REVIEWS

  100% Recommend this boat and crew! - The boat was wonderful, and the people were even better. My experience on The Junk was a great one. The dives, food, and atmosphere on the boat was amazing! The... read more staff were very caring and helpful throughout the entire trip. The diving was great! I would recommend this boat and this crew to anyone who loves diving and wants a great experience on a truly unique and remarkable boat. I look forward to repeating this trip again in the future!

  Magic onboard  - The Phinisi is a different Liveaboard experience. The vessel is fascinating and boarding in it having such incomparable environment around creates a magic experience. The crew is highly professional and... read more nice. And the food is top.

  Dive eat sleep repeat  - Awesome boat with great dives. Food was very good and staff very friendly and professional. Did 14 dives on 4 days. Schedule was 5D/4N but the first day started 7pm... read more so you can’t really count. Overall I am very satisfied with the total package which includes also transfers to the boat and after. Thanks to the Junk staff for the relaxed atmosphere and time on board the Junk.

  Great trip. 100 percent recommended  - This is by far the best liveaboard experience. Not your average dive boat, but a vintage wooden sailship. Super professional crew, both boat crew and dive crew. High standard security,... read more relaxed diving and very good and delicious food.
This was my 8th trip with this company, for good reason.
Recommended 100 percent!
I will be back

  Really delightful live aboard and diving  - Such a delightful trip, the boat is beautiful and so are all the dive sites. The crew is amazing and full of care. Chok is the best dive guide and... read more instructor ive ever had. Definitely worth going.

  Best Liveaboard in Thailand  - Such a great experience, no points of improvement at all. Staff was amazing-- the ship was the most beautiful out there. Seriously, if I had booked any other liveaboard I... read more would have been so jealous. Great for solo travelers, great value for price. I'll do another with them for sure! Shout out to Brian, Choc, and the kitchen crew.

  Diving the Similans & Surin with the Junk was absolutely fantastic, from start to finish. The crew takes great care of divers and the dive sites are excellent, full of... read more so much variety and abundance of life. The team on the Junk have great camaraderie and positive energy that sets the tone for the entire trip. Divemasters care about both our safety and our enjoyment of the dives, pointing out lots of animals under the sea & helping with fish ID once we’re back on the boat. The chefs are so talented, we definitely ate extremely well on the trip. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine a better liveaboard experience. If you’re considering it, go ahead and book the Junk for a lab unforgettable trip. Highly recommended.

  What a trip!  - This trip was a wonderful experience!

We went on a trip to the similan and surin islands for 4 nights and it was simply the paradise.
The boat... read more is wonderful and we have a lot of place. The crew is really really nice, always there for us. Special mention to the cook, it was so so good!
The dive masters are wonderful (always there under water and on the boat) We saw a lot of things (and we spent the time to identify it on the boat!!), the briefing perfect (you will see, really interesting and not too long) and everything was just so perfect underwater.

The dive sites are wonderful, special mention to Richelieu rock, I'm really glad we dive several times there because it's so full of life it's ridiculous!

To sum up, a really great boat, a wonderful crew and breathtaking dives. I just want to go back!

  Wonderful time - Excellent live aboard experience ! The dives were well selected resulting in amazing underwater moments with experienced guides. The staff is really helpful, kind and smiling. The food was wonderful.... read more I'd stay there if I could.

  Couldn't dream of a better journey - Everything was best in class ! the dives, the food, the service and the staff ! Awesome group of people (divers and staff), always smiling and having fun !
eat,... read more dive, sleep, repeat during all the trip !
Casey and Brian were brilliant, I loved the dive briefings !
Boat is beautiful, we could see people on other cruises looking at us when we were passing by !
Definitely a great experience !

  Best boat and crew ever! - Really the best trip ever! The crew is amazing, takes such good care of you and has so much enthusiasm! The dives are also long and there is so much... read more to see, really made me realise some diving spots are just so unique and this crew takes you there. Go book now!

