9.6 Exceptional
Gerald B
United States

Amazing and Relaxing

It was just my fiance and myself as guests on the boat. Upon boarding the boat we were welcomed to a large common area with lots of room to relax in between and after diving and island/beach activities. The cabins were spacious with beds large enough to comfortably sleep two adults. The bathrooms were clean and the showers had plenty of cold and hot water. All the meals were prepared fresh and in abundance! There was so much food every meal, and all of it was delicious! Captain Addy was extremely familiar with the islands and was able to take us to many dive sites where we were the first divers there, allowing us to see undisturbed locations. Most days we would do two dives and relax the rest of the afternoon and evening. There was no "dive, dive, dive" mentality. Our dive master John was extremely knowledgeable of each dive site and even gave me tips to increase by bottom time considerably. The crew was very helpful in assisting us in and out of the water as well. The on-board massage found tension in me that I didn't even know I had! Our trips to some of the islands were incredible and had something for everyone. Between the beautiful scenery, delicious food, spacious accommodations, and highly-trained staff, I can honestly say this was the most incredible and relaxing liveaboard that we had been on.

Recommended for: The dive locations, the food, tnr overall relaxing atmosphere of the trip

8.8 Fabulous
Katie D
United States

Great trip!

This trip was the “dive and chill” trip, which is a nice mix of diving and going to beaches. I did feel a bit shorted on the dives since we only did 6, but it was the rainy season so that happens. The crew was very kind and I had a great time! John (dive instructor) was awesome! Would definitely recommend!

Recommended for: The crew, the food, the islands were all fabulous

9.2 Superb
Nicholas K
United States

Amazing experience in beautiful location!

We had an incredible trip! It was beautiful and excellent diving. I was impressed with the rental dive gear, and our divemaster Erik was fantastic! The only disappointing part was that the AC didn't work (for any of the rooms) so it was very hot and hard to sleep. We heard they were planning to replace the ACs the next week, so hopefully it's better for future passengers. The rest of the boat and its amenities were top notch. We would absolutely book again and overall really loved our experience.

Recommended for: Our divemaster Erik was fabulous! The scenery and vibes were also top-notch!

8.4 Very good
jennifer L
United States

Best week ever.

The diving was the best I have ever done.

Recommended for: Dive guide Erik dive guide Lars the food

10 Exceptional
Janine W
United States

Great trip, great crew, great experience!

the ability to dive, relax and also have a variety of other things to do (kayak, snorkel, an evening on an island) --- loved it all!

Recommended for: 1) the pace --- "dive and chill" is a perfect combination for people who like to dive but are not married to it; 2) the crew: the divemasters (Erik & Joe) were terrific --- really helpful and friendly; and what a pleasure to be able to be on a trip with the boat's owner Neil: an absolute gentleman who has more experiences than you can count but humbly doesn't bring them up unless you engage him in the discussion; 3) the diving: the boat has great gear, and there was a really nice variety of sites selected for our dives.

10 Exceptional
Jeffery D
United States

The most relaxing and adventurous dive trip we’ve had.

Diving the Phi Phi islands was the highlight of the trip, but the crew is what made it so memorable. We even had a wonderful night ashore hiking to watch the sunset over Koh Phi Phi Don and then watched a beachside fire dancing show that was incredible.

Recommended for: The view from the cabin was amazing, the diving was great, and the daily massage were the perfect ending to the day.

10 Exceptional
Dore S
United States

Excellent service and crew but dive conditions were disappointing in off season.

Wreck dive, several species I had not seen before: Sea snake, scorpion fish, bamboo shark.

Recommended for: Multiple dives in short period of time. Crew and dive services were well performed. Boat and cabin were clean.

10 Exceptional
john P
United States

Excellent trip

the people

Recommended for: customer service

8.0 Very good
CHRISTIAN S
United States

Fantastic

Hin Muang, Hin Deang

Recommended for: Hin Muang, Hin Deang, Crew and Dve professionals

10 Exceptional
Zachary D
United States

Excellent and fun!

Lots of great diving, fire show, massages.

Recommended for: Awesome diving, balance of diving and fun, great people on the boat

9.2 Superb
Rick H
United Kingdom

Excellent Experience

Great team looking after us, food was amazing, great massages, knowledgable and friendly dive/snorkel instructor.

Recommended for: Crew, Snorkelling and Food

9.2 Superb
tim L
Taiwan

amazing boat diving

we enjoyed this trip soooo much，friendly crew，comfortable massages，cook fed us delicious fresh-cooked food every 2 hours diving instructor～erik viking led us to the good sites with good timing，we saw no divers in the water，but so many fish，sting rays，sharks，eels，hooray！

Recommended for: only me and my husband，excellent diving instructor，tons of fish

8.8 Fabulous
Eleonora F
Switzerland

Perfect and honest!

