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M/V Mermaid I Itinerary
Burma Andaman Islands Bali - Komodo Raja Ampat Raja Ampat-Ambon-Flores
Click here to view Mermaid I's position in South-east Asia.
BURMA SAFARI - 10 DAYS/ 9 NIGHTS
DAY |
ITINERARY |
DIVES |
Day 1 |
Guests transfer to Patong between 17:00-18:00 for check in and dinner at Royal Phawadee Village. Transfer to MV Mermaid I at 19:30 for boat and safety briefing, settle into your cabin then set up your equipment. Prior to getting underway, the crew set off firecrackers to bring Good luck for the cruise and we sail usually calm seas for 6 hours to the Similan Islands |
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Day 2 |
Wake up call at 7am in paradise ! After a continental breakfast, 1st dive around 8am at the beautiful coral encrusted crystal clear East Of Eden on island # 7 followed by a full western breakfast. Visit Princess Beach at Island #4, visit the small museum or shop for a Similans souvenir. Dive #2 at Koh Bon for chance for Manta. After a delicious lunch and time to relax, enjoy a 3rd dive at Koh Tachai for pelagics and the chance for whale shark and mantas followed by an interesting night dive. Then relax with a cool beer and new friends after a delicious dinner.
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4 |
Day 3 |
First dive today either at Koh Tachai or the world famous Richelieu Rock. After breakfast, dive # 2 and # 3 at Richelieu Rock then its north to clear the Burma border. Relax on the wonderful sundeck or sort your Richelieu photos in our spacious saloon. After clearing the border and a delicious dinner, we head off for our 1st stop in Burma.
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2 |
Day 4 |
Wake up in Burma and get ready for some fascinating diving. Today we dive High Rock, Stewart Island, Rocky Island and experience some great macro opportunities such as rare nudibrancs, stick pipe fish, spindle cowries and more. Not into small stuff - then check out the millions of moray, stone fish, scorpion fish, lion fish in full predatory action. |
4 |
Day 5 |
Some call it "In through the out door" some call it Shark Cave - awesome diving awaits whatever you call it ! Maybe the nurse sharks will be in the chamber ? Maybe some Grey Reef sharks in their sleeping formation cruising in the canyon ? If not, then you will still be busy with loads of snappers, bait fish, sea horse, ornate ghost pipe fish, beautiful soft corals housing rare and unusual cowries and more. |
4 |
Day 6 |
Today's feature site is Black Rock where we make 3 day and 1 sunset dive. Awesome dives with grey reef shark, white tip reef shark, leopard sharks, huge garoupa, giant marbled rays and trevally, huge remoras and masses of pelagic fishes. Top this off with ornate ghost pipe fish, frogfish and a million glass fish and this day will please every diver ! Weather allowing we will cruise overnight to the northern most sites. |
4 |
Day 7 |
North East Little Torres is good for sharks, huge rays and eagle rays plus a good fish site. Then we head to our northern most destination Tower Rock – famous for schooling mobiladae rays - awesome diving and loads of fun ! If we hear the Burma Banks are running – we will divert and check out the shark action. !!! Overnight to the south – the Western Rocky area calls ! |
4 |
Day 8 |
Keep your eyes open for bull shark, white tip reef sharks and leopard sharks at Fan Forrest Pinnacle during dive 1 & 2. After a scrumptious buffet lunch of Thai and western specialties
Its time for a snooze on the sun deck, write up your dive log before the next dive around 3-4pm. The afternoon dive at Western Rocky Island is a treat for all with a tunnel going through the island full of glass fish, hinge beak shrimps and a regular haunt for nurse and other sharks. Before dinner, we make a night dive around Western Rocky for all the night treasures Burma offers. A great day's diving complete ! |
4 |
Day 9 |
2 good dives around Western Rockies or closer to the mainland - then we cruise to Kaw Thaung for border clearance and maybe some sightseeing. Relax on board, sort pictures, snooze a little and enjoy the sunset at we cruise south to Thai waters and more great dives in the Similans Islands. |
2 |
Day 10 |
Last but not least, East of Eden or Anita's Reef followed by Boulder City or Shark Fin Reef - a great way to end a super 9 day safari. Make sure you leave some film/disc space for loads of reef fishes, pelagics, sharks, nudis and more ! Then enjoy lunch as we cruise south to Patong Phuket. The crew will rinse your gear for you ! We arrive at approx 16:00 hours and will transfer you to your hotel where you can dream about your next cruise on board Mermaid Liveaboards ! |
2 |
TOTAL DIVES |
30 |
ANDAMAN ISLANDS - 8 DAYS/ 7 NIGHTS
DAY |
ITINERARY |
DIVES |
Day 1 |
Guests check in on board Mermaid I between 14:00-16:00 hours. After settling into your Cabins, boat safety and cruise briefing, we cruise overnight to our first dive destination. |
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Day 2 |
Passage Island – Fish Rock when the current is running is fish soup of all varieties including huge Giant trevallies, oriental sweetlips, all kinds of snappers and a chance for mantas and shark !
