November to May

UD Rating -4.5 Stars

Mantas & Whale Sharks

Open Water Diver

Thailand

Marco Polo

A week of adventures around Similan, Surin and Richelieu Rock.

The Marco Polo is a 23-meter liveaboard operating from Phuket between November and April, offering unforgettable diving adventures across the Similan Islands. Hosting a maximum of 12 guests, she ensures a relaxed, personalized experience led by friendly crew and experienced dive masters.

Fully renovated, the vessel features six air-conditioned cabins with bunk beds and ensuite bathrooms. Guests enjoy freshly prepared Thai and European cuisine, with dietary needs catered to upon request.

The dining area offers ample space for meals, adjacent to a cozy salon where divers can unwind, share photos, or enjoy music. On the sundeck, shaded and open areas invite guests to relax and take in ocean views, while the spacious dive deck provides covered preparation areas and easy water access via two ladders — ensuring smooth entry and exit for every dive.

Bunk Style Cabin

There are six roomy bunk cabins on board. All rooms open to the outer deck to give you the full benefit of the cool sea breeze when the sun beats down.

  • Bunk beds
  • Air conditioning
  • Private bathroom
  • Storage

Route Options

4 Days 4 Nights

The Cruise Director will schedule up to 4 dives per day; 3-day dives and either a sunset or a night dive. The diving day has a typical schedule as follows:

Light Breakfast followed by a briefing & Dive 1.
Full Breakfast, relaxation followed by briefing & Dive 2.
Lunch, relaxation followed by briefing & Dive 3.
Snack, relaxation, followed by briefing & Dive 4.
Dinner (if Night Dive, it will be after dinner).

PLEASE NOTE: this is a sample itinerary of each diving day. This can change due to a number of factors, including weather conditions.

MV Marco Polo leaves Tap Lamu for a diving safari to the best dive sites on the Northern Islands of the Andaman Sea

Day 1:
08:00 - Depart from Thap Lamu.
11:00 Check dive at Koh Bon.
14:00 2nd dive at Koh Tachai Plateau.
17:00 3rd dive at Koh Tachai.
19:30 Night dive.

Day 2:
08:00 1st dive at Richelieu Rock.
11:00 2nd dive at Richelieu Rock.
15:00 3rd dive at Richelieu Rock.
19:30 Night dive.

Day 3:
08:00 1st dive at Koh Bon Pinnacle.
11:00 2nd dive at Koh Bon West Ridge.
14:00 3rd dive at Boonsung Wreck.
Approx 15:00 departure with arrival at Thap Lamu at approximately 17:00.

PLEASE NOTE: this is a sample itinerary of each diving day. This can change due to a number of factors, including weather conditions.

5 Days 5 Nights

The Cruise Director will schedule up to 4 dives per day; 3-day dives and either a sunset or a night dive. The diving day has a typical schedule as follows:

Light Breakfast followed by a briefing & Dive 1.
Full Breakfast, relaxation followed by briefing & Dive 2.
Lunch, relaxation followed by briefing & Dive 3.
Snack, relaxation, followed by briefing & Dive 4.
Dinner (if Night Dive, it will be after dinner).

PLEASE NOTE: this is a sample itinerary of each diving day. This can change due to a number of factors, including weather conditions.

Vessel Details

Guest Numbers 12
Length & Width 23 meters x 6 meters
Engines Twin diesel engines
Generators 3 x 220/12v
No. of cabins 6
Water capacity 10,000 liters
Navigation and Safety Radar, Radio VHF/DSC,SSB, Fire alarm and fire extingushers, Depth Sounder, Emergency Rafts, Oxygen, Emergency flares, GPS, Life vest and first aid kits
Large dive deck 24 meter square
Equipment Rental Available
Nitrox Available
Tenders 1
BCD 250 THB per day
Regulator 250 THB per day
Dive Computer 300 THB per day
Wetsuit 200 THB per day
Mask, Fins & Snorkel 150 THB per day
Torch 300 THB per day
15L Tank 150 THB per day
Full Set 750 THB per day
Full Set Premium 1300 THB per day
Nitrox Tank 250 THB per day

Available Experiences

ITINERARIES AVAILABLE IN THIS DESTINATION

Marcelina

Friday, 06 December 2013

Fabulous Fiji by Marcelina Jesus on Sport Diver Magazine

Lured by the promise of world-class reefs and adrenaline-fueled shark encounters Marcelina Jesus ventures to the wild islands of Fiji.

