Mergui Archipelago Sailing Adventure departing from Khao Lak

Day 1 Phuket (Khao Lak)

Sawatdee. Welcome to Khao Lak, situated in Phang Nga Province and along the coast of the Andaman Sea with a backdrop of jungle covered mountains. The name Khao Lak translates as 'Lak Mountain' and the mountain is a centrepiece of Khao Lak Ru National Park. You can arrive at any time, as there are no activities planned for today. The closest airport is Phuket which is about an hour and a half away.  Your accommodation for this evening is located within walking distance to the beach and from the centre of town. If you arrive early, Khao Lak has some excellent beaches and an array of restaurants, bars and shopping to choose from. Laze on the beautiful beaches before the sun goes down or dine at one of the delicious beachfront restaurants. You'll have an early start tomorrow morning, so please regularly check the hotel noticeboard for information about your transfer – this can be altered at short notice. Notes: The beauty of sailing is that each day is unique and, while we have a destination to reach, if the weather changes or something takes the group’s fancy, we are flexible on the day's itinerary. The itinerary is subject to change and may vary depending on weather and berth availability. Your skipper will make the final call to ensure your safety at all times.

Day 2-7 Ranong/Thae Yae Island

Around 9am, transfer to Ranong (approximately 4 hours). Your insurance and next of kin details will be collected on arrival at Ranong. Then take a longtail boat (approximately 30 minutes) to Kawthoung, stopping briefly at a little island for Thai and Burmese immigration purposes. Once in Kawthoung, meet your skipper and board your home for the next week – Similie. Refurbished in 2016, this will be your home away from home for the next week. Similie comes with her own on-board chef who will cook up delicious meals from the galley (kitchen. There will also be two very knowledgable and well-spoken Burmese guides on board. Kayaks, paddle boards and snorkelling gear are part of the equipment. If relaxing is your thing then you may choose one of the other activities on offer – like simply toasting amazing Andaman Sea sunsets from your hammock or bean bag. Our Burmese guide will sort out formalities in regards to visas and Marine Park fees and once processing is complete, set sail! The isolated Myeik (Mergui) Archipelago is made up of around 800 islands, many deserted, making this an amazing place to explore. The islands' limestone cliffs and dense rainforest meet with vast mangrove stretches and untouched white sand beaches. Underwater, the scenes are just as spectacular with a diversity of marine life and coral reefs. Your first port of call is Tae Yae, approximately 19 NM (nautical miles) away. Cruising along at 8-10 knots it will take around 3 hours. We should arrive just in time for a refreshing sunset swim. A very tasty Asian dinner will be served under the stars for our first night together on board. Perhaps wake early for your first ocean sunrise and morning swim. After breakfast, depending on visibility, we will go for our first snorkel. Today we will sail approx. 25NM north to Nyuang Wee. Here we will stop for lunch, a swim and a paddleboard or kayak excursion. In the evening, you will experience one of the most special sunsets you will ever see. This morning we sail a few hours north towards Lampi Island, where you will get a taste of village life. Bo Cho is home to a Moken village, Ma Kyone Galet, and is the largest island village in the southern Mergui archipelago. Once a permanent nomadic, seafaring people, the Moken spent almost all their time floating on small wooden boats fishing for squid. Like many ethnic minorities in Myanmar, most Moken were forced to relocate to onshore sites during the 1990s. Lampi Island is known as Mother to the Moken people. We will spend the next two days visiting the people, exploring the bird life and the nature. We will engulf ourselves in the sounds and sights of nature as it was and learn more about the Moken and the Burmese people living in this remote region of the archipelago. By now we have become part of the islands. We start our journey back south and after breakfast sail 22NM to Nga Manu (Shark Island). We enjoy a beach BBQ of freshly caught seafood, chicken and salads and spend most of today in the water snorkelling. Shark Bay offers the cleanest water in the inner archipelago with some of the biggest corals to be found. No doubt this is one of the best beaches in the world. Set sail late afternoon to the 115 chain of islands. The island is so called because its peak is 115 metres tall. Enjoy another perfect sunset. Start the day with an easy going jungle walk across the island which will take about 10 – 15 minutes with the local Burmese guide. You may get the chance to meet some local Moken fishermen. Walk along the white sandy beach and wade into the clear turquoise waters. A swim on this pristine beach is a must. A sail of 25NM will take us via Myauk Ni Island and onto our next overnight anchorage in the Barwell Chain of Islands. We will have lunch along the way and then the afternoon will be your last chance to paddle and swim in the crystal clear Myiek Archipelago waters that fringe the islands. Before your last sunset, sail to Thae Yae, the island that was your first port of call and a part of the Barwell Islands, and where the boat drops anchor for the group’s last night on board together and share stories of your amazing week sailing the Archipelago.

Day 8 Ranong/Phuket (Khao Lak)

Sail the 19 NM from Tae Yae to Kawthaung, generally arriving around 10am. Say farewell to your skipper and cook, and travel in a long-tail boat with your guide to re-enter Thailand via Ranong. From here, meet your driver at about 12pm and transfer by private vehicle back to Khao Lak. The guide will stay in Ranong, so you will be unaccompanied for this leg of the journey. You should hopefully be back in Khao Lak by 5pm. In the evening, perhaps enjoy a final meal with your fellow travellers and celebrate this wonderful Myanmar sailing adventure.

Day 9 Phuket

There are no activities planned today and you're free to leave the hotel any time before 10am (checkout time). Transfers to the airport or Phuket town can be organised with the hotel reception.