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4 |
Day 3 |
Invisible Banks – Flat Rock – nurse shark, grey reef sharks, bumphead parrotfish, napoleon wrasse Schools of unicorn fish, snappers and more – no corals to speak of but awesome topography.
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3 |
Day 4 |
Overnight to Barren Island – the only active volcano in India ! the island is surrounded by deep walls encrusted with soft corals, gorgonians and many different fans all providing homes and a super environment for all types of reef fishes big and small, mantas and don’t let anyone tell you the Andaman Islands don’t have macro – last count 49 species of nudibrancs and sea slugs !
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4 |
Day 5 |
Overnight to Narcondam Island – a non active volcano where there are many massive barrel
Sponges nestled among some of the biggest and healthiest gorgonians the author has ever seen. Share these with mantas, grey reef and white tip reef sharks, schools of bumphead parrot fish, many Napolean Wrasse, schools of Jacks, surgeon fishes and more !
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4 |
Day 6 |
Narcondam deserves 2 days – Bubble City for underwater hot springs and black sand environment, South Pinnacle for grey reef sharks and a variety of reef fishes and so much more. |
4 |
Day 7 |
After the 2 volcanoes it’s off to the photographers delight of Campbell Shoal – 8 to 20-25 metres for 2 morning dives - covered in hard and soft corals and schools and schools of all reef fishes, Barracudas, Crocodile fish, anemone fishes galore – charge your batteries ! In the PM we dive South Button Island -magnificent corals and Indian Spine Cheek Anemone fish – a real treat !
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5 |
Day 8 |
Guests disembark at 8am and we say farewell till your next cruise with Mermaid Liveaboards. |
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TOTAL DIVES |
24 |
BALI - KOMODO - BALI - 10 DAYS/ 9 NIGHTS
DAY |
ITINERARY |
DIVES |
Day 1 |
Check-in on board MV Mermaid I between 14:00-16:00 hours in Benoa Harbour Bali.
After the boat and safety briefing, equipment is prepared then settle into your cabin. Dinner is served at approx 19:00 hours as e cruise overnight to Moyo Island off the north west coast of Sumbawa
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Day 2 |
Start your adventure with a great dive in the calm, clear waters of Angel Reef at Moyo Island.
Massive elephant ear and barrel sponges, schools of long fin banner fish and red tooth triggers in their hundreds, frog fish, nudibrancs, eels, surgeon fish, snapper, dog tooth tuna checking out what is for lunch! Visit the local village then its lunch for us! Then we cruise to Satonda Island for a a macro dive followed by a world class night dive after watching a million bats fly at sunset.
After a great dive and dinner we cruise overnight to Sangeang Volcano off the north coast of Sumbawa.
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3 |
Day 3 |
The Nusa Tengarra region has some extremely interesting and unique marine life. Today we spend the day diving around Sangeang Volcano - 2-3 dives for rare nudibrancs, pygmy seahorse, leaf scorpion fish, blue ribbon eels, black sand diving with all its treasures and underwater hot springs that support this very unique marine environment. Night dive here too or head on over to Gili Banta for the chance for Star Gazers and coral cat shark.