Fabulous Fiji by Marcelina Jesus on Sport Diver Magazine

What Our Customers Have To Say

Reviews from our Clients, Journalists, Photo Pro's and our own Experts

Our reviews and blogs are an additional guide to evaluate of the holiday is exactley what you are looking for or not. Some love an Eco-Resort, some love air-con and a flat screen TV, we aim to ensure you get what you are looking for, at great value for money.

Richelieu Rock

Khao Lak, Thailand

Richelieu Rock is one of the best places in the world to dive with whale sharks and is easily the best site in Thailand diving for this amazing activity. Here divers will encounter the largest fish in the ocean which are rare almost everywhere in the world. With nothing else for miles around, the whale sharks are attracted to the rock to feed on the rich plank tonic blooms that occur here.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Novice Diver - 20 + Dives
  • Max Depth: 40m

Koh Tachai

Khao Lak, Thailand

Koh Tachai is located in Tachai Island and lies about halfway between the Surin and Similan Islands and is rated as one of the best sites for Thailand scuba liveaboards as it's normally visited on the way to Richelieu Rock from the Similans. There are several dive sites around the island but the most famous is Koh Tachai Plateau which lies southeast of the island, about one kilometre offshore. The plateau is a submerged crowned reef of hard sheet corals, and scattered boulders. These boulders provide great swim-throughs and cut-through opportunities.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 35m

Koh Bon

Khao Lak, Thailand

This dive site is one of the best places in Thailand to see manta rays, especially from April to May.
Koh Bon Island lies an hour or so north of the Similan Islands. It has a 33 metre wall on its south side, facing a small cove, with a stepped edge pointing west and down to over 40m.

Here divers will have the opportunity to see leopard sharks, white tip sharks; soft corals the colours of turquoise, yellow and green dominate. If you listen carefully you'll hear the warning clicks of hundreds of nervous damselfish, and the coral crunching of hungry titan triggerfish.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Novice Diver - 20 + Dives
  • Max Depth: 40m

Beacon Beach - Similans

Khao Lak, Thailand

Here divers will have a new option to choose for the PADI Advanced Open Water Course - wreck diving in Thailand! The boat breached on the hard coral, and gradually sank backwards so that the bow lies in 16metres of water, and the stern 30metres.

Atlantis X was a 27metre twin-engine mono hull cruiser, offering a wide range meals and beverages. Unfortunately, all the beers have now been removed from the wreckage. Although the wreck has had little time for coral growth, you'll still have the pleasure of seeing batfish, lionfish, hundreds of juvenile fishes, and a black-blotched stingray.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 30m

Coral Gardens - Similans

Khao Lak, Thailand

The Coral Gardens offer divers a gentle sloping of hard coral plateau in a sheltered bay ideal for the first dive at the Similans or for inexperienced divers. Abundant hard corals include staghorn, plate and brain varieties teeming with smaller reef fish such as anthias, fusiliers, damsels and gobys.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 25m

Boonsung Wreck

Khao Lak, Thailand

The Boonsung Wreck is often described as ‘Fish Soup’. The density of marine life here is often better than most dive sites in the Similan Islands. An old tin mining vessel, surrounded by sand for miles in every direction, provides the perfect protection for thousands of juvenile fish. The schools of fish are huge and the variety of Macro life is one of the best in Thailand. This is a real divers dive site and part of a fascinating history of Tin mining in the Phuket and Khao Lak area.

The Boonsung Wreck is located about 5km West of Bangsak beach, to the North of Khao Lak. Visibility is typically not as good as the Similan islands. However, the huge variety of marine life makes it well worth seeing. It is a regular final stop on many Similan Liveaboards, although it is technically not part of the Similan islands. The Boonsung wreck also makes for an excellent and speedy day trip by longtail. The Boonsung Wreck is the best value dive around Khao Lak.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 19m

