9.6 Exceptional
Anne G
United States

First time LiveaAbord/Not the last!

Returning to diving after 30 years, the safety was exceptional.

Recommended for: Crew, Dives, Fellow divers

10 Exceptional
Rod B
United Kingdom

Fantastic experience that lived up to all expectations both above and under water.

Highlights have to be the three dives on the Western Ridge where we saw oceanic mantas on all three occasions and the three dives on Richelieu Rock where the diversity and condition of marine and coral life is simply mind boggling. They are unforgettable life changing experiences that we’re privileged to have.

Recommended for: The Junk is just the most perfect boat to sail around the Andaman Sea hoping from island to island in the Similan/Surin chain whilst enjoying the most amazing diving experiences. The crew, dive staff & food are fantastic, always smiling, helpful and knowledgeable. The diving experiences are diverse and exceptional.

10 Exceptional
Sabrina K
Germany

Fabulous and Fantastic😍

The guides showed us the amazing underwaterworld of similian and surin, pointed nudis and real cool stuff-it didn't even matter that we didn't see a whaleshark ;) the whole boatcrew and atmosphere was just so good-anytime again and thanks for everything!

Recommended for: The Dives, The Boat, The food

10 Exceptional
Tomaz J
Slovenia

Exceptional diving trip

When browsing several other reviews of The Junk, it seems it's all about great food on this liveaboard. Don't get me wrong, food on this board is truly exceptional and by far the best in Thailand ever - so hard to resist and impossible to skip seconds!! But nevertheless, this trip is so much more than just the great food. The boat itself is a great wooden junk-boat, with all fixtures and areas needed for a great diving trip - truly built by divers for divers. It has a great charm, with interesting history and every inch is well thought of and put into use. Safety of guests and crew is top priority throughout the trip, which allows for a peacefull and relaxing trip. As said before, this trip is not all about food, but it is about great diving, with knowledgeable and experienced divers, exceptionally friendly crew and most attentive tour guide Marco. Every smallest detail is taken care of, so that divers have the best possible experience. If this means to change the diving itinerary a little bit, then Marco and his crew will not hesitate a bit to go the extra mile in order to deliver the best diving experience under given circumstances. Of course, all other crew members from cooks to housekeeping, dinghy drivers, air-blender and the captain …. are all exceptionally friendly poeple, who truly deliver 10-stars service! I also loved the size of the boat, which can cater only a small group of guests and staff and this assures that you are not diving as a guest but rather a family and crew member! In short: truly unforgettable trip and I'll be diving with the Junk again - for sure!

Recommended for: Most friendly crew ever, great dive guides, unbelievable service and experience

9.6 Exceptional
Pierre B
France

Great diving experience!

We saw mantas, different kinds of beautiful corals and plenty of fishes. It’s great to be able to dive among all these fauna.

Recommended for: Everything is made to ease the life, quality of food and too many divers to keep a great mood

8.8 Fabulous
Florian G
Germany

Great time at Similan island and Ko Surin

Similan islands. Underwater museum

Recommended for: Amazing food, stylish ship, beautiful coral

8.0 Very good
Nathan A
France

Nice boat, great crew, cool dives!

We were unlucky with the visibility underwater, and that was the only bad thing about the trip!

Recommended for: Sun lounge, food & general organisation

8.0 Very good
Evan M
United States

Excellent trip

While the vis wasn’t the best, the diving was word class. My only feedback would be that the tenders were very difficult to get in and out of. Then need a new ladder system, and it would have been nice it the crew noticed that I was having officially (arthritic knees) and had been a bit more pro active in helping me in and out. Aside from that.....excellent ship, crew and diving. Food was great , too

Recommended for: The diving, the crew and the boat

9.2 Superb
Edward C
Australia

Exceptional guides and crew made this liveaboard a blast.

Helpful, interesting guides. Tasty, abundant food. Great atmosphere on boat.

Recommended for: Guides, atmosphere on board, food

9.6 Exceptional
Matthew T. S
United States

Wonderful diving with an even better crew.