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4 |
Day 4 |
Current depending, we start the day at GPS Point Gili Banta famous for its sharks and pelagic fishes.
Then we enter the Komodo National Park and for more exhilarating blue water/fish soup diving !
Gili Lawalaut has several great dives - if the tide is right we hunt grey reef shark and dolphin at Taka Toko Gili Lawalaut. Lighthouse Reef and The Old Passage offer fast drifts with pelagics, maybe manta !
Crystal Rock offers awesome soft corals in gold and orange hues plus the chance for sharks, turtles, giant Maori wrasse, a ‘fish soup” dive. Tonight we dive the famous Pink Beach - spectacular colours and frogfish, slipper lobster, basket stars, robust sea cucumbers unqiue to the area plus more ! |
4 |
Day 5 |
Start your day with an exciting visit to Loh Liang Komodo National Park to walk with the dragons ! And as we quietly walk through the bush setting look out for Komodo dragons, deer, wild boar and birds.
Then relax as we cruise south to dive the Three Sisters or Pillarsteen at Padar Island. Next stop is a diver's paradise - Horseshoe Bay Rinja Island - home of one of the top 10 dives in the world-Cannibal Rock - an abundance of corals, sponges, ascidians, sea apples, black corals, turtle, cuttlefish, loads of reef fishes too ! Here we can also watch dragons scavenging on the beach, monkey, deer, wild pigs along the shore, go beach combing…. Maybe even a chance to follow whales and dolphin feeding in the calm bay. We overnight at this peaceful place, diving at one of the many fabulous spots. |
3 |
Day 6 |
More world class dives roday as we relax in Horseshoe Bay Rinja Island - the Yellow Wall of Texas is absolutely stunning covered with enormous yellow soft corals. Go slowly along the wall looking for unique creatures but don't forget to look out into the blue to see what's coming by…maybe e make a deep dive to check if the tiny yellow pygmy seahorses are on the giant gorgonians at depth.
Nusa Kode offers more walls and critter chances coupled with white tip reef sharks etc! Torpedo Alley is famous for its "electric" rays and perhaps one of the best night dives of your life for critter fanciers.
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4 |
Day 7 |
Today we'll head on over to Manta Alley to watch in awe as these magnificent creatures feed, play and get cleaned at the many cleaning stations. In the afternoon we can check out more big fish dives maybe at Loh Serah, Tatawa Kecil or the infamous "Current City" Batu Bolong - come face to face with reef sharks, turtles and giant Wrasse. Many good night dives around here - Gili Darat is great for sleeping turtles, colourful reef stonefish, spanish dancers - calm sea - a good place to sleep.
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4 |
Day 8 |
The diving around Gili Lawalaut, Tatawa Kecil, Gili Darat is so awesome you will all want more so today we make 2-3 dives in clear arm blue waters - loads of fish both big and small. Then we'll head off for a night dive at either Gili Banta or maybe Batu Putih in Sumbawa - both interesting sites. Overnight we cruise back to Satonda and Sumbawa - solar powered nudibranc, ghost pipefish anyone ?
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4 |
Day 9 |
We enjoy two good dives around Sumbawa and Moyo Islands - a chance to shoot anything you missed at the trip beginning . Then the crew wash your equipment for you while you relax on the sundeck or downloading your pictures, enjoying our trip video as well just before dinner with all your new friends. |
2 |
Day 10 |
After breakfast we transfer you ashore at 9am to continue your vacation…or its time
to head home to start planning your next Mermaid cruise !
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0 |
TOTAL DIVES |
28 |
RAJA AMPAT-RAJA AMPAT - 10 DAYS/ 9 NIGHTS
DAY |
ITINERARY |
DIVES |
Day 1 |
Check-in on board MV Mermaid I. As guest arrivals take place all through the day depending on flights you are welcome to board when you arrive and spend some time looking around Sorong, gearing up etc. Following the boat and safety briefing - its overnight to the Misool area.
