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Website home>Liveaboards>Thailand>MV Pawara

MV Pawara
From USD 148 per day
Length
35m
116 ft
Max 24
Nitrox
PADI
Wi-Fi
LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEE
At a glance...
  • Cruises Similans, Richelieu Rock, Khao Lak
  • All cabins with private bathrooms
  • Dive The World Gold Range product
  • Dedicated restaurant with bar, large sundeck
  • Large stable boat with steel hull

Customer reviews
Very good!431

Click on an image to enlarge


Pawara is a spacious steel hulled liveaboard, built locally in Phuket and launched in 2006. Her 35 metre hull and stabiliser extensions give it a large and stable platform from which you can explore all the best dive sites of the Andaman Sea.

'Pawara' is an ancient Thai word meaning Treasure of the Corals, and the boat is certainly a gem if you are looking for an affordable, high quality option to explore the best of Thailand's dive sites. The itinerary covers the Similan Islands, Richelieu Rock, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and also Hin Daeng, Hin Muang, Koh Ha and the Phi Phi Islands.

This Phuket liveaboard's facilities, such as the 35 square metre saloon (with TV/DVD player, free Wi-Fi internet and Play Station), dining room and the huge 72 square metre sundeck give guests plenty of space to relax between dives. Both the saloon and dining room are air-conditioned, and you also have access to a large shaded deck area on the main deck, for those that prefer fresh air but aren't sun worshippers. All Pawara's cabins have private bathrooms, except the budget cabin.

From 2013, MV Pawara is delighted to announce the use of complimentary nitrox for all its EANx-certified guests, allowing them to get even more diving pleasure from their Thailand liveaboard trips.

 English spoken by divemasters  Nihonjin wa diving guide de hanasa reru  Deutschsprachige Divemaster

Scheduled departures, prices, destinations, durations...
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 English spoken by divemasters  Nihonjin wa diving guide de hanasa reru  Deutschsprachige Divemaster

More Trip Details...

Dive experience: Standard open water certification only required.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinking water, fruit juice, hot drinks, nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers (it must be ordered in advance), return transfers to/from the boat from Phuket or Khao Lak areas, dives (as detailed in the trips above), experienced English-speaking divemaster(s) (4-5 divers per DM), tanks, weights and weightbelts, travel accident insurance, all taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (US$ 14 per day), Similan and Surin park fees at approximately US$ 6 per day, with an entry fee of US$ 14 per park. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash or credit card).

Optional extras: Alcoholic drinks, soft drinks other than fruit juice, torches, dive computer, 15 ltr tanks available for rent (approx US$ 10 per day), dive insurance. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival. Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.

How to get there: The Pawara liveaboard departs in the evening from Khao Lak at 20:30 hrs, after boarding at 19:30 hrs. There is a transfer service to the boat - Phuket: from 16:30-18:30 hrs / Khao Lak: from 19-19:30 hrs. The last dive of the trip will be at around 10:00 hrs, and Pawara arrives back in Khao Lak at 14 hrs. The minibus transfer arrives back in Phuket around 16:00 hrs. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving. For details, including airlines, on how to get to Phuket, see our Thailand travel information section.

Non-diver rate: approx. US$ 90 off the published price.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travellers may choose to share a cabin or pay a supplement of the non diver price.

Dive clubs and group discounts: See whole boat charter rate below.

Whole boat charter rate (per night): US$ 6,538


 English spoken by divemasters  Nihonjin wa diving guide de hanasa reru  Deutschsprachige Divemaster

Cabins, Berths, Showers, Bathrooms...
There are 2 Master double bed cabins at the front of the main deck, 4 Deluxe twin bunk bed cabins on the main deck, 4 Standard twin/double cabins and 2 Budget cabins on the lower deck. The Master cabins are larger and have windows aplenty. The Deluxe cabins have large windows, whereas the Standard cabins have portholes. All cabins have en suite bathrooms, except the Budget cabins (shared bathroom).

All the liveaboard cabins have:
  • Individual control air conditioning
  • Large seaview windows (portholes only lower deck)
  • Toilet & hot water shower with toiletries
  • Welcome wine (mini bottle)
  • Bedding, towels & blankets
  • Wardrobe & storage space
  • Built in safe
No. of bathrooms / showers - 11 / 11 - hot water

 English spoken by divemasters  Nihonjin wa diving guide de hanasa reru  Deutschsprachige Divemaster

Crew, Facilities, Dive Courses...
Crew comprises:
  • Tour leader
  • 3 Divemasters
  • Captain
  • Cook
  • Engineer
  • 3 Deck hands
Complimentary nitrox - Motorised dive dinghy - 35 m² Air-conditioned saloon with video & music system - PS2 game console in the saloon - Air-conditioned dining room - Free wi-fi internet - 72 m² sundeck with sun loungers - Camera and battery charging stations in the saloon - Water dispenser

PADI certification courses available including Advanced Open Water Diver and EANx.