We saw guitar sharks!!! The life around here is incredible.

Recommended for: The crew, the boat, and the access to amazing locations

10 Exceptional
Graham B
United Kingdom

Great diving experience on The Junk

While travelling and diving in Thailand I made a late booking that was only completed a day before I was due to meet the boat in Khao Lak. The wooden traditional junk lived up to expectations and has a character that sets it apart from run of the mill dive boats you see. The crew were friendly and welcoming from the start. From the Cruise Director, Dive Guides, Chef and catering staff, to the engineers and the handyman, they were a great bunch of people, always with a smile and ever helpful. I was pleasantly surprised that given the short notice from my late booking the chef was able to meet my dietary requirements - vegan - and provide me with a great selection of meals throughout the trip. In fact, the food was a highlight of the trip for all divers. In quality, quantity and variety it would be hard to beat! Before going to the dive sites by RHIB from the Junk, the Cruise Director, who was also a Dive Guide on most of the dives, gave a thorough briefing on the site's layout, currents and marine life. On this trip there was a good international mix of divers that added to the whole experience. An unexpected bonus was the compilation video created and given to us by Linda, one of the Dive Guides. I have no hesitation in recommending The Junk to any diver wishing to visit the Similan Islands and Richelieu Rock.

Recommended for: Dive sites, Crew, Food, Mix of divers

9.6 Exceptional
Kathryn C
New Zealand

Wonderful crew, incredible food and fabulous diving - an idyllic liveaboard experience

Diving off the rainforest-draped Surin and Similan Islands was idyllic and easy-going; with something for all dive experience levels to enjoy. The reefs were very healthy, with plenty of tropical fish and macro life and large hard coral formations. Visiting the Moken sea gypsies at the Surin Islands was a real highlight, as was the sheer volume of life at Richelieu Rock. There were huge shoals of fish and walls covered in vibrant soft corals and jewel anemones. Outstanding! Being early in the season (December 2019), the viz wasn't great but the dive sites more than made up for it. The food was fantastic and the crew cater very well to vegetarian and vegan needs but it was difficult to find any sugar-free food despite requesting it. The dive guides and crew were great fun, very knowledgeable and always helpful with any diver needs. I was impressed with the boat's safety features as well - no charging points in cabins, smoke detectors in all cabins and a clear focus on ensuring guest safety at all times of day and night. I can't wait to dive with the Junk again!

Recommended for: The wonderful Thai food, the friendly and helpful dive guides and crew, the remote island diving

8.8 Fabulous
Lene T
Norway

Well organized trip with friendly staff

The diving at Richelieu Rock was amazing. Have been there twice before but the guide and the dive planning were this time at a more professional level. All services were excellent from all staff members. They remembered how you wanted your coffee, what you needed of help for gearing up, all small thing that made life on the boat easier.

Recommended for: The food was excellent and plenty, the boat was spacious, the staff was very professional.

9.6 Exceptional
Krasimir S
Bulgaria

Fantastic diving experience around Similian and Surin islands.

We had fantastic stay on this boat in December 2019. We were not very lucky with the water conditions, experiencing some thermoclines with water temperature as low as 22 degrees Celsius and poor visibility during first two days of our trip. However crew and trip director did fantastic job and found nice diving sites with good conditions for the rest of the trip. Crew did excellent job with super tasty food, flawless service and unique atmosphere. It was just perfect😊 Thank you Marco and crew for the time and pleasure to travel with you!

Recommended for: Excellent food. Fantastic crew and service. Unique atmosphere and boat. Highly recommend it.

8.0 Very good
JONAS R
Sweden

Fantastic

Just to be out on the ilands and scubadiving.

Recommended for: The crew, the dive, the people onboard

9.6 Exceptional
Simon V
Belgium

Beautiful boat and crew

Richelieu Rock is a dive site to be seen ! We got to dive it 5 times, and i was really impressed by the biodiversity and massive amount of life there.

Recommended for: Excellent dive sites, superb boat and delicious food

8.0 Very good
moises D
Spain

Barco con carácter, sin lujos, pero buen ambiente.

