Pawara - The Most Popular Luxury Similan Liveaboard Boat

MV Pawara

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Specials: Free Nitrox for certified divers
Pawara liveaboard diving boat
Thailand Thailand
Type: Liveaboard
Departs from: Tab Lamu Pier, Khao Lak
No. of guests: 24
Boat rating: 8/10 Based on 18 divers
Read all MV Pawara reviews
Prices from: 710 USD
Booking / Enquiry
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MV Pawara is often sold out months in advance. This in itself should be enough to promote this 35m purpose-built diving boat that sails to the Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock. The boat and its team have an excellent reputation for quality & service, and this includes attention to detail and wonderful food. The range of facilities on board are either free of charge or at very reasonable prices. Guests always come back happy, and many book to join again & again. Even fully-booked trips still give you plenty of space to relax or socialise.

There are 12 air-conditioned cabins on Pawara, each accommodating just two guests. On the main deck there are two master cabins at the front of the boat, which have large double beds, panoramic views, and private bathrooms. If you choose, you can configure the beds to be two singles. Also on the main deck are four deluxe twin cabins, which also have sea-view windows and private bathrooms. These cabins have fixed bunk beds. Solo guests will only be combined to share with same-sex others. On the lower deck there are four standard cabins, which can be made to have twin beds, or large doubles. These cabins have private bathrooms and porthole windows. Finally, there are some budget cabins. The upper-deck budget cabins share bathroom facilities and the air-conditioning comes from a central system. In the lower deck are a couple of smaller budget cabins that have their own bathroom and independent air conditioning. Every cabin is cleaned each day and fresh towels supplied. Wi-Fi (when in range), diving insurance and Nitrox fills are available for free, and the high-quality diving equipment is available at ompetitive prices.

Your experience for Pawara diving trips begins at your hotel, resort or Phuket International Airport, where you will be picked up for free and transferred to the ship which is moored at Tab Lamu Pier in Khao Lak. From then you will receive a warm welcome, introduced to your cabin and given a boat & safety briefing, with a welcome drink. Then it’s time to relax as this large, luxurious & comfortable liveaboard boat sails into the night.

on-the-deck-Pawara-dive-boat-similansThe dive deck is large and well designed. There is a dinghy to retrieve divers and transport guests to the pristine beaches of these uninhabited tropical islands. The local crew and western dive staff take great care of everyone, including the diving, sumptuous cuisine and housekeeping services. There are spacious communal areas to enjoy the company of fellow guests, as well as plenty of hideaways to read a book and/or top up a sun tan. The communal areas include a lounge saloon as well as a larger outdoor dining area. And let's not forget the huge sundeck that is partially covered.

Similan liveaboard diving trips don’t come any better than on MV Pawara, and that is why this wonderful boat is so popular.

Prices & Schedule

MV Pawara Diver Prices Overview 2023 / 2024
DestinationsDuration Budget Standard Twin/Double Deluxe Twin Master
( 14 Dives)
4D / 4N Budget710 USD Standard Twin/Double870 USD Deluxe Twin923 USD Master1,002 USD
Do you have a large group and want to charter the whole boat?
click below to find out more
Included In The Price
Transfers to & from the airport
Transfers to and from local hotels
Meals
Snacks
Tea / coffee
Drinking water
Dive insurance
VAT
Weights & weightbelts
Standard tanks
Dive master services
Nitrox
Towels
Soap & Shampoo
Luggage storage
Not Included In The Price
Dive equipment
National park fees
Dive computer
Soft drinks
Alcoholic drinks
Night diving torch
Larger tanks
Mask and Snorkel
Open-heel fins
Full-foot fins
Tips / Gratuities
View More Months
View More Available Months

Itinerary

Booking / Enquiry

Pawara normally departs around 10.00pm, and the diving starts early the next morning.

Guests are welcomed on board with a drink & snacks, and after cabin allocation and a boat briefing, dinner is served around 9.00pm.

All the equipment is checked before departure.

On the final day of the trip, Pawara will return to Tam Lamu Pier around 3pm.