 English spoken by divemasters  Nihonjin wa diving guide de hanasa reru  Deutschsprachige Divemaster

Menu, Cuisine Type...
  • Thai and European main meal dishes and continental breakfast.
  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner, with snacks in between.
  • Plenty of fresh seafood and fresh vegetables.
  • Buffet-style service in dining room on main deck.
  • Fresh coffee, tea, soft drinks and drinking water are free of charge 24 hours per day.
  • Free snacks include fresh fruits, fruit yogurt shakes.
  • Local beers also available for purchase.
  • Other dietary requirements can usually be catered for - let us know.
  • Dining service begins with dinner on the first night of the trip.

 English spoken by divemasters  Nihonjin wa diving guide de hanasa reru  Deutschsprachige Divemaster

Technical Specifications...
  • Built in year 2004/5, major refit 2013
  • Refurbished annually
  • Size - 35m x 7m
  • Top speed - 15 knots
  • Cruising speed - 13 knots
  • 2 x 450 HP Hino engines
  • 2 x generators - 50 KW
  • 2 x K14 dive tank compressors
  • Oxygen membrane nitrox filling system
  • 12 litre aluminium tanks with international fittings. DIN adapters available
  • Electricity 220V - 24 hours per day
  • Water capacity - 20,000 litres
  • Fuel capacity - 18,000 litres

 English spoken by divemasters  Nihonjin wa diving guide de hanasa reru  Deutschsprachige Divemaster

Navigation, Safety Features...
  • Navigational and safety equipment conforms to SOLAS
  • Extension stabilisers for main boat
  • 2 Life rafts
  • 1 Motorised dinghy
  • VHF, marine, local band & 2-way radio
  • Global Positioning System (GPS)
  • Radar
  • Echo sounder
  • Closed circuit TV
  • Mobile telephone
  • First Aid Box
  • Oxygen - 6,000 litres
  • Life jackets
  • Fire extinguishers

 English spoken by divemasters  Nihonjin wa diving guide de hanasa reru  Deutschsprachige Divemaster

Customer reviews:

Customer rating - Excellent
"Very friendly and helpful staff, going out of their way to make sure everybody is having a good time. Also great diving facilities and excellent vegetarian meals on Pawara.
Dive The World has friendly, helpful staff, and quick replies to inquiries.
" - , Nederlands, 5 November 2023 ....

Customer rating - Below average
"No port holes in berth, and berth smelled bad, sink drained right onto floor. All dive guides and most of crew all smoked, so it was difficult to enjoy the sun deck. Transportation to boat never showed up and no ability to communicate with boat. We were told when first getting on the boat that they didn't have staff to take my newly certified 13 year old on many dives and that they didn't have staff to take me and my other son snorkeling. The boat bilged the black water into the bay at Koh Bon just before we were getting in the water. This trip was a horrible experience." - , USA, 1 December 2022 ...

Customer rating - Good
"The food was amazing on board. The boat boys who assisted us in and out of the water, and filled our tanks were great. Really appreciated them very much. The crew, captain, engineers, everyone were really nice and helpful. I have issue with my back, so I really appreciated their attention taking care of me getting in and out of the boat. Charlie suggested I put on my BCD on the dinghy, which was a great idea. I really appreciated the free Nitrox so much. Having said that, it would be good if they had more than 1 nitrox analyser as the one and only one we had on board wasn't working very well and that slowed down the whole process of analysing our tanks before each dive.
The boat felt very crowded though. My cabin was 'raining' from the A-C the first 2 days. My cabin also didn't have curtains when I first arrived. There were a couple of dive guides who were coughing badly at the start of the trip. They looked and sounded like they might have Covid. I actually tested positive for Covid only when I got home, and the only possibility is that I had caught it on Pawara. The dive guides also charged along like Speedy Gonzalez all the time. At certain sites, I didn't even have the chance to stop and take a good picture as my dive guide kept charging along and would tell me off when I wanted to stop and take a picture.
" - , Singapore, 21 November 2022 ...

Customer rating - Very good
"Lovely crew with delicious food. Ship was clean and rental diving equipment was in good condition. Breathing, Instruction and Tourguide was performed professionally. Very delicious food, the crew was always ready to help." - , Switzerland, 7 November 2022 ...

Customer rating - Excellent
"All personnel were very helpful and could anticipate our needs before we knew what we needed/wanted. They were always friendly and smiling. The food was great! Lots of choices and variety. Never went hungry. " - , USA, 10 March 2022 ....