Las inmersiones en Richelieu's Rock, enorme abundancia de vida de tamaño medio, y la buena salud de los corales blandos.

Recommended for: La tripulación Thai, Richelieu's Rock y el poblado de los gitanos Moken.

10 Exceptional
Lukas Franz C
Italy

Great diving trip with great staff

We had such a wonderful diving experience on The Junk. Thanks to all the lovely staff and Tour Director Marco everything was just perfect. Would go again tomorrow :-) Absolutely recommendable !!

Recommended for: Staff - Location - Boat

8.4 Very good
dawn P
Canada

Was a great experience

Saw lots of great critters including cuddle fish, turtles, and some great coral.

Recommended for: Knowlegable guide, great food, great staff

9.6 Exceptional
Antony P
United Kingdom

What a way to spend your birthday!

The diving was fantastic. The whole experience was brilliant. The host was professional and caring. You felt like every crew member wanted you to have a good time. We loved it!

Recommended for: The diving, The food, The crew

10 Exceptional
Christian B
Belgium

Awesome

Richelieu Rock and the attentiveness of every crew member.

Recommended for: The crew, the boat, the islands

9.2 Superb
Lara Dyann S
United States

Great staff on the famous Junk

The food was some of the best that I have ever had on a liveaboard. The cabins are a bit on the small side, but comfortable. The crew was knowledgeable and welcoming. The diving was good, but visibility, not so good. This was the first trip of the season. I would suggest diving later in the year when viz is improved.

Recommended for: Food, Diving, Crew

8.0 Very good
YET YIN C
Malaysia

Very Good Experience ~

You all made this trip one of the best that I have been on. This has been awesome and I will be back to Similans Dive. Thank you so much. I like the dive master PING very much.

Recommended for: Amazing food. Great and wonderful all the crew! It was a wonderful nice. Fantastic experience with The Junk.

9.6 Exceptional
Chang Hoon L
South Korea

Relaxing diving trip

I enjoyed almost every diving sites. It was an enjoyable and relaxing trip. The boat was a little bit old and needs some upgrades, but it was nice and big enough to give me a stable and romantic experience.

Recommended for: Well organized diving routine, Very friendly and experienced crew, Excellent food

8.4 Very good
Crystal W
United States

Great crew!

Diving was murky everywhere, every dive but that maybe the season not crew. We saw quite a few fish and nudibrancs. Great experience.

Recommended for: Crew always assisting with dive gear, entry and water exit, etc. Food was amazing. Boat was quant.

8.8 Fabulous
Taketo N
Japan

2N3D in September

It wasn't a best time to go on a liveaboard trip in September. Still it was a fun diving experience after all. The current was strong most of the time but made us better divers. We liked the old maritime boat look atmosphere. The crew was pretty friendly and the food was good. Enough time between dives made a relaxing trip. We want to come back for a Similan trip in the best time next time with the same boat.

Recommended for: Boat apperrance, en-suit bathroom in every room, confortable deck

9.6 Exceptional
JENNIFER A
South Africa

Fantastic experience

Incredible dives; brilliant organisation and we were looked after in all respects Andre was a brilliant dive instructor and took time and care with all of us;

Recommended for: Wonderful diving; Sunsets on the boat; Fabulous scenery

9.6 Exceptional
Anne L
France

The Junk is a very cosy boat and its crew really extremally professional and friendly.

apart from the dives, super friendly evenings with the other guests.

Recommended for: Very friendly staff and ambiance. Extreme lrofessionalism at all level. Abundant food.

8.4 Very good
Colleen W
Canada

Great value. Will not disappoint

I was disappointment that the original liveaboard that I had chosen to be on, the Giamani, was cancelled because their was not enough bookings. Live aboard quickly substituted my booking with The Junk. I was pleasantly surprised because it cost less, was a great boat with fantastic food, diving and crew. The service from Liveaboard on every point of my journey was outstanding-Thanks so much!

Recommended for: Great staff, boat and crew

10 Exceptional
Ke Li C
Australia

Amazing!