The itineraries below are the most-common for each trip, but these can sometimes be changed for a number of reasons. Small changes are made due to weather & sea conditions, special marine life sightings, overcrowded dive sites, local-authorities' instructions, and the needs & requests of the paying guests. The safety & comfort of all guests is most important at all times.

Itinerary
Itinerary Name (click the itinerary name to open) Days / Nights Number of dives
Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock 4 Days / 4 Nights 14 Dives

Facilites, Layout and Specifications

Facilities Available with MV Pawara
Nitrox Available
En Suite Available
Air con
Dinghy
Courses Available
Free Pickup
Suitable for Children
WIFI
Lounge
AV Entertainment
Vegetarian Food Available
Double Beds Available
Sundeck
Shaded Sundeck
Available to Charter
Beach Transfers
MOD_FEATURES_RINSE_TANKS
MV Pawara Layout
MV-Pawara-boat-layout
MV Pawara Specifications
Type: Steel Monohull.
Length: 35 Metres.
Beam: 7.0 Metres.
Draft: 3 Metres.
GRT: 240 Tons.
Engines: 2 x 450 HP Hino Marine.
Generators: 2 x 25 kw.
Cruising speed: 8 - 12 Knots.
Max Speed: 15 Knots.
Compressors: 2 x Bauer Mariner Compressors SP Electric with Nitrox unit, 60 Aluminum Alloy Tanks.
Instrumentation: GPS Plotter, Depth Sounder, Cellular Phone and SSB Radio.
Fresh Water: 25,000 Litres.
Fuel: 15,000 Litres.
Guests: Max. 24 Guests.
Cabins: 12 Twin share cabins with full air-conditioning.
Rest Rooms: En-suite bathroom with 1 toilet, wash basin and hot shower.
Showers: Two more showers located on the dive platform.
Sundeck: 6 x 15 meters sundeck area.
Entertainment: 6.5 x 10 meters shaded entertainment area, TV / Video.
Environmental: Waste storage tank.
Dinghy: 1 x 4.8 m with 25 HP outboard.
Safety: 2 x Life Rafts, full complement of life jackets, Fully equipped medic first aid station, Oxygen supply 6,000 liters capacity, Closed circuit video on the dive station and in the engine room, Full complement of fire extinguishers.
Refit: 2012.

Courses

There is a selection of PADI diving courses available on MV Pawara, including Enriched Air Nitrox (EAN), and the usual selection of advanced & beginner courses. It is always better to let us know in advance. 

Please note that PADI materials & certification (2,800 THB) and diving equipment rental (if required @ 500 THB / day) are not included in the prices of courses which require them.

Courses
Courses Prices
Scuba review
40 USD
Specialty Dives, such as Adventure, Night, Deep
40 USD
/dive
Advanced Open Water (for part-course referrals, please contact us)
160 USD
Nitrox (EAN)
Including: free Nitrox fills for the remainder of the cruise.
160 USD

Transfer details

MV Pawara guests are offered free scheduled transfers at the beginning and end of each trip. The pick-ups begin late afternoon in southern Phuket, passing through the main hotel & resort areas, then Phuket International Airport, and then into Khao Lak in the early evening.

Several minivans are used. in order to make it as convenient as possible for everyone.

MV Pawara Scheduled Transfers
4D / 4N Trips
16:45 - 18:30 Pick up from Phuket : Free
19:00 - 19:30 Pick up from Khao Lak : Free
22:00 Departure ( Tab Lamu Pier, Khao Lak )
15:30 Return ( Tab Lamu Pier, Khao Lak )
16:00 Drop off to Khao Lak : Free
17:00 - 18:00 Drop off to Phuket : Free

Guests who are unable to meet the scheduled pick ups or would like private transportation are welcome to contact us to arrange a private taxi at the most competitive rates.