Customer rating - Excellent
"Great dive guides, comfortable boat, decent food. " - , USA, 8 May 2020 ....

Customer rating - Excellent
"The liveaboard was in very good/clean condition. The staff was top notch, from the dive crew, cooking crew and cabin crew, all were great and very helpful. Food was excellent. The dive program was very good and exceeded expectations." - , USA, 24 March 2015 ....

Customer rating - Excellent
"Excellent boat, cabin, dive deck, briefings, dives, equipment. Food outstanding good. Perfect service on the dive deck. Great tour management." - , Germany, 9 March 2015 ...

Customer rating - Excellent
"Fantastic service. Marco was a great dive instructor and guide. The free nitrox refills were a nice bonus. Food was very good onboard, and Thai crew was very helpful and accommodating ." - , USA, 30 November 2014 ...

Customer rating - Very good
"Great crew, divemasters, and staff. Marco runs a great boat. Very professional, but also fun loving crew and dive masters. Very experienced guides with nice personalities. Overall the boat is very nice (in good shape) and the food was good and bountiful. Standard cabin was ok, but you're not there to spend time in the cabin anyway." - , Laos, 11 April 2014 ...

Customer rating - Excellent
"The staff were fantastic - extremely helpful. Good quality equipment - well maintained." - , Australia, 30 January 2014 ...

Customer rating - Very good
"Well run operation, hired regulators were in good condition, knowledgeable and professional dive guides, lovely spacious boat, no complaints at all." - , Hong Kong, 13 February 2013 ...

Customer rating - Very good
"The trip was very well organized and all pick ups / drop offs were on time etc. The staff (both dive instructors and Thai boat staff) were excellent. They were very service oriented and at all times tried to tailor the liveaboard and diving experiences to what we wanted. The 2 major drawbacks were: 1) that the food was not too exciting and appeared to be made from not entirely fresh ingredients, 2) the cabins were a bit cramped, quite humid, and the only option to freshen the air was a very large AC that inevitably blew right on our faces throughout the night. If it was possible to e.g. open the windows that would have helped, and perhaps the staff ensured the room was 'aired out' between trips to make it less humid." - , Norway, 26 March 2012 ...

Customer rating - Excellent
"The liveaboard and team on the Pawara exceeded our expectations. They were all very friendly and always willing to help. The dive instructors were very knowledgeable about the area and all the dive sites. The food onboard was amazing and the boat was always clean." - , Australia, 15 February 2012 ...

Customer rating - Excellent
"The ENTIRE boat crew on Pawara - the food, the guides, the Captain, the video-ographer ... the entire trip was first class. We truly enjoyed their energy, service and friendship!" - , Canada, 14 February 2011...

Customer rating - Very good
"Loved it. Great food, clean, friendly staff, good dive briefings -- my only problem was when the driver was late - I was worried he left me at the airport. One thing that I wish would have been stressed was safety to the coral while people were taking pictures. One of the women from Singapore on my trip (Delphi) was continually standing on the coral or kneeling on the anenomes to take pictures. I think they should have taken her gloves and camera away and she would have had a quick lesson in bouyancy." - , USA, 31 December 2010 ...

Customer rating - Excellent
"We returned yesterday from the trip with the pawara and had an absolutely fantastic time. The diving was spectacular, the weather cooperated fully and our experience on the boat was first-rate. Please explain: boat was excellent, had ample room to strech out in, crew was flawless, dive masters were great!" - , USA, 3 May 2010 ...

Customer rating - Very good
"Divemasters were professional and helpful, they knew the sites well, and was particularly good in dodging currents, so our dives were really very leisurely and enjoyable. The deck was really spacious although the rooms were not, ... and the toilets do not flush very well, but generally the decks were clean and well maintained." - , Malaysia, 3 May 2010 ...

Customer rating - Excellent
"Absolutely faultless. The facilities, boat crew, dive staff, equipment etc totally exceeded my expectations. All the staff involved were experienced, professional, friendly and knowledgeable. The boat was immaculate and luxurious (very smart for a dive boat!), and the food was excellent. The best dive holiday/boat I've been on by a long way. So good that we nearly stayed on for a couple of extra days!!!!! ... The Pawara is an absolutely fantastic dive boat. Both the staff and the facilities were exceptional, both exceeding expectations. 100% recommendation to anyone wanting a liveaboard in Phuket!" - , UK, 8 March 2007 ...

Customer rating - Very good
"Equipment good, plenty of choice in sizes; boat was as described and comfortable; food was excellent; staff were very helpful." - , United Kingdom, 15 February 2007 ...

Customer rating - Excellent
"New boat is beautiful and very comfortable and the staff very attentive." - , USA, 23 November 2006 ...


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