  Exceptional crew, delicious food and beautiful diving. - Our week on The Junk was absolutely amazing. This was our first liveaboard and there was a great mix onboard of newer and experienced divers. All divers had their advanced... read more open water and I would recommend this as a base level of experience for the currents and thermoclines we encountered.
Once you are onboard, you are divided into groups of 4 people and assigned a divemaster for the week. The divemasters are all very experienced and always put safety first. They get to know each diver and what is important to them while diving. Our divemaster was always helpful in pointing out hard to find critters and helping with photos/videos.
The dive schedule is typical for a liveaboard with 4 dives per day including one night dive (sunset dives on other days). When you get out of the water you are always greeted with a warm/cold beverage and helped with your gear. The crew went above and beyond every day to make our experience amazing. Wetsuits are rinsed and hung, cameras are placed in a rinse tank, tanks are refilled and everything is ready to go for the next dive.
One thing that really sets The Junk apart is the food. Our food was delicious and different every day. The menu leans more toward Thai food than western which is exactly what we wanted. There were amaing curries, noodle dishes and salads. Always fresh fruit. Tasty desserts. Just really exceptional. We happened to be the only two vegans onboard and there was amazing food for us at every single meal. We spent time in Bangkok after the liveaboard and kept talking about how the food on the boat was better than what we were getting in restaurants.
Cabins are comfortable with A/C and an ensuite bathroom in each cabin. There are comfy places to hang out on deck between dives.
There isn't a single thing I would change. This liveaboard is an excellent value and amazing experience. I'm not sure how any other liveaboard could top it.
Our director was Brian and our divemaster was Chok. I cannot recommend this boat enough!

  Absolutely loved being back on The Phinisi for some wonderful scuba diving in the Surin and Similan Islands. The amount of marine life was amazing and our divemaster was excellent.... read more The food was fresh, interesting, plentiful and delicious. The crew was friendly and took very good care of us. I highly recommend The Phinisi for a liveaboard dive vacation.

  5☆ Liveaboard... With character and history... Great time... Totally recommend  - Visited Thailand and spent 6 nights on board the Junk.
Firstly it is a beautiful part of the world.... the diving is amazing... however it is the super crew on... read more board this famous boat (with amazing character) that set this apart
Immaculately clean
Great food (Best experienced on a liveaboard)
Great guides
Great support crew
They even made me a cake for my birthday with a round of happy birthday
Whilst everyone has a role which is shared with you.... everyone chips in to make it that bit more relaxed and fun.
If time permits you even get to visit a couple of beautiful little islands which include a visit to see the Moken sea gypsies.
I have only positives about my time and 19 dives on the Junk.... totally loved it and would love to go back.

  The Best - Having done only one other live aboard which was with the aggressor fleet. I wasn’t sure how the junk would match up, well I can say The Junk has... read more the edge, the boat is amazing, the crew are so polite and helpful, the cruise director Brian was brilliant at planning the days and running the boat, Food well this did not disappoint, every day the Thai cooks put on Mel’s you could only expect in a good hotel. No one went hungry. The diving in the similan and surin islands was so good, corals sealife were in abundance, unfortunately the whale shark was elusive, but any good diver will know nothing is certain on the reefs, for me the whole experience on The Junk and the transfers were exceptional

  Recommendable - Best diving adventure so far. The crew, the catering and the support were perfect. We will definitely be booking another tour soon. It's sure to be just as great.

  Excellent cruise and very good professionalism do not waste your time and money trying diving in Phuket go for a cruise - Excellent cruise and very good professionalism do not waste your time and money trying diving in Phuket go for a cruise with the Junk in Surin and similan's islands, sites... read more are very good and underwater animals very healthy

  An wonderful experience on a wonderful boat! - I've dived from multiple boats in several countries, with a range of setups from the more or less DIY to fairly luxurious resort experiences, but I can confidently say the... read more organisation and efficiency with which Brian runs the diving on The Junk was lightyears ahead of any them.

