MV Bavaria Overview
MV Bavaria is a new Similan diving liveaboard that was designed and built in 2017 to offer the best comfort, safety and value for its diving cruises. The boat is just the right size, and has the perfect number and choice of guest cabins. Up to 24 guests can join trips from three to six days in length to the best diving sites of Thailand. The Burma/Myanmar diving safaris are 6 days and nights, when possible (after Covid).
No more than two guests stay in each air-conditioned cabin, most of which have private en-suite bathrooms, and the boat has lots of space in its communal areas, including a small air-conditioned lounge saloon. At 28 metres in length, MV Bavaria is the ideal size to offer diving cruises in Thailand & Myanmar. The boat was designed by its owner, who is an experienced scuba diving professional from Germany. Therefore, everything from the size & layout of the diving platform to facilities & cabin amenities is ideal for scuba divers who want to enjoy a Burma or Similan liveaboard diving cruise for three to six days.
Guest cabins on Bavaria are all air conditioned and each has its own temperature controller. This may not sound special, but some other Similan diving liveaboard boats have air-conditioned cabins but the temperature is centrally controlled. The boat’s main deck has eight cabins, which are six ‘Comfort Cabins’ with twin beds, plus two ‘Deluxe Cabins’ at the front of the boat. All have private en-suite bathrooms & windows. The lower deck has two more ‘Comfort Cabins’ that have double beds and private bathrooms. The best-value cabins on Bavaria are the twin-bunk cabins on the upper deck, which use shared bathroom facilities.
When designing a boat, making the best use of space is very important. Luxury Similan liveaboard boats have large air-conditioned saloons, but these are often empty most of the time. Guests usually socialise, eat & relax outside. Bavaria has an air-conditioned lounge saloon with a large television & other electrical equipment, but this room doesn’t take away space from the outdoor dining area, where briefings are held and guests spend most of their time. Bavaria’s covered outdoor area is easily large enough for all its guests to sit in comfort to eat, socialise or listen to a dive briefing. Delicious food is served throughout the day, and this consists of local & western cuisine. Vegetarians won’t go hungry, and special dietary needs can be catered for with advance notice. Of course, there is a large sundeck on top of Bavaria, where guests can sunbathe or gaze at the star-filled night sky. Up on the sundeck there are some more sofas as well.
Being a modern purpose-built Similan diving liveaboard, Bavaria has a large and well-planned diving platform, which uses new machinery (including a Nitrox membrane), a motorized tender dinghy, and set locations for each diver’s equipment. Tanks are filled silently and the gear prepared for the next dive while the guests eat, relax or discuss the diving.
MV Bavaria Facilities, Layout & Specifications
MV Bavaria Layout |
Bridge Main Deck Lower Deck |
MV BavariaSpecifications | |
Length: | 28 Metres. |
Width: | 6.5 Metres. |
Engines: | 2 x 480 HP. |
Generators: | 2 (1 x 40 KW and 1x 60 KW) |
Compressors: | 2 Bauer compressors. |
Instrumentation: | VHF, mobile phone, GPS, radar, sonar |
Fresh Water: | 30,000 Litres. |
Fuel: | 12,000 Litres. |
Oxygen: | 10,000 litres. |
Safety: | First aid equipment, emergency stop, 4 fire extinguishers, 40 life vests. |
Entertainment: | TV, DVD, stereo, library in the salon. |
MV Bavaria Courses
A selection of PADI diving courses are available on Bavaria. Sometimes, it’s possible to decide to take a course after checking in, but mostly it’s necessary to pre-book, so that we can prepare the materials and/or staff.
The most-popular diving courses for liveaboard diving in Thailand are the PADI Advanced (AOWC) and PADI Enriched Air (Nitrox), but several other courses are normally available if we know before you arrive.
MV Bavaria Itinerary
MV Bavaria has several itineraries.
Similan trips sail from piers in or near to Khao Lak.
South Andaman trips sails from Phuket. Please click on the link below for detailed itineraries
3D/3N trips depart in the evening and return by transfer boat around 5pm on the final day.
4D/3N trips depart by transfer boat at 8:00am, and return on the main boat mid-late afternoon on the final day.
6D/6N trips in Thailand depart in the evening and return mid-late afternoon on the final day.
Myanmar/Burma diving trips leave from Ranong in the morning, and return late afternoon on the final day.
The itineraries below are the most-common for each trip, but these can sometimes be changed for a number of reasons. Small changes are made due to weather & sea conditions, special marine life sightings, overcrowded dive sites, local-authorities' instructions, and the needs & requests of the paying guests. The safety & comfort of all guests is most important at all times.