It is almost impossible to put together a daily itinerary due to the magnificent diving everywhere we go. No trip is the same with so many different sites to visit and explore. If there is somewhere in particular you really have your heart set on please discuss with the Cruise Director who will do their utmost to get you there – conditions, ship and your safety allowing !
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Day 2-4 |
Misool area – with literally 100’s of dives around this magnificent area we will be in diver’s paradise for a few days. Soft corals, gorgonians – some of the pretties corals in the world – and the kingdom of the pygmy seahorse ! Pinnacles with masses of fish. Blue water mangroves (crocs depending !) Islands we will thoroughly enjoy the Misool area including Sagof Islands, Wagma and Farondi islands; Wailbatan and Warakaret Island, Kalig, Pele Islands
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12 |
Day 5-8 |
Fiabacet and Farondi Islands and after the 3rd dive of the day spend some time going around the lagoons in the dinghy for amazing sights and wildlife. Then we may head north to Waigeo Island
Perhaps we will spend the day around Batanta Island, a black sand environment – great muck diving ! The Mantas call us to Dampier Strait where they hang out at their cleaning stations. But this place is also fabulous for macro diving with critters such as Pegasus, Pontohi Pgymy Seahorse, pipefish etc. And two dives at a small island called Arborek, with a lovely village and a jetty great for diving ! The jetty pillars are covered in soft corals – a photographer’s delight and also good for macro such as signal gobies, nudibrancs and more Pohtohi’s etc. Dive around the island of Kawe a great place for schooling fish, and beautiful reefs covered in black coral bushes. And dive Alyui Bay (or a full day around Alyui Bay). In Alyui Bay there is a pearl farm. We can tour the pearl farm and learn how they harvest the pearls, and the whole process of pearl farming. You can even buy pearls. Diving in Alyui bay is good for macro and wide angle. Walls covered in soft corals and sea fans with lots of nudies and pygmys. Also a great night dive in the jetty; Raja Epaulette Shark (walking sharks), wobbegongs, crocodilefish, toadfish and frogfish.
Dive around the island of Yanggefo - beautiful mangrove areas, stunning reefs covered in orange and pruple soft corals, and submerged reef with lots of schooling fish, and pygmies.The Strait of Dampier are also well known for the amount of schooling fish. There are several pinnacles with zillions of fish . Also the tips (capes) of several islands with again lots of schooling fish; schools of barracudas, school of bigeye jacks, snappers, zillions of fusiliers and surgeonfish, etc…. And lots of wobbegongs.
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18 |
Day 9 |
2 dives in the Strait of Dampier. More of the same. Fish, fish, fish, glorious corals and all ! Then back to Sorong we must go. The crew will take care of rinsing and packing your equipment during this 4-5 hour run. |
2 |
Day 10 |
After breakfast we transfer you ashore to continue your vacation…or its time to head home to start planning your next Mermaid Liveaboards cruise ! With so many new itineraries and opportunities to choose from you will be back and back and back for more and most welcome on board Mermaid Liveaboards – Asia’s Premier Liveaboard Fleet !
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0 |
TOTAL DIVES |
32 |
RAJA AMPAT TO AMBON AND AMBON TO FLORES - 10 DAYS/ 9 NIGHTS
DAY |
ITINERARY |
DIVES |
Day 1-10 |
Check-in on board MV Mermaid I. As guest arrivals take place all through the day depending on flights you are welcome to board when you arrive and spend some time looking around Sorong, gearing up etc. Following the boat and safety briefing - its overnight to the Misool area.
It is almost impossible to put together a daily itinerary due to the magnificent diving everywhere we go. No trip is the same with so many different sites to visit and explore. If there is somewhere in particular you really have your heart set on please discuss with the Cruise Director who will do their utmost to get you there – conditions, ship and your safety allowing !
Additional details are coming soon !
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32 |
TOTAL DIVES |
32 |
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