Raja Laut

Location: Mergui Archipelago (Myanmar)
Embarkation: Phuket
Disembarkation: Myeik
Duration: 7 days
Optional Activities: Scuba Diving, Fishing, Kayaking
Note: If departing from Phuket, a Mergui cruise can be combined with a stopover at the Similan and Surin islands.

Day 1: Embarkation aboard yacht Raja Laut in Phuket, Thailand, and set sail for the stunning Similan and Surin islands, Thailands most captivating scuba diving paradise, located just south of the Mergui Archipelago. Anchor the yacht overnight in the Surin islands.

Day 2: Victoria Point is the gateway to the Mergui Archipelago. An archipelago of 800 virtually uninhabited islands, the islands of Mergui are characterized by fringing coral reefs, white silica sand beaches and perfect natural bays providing ideal shelter for visiting yachts. A short sail to Haycock Island, and one can enjoy swimming, snorkeling/diving in a pristine environment, unhurried by time and untroubled by others. Anchor the yacht here overnight.

Day 3: From Haycock the yacht sails to Stewart Island, a very good island for scuba diving and offers scenic reefs, clear waters, prolific fish and underwater life. Mergui region has some of the best diving in the Andaman Sea: some sites have huge boulders, soft corals and sea fans, others offer wall diving, caverns, tunnels and drop-offs. The yacht will anchor here for the evening.

Day 4: Sail from Stewart to Lampi, the largest island in the archipelago. Here is a chance to explore by kayak a pristine mangrove river. Enjoy an afternoon of leisurely play, and a sunset dinner in sheltered anchorage. Anchor the yacht here overnight.

Day 5: After breakfast visit the Sea Gypsy village on the northern shore of the island. The Burmese name for the village is Marghon Galet (translated means a channel visited by a foreigner). The yacht anchors here for the night.

Day 6: Black Rock is an islet with steep walls past which swim a procession of exciting creatures including a variety of rays and sharks. Add to this excitement the wonder of an area of boulders featuring a profusion of soft corals and a shallow section of tube corals where all manner of crabs, urchins and other little creatures call home and you can see why many consider Black Rock to be the finest diving in Myanmar. Anchor the yacht here overnight.

Day 7: Myeik is the capital of the Mergui Archipelago, and is a port city used to be crowded with a cosmopolitan crowd of Thai, Chinese, Indian, Malay, Portuguese, Dutch, French and English. The settlements are Bahmar, Mon, Shan and some Kayins who speak Bahmar language but with a strong Myeik dialects. Today the port is full of warthann boats and fishing boats that vary in size which give the region its traditional feel. Here we will visit the House of Bird Nests, the Lay Gyun Se Mee Pagoda - the most stunningly attractive pagoda in the region, and the the Beik evening bazaar.

Disembark from yacht and transfer to Myeik Airport for a flight to Rangoon (Yangon) and explore the fascinating capital of Myanmar before flying home.

BEST TIME TO GO: Fine weather between December and April, though Mergui is an all-year-round cruising destination.

PORTS OF EMBARKATION/DISEMBARKATION: Kawthung, Myeik or Phuket.

HOW TO GET THERE: One can either travel by yacht from Phuket to the Mergui, or fly directly from Bangkok to Ranong on the Thai/Burma border, or fly to Myeik from Rangoon (Yangon).