MV Bavaria Transfer Details
To complete a little paperwork and fit any rental equipment, it’s necessary to ‘check in’ at the dive centre in Khao Lak before departure. This does not apply for South Andaman trips, as the check-in can be performed on board.
For Similan trips, transfers are available from around Khao Lak or we can help you with a taxi from Phuket hotels and the airport. Please let us know your plans before the trip so that we can help you.
But for South Andaman trips, the transfers are only from Phuket.
Guests need to ‘check in’ at the PADI dive centre in Khao Lak before departure.
The check in time depends on which trip you plan to join. It’s necessary to check in so that any equipment can be fitted, a few forms need signing, and national park fees can be paid.
Divers joining 3D/3N or 6D/6N (Similan) trips in Thailand should arrive at the dive centre in Khao Lak before 4.30pm on departure day.
Divers joining 4D/3N trips need to 'check in' before 6.00pm the day before departure because they are collected in the morning by the transfer team and taken directly to the boat.
Divers joining trips into Myanmar/Burma should arrive the day before departure for check in, then before 9.00am on departure day.
In addition, the preparation for Burma trips includes passport scans at least 6 weeks before the trip.
For customers who would like a private taxi please see below for details.
(Click below for a rough guide to the rates you can expect to pay ‘per vehicle,’ not ‘per person’.)
MV Bavaria Schedule & Prices
Destinations | Duration | Standard Twin | Comfort Twin | Comfort Double | Deluxe Double |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Similan Islands ( 10 dives) | 3D / 3N | Standard Twin 25,900 THB | Comfort Twin 28,500 THB | Comfort Double 27,500 THB | Deluxe Double 30,900 THB |
Boonsung Wreck, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu, Surin ( 11 dives) | 5D / 4N | ||||
Hin Daeng, Hin Muang, Koh Haa, Koh Phi Phi ( 13 dives) | 4D / 4N | Standard Twin 35,500 THB | Comfort Twin 38,900 THB | Comfort Double 37,500 THB | Deluxe Double 42,500 THB |
Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock, Surin Islands ( 13 dives) | 3D / 3N | Standard Twin 34,500 THB | Comfort Twin 37,500 THB | Comfort Double 35,900 THB | Deluxe Double 40,500 THB |
Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock, Surin Islands ( 22 dives) | 6D / 6N | Standard Twin 49,500 THB | Comfort Twin 53,900 THB | Comfort Double 52,900 THB | Deluxe Double 58,500 THB |
Hin Daeng, Hin Muang, Koh Haa, Koh Phi Phi, Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock, Surin Islands ( 35 dives) | 10D / 10N | Standard Twin 85,000 THB | Comfort Twin 92,400 THB | Comfort Double 90,400 THB | Deluxe Double 101,000 THB |
Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock, Surin Islands, Hin Daeng, Hin Muang, Koh Haa, Koh Phi Phi ( 35 dives) | 10D / 10N | Standard Twin 85,000 THB | Comfort Twin 92,400 THB | Comfort Double 90,400 THB | Deluxe Double 101,000 THB |
MV Bavaria Special Offers Coming Up | |||||
On Special! We have a lot of specials available for this boat. Please see the boat schedule for more details |
Do you have a large group and want to charter the whole boat?
click below to find out more |
7 Reasons to Book with us:
- Best-price guarantee, AND get FREE gifts.
- We don’t ask for any payment or your card details until you are ready to confirm your booking.
- For safety reasons, it’s impossible to complete a booking instantly online , as some other websites claim to offer. We always check first as each boat has a different criteria regarding diver details & experience .
- We offer each boat’s booking & payment policy (below). Some other websites have standardised terms, asking for full payment but many boats’ payment terms are a 20-30% deposit, and the balance paid on arrival.
- Our Thailand-based staff are experts about logistics, the dive sites & all the boats . Take a look at the reviews on our site & tripadvisor.
- Our team are always online to answer your questions. We always respond the same day , usually within a few minutes
- Customer service is everything!
For example, if a trip is cancelled, we will ensure you can choose between an alternative similar trip or a full & unconditional refund .
Guests wanting to book a trip on MV Bavaria can do so very easily. We ask for a 30% deposit to confirm, and the balance is due one month before departure. These payments are normally paid through PayPal, using any credit or debit card. You don’t need a PayPal account. We are also happy to accept direct payments into a US, Euro, UK, AUD, NZD or Thai bank account.
Extras, such as national park fees, equipment rental and alcohol, ice-cream & crew tips, are paid in cash on board or sometimes at the dive centre.
Call us: (+66 89 136 3121)
or fill out the form below