Abenteur
Safaris in Burma (Myanmar)
10 tage/11 nächte
This
new S.E.A.
Charters adventure
cruise is a combination of diving, snorkeling
coral reefs, and kayaking around remote,
pristine tropical islands. We explore
the rain forest, rivers and mangroves,
discovering an abundance of marine life
and wildlife. Our liveaboard tours operate
in the remote, pristine Mergui archipelago,
Burma, Myanmar, offering wonderful opportunities
for kayaking, trekking and bird watching
including the collection of myanmar swallows'
nests in a huge cave- and there's plenty
of time to relax on the deserted white
sandy beaches, scattered with sea shells
and turtle tracks. The only footprints
you will find are those of the rain forest
animals!
The
modern-day Mergui Archipelago is as it
was in days gone by, bar the piracy!
Due to the archipelagoés virtual isolation,
the islands and surrounding seas are
alive with an amazing diversity of wildlife,
flora and fauna. Parrots, hornbills,
sea eagles, Brahminy kites and herons
fill the skies, whilst on land the animal
population includes wild cattle, elephants,
monkeys, deer, wild pigs, tigers, crocodiles
and rhinoceros.
The
only human inhabitants in the area are
the sea gypsies, a nomadic sea-faring
race whose lifestyle has changed very
little over the years, they have been
the sole inhabitants of the Mergui Archipelago
over the years and still practice the
same fishing and boat building techniques
used for generations.
The
gateway to the archipelago is Kawthaung
(Victoria Point) on the southern tip
of Myanmar, a 25 minute boat trip from
the Thai fishing port of Ranong. The
area closest to Myanmar's shore is very
scenic but has no decent diving. The
middle area is more interesting.
Visibility
is varies from only fair to excellent,
but there is plenty of interesting marine
life. Different species of sharks and
stingrays as well as a good assortment
of small and semi-rare creatures such
as ghost pipefish and razorfish were
spotted here. The reefs are mainly rocky
with hard corals although some areas
have sponges, fans and soft corals as
well.
The
westernmost region of the Mergui Archipelago
is where the water gets deeper and clearer.
This is where the sharks roam. Silvertips,
grey reef, whitetip, bullsharks a wonderful
variety.
The
underwater scenery is somewhat like a
cross between the Similans and the Burma
Banks. Nice big schools of jacks swirl
around the rocks, stingrays rest on the
seafloor nearby huge seafans.
Some
of the best divesites (so far) in the
Mergui Archipelago are Western Rocky
Island, 3 Islets, Black Rock and West
Canister (this is where we are still
alone). "Unique" is the best way to describe
the Mergui Archipelago.
We
were the first dive operator ever to
dedicate a diving Live-aboard to solely
visit this remote and extremely beautiful
area (most others choose to combine Thailand
and Burma). Since then we have been operating
live-aboard trips exploring the delights
of this truly unspoiled area since 1998.
We had the whole area almost to ourselves
for a many months, but inevitably a few
others have followed in our footsteps,
although almost no other operator has
anywhere near the same level of experience
and knowledge of the area as Scuba Quest.
Comprising
over eight hundred islands and covering
an area of ten thousand square miles,
these pristine islands are totally untouched
by modern development.
Burma
Adventure Cruises
Approximate
Itinerary |
DAY
1
DEPARTURE
|
10:20
Pick up at Ranong Airport, transfer
to Thai Immigration
12:00
Transfer to boat, boat briefing,
depart for Burma
13:00
Lunch on board, clear Burmese
immigration procedures
14:00
Shore excursion to the border
town of Kawthaung. We will visit
at least two temples with our
Burmese guide and have time for
shopping.
18:00
Depart for Great Swinton Island,
Mergui Archipelago 20:00 Dinner
en route.
|
| DAY
2 |
07:00
Breakfast on board
08:00
Shore excursion and trekking
on Horseshoe Island looking for
bird life and deer.
13:00
Lunch on board
14:00
Kayaking at Loughborough Island.
17:00
Afternoon beach time, swimming
19:00
Dinner on board
|
| DAY
3 |
07:00
Breakfast on board
08:00
Snorkeling at Three Stooges (Shark
Cave Island) just north of Great
Swinton Island. We will have
a briefing about sharks and then
snorkel into a canyon in the
island where we consistently
see these sharks. This is not
dangerous and a pick up boat
will be close at hand for anyone
who gets nervous. After this
experience, we will continue
snorkeling around the island
cluster.