The crew are wonderful and briefings, prep, and getting in and out of the water is a slick operation. Diving is done from RIBs and runs extremely smoothly. The crew help with everything and the organisation of the equipment on deck is great. There's plenty of space, including a dedicated camera station and you never feel crowded or like you're jostling for space with other divers. This can't be overstated - this boat takes a max of 18 divers but is much larger than the majority of boats in the area that take considerably more divers and have much less deck space. There's lots of little touches too like being greeted with hot or cold drinks upon arriving back on deck after each dive.

When it comes to diving gear, I rented everything including a dive computer, and it all worked, was in good condition and fitted! Even on some of the nicer dive boats I've been on, that hasn't always been the case, and I really appreciated it.

The diving itself was generally excellent. Water temperatures were warm and bar a couple of occasions, no major currents to battle. There was a robust safety culture whilst retaining self-responsibility and a good degree of independence for photography etc. The Surin islands and Koh Bon were great while Richeliou Rock was something quite special, with the coral on a par with that of the Red Sea, but surpassing it with the sheer volume and numbers of fish. We had wonderful views of sea kraits, several species of morays, huge shoals of snappers and glass fish flitting amongst fan corals, vast numbers of trevalis and large numbers of barracuda in the blue, numerous nudibranches, small crustaceans and other macro life when you take a closer look, and so much more that this brief review can't do justice to. The underwater rock formations were also really interesting and not something I've encountered in other parts of the world I've been to.

The diving experience was massively enhanced due to the hard work and amazing wildlife finding abilities of our fantastic guide Chock, who went above and beyond to point things out to us, ID fish, allow opportunities for photography and provide excellent conversation on deck between dives. I cannot thank and recommend him enough!

Full credit must also go to the kitchen team - the food was absolutely fantastic with a huge range of Thai and some western foods. Presented as a buffet, it was delicious, freshly prepared, in generous amounts and different for each and every meal. Between the main meals there was fruit and homemade biscuits available, although they were generally unneeded as I was so full! I'd go back just for the food!

Cabins were basic but comfortable with AC and the huge advantage of a shower/toilet per shared room (twins, trebles and quadruple berths). There was plenty of indoor and outdoor seating on deck, sun loungers. An array of books for fish identification are present, alongside the walking book that was KC, who always went out of his way to help identify marine life.

There are a lot of diving boats servicing the Andaman Sea but the Junk is something truly special. It's perhaps childish, but there's a real satisfaction when you're on deck eating amazing food after an excellent dive and you can see the much less charming, smaller and more crowded boats in the distance! If you're thinking of booking, stop thinking and do it!

  I’ve done many diving live-a-boards and day boat trips to many destinations, The Junk is a unique and special boat that is the best ran setup I’ve been on. Brian... read more and his team have got it nailed and make every guest feel welcome and special. Top marks guys and girls.

  Amazing dive experience - The junk is iconic and offers a taste of history and character no other dive boat can offer. It is a quirky boat to stay on

The crew are... read more friendly and knowledgeable.
The sense of boat family is shared with the guests and all were made to feel welcome.

The guides are the best I have ever had in a trip.

Food is excellent and authentic, more than enough on offer.

Would do this trip again in a heart beat.

  So good...booked another trip! - What an amazing 8 days! Booked the 4 day Similan Island trip on the Junk on a recommendation from a friend, initially apprehensive of going solo, loved it so much... read more got off The Junk and jumped straight onto their sister ship the Phinisi for another 4 days.

Both the Junk and the Phinisi run a very tight and smooth operation. Everything has been considered to making diving as easy and wonderful as possible.

The Thai hospitality is above and beyond, and can truly be felt aboard both the Junk and the Phinisi. Food was an absolute highlight, and no easy feat keeping 17 hungry customers fed and happy!

The cruise directors, Brian on the Junk, and Marco on the Phinisi, along with their crew provide an impeccable liveaboard experience, would recommend these liveaboards for any kind of travellers!

Special mention to dive guide Chock for having the sharpest eyes in the andaman sea spotting fun things to look at underwater, and Marco for delivering on his shark promise!