Booking / Enquiry

Booking or enquiring is easy follow these steps
Step 1:
Complete the form below by entering your details
Step 2:
We usually reply within 2 hours (please check your email & spam)
Step 3:
We can reserve your space(s) commitment-free for up to one week
Step 4:
Deposits to book are usually paid using any card, PayPal or bank transfer

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MV Pawara Reviews

Read real reviews from people who have dived with MV Pawara
Glenn Ducat
Nationality: American
Dived: 21 April 2023
Boat rating: 10/10
MV Pawara was terrific. A well organized and run operation. The food was never-ending and excellent. A great group of people.
Sofia MV Pawara
Sofia
Nationality: Swedish
Dived: 28 February 2022
Boat rating: 9/10
Had a magical time at Pawara! Great instructors, great staff, very nice boat with nice cabins with private bathroom. 14 dives in 4 days, also took my advanced cert which was a perfect location to do so! Beautiful diving with loads of fish and healthy coral. 👌🏼 Only smaller improvement was the food, at least the vegetarian options were not super good. But chef and staff was very friendly and helpful 🙏🏼 Would definit ely come again!
Guy MV Pawara
Guy
Nationality: British
Dived: 16 November 2021
Boat rating: 10/10
Another great trip on board Pawara organized perfectly by No Troubles just Bubbles. Great communication from the start with all information provided very quickly. The boat itself is in great condition, lots of space and a good crew. Excellent diving (as always) in the Similans, looking forward to planning my next trip already!
Harrison20
Nationality: British
Dived: 16 December 2020
Boat rating: 10/10
Great trip with excellent diving. From start to finish everything ran smoothly with excellent communication and recommendations from Jamie at 'No Troubles Just Bubbles' Everything on board was as it should be, very professionally run trip with safety and fun always a priority. The dive guides were excellent with a huge amount of local knowkedge of the marine life we encountered and the best places to find it. So much food that was all delicious and ready for you when your dives were finished. The boat boys also did a fantastic job of helping you gear up and get into the water and were aways there to help get you back on the boat. Great diving with a great crew, cant wait for the next one!!
Ode
Nationality: French
Dived: 11 November 2019
Boat rating: 10/10
Great experience : beautiful dive sites, very nice team ! Water refill on board. I recommand.
Tom MV Pawara
Tom
Nationality: Canadian
Dived: 27 January 2019
Boat rating: 4/10
Great diving experience, but the boat upkeep is falling behind and it marred the trip.
Katrina MV Pawara
Katrina
Nationality: Canadian
Dived: 27 January 2019
Boat rating: 2/10
Booking this trip with Jamie was easy and one of the only positives of this trip. I believed this boat to be of 3 star, mid range quality when I booked this trip. At best, this is comparable to a hostel with private rooms. You are emailed a digital log book at the end of the trip, and the DMs make a group video which is nice and something I have not seen on other liveaboards. I believe the crew is doing the best they c an with the very limited facilities. We just finished a 4N stay on the Pawara, where my husband and I, along with at least 1 other guest that I know of, got food poisoning. The kitchen and food prep areas are right next to the 3 bathrooms that all DMs, the entire crew and some guests share. The highlight of the trip is Richelieu Rock and while very busy site, it has a lot of marine life. Similar to other sites in the Andaman Sea, there is some current, okay visibility and a lot of fish at many sites. Due to the number of guests, we were in groups of 1:5 - 1:6 during our trip. These are the largest ratios I've ever dived with. Coupled with the fact that you are grouped with divers with various levels of ability and air. We are advanced divers on nitrox grouped with customers who have only their open water, who have not dived in over 4 years — who were not required to do a refresher or dive to the recommend 18m. They simply do not care. Perhaps this is best for people who have never dived on a liveaboard before or have very limited abilities. There was no wifi during our trip, unlike advertised. We were told on the first night that it was broken. We stayed in a standard cabin with a double bed, which is next to the engine room - loud 24/7. The room is small; the ceiling is so low my husband struggled to stand upright in the room and shower. I've stayed in a number of hostels that were cleaner and nicer than this room.
Mark Chan MV Pawara
Mark Chan
Nationality: Hong Kongese
Dived: 21 December 2018
Boat rating: 9/10
Great Experience. The Crew is Greatb very wonderful trip. The sercet gift is excellent
Yookie MV Pawara
Yookie
Nationality: Hong Kongese
Dived: 21 December 2018
Boat rating: 9/10
A really great experience,professional DM,friendly,nice! Accommodation is clean,food is great,highly recommended
Jerry MV Pawara
Jerry
Nationality: Taiwanese
Dived: 01 December 2017
Boat rating: 9/10
Good
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