Bon - Koh Bon West Ridge, Koh Talu

Khao Lak, Thailand

The wall, part of the Similan National Park, is decorated with various colorful soft corals and hard corals. From the ridge to the northeastern side are reefs that stretch along island. The reef slopes from a depth of 10m down to a sandy bottom at 25 - 30m. The majority of corals here are hard corals, including staghorn coral and brain coral that are interspersed with a few big coral heads. To the northwest of the island, there is a submerged pinnacle. The pinnacle is at a depth of 18 - 45m and is covered by an abundance of yellow soft corals and large sea fans. This site is a cleaning station for manta rays, so there is a high chance of finding at least one during a dive, particularly at the western ridge and northeastern outer reef. Koh Bon also has many kinds of sharks, such as leopard sharks and whitetip and blacktip reef sharks. Sometimes grey reef sharks swim by, and nurse sharks can be seen lying under coral heads. Schools of yellowtail barracuda, fusiliers, trevally, sweetlips and black and white snappers are all common in the area, as well as octopuses, sea snakes, and nudibranchs.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 45m
Dates Duration Route Room Type Price
1 Feb 2026
5 Feb 2026
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
6 Feb 2026
8 Feb 2026
2 Nights Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock Bunk Style Cabin £853
20 Feb 2026
22 Feb 2026
2 Nights Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock Bunk Style Cabin £853
27 Feb 2026
1 Mar 2026
2 Nights Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock Bunk Style Cabin £853
1 Mar 2026
5 Mar 2026
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
6 Mar 2026
8 Mar 2026
2 Nights Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock Bunk Style Cabin £853
8 Mar 2026
12 Mar 2026
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
13 Mar 2026
15 Mar 2026
2 Nights Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock Bunk Style Cabin £853
15 Mar 2026
19 Mar 2026
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
27 Mar 2026
29 Mar 2026
2 Nights Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock Bunk Style Cabin £853
29 Mar 2026
2 Apr 2026
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
3 Apr 2026
5 Apr 2026
2 Nights Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock Bunk Style Cabin £853
5 Apr 2026
9 Apr 2026
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
10 Apr 2026
12 Apr 2026
2 Nights Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock Bunk Style Cabin £853
12 Apr 2026
16 Apr 2026
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
17 Apr 2026
19 Apr 2026
2 Nights Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock Bunk Style Cabin £853
19 Apr 2026
23 Apr 2026
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
26 Apr 2026
30 Apr 2026
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
1 May 2026
3 May 2026
2 Nights Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock Bunk Style Cabin £853
8 May 2026
10 May 2026
2 Nights Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock Bunk Style Cabin £853
10 May 2026
14 May 2026
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
17 Oct 2026
21 Oct 2026
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
21 Oct 2026
26 Oct 2026
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
26 Oct 2026
30 Oct 2026
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
31 Oct 2026
5 Nov 2026
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
9 Nov 2026
14 Nov 2026
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
14 Nov 2026
18 Nov 2026
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
19 Nov 2026
24 Nov 2026
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
24 Nov 2026
28 Nov 2026
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
28 Nov 2026
3 Dec 2026
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
3 Dec 2026
7 Dec 2026
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
13 Dec 2026
17 Dec 2026
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
17 Dec 2026
22 Dec 2026
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
22 Dec 2026
26 Dec 2026
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
27 Dec 2026
1 Jan 2027
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
1 Jan 2027
5 Jan 2027
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
5 Jan 2027
10 Jan 2027
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
10 Jan 2027
14 Jan 2027
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
15 Jan 2027
20 Jan 2027
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
21 Jan 2027
24 Jan 2027
3 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
24 Jan 2027
29 Jan 2027
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
29 Jan 2027
2 Feb 2027
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
3 Feb 2027
8 Feb 2027
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
12 Feb 2027
17 Feb 2027
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
17 Feb 2027
21 Feb 2027
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
22 Feb 2027
27 Feb 2027
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
27 Feb 2027
3 Mar 2027
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
4 Mar 2027
9 Mar 2027
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
9 Mar 2027
13 Mar 2027
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
13 Mar 2027
18 Mar 2027
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
18 Mar 2027
22 Mar 2027
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
23 Mar 2027
28 Mar 2027
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
28 Mar 2027
1 Apr 2027
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
1 Apr 2027
6 Apr 2027
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
16 Apr 2027
20 Apr 2027
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
25 Apr 2027
29 Apr 2027
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
30 Apr 2027
5 May 2027
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493
5 May 2027
9 May 2027
4 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4D4N Bunk Style Cabin £1227
9 May 2027
14 May 2027
5 Nights Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 5D5N Bunk Style Cabin £1493