  THE PHINISI DIVING THAILAND - Have just left The Phinisi after a Best of Thailand trip. You certainly get your monies worth with the distance we travelled, from the border of Burma to the... read more border of Malaysia. With 33 dives on offer the boat is fantastic. We have been on quite a few liveaboards around the world over the years, and this ranks as one of the best. Marco, the trip director, runs a very tight, but relaxed ship. You don’t have lift a finger, the amazing crew are ready and anticipating whatever you want. To say the food was amazing is an understatement, you won’t go hungry with western and Thai food on offer, to suit all tastes. Over the 10 days, none of the menus were repeated. Our guide was Ronnie who kept for the whole trip, he was fantastic, 5 stars and more to him for his efforts to ensure we had amazing diving, he must have eyes like a hawk to find some of the stuff he did. Fully recommend this boat, can’t wait to hear about the Myanmar trips.

  10/10 would recommend! - Loved everything about The Junk liveaboard! Two friends and I spent 6 amazing nights aboard The Junk. The boat has well thought out configuration which made it seem extra comfortable... read more and spacious.

Everyone at The Junk was professional, personable and helpful. The staff went above and beyond to make our trip awesome. From delicious meals to amazing zodiac drivers everyone had safety and comfort in mind. It also seemed that everyone took much pride in and working for The Junk.

Our guide and the Cruise Director, Brian, really contributed to our positive experience! He gave great briefings, spotted amazing marine life and put our safety at the forefront.He brought us to amazing, less crowded dive sites and steered us away from other groups at the more popular spots.

We were so pleased with our holiday, and we felt that we got way more than what we paid for! Thanks for going above and beyond! We are grateful for such an amazing holiday! Looking forward to coming back again, asap! Thanks again Brian and the amazing team at The Junk!!

  Amazing, would go again with the same crew 100%, didn't want to leave! - Amazing, would go again with the same crew 100%, didn't want to leave!

Where to begin... I initially booked on a 'cheaper' liveaboard but after not hearing for... read more them for 3 weeks and reading good reviews for these guys, I decided to go with The Junk... I am so glad I did, the difference was apparent immediately! (and as I booked only a month prior, with the discount ended up being the same price anyway).

Very responsive pre-trip and Muky even contacted shops in Phuket to try to source something for my camera before departure which was muchly appreciated.

The time onboard was absolutely excellent. Experienced, professional and welcoming crew with a high emphasis on safety and respect for the marine environment. There was amazing food with various options each meal (including plenty of non spicy but ways to spice it up, even the vegan food looked great), I was never hungry, didn't even need my snack supplies.

It was some of the 'little things' that made all the difference, the welcoming hands to help you back onto the boat, the pick ups on the tender wherever your group surfaced (no annoying surface swims), the chats and smiles with crew and guests post dive, the drink in your hand basically as soon as you got back on the boat after the dive... Everything onboard ran very smoothly and was well organised. Everyone had a spot and numbered pegs for their things so was easy to keep track of your belongings and it wasn't cramped when getting ready for dives.

The marine life was abundant and home to some unique sights- Richelieu Rock needs to be seen to be believed!

Brian was our trip coordinator - he did a great job to keep everything running on time whilst being approachable and up for a chat. Very helpful if you had any questions or concerns.

Jai was my teams dive guide, knowledgeable about the local environment, kept an easy pace and was good at navigating the sites to keep us from swimming into the currents. He was great at pointing things out that I never would have spotted whilst also looking out for us all making sure we were comfortable and safe.

Chock shared some great stories and was really personable, hanging with us after meals and a full day of diving

There were a range of ages and nationalities of guests on the boat, everyone got along really well and it was a pleasure to meet them all. 2 of them enjoyed it so much they booked a trip on the sister ship the same day xD

The boat itself is spacious with 3 different communal areas. And there is something really unique about staying on a pirate ship for 4 nights.
Each room has a shared toilet/shower so never had to wait to use communal facilities. Bed was comfier than expected and the aircon was definitely welcome. Engine can be a little noisy but with earplugs I got plenty of sleep

I was a little nervous when booking a liveaboard trip solo but I am so glad I took part in this memorable experience. Will have to start looking into the next one 😛
Thank you!