Similan Islands Diving: Dolphin Queen Liveaboard [2019] - Part 1

[@XennialTraveller]

❓Hive mind: Where's your favourite diving spot? Where should I go diving next? 😀

[@MarcoPoloski]

Personally, I went to live experiences in Bali and I liked it a lot (I made some vlogs). I was strongly recommended to go to Hawaii as well.

[@XennialTraveller]

Marco Poloski I really should check out Bali. I'm just not one to go where most people go normally. Will have a look at your vlogs 🙂

[@ButtPacker]

Bohol in Philippines, French Polynesia is absolutely amazing for diving (hard to get to though!), Mauritius, Sri Lanka has some nice spots but some spots are also extremely polluted (we picked up 70+ plastic bags in 15 minutes!), Malta has some cool wrecks. My coolest dive was probably on Easter Island as there is a moai (those stone heads) underwater with an urchin on it's eye!

[@XennialTraveller]

@@ButtPacker I need to get myself to Bohol because it's so easy to get to from HK. Wow, the Easter Island sounds cool. Thanks for the recommendations! Added to the list.

[@oliversparks1459]

You Have Been there Already Richelieu Rock Saw 7 Orcas there a long long time ago And Myanmar I’m Still Trying to Negotiate A Crossing By Motorbike in Ranong and Motorcycle Escort up to Yangon There is a Road Up North

[@IamaDutch-Kiwi]

My first thought was: This video I just have to watch. Looked at the length and had to postpone for a while. Had too much to do. I reserved time - 16m-30sec is good for a coffee break space I allowed myself. I may be retired but am a busy person. The reason your video appealed to me and has made me happy I took the time for, is to be able to dive without actually doing so. How spectacular and beautiful you captured the underwater world you were in. But not only that. I felt part of your experience. My daughter and son in law used to dive. They were also instructors. In their day- not a lot of filming was done by individuals. There was no KZbin to share on. Technically I am not in a position to comment but as a viewer I was more that happy to spend 16 minutes on and under water being entertained and educated. As this is your first scuba diving experience, you may be justifiable proud of the result of your video. Thank you.

[@XennialTraveller]

OmaFarAway Thanks so much for taking the time to watch! Wasn't my first scuba experience though my first liveaboard (so nothing but scuba for 4 days straight) but I'm glad I did. Still new to filming underwater so I'm happy it turned out. All the best in your video journey as well 🙂

[@IamaDutch-Kiwi]

@@XennialTraveller Thank you...any tis would be much appreciated. I use only my iphone 8 and imovie for now. Will try to inform myself into some new editing software and possible camera ( maybe a webcam or something which I can use while driving/walking) once I am a bit more confident

[@IamaDutch-Kiwi]

@@XennialTraveller You are welcome on my channel anytime.... advice always welcome

[@EllaMcKendrick]

Amazing underwater shots. What camera did you use for those? Your room is nice. Lucky you got it to yourself! Mmm snacks. Always important ;) That sunrise is gorgeous! Is that a barracuda at 3:11? I'm pretty bad with my fish names haha. Dive, eat, sleep, repeat? That sounds perfect! I need to book myself on a diving trip. I can't believe I've never learnt to dive before. Definitely gotta add it to my bucket-list as I love snorkelling.

[@XennialTraveller]

Haha, at 3:11 those are trumpetfish (2x). Barracudas are the ones at 4:37 😜 But actually I'm not so good at identifying fish either. I was using my Panasonic Lumix LX10 (compact) in an underwater casing for underwater shots. I still need more practice, but sort of happy with the way it turned out. If you love snorkeling then you really must try diving. It's like so much better when you can go up and down - like floating in the air 🐟 Thanks for coming along (virtually) on my adventure! 🙌

[@Starlight34346]

Why doesn’t this have more views?!?!

[@XennialTraveller]

Thanks for the compliment :)

[@The4KTravelChannel]

This video has everything I enjoy, adventure, diving, Thai food, Nutella , and scenery. Good job shooting underwater. Great video!

[@XennialTraveller]

Thank you!! I don't have Nutella often but when I do, I don't hold back. So now I've worked out shooting underwater. I just need to work out how not to blast through all my air supply while doing it 😂

[@cultureatz]

I have never scuba dived, I so want to try one day. The underwater world is so fascinating. Dive eat sleep, good routine lol. Love watching schools of fish. Oh bad dive, hyperventilating is not good. I am really digging all the food you ate on the boat though lol.

[@XennialTraveller]

The good food was a reward for diving haha. But yeah. You should try scuba diving! What's stopping you?

[@cultureatz]

@@XennialTraveller alas fear, it could be a situation where I could get claustrophobic. I did snorkel though.