13:00
Lunch on board
14:00
Discover Scuba in the shallow
water of Great Swinton Island.
We will do a basic diving skill
session (PADI Confirmed Water
One) for those interested. This
will prepare them for diving
later on during the trip if they
would like. For those not interested
in diving, we can organize kayaking,
beach walking, and possibly an
afternoon jungle trek, depending
conditions.
17:00
Depart for south Lampi Island,
the archipelagos largest national
park, arriving around sunset.
19:00
Dinner on board
|
| DAY
4 |
07:00
Breakfast on board.
08:00
Visit sea gypsy village, swimming
and beach time.
13:00
Lunch on board
14:00
Kayaking southern Lampi Island
19:00
Dinner on board
|
| DAY
5 |
07:00
Breakfast on board.
Today
we will have two activities and
the order in which they are done
depends on when high tide is.
If the tide is high in the morning,
we will paddle the mangrove forest.
If the tide is low,we will do
a jungle trek looking for wildlife
including wild elephants, monkeys,
hornbills, to name a few.
08:00
Morning activity
13:00
Lunch on board or as a picnic
depending on tides and how far
people want to kayak.
14:00
Afternoon activity
17:30
Afternoon beach time, swimming
19:00
Dinner on board
|
| DAY
6 |
The
next two days will be spent at
Salet Galet (saal€ gaal€), one
of the most beautiful areas of
the Mergui Archipelago (where all
those nice pictures youéve seen
were taken). Here we have trekking,
mangrove paddling, river paddling
depending on how much water there
is and tides, and ømuck snorkelingÓ in
the mangroves. This is looking
for unusual types of marine life
which most people donét bother
to look for in and around the mangrove
forests, depending on visibility.
07:00
Breakfast on board
08:00
Morning activity.
13:00
Lunch on board
14:00
Afternoon activity.
17:00
Afternoon beach time, swimming
19:00
Dinner on board
|
| DAY
7 |
Salet
Galet
07:00
Breakfast on board
08:00
Morning activity.
13:00
Lunch on board
14:00
Afternoon activity.
17:00
Afternoon beach time, swimming
19:00
Dinner on board
|
| DAY
8 |
07:00
Breakfast on board
08:00
Escorted scuba diving (PADI DSD)
at Hayes Island (Kunthi Kyun
(choonti choon)) where there
are very nice shallow coral gardens
and beautiful marine life. If
they donét want to dive, we will
snorkel.
13:00
Lunch on board
14:00
Trekking looking for hornbills
which this island is famous for.
We wander up a creek bed trail.
Animal life will hopefully be
seen as well, probably monkeys.
17:00
Afternoon beach time, swimming
19:00
Dinner on board, depart for Clara
Islandés West Coast
|
| DAY
9 |
07:00
Breakfast on board
08:00
Kayaking at Clara with ités white
sand beaches and huge granite
lined bays.
13:00
Lunch on board
14:00
Kayaking or jungle trekking.
17:00
Afternoon beach time, swimming
19:00
Dinner on board
21:00
Beach øpartyÓ hoping the spot
nesting turtles. Depart for Northern
Rocky Island.
|
| DAY
10 |
07:00
Breakfast on board
08:00
Snorkeling at Northern and Western
Rocky Islands, kayaking (no beaches
here, small islands).
13:00
Lunch on board 14:00 Snorkeling
at Northern and Western Rocky
Islands, kayaking (no beaches
here, small islands).
17:00
Head to Davis Island for a quiet
anchorage (if the authorities
permit. If not, weéll go somewhere
else.)
19:00
Dinner on board
21:00
Night snorkeling
|
| DAY
11 |
07:00
Breakfast on board
08:00
Snorkeling at Horseshoe Island
(near Dukin Island east of Western
Rocky), beach time, swimming.
13:00
Lunch on board
14:00
Visit a large cave near Horseshoe
Island where the locals gather
swallows nests. This is a large
enough cave to get a boat inside
if you wanted to, plenty big
enough for kayaks. The locals
have built bamboo houses inside
the cave.
17:00
Depart for Kawthaung.
19:00
Dinner on board
|
DAY
12
ARRIVAL
|
06:30
Breakfast on board
07:00
Check out of Burma and head back
to Thailand (Ranong).
08:00
Check into Thailand, depart for
airport
10:20
Fly back to Bangkok or extension
to Phuket.
|
|