I can list all of the happy things that I encountered on this trip, from the diving, to the massages, sunrise, sunset, food, and so on... but the main highlight for me was just being able to have space to be away from the stress of every-day life. On the Merdeka3 I was able to relax and have my own rhythm. I did not feel pressured into an agenda, and everything happened very spontaneously and happily. There were 7 passengers on the boat which also meant there was plenty of living space - the diving instructors could give enough attention to each diver, and it was possible to get frequent massages. Our diving instructors Erik and John were extremely qualified, very friendly and attentive, and really pulled it all together - they are passionate about the work they do, and it shows; they went above and beyond for us. The AC was worthless, though sleeping with the cabin open also worked perfectly fine - the breeze was enough! I do know that the owners are currently installing new AC however, so..that problem should be solved in the future. Thank You for the best trip!!!

Recommended for: Diving, Atmosphere, Friendly crew

8.4 Very good
xiaoying W
China

spa boat offers a very special and beautiful experience

highlight of the trip is the great dives under water , being able to see the guitar shark and leopard shark, and cuttle fish and all that. also the new year eve watching fireworks from the boat deck with fellow travelers is very special.

Recommended for: the beautiful scenery, great dives, and people we met on the boat

10 Exceptional
Robyn C
Canada

Great relaxing trip

Good diving (not similan quality, but solidly good). We did 11 dives during the 4-night trip, including one night dive. All the staff were good and eager to help with anything you need. Food was great, with tons of vegetables, curries, fish, chicken, etc. Eggs, toast and pancakes for breakfast. There was ample time to relax, take out a kayak, swim, visit a tiny island beach, or just read/nap on the giant deck. Rooms had a giant, good-quality bed, air con, fan, and private shower/toilet. I just wish the rooms had more hooks/bars for drying clothes. Massages were always available and the women did a really good, thorough job of them. Various alcohol and sodas were available all day/evening (though you of course can’t drink before diving). Coffee was terrible instant stuff. Overall a lovely, relaxing trip with nice diving. Highly recommend.

Recommended for: Great staff, good diving, chill time

9.6 Exceptional
Jacqueline J
Canada

Great Experience!

The combination of perfect dives, flexible crew and beautiful moorage was divine. It was an excellent trip and such good company. Eric was really helpful and relaxed about my nervousness after a long time out of the depths, and I learned so much.

Recommended for: The dives were amazing! The food was fantastic and it was great to be able to get massages.

6.0 Review score
Conny S
Netherlands

A bit disapointing

Transfer to the boat, the sunsets, diving.

Recommended for: Very happy to get a ride from the airport to the boat with Neal. The boat is in need of some Tender Love and Care. And some of it is easy to do like changing the curtains which are torn now and changing the cusions on the sundeck which are falling apart. The aircon in the rooms are still not working but in earlier reviews it said they would be changed. The massage therapist did not speak any english which makes it difficult to tell her where your body ackes, I asked her for a massage BOW BOW (soft soft) but it was still pretty brutal, one massage was enough for me but when I booked I though to get a massage every day. The food was a lott but not always tasty. So overall I was disapointed on my Merdeka 3 trip

10 Exceptional
Hui Ling H
Singapore

Chill, Helpful & Friendly Crew

The team set the itinerary in accordance with weather conditions to make sure we have the best possible time on the trip. It was a relaxing trip with a good amount of diving for those who wanted to.

Recommended for: Great bunch of crew, delicious food, relaxed pace

9.6 Exceptional
janice L
Hong Kong

Went beyond my expectations

The name has it all, dive n chill. It was the perfect balance of diving, relaxation and exploration. The captain and whole crew were so friendly, they went beyond in ensuring my comfort and the food that was cooked up was so good!! Traditional Thai food and a splash of western (think chicken nuggets and fluffy pancakes) Highly recommend.

Recommended for: Crew, Itinerary and Food

8.0 Very good
Yana N
Belgium

Great experience

Seeing a group of black tip sharks and a leopard shark during the dives.

Recommended for: diving, kayakking, visiting islands

5.2 Review score
Thomas W
France

Great overall liveabord, space for improvement

The sites are great, with lots of dive diversity including cave dives, drift dives, pinacles, and a wreck dive. The diving team, including instructors and dive hands do everything for you to make the most out of the sites. Highlights were leopard sharks, porcelain crabs, turtles, glass shrimps amongst the diversity of fish: plenty of Moorish idols, clown fish and pelagics. There were mainly soft corals with lots of beautiful anemones, and some beautiful fans and brain corals. Engines running h24 and motor fumes coming down to the lower deck cabins. Maybe solar panels coupled with a battery park would allow powering off the motors at night?

Recommended for: The dive sites, the crew friendliness, the

8.4 Very good
Gerd K
Germany

It was a pleasure to live and dive with great people (staff and guests) on a very nice boat with grat dives.

whaleshark, leopard shark amd all ther other marive live Nice and friendly people the merdeka itself - comfortable and much space

Recommended for: Relaxation, motivated and friendly staff in a good mood, small groups during th dives and the dives themselves

Merdeka 3, Thailand

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Merdeka 3 Reviews