International Trips - Thailand, Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago and Burma Banks

 January 27 – February 1, 2029

Extend your Thailand adventure with six unforgettable days exploring the culture, landscapes, wildlife, and temples of Northern Thailand. From Chiang Mai’s sacred mountain temples and an immersive elephant sanctuary experience to the breathtaking scenery of Doi Inthanon National Park and Chiang Rai’s famous White and Blue Temples, this itinerary showcases some of the region’s most memorable experiences.

Package Includes:

• 5 nights of 3–4 star hotel accommodations
• Private transportation throughout the itinerary
• English-speaking guide
• Airport transfers
• All tours, sightseeing, and activities listed in the itinerary
• Meals as specified each day
• Elephant sanctuary experience
• Traditional Khantoke Dinner and Lanna Cultural Performance

Package Excludes:

• Flights
• Meals not listed above
• Additional or private transfers
• Gratuities

• Trip insurance and dive insurance

 Day 1 - Arrival in Chiang Mai & Lanna Cultural Experience

Arrive at Chiang Mai International Airport, where you’ll be met for a private transfer to the hotel. After check-in and some time to relax, we’ll begin exploring Chiang Mai with visits to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the city’s most sacred temple, Wat Pha Lat, Doi Pui Village, and the beautiful gardens of Bhuping Palace.

In the evening, enjoy a traditional Khantoke Dinner and Lanna Cultural Performance at Khum Khantoke.

Meals Included: Lunch & Dinner

Day 2 - Elephant Sanctuary Experience

After breakfast, depart the hotel for a memorable day at New Elephant Home. Spend the morning learning about elephant care while preparing and feeding herbal and vitamin treats, walking alongside the elephants in nature, and joining them for a mud spa and river bathing experience.

Following lunch at the sanctuary, visit the Long Neck Karen Village before returning to the hotel for an evening at leisure. Guests may choose to explore one of Chiang Mai’s night markets on their own.

Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 3 - Doi Inthanon National Park

Travel into the mountains for a full day exploring Doi Inthanon National Park, home to Thailand’s highest peak.

Visit the beautiful King and Queen Pagodas and walk the Ang Ka Luang Nature Trail before enjoying lunch at Kew Mae Pan. Continue with a trek along the Kew Mae Pan Nature Trail, known for sweeping mountain viewpoints, cloud-covered landscapes, evergreen forests, mosses, ferns, and seasonal rhododendrons.

The day concludes with a visit to Wachirathan Waterfall before returning to Chiang Mai for an evening at leisure.

Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 4 - Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai

After breakfast, depart Chiang Mai for a scenic drive north to Chiang Rai. Along the way, stop at a local hot spring before visiting one of Thailand’s most recognizable landmarks, Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple.

Enjoy lunch at Singha Park before transferring to the hotel in Chiang Rai. The remainder of the evening is at leisure, with the option to explore the local night market.

Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 5 - Chiang Rai Highlights

Spend the day discovering some of Chiang Rai’s most unique attractions. Visit the beautiful Choui Fong Tea Plantation followed by the fascinating Baan Dam Museum, or Black House.

After lunch at Lalita Café, continue to Wat Rong Suea Ten, the Blue Temple, famous for its brilliant blue interior, intricate artwork, and striking contemporary design.

Return to the hotel in the late afternoon with the evening free to relax or visit the night market.

Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 6 - Departure

After breakfast, check out of the hotel and transfer to the airport for your departing flight.

Meal Included: Breakfast

February 2–9, 2029

Join Texas Scuba Adventures in Myanmar, as we sail on the beautiful, Phinisi! The Phinisi is a traditional Indonesian sailing yacht and comfortably accommodates 18 divers / passengers. It also has a spacious deck with plenty of storage for everyone’s dive gear, and an outdoor dining area at the stern, that is covered and shaded so you can enjoy the breathtaking views while you eat.

Accessible only by liveaboard, diving Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago and Burma Banks offers a rare opportunity to explore one of Southeast Asia’s least visited marine regions. Scattered across the northern Andaman Sea beyond Thailand’s Surin Islands, this vast collection of remote islands, reefs, pinnacles, and offshore seamounts is known for dramatic underwater topography, healthy coral growth, abundant macro life, and the possibility of exciting pelagic encounters.