[@XennialTraveller]

@@cultureatz Some people are ok with it, some people aren't. But yeah, snorkelling is a good alternative. Nothing like feeling free and being able to 'float' through the water when diving though ;)

[@travelmischief5095]

Very good video loved the under footage

[@XennialTraveller]

Thank you 😃🙌

[@LivingOverseasTV]

I would love to dive the Similan Islands. You got some great shots. Richelieu Rock looked great. I hope to do a liveaboard sometime.

[@XennialTraveller]

I hope you get your wish! Thanks for watching :D

[@karynjanetravels9573]

Everyone on the boat looked so happy all the time! And great shots of all the fish. I love the Similans! I was only able to visit on a day trip but they are so gorgeous. (I was supposed to go to the Surin Islands as well but it got cancelled because it was so early in the season and weather wasn't good). I love that the government is really trying hard to protect these islands, hopefully as a result they won't go the way of the Phi Phis. There's diversity there in the sea life you can't see anywhere else in Thailand.

[@XennialTraveller]

We were a very happy crew, so made the trip very enjoyable! Yeah, ironically, one of the best way to protect the islands is to let less people visit them. I do hope that the government will impose a limit. In contrast to here, in Sipadan in Malaysia (Sabah, Borneo) they very strictly limit only 150 people per day to dive there and as a result, it really is spectacular there. If you dive, then I can highly recommend Sipadan! Happy travels and thanks for watching

[@ingodwebelieve3700]

I’m binge watching all your videos. Love the content

[@XennialTraveller]

Thank you 😊

[@WorldCultureNetwork]

It was a great introduction to the idea of liveaboard. The way you have showcased the idea, the living conditions, dives & the life on boat is simply beautiful. I was under the impressions that it might cost a lot but I checked out Simian Diving’s website & it turns out to be something that even I can afford. Thank you so much for this, I hope I get to experience the same adventure soon! :D

[@XennialTraveller]

Thanks so much for your kind words, and my aim really was to showcase what it was like on a liveaboard (being my first time) since most people tend to only show the diving part. And yeah! They are really good value. The boat is not luxurious (and a little bit noisy), but the food is super good and the crew really know their stuff. I also hope you get to experience a diving adventure soon!

[@slightlyoffthebeatentrack7322]

Oh wow, this looks like a phenomenal experience, the whole liveabord and obviously this amazing marine life! I's great you could get all that cool footage!

[@XennialTraveller]

It was really fun! 😃 Just as much on board the boat as well as under the surface. I'm still struggling a bit with underwater videography, but always learning. Thank you for the comments!

[@KingTolentino]

wow! this is life .... how much does it costs?? he underwatershots are beautiful... not sure if we have something like that here in philippines... 😎👌

[@XennialTraveller]

When I went it was about THB 22,800 (EUR 650), but check out the Similan Diving Safaris website for up-to-date info. You definitely have diving liveaboards in the Philippines! In fact, the one I want to go on is to the Tubbataha Reef which looks incredible. Do you dive too?

[@djstonedog]

Woohoo! Hey Matthew! Having fun 'diving' in to your videos. 😜

[@XennialTraveller]

You so punny! 😜 Thanks for diving in, and we need to catch up soon. Been a while! 🙌🏼

[@ItsHollyDayz]

I have never been diving. I am not sure I ever will. Love seeing your experience and adventure.

[@XennialTraveller]

Thanks for watching.

[@TheNearAndAway]

I’ve done a ton of diving…but never did the live aboard trip, but it looks like a great way to get to some remote dive spots! Great underwater shots, lots of fish the reefs look nice and healthy! They seem to do a great job with the food too! So nice to get a bite to eat at the end of the dive! Beer at the end is always the best! Looks like you had a blast…thanks for sharing!

[@XennialTraveller]

I never used to think I would like diving enough to do a liveaboard, but I'm booked on my second one... though at the moment it's all rather uncertain if I'm actually going to be able to go... :(

[@GoTravelOnTheCheap]

I have never done a liveaboard. Not a bad routine to have--dive, eat, sleep, repeat! Love the other-wordly feel of scuba diving; I miss it a lot. What a sweet sunset! Quality Thai food is very tasty--my stomach is growling, guess it's dinner time. 😋 April says "yum!" to the banana pancakes & mango! My favorite dive was in Jupiter, FL...a drift dive

[@XennialTraveller]

Drift dives are the best!!! Effortless, going with the flow. Other worldly is a great way to describe it - I also just like being able to go in all directions... movement in '3D' 😆 How come you don't dive anymore?

[@GoTravelOnTheCheap]

Yes, those kinds are amazing too! I had a diving accident some years ago and can't go below 50 feet anymore

[@DOUGandNIKI]

So cool really nicely done. The story moved along well and the diving video is so pretty.

[@XennialTraveller]

Thanks for watching!

[@PuriandSue]

The underwater sea creatures are so beautiful, thanks for sharing