MV Daranee

Diving at the Similan Islands and Richelieu Rock aboard MV Daranee is always a great experience and the cruises compete very closely with the best-value and most-affordable diving safaris in Thailand’s Andaman Sea. There are seven twin cabins and a four-berth cabin, enabling her to take just 18 passengers. Non-divers are very welcome to join, and benefit from a discount on the cruise price.

The boat is 24 metres in length and 5 metres wide, making her comparable to most other Similan Island and Richelieu Rock diving liveaboards, but her limited guests and crew of six (plus captain) ensure that every guest enjoys a great service and can relax onboard between dives and in the star-filled evenings. Daranee is not a new boat, but its owners and management are one of the most experienced of anyone offering Similan liveaboard diving trips.

Trips sail from Tab Lamu Pier in Khao Lak, and sail out to the Similan Islands overnight. The first dive of each trip is a ‘check dive’ to enable divers to get used to one another and the wonderful clear deep waters, but mainly to allow the tour leader to assess the ability and air consumption of the guests, thus ensuring they are placed in the most appropriate group to maximize their diving enjoyment. Four dives per day (inc. night dive), plus two on the final day make the trips exhausting and exhilarating fun at very competitive prices.