With few visiting vessels and miles of open ocean between dive sites, this itinerary delivers the kind of uncrowded, expedition-style diving that has become increasingly difficult to find. Over seven nights aboard the Thailand Master, we’ll venture far offshore to explore some of Myanmar’s most celebrated dive sites, including Black Rock, the Twin Islands, Western Rocky, Shark Cave, Sea Fan Forest, and the legendary Burma Banks.

The Diving

Expect an exciting mix of walls, pinnacles, enormous granite boulders, caverns, swim-throughs, coral-covered slopes, and remote offshore seamounts. Depending on the site and conditions, marine life can range from tiny nudibranchs, seahorses, ghost pipefish, frogfish, octopus, and cuttlefish to schooling barracuda, tuna, eagle rays, reef sharks, manta rays, and even whale sharks.

This is adventurous diving in a remote environment, and conditions can vary throughout the itinerary. Currents and visibility are site dependent, with some locations offering clear blue water and others presenting more challenging conditions.

Package Includes:

• 7 nights shared cabin accommodation aboard Thailand Master
• Shared transfer from Phuket to Ranong on embarkation day at designated pick-up locations and times
• Shared transfer from a Ranong hotel to the vessel on embarkation day
• Shared transfer from Ranong to Phuket following disembarkation
• Full board including breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner
• Tea, coffee, fruit juice, soft drinks, and drinking water
• Up to 4 dives per day, depending on itinerary and conditions
• 11-liter / 80 cu. ft. cylinder with air fills
• Weights, weight belt, and SMB

Package Excludes:

• Marine Park & Port Fees: $280 USD per person
• Myanmar Visa: $50 USD per person

• Flights
• Obligatory surcharges listed above
• Additional or private transfers
• Equipment rental
• Nitrox
• Alcoholic beverages
• Onboard merchandise
• Crew and dive guide gratuities

• Trip insurance and dive insurance

Dive Sites

Rocky Island/High Rock - This tiny island features rocky reefs, colorful corals, and an impressive anemone garden. Granite boulders shelter octopus, cuttlefish, moray eels, nudibranchs, pipefish, and seahorses, while tuna, barracuda, and wahoo may pass through the blue.

North Twin & South Twin - The Twin Islands feature dramatic granite boulders, colorful soft corals, caverns, and swim-throughs. Expect abundant reef life including moray eels, cuttlefish, sweetlips, and barracuda, with the chance to encounter tuna, eagle rays, devil rays, and manta rays.

Black Rock - One of the region’s signature dive sites, Black Rock features colorful soft corals, gorgonian fans, and abundant reef life. Schools of snapper and rainbow runners fill the reef, while manta rays, whale sharks, and eagle rays may cruise through the blue.

Three Islets & Shark Cave - Three Islets features caves, canyons, walls, and colorful reefs packed with macro life, including seahorses, ghost pipefish, nudibranchs, octopus, and moray eels. At Shark Cave, divers may encounter nurse and whitetip reef sharks, marble rays, and blue-ribbon eels.

Sea Fan Forest - This submerged pinnacle is covered in impressive gorgonian sea fans and surrounded by schooling snapper, trevally, rainbow runners, and fusiliers. Giant groupers, moray eels, scorpionfish, and eagle rays may also be spotted.

Western Rocky - Western Rocky features dramatic pinnacles, a massive underwater archway, and colorful soft corals. Look for ghost pipefish, seahorses, frogfish, moray eels, schooling barracuda and tuna, with the chance to spot guitar sharks resting on the sand.

Burma Banks - Rising from depths of more than 300 meters in the open Andaman Sea, the legendary Burma Banks offer true expedition-style diving. These remote seamounts feature vibrant reefs, dramatic underwater terrain, exceptional visibility, and the chance for encounters with large pelagic life. Strong currents and exposed conditions add to the adventure of diving this rarely visited region.

Moken Village Island Visit - The adventure isn't limited to what we find underwater. During the Myanmar itinerary, guests may have the opportunity to visit an island community of the Moken, the Indigenous seafaring people of the northern Andaman Sea.

Historically living a nomadic life aboard traditional boats, Moken communities have traveled these waters for generations. Today, communities within the Mergui Archipelago continue traditions closely connected to the sea and the surrounding natural environment, offering a fascinating cultural component to an already unique journey.

Please Note: This is a remote liveaboard itinerary, and specific dive sites, number of dives, and routing are always subject to weather, sea conditions, currents, local regulations, and the discretion of the captain and dive team.