island.
Day 5: Great Swinton – McLeod Island
After we leave Great Swinton we sail south, passing dozens of deserted tropical islands before arriving at McLeod Island . Another beautiful island covered in rainforest and some great snorkelling. Here we have an opportunity to explore the rainforest and perhaps even see the illusive Rhinoceros Hornbill.
Day 6: McLeod Island – Horseshoe Island
Today we travel to the “jewel in the crown” of the Mergui Archipelago. As the name suggests, this island is horseshoe shaped with a lagoon in the middle making it the most idyllic anchorage. Being shallow, with crystal clear water and a white sand bottom, the whole lagoon appears like a giant fish tank.
Day 7: Horseshoe Island – Kawthung
This morning, we take the inflatable to the nearby island of Copula . The whole inside of the island is a giant cave, which can only be entered by dingy at low tide. The cave is home to a small number of people who live in a stilted village above the water. These people spend their life in the half-light collecting bird's nests for the soup!!!! After lunch we depart for an evening arrival in Kawthung.
Day 8: Kawthung
Leave Stressbreaker about 8am for the long-tail crossing back to Ranong ( Thailand ) for your onward journey.
The Mergui Archipelago (Myanmar/Burma) is unique both above the water as well as below. There are over nine hundred mostly uninhabited islands scattered over an area of some 12000 square miles. You will never forget the breathtaking scenery with virgin rainforests along diving on uncrowded reefs. Mergui Archipelago - Burma/Myanmar The Mergui Archipelago was strictly closed to all foreigners until in 1997. Faraway Yachting was one of the first companies granted permission to undertake adventure diving charters in Burma / Myanmar. Since then we have built up a wealth of knowledge in the area that we enjoy sharing with our guests Because of The Mergui Archipelago's isolation it is only superficially charted; the interior of many of the islands has never been surveyed at all. Wildlife is abundant, as is the vegetation on the rain forest clad islands. Beaches are clean and stretch for miles. Pure nature! Our adventure sailing and diving charters in Myanmar take you to remote areas where you will rarely see any other yacht. The only humans you are likely to encounter are the friendly Moken Sea Gypsies who roam the area in their small boats, like tsailing burmaheir ancestors have done for centuries. Scuba Diving the pristine reefs of the Mergui Archipelago Under water there is world class diving to be found with reefs, drop offs, sea mounts, caves and tunnels, which sometimes cut right through islands with exits on both sides. There is enough to keep every adventure diver very happy. Fish life is abundant. Scuba diving in the Mergui Archipelago usually means diving with sharks, manta rays and large swarms of eagle rays. The occasional whale shark can also be encountered. We have five yachts fully equipped for diving charters in Burma . Mergui Archipelago Sailing Myanmar The yacht and cruising Yacht charter Mergui Archipelago Faraway Yachting caters for groups of 4 to 8 persons. As we own our vessels we can draw up personalized itineraries suited to guest's interests.There are no restrictive set departure dates to adhere to either further enhancing the planning of a customized charter. All Myanmar sailing trips start from Kawthoung just across the river from Ranong. Ranong is Thailand 's most northerly port on the Andaman Sea . Your cruise will start on the afternoon of your arrival if traveling from Phuket. Transfer from Phuket by air-conditioned minibus along with lunch on the way occupies part of the first charter day. You can also fly direct from Bangkok to Ranong airport where you will be met by our representative and taken to complete immigration check out procedures before joining our longtail boat for the trip across the river to join your charter vessel in Kwantoung. Sailing and diving in Burma/Myanmar is a most unique experience. Come and join us for the adventure you will not forget.
The Andaman Islands
Floating in splendid isolation some 400 nautical miles north-west from Phuket in the Andaman Sea is this archipelago of over 500 islands, islets, rocks and reefs. They stretch out over a length of 430 miles and are an unparalleled destination for nature lovers and divers alike. The climate is somewhat cooler than Thailand or Burma, seabreezes further reduce the temperature. You may actually find a need for a jacket in the mornings.
The aboriginal peoples on the Andaman and Nicobar islands are of Negroid and Mongoloid stocks. The main tribes are the Onge, Andamanese, Shompen, Nicobarese and Jarawa Sentinelese. Above water the islands are a veritable Garden of Eden and a naturalists haven. The rainforests are a habitat to a vast number of plant-, bird-, and animal species, many of them unique in the world. The canopied forests themselves have an amazing variety of timbers, foliage and blooms.
The Andaman Paduk, the Yellow Hibiscus, the White Lily, the Pandanus as well as many varieties of Orchids are but a few of the over 700 species of plants to be found. Flocks of parrots, Bahminy kites, hornbills, sea eagles, and herons will delight the birdwatcher. Around sunrise one can often sight spotted deer along the shores.
Another unusual sight is the swimming elephants. After a day's work the mahouts (elephant trainers) take their pachyderms for a refreshing swim. The elephants can actually swim under water using their trunks as a snorkel!
The most striking feature and the big attraction of diving in the Andamans is the sheer number and variety of fish one can encounter. The diving is for this reason world class.
Because of the almost total absence of commercial fishing and industrial pollution the sealife is extraordinary healthy.
One can almost lose orientation whilst swimming in vast schools of snappers or jacks. Other species one routinely encounters are mantas, tunas, grey reef and silvertip sharks as well as turtles, dolphins and occasionally whalesharks.