My boyfriend and I decided to book this trip on a whim as our first live aboard ever and it was absolutely incredible. So much so, it was the highlight of our three weeks in Thailand. The boat itself is super cute, comfortable, air conditioned; I don't remember a single thing I didn't like about it. The crew were fantastic, so friendly and cooked the best food ever! There were just over 10 people on the boat and it made for some great socialising. My only complaint is it was too short and there were times it would have been prudent to include safety checks as a must, but luckily the only fault I ever found was my tank wasn't switched on once (lol, but I quickly rectified that myself anyway). We loved it so much we are trying to go on another liveaboard.

Recommended for: The diving was amazing, food was amazing, and crew were extremely friendly!

8.0 Very good
olivier L
Switzerland

Great Boat

The 10 dives, just perfect with great dive master!!

Recommended for: 1. Captain was top, 2: Food was great, just perfect. 3: all the staff, friendly, helpful!!

9.6 Exceptional
Wei Zhen T
Singapore

Came for the dive, stayed for the food.

The friendliness and service level of the crew exceeded expectations! I'm sure every review before has talked about the food, so I'm just gonna skip that. Great value for money.

Recommended for: Food, variety of marine life, service.

8.8 Fabulous
Richard K
United Kingdom

Excellent trip, well planned, comfortable, friendly staff and affordable

Saw two sea turtles together in one reef, knowledgable and friendly staff.

Recommended for: Diving, food and good company

10 Exceptional
Fynn Joshua C
Germany

Allrounder

Sharks and turtles!

Recommended for: Marine Life, People on board (including staff) and food!

10 Exceptional
John P
United States

Unforgettable trip!

Darren and Sharkey were amazing guides; safe, professional and adventurous!

Recommended for: The Junk is an experience you will never forget, great people diving and food.

9.2 Superb
Jessica C
New Zealand

Amazingly organised and put-together; perfect for all capabilities and personality types of divers

The night dive and ship wreck dive were my favourites

Recommended for: My guide was patient, helpful and gave lots of tips on how to spot marine life. The crew were awesome. The leader of the trip went to great lengths to ensure we went to the best dive spots, despite the weather

6.0 Review score
Anne G
Spain

Not beginners-friendly

We booked the trip because it said it was beginners’ friendly but several groups experienced problems like loosing the guide due to bad visibility or during the night dive. Also, I’d like to point out the beginners means advanced certificate divers. The guides don’t seem to worry about the group too much Food is amazing I have to say. The boat is beautiful but not too comfortable (we saw cockroaches almost everyday in our room)

Recommended for: Food, English speakers

7.2 Good
Tatiana M
Germany

Adventure Trip

Wrack diving, Island excursion

Recommended for: Food, food, food

10 Exceptional
Chun Kong L
China

my first liveaboard, and i believe it is the best in my live

the whole trip

Recommended for: boat, staff and food

9.6 Exceptional
Chris T
Canada

Top Notch, all of the crew are excellent!

We were lucky enough to encounter a juvenile whale shark at Richelieu Rock. It even came back for a subsequent photo shoot.

Recommended for: The crew are just wonderful, helpful people that are excellent at what they do. The equipment was always prepared for the next dive. The dive guides definitely "knew their stuff"!

9.2 Superb
Conor C
Ireland

The Junk - Unique

The Junk where to start ... Jonathan the Dive Leader thorough briefs informative and approachable ... the dive guides spot on I was their new year and lets just say we had a ball, the crew well one word Thai Hospitality ... the relationship they have amongst themselves translated directly to my experience A ++++++++++++++ B the front of house girl made every day a pleasure and Tiger well he would give John Travolota a run for his money ... Bum the cook best food in Thailand ... would I recommend this liveaboard... ud be mad to choose anything else x Love to the junk and all the other crew not mentioned Thanks Conor x

Recommended for: Hands down the best crew, competent and highly experienced dive masters and a sense of humour

9.6 Exceptional
Jens L
Germany

Amazing trip & friendly crew

Awesome sunrises and sunsets, island visit, diving at Richelieu Rock. Super nice crew, food all day and just overall an amazing experience!

