MV Manta Queen 7

Manta Queen 7 offers the best-value 5-day scuba liveaboard diving trips to Richelieu Rock & The Similan Islands. The value ‘per dive’ is almost unbeatable. The boat is very popular, and its prices mean it will surely be even more popular among divers who want to see Thailand's best dive sites without spending more than necessary.

NEW for 2018-2019 MQ7 has a better cabin layout. There is still a 4-bunk cabin for the very best value. Guests in this cabin use shared bathroom facilities on the dive deck. Now the other nine cabins are twins & doubles and all except one of them has its own private en suite bathroom. Also there is now free Wi-Fi for guests. The signal relies on a cellular mast, so it is not available at all times.

Starting with the free pickup service from Khao Lak, or pre-arranged inexpensive transfers from Phuket, guests are transported to the dive centre for check-in and equipment fitting. The trip sails at night and from early the next morning divers can really immerse themselves in the best diving Thailand has to offer. The boat underwent a major renovation during the summer of 2018, ensuring that each cabin, the dive platform and places to hang out and socialize are all in top condition. There’s also plenty of space to chat in pairs or groups, or read a book and/or top up your tan.

Guests can choose to stay in one of the eight en suite cabins, the standard twin/double cabin or get the very-best value by sleeping in the four-bunk cabin. All are clean and air-conditioned. Delicious meals are served throughout the day and there are snacks and fruits available at all times. The crew and diving staff are on hand to help and serve passengers throughout the trip, and the facilities are excellent, too. This includes a motorized tender dinghy with is used to retrieve some divers and to transport anyone to one of the pristine beaches on these uninhabited tropical islands.

Nitrox fills are available, as are several PADI courses, from Open Water up to speciality courses. For the best value and quality diving in Thailand, there is very little to compete with Manta Queen 7’s trips from Khao Lak to The Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock & The Surin Islands National Marine Park.

Please note that these trips are 5D/5N, but some websites show them as 6D/5N which is incorrect and misleading. Maybe they do this to make the 'daily rate' look better by divinding the trip price by 6 days, not 5. Manta Queen 7 departs in the evening and returns in the afternoon five days later.