Reeffish and smaller life are also abundant. Excellent corals are to be found throughout the area offering opportunity for divers and snorkelers alike. Visibility you can expect to be in the 20 m+ range. You will always have the divesites to yourself as there are virtually no diveboats in the entire area.
Some of the offshore sites such as Narcondam are generally not to be recommended for the beginning diver, this due to strong currents and sometimes large swell. The inshore sites are generally suited both for beginners and more advanced divers. Permits may be required for some destinations. New divesites and splendid anchorages are continuously being discovered and explored, lending a unique expeditionary feel to these trips.
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Weather
The "High" season during the northeast monsoon
from November - March is the best time to sail to the
Andamans. The weather is usually settled by mid/late
December, early in the season you may encounter some
stormy conditions. January and February are the most
settled months. By about the third week in March a
southerly ground swell starts to kick in, heralding the
onset of the southwest monsoon.
On the east coast you will typically encounter
northeast or northerly winds.
There are some fairly
strong land- and sea-breeze effects, so you may often
experience northwest breezes in the afternoon especially
on the west coasts, or further south.
The climate here is lovely! Being further north, it's
much cooler than Phuket at night, but still lovely and
warm in the day time. (The range is usually between
22°C and 33°C.)
Fuel/Water
You can arrange with Port Control on VHF Ch. 16
to go to Hope Wharf (north of Chatham Is.) to take on
fuel and water. However, most yachties tend to fill jerry
cans at fuel stations or get their agent (or someone like
Ravi, see 'Contacts' below) to get the cans filled.
Likewise you can buy drinking water in large 25 litre
bottles (60R plus deposit each) which can be brought
to the dinghy dock for you to fill your tanks before
returning the bottles.
Money
There are now several touch-screen ATMs at the
banks in Aberdeen, Port Blair. Otherwise you can still
change money or cash travellers' cheques in most large
banks and hotels.
Shopping/Provisioning
The main shopping centre in Port Blair is Aberdeen
Bazaar. Along this road you'll find all kinds of shops. The
clock tower at the top of the hill is a well-known landmark
in navigating around town. Turn right here and you'll
find the C&C Co-op store (- almost a supermarket) great
for dried goods, spices and curry mixes. The market is
at the bottom of the hill opposite the bus station, and
you can buy a good range of fruits and veggies here.
Take the left fork out of the market and you'll get to
Pioneer Chicken. (This is not a great place for vegetarians!)
Due to a lack of homes with fridges, most Andaman
chickens are killed and dressed to order. You can get
frozen chicken here too, but the live ones are usually
better.
Close to the Chatham anchorage, you can also get
fruits and veggies from the causeway on Chatham itself,
or just up the hill towards Haddo. (Haddo also has a
Pioneer Chicken & C&C Co-op if you don't want to go all
the way to Aberdeen.)
If you want to shop for clothes or other items, there
are also lots of good shops in the Junglighat area of Port
Blair.
Many shops and restaurants are closed during the
heat of the day, so shop before 11 a.m. or after 5 p.m.
Restaurants in Port Blair
Temptation: Superlative Indian cuisine for dinner
(but still cheap.)
Gem Continental: Good tandoori and all the classics,
air con or outdoor.
The Lighthouse: Good tandoori, but open air dining
can be smelly.
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General Info
New India Café at hotel Jai Mathi: Traditional Indian lunch spot.
(Check re: licensing laws. E.g. no alcohol in New
India Café but has locals bar next door, some unlicensed
restaurants will let you BYO or buy-in from next door
bar.)
Communications
Internet: More and more internet cafés are opening
in Port Blair.
Phone: It's possible to buy an Indian SIM card for
your mobile phone; go up Aberdeen Bazaar, turn right
at the clock tower and look for the air-conditioned
phone shop.
Contacts:
Emotion travel (Indian Visas)
104, Rasada Road, Phuket Town
emotiontravel@hotmail.com
Tel. (076) 222 320
Fax (076) 222 420
(From abroad dial +91 3192 before the phone/fax
numbers below)
Harbour Master: Capt. Mukherjee
hmpmb@and.nic.in
Tel. 232 834 / 233 674
Fax 237 804 / 236 069
Immigration: Tel/Fax: 233 307
Customs: Tel/Fax: 233 698
Coast Guard: Tel. 232 584 Fax 240 845
Forest Department: Tel. 233 549
(For permission to visit Cinque Islands etc.)
Agents:
Island Travels
islandtravels@yahoo.com
Tel. 233358 Fax 230109
T.S.G. Tour Wings
tsgtour@hotmail.com
Tel. 231894 Fax 242799
Andaman Is. Yacht Service Co.
joy-yacht@yahoo.com
Tel. 239398 Fax 239246
Not an agent, rather a taxi-driver-come-entrepreneur,
Ravi is the man who gets things done at Chatham.
He can organise water, fuel, boat parts, just about
anything, all for a good price. Let him know you're
coming, or simply meet him on the dinghy dock:
P N Ravi
nagoorravi@yahoo.com
Mobile: 943 426 2030
Dive Operators:
Port Blair Underwater: Tel. 285 389
Andaman and Nicobar Scuba Diving Society
Tel. 232881
Andaman Adventure Sports: Tel. 230 295
Useful websites:
www.and.nic.in : general information about Andamans
and Nicobars
www.weather.nic.in : weather
www.tmd.go.th : Thai met office, for weather covering
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