Recommended for: Diving / Food / Crew

10 Exceptional
bumkyoon C
South Korea

great

diving with shrimp during night dive

Recommended for: food weather people

9.2 Superb
Alessio T
Italy

I’ll stay onboard again

Wonderful organisation of dive equipment on deck Nice dive sites Good food

Recommended for: Warm crew, awesome schedule

10 Exceptional
Jackson C
United States

Fantastic boat crew and dive guides, I’ll be back next year to do the Similan Islands with this outfit!

The whole trip was a great time

Recommended for: Our dive guide Brian, the size of each diving group, and the food

7.6 Good
Vivek V
India

Amazing crew, amazing culture & an amazing ship

The crew. The culture. The dive masters

Recommended for: Great dive sites & dive masters

8.0 Very good
Peter S
Switzerland

Good experience

Walshark

Recommended for: Food, Stuff, Historie of the boat

8.0 Very good
Masato O
Japan

Whale sharks and schools of Baracuda.

We encountered with a whale sharks everyday. We encountered with two whale sharks and school of barracuda same time. We encountered 4 sea dragons 3 times.

Recommended for: An encounter with whale sharks, many colorful fish, school of barracudas.

9.6 Exceptional
John M
United Kingdom

Amazing diving, on an amazing boat with an amazing crew

The in-depth knowledge and wonderful dive briefings and dive leadership of Jonathan, the Boatmaster, made the whole trip much more enjoyable than it than it would otherwise have been. Even without that though the trip would have been incredible visiting some great dive sites across the Andeman Sea, but the absolute highlight was the four dives at Richelieu Rock, and the frequent sightings of Whale Sharks there. Another highlight of the diving for me was seeing and photographing a seahorse at 30m. I think Jonathan knew where he lived and led us straight to him! The Junk itself is a unique vessel with a fascinating history, and just being on board was a huge privilege. The kitchen team were fantastic, and kept producing a never ending variety of amazing food with great flavours from authentic Thai and European recipes. I can't complete this review without complimenting the whole crew on their friendliness, efficiency and professionalism. from the boat crews helping us in and out of the ribs, to the super reliable engineer in charge of managing and refilling the cylinders, and the lovely smiling lady offering refreshing juices after each dive. All of this made for a diving holiday that will be hard to beat.

Recommended for: The boat itself, the whole crew, the dive locations.

10 Exceptional
Guillaume L
France

Soooo good: I think I became a junky :p

Amazing briefings by Jonathan Great thaï food by the boat crew Whale sharks at Richelieu Rock Giant trevallies hunting Ornate ghost pipefish Amazing visibility Schools of every snapper, fusiliers you can think of Lobsters hanging around

Recommended for: Wildlife / Boat atmosphere and character / Food

10 Exceptional
Malgorzata N
Poland

amazing

Perfectly organized, amazing Staff, delicious food and DIVING, DIVING, DIVING

Recommended for: crew, food, diving

10 Exceptional
Kerstin D
Germany

Excellent

The Junk with all activities ans the crew

Recommended for: Diving, Crew, Food

9.6 Exceptional
Sandra F
Austria

A trip you don't wanna miss in your entire life

Diving at these amazing spots, especially Richelieu Rock and having loads of lovely people around for sharing this epic moments!

Recommended for: The whole crew, delicious food and the junk for itself

7.6 Good
moises D
Spain

Boat with personality and excellent crew, but much less marine life than said.

Huge Trevallies in the swim throughs at "Screaming Rocks". The turtles at turtle rock and Anita's Reef. Water 29°C most dives. We could not get to Richelieus Rock due to the wind. Pity. Missed the best diving spot in Thailand.

Recommended for: The instructor Jerome stayed with me till I finished my air when the rest of the divers had finished theirs. These extra 10/12' as buddy divemasters were always he best. Thai crew. Warm water.

9.6 Exceptional
Matina P
Greece

I would definitely do it again!

The great food onboard

Recommended for: The boat, the dive spots, the crew

9.6 Exceptional
Kali K
United States

Incredible week aboard The Junk

Giant Manta Rays, Night Dives, and Richelieu Rock

Recommended for: Dive guides, boat, food

8.0 Very good
Robert O
Canada

Great Dive, and great tram.

Richelieu site, and other divers justice Nice...

Recommended for: Confortable, Dive orienter, and great fois.

9.6 Exceptional
JAYEON C
South Korea

fantastic and heart-warming experience with beautiful ship

see stars on the top of the ship at night vessel's masts look so great with the stars and dark sky. all staffs are nice and dive-guiding also nice and gentle.

Recommended for: delicious food, nice staffs, old and historic vessel

9.6 Exceptional
Yann B
France

A very friendly first liveaboard experience on a characterful boat + great dives

- Great boat crew, from Jonathan's briefings (detailed and funny), to attentive instructors (Brian and Jerome), to the boat captain + dinghy drivers + boat hands + Nitrox engineer + cook & cleaning crew - Great dive team and divers on board - Good balance of organisation pre & post dive + guiding us during dives (if wanted) and letting us enjoy the scenery / schools etc - Dives: Best were the 4 dives on Richelieu Rock - all with a different blend of ingredients - New things: watching gobies and shrimps working together; being "absorbed" by a school of yellow baracudas / fusiliers / etc; being a spectator to various amorous behaviours among fish, especially the large baracudas. - Nice hike up to rocks on Similan 9

Recommended for: 1) great people 2) great dives 3) Professionally run with humour

10 Exceptional
THIERRY L
France

Excellent!

Very well managed all the way from pick-up at aiport to drop-off after the cruise. Very friendly staff and dive guides. Excellent mix of Thai and western food (4 meals per day between each dives). 4 dives/day including 1 night dive and 2 dives on last day.

Recommended for: Boat & Crew - Food - Dive sites

8.4 Very good
Bruno V
Switzerland

good despite the bad weather

See barracuda schools and sharks.

Recommended for: very professional follow up after registration, good and friendly diving instructors,

8.8 Fabulous
CHANGKYU C
South Korea

Great crew and food and good diving

Sand bottom diving

Recommended for: Crew, food,

9.2 Superb
Minjung K
South Korea

Great holiday

It's really classic boat. Good friends good food Sunny days I'm very relaxed holidays in junk.

Recommended for: System food classic

8.8 Fabulous
Manfred K
Germany

Incredible happy trip

Every day is wonderful

Recommended for: Very friendly crew, wonderful food! Very well Organised activities

9.6 Exceptional
Monica M
United States

A great way to experience one of the top dive spots

- spending a whole day on Richelieu Rock - My dive buddy group was very well organized by the dive staff - safety was a great concern and well executed by the Dive Team - thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I would go again!

Recommended for: 1) Dive Instructors and the way they broke up our groups. 2) Food and drinks on board - the chef is spectacular! 3) The schedule - enough time in between dives

8.8 Fabulous
chee chyuan C
Malaysia

Dive in similan

Nice trip great dive no manta no shark whale Horse fish very cute nudibranches small is beautiful 4 dives a day may be to much but come before is exist.

Recommended for: Diving resting food

9.6 Exceptional
Thomas R
United States

This was a great experience and a wonderful value for the money

Diving was spectacular, and raising the sails was pretty cool too.

Recommended for: The Diving, The Crew, The Food

9.6 Exceptional
Gabor M
Germany

Awesome Experimente!

Sailing the Andaman Sea, meeting so many nice People, diving at Richelieu Rock, getting stuffed with delicious Food, being offline for a whole Week, Relax to the Max.....

Recommended for: The Ship, the Crew, the other Guys

8.0 Very good
Ursula C
Germany

The boat could offer more comfort on deck, choose of the diving sites could be better

weather conditions, big barracuda school never sawn before, atmosphere on the boat

Recommended for: Crew service, Food & atmosphere

9.6 Exceptional
Henrik R
Denmark

Great experience

Perfect

Recommended for: Mantas, great crew & excellent diving

The Junk, Thailand

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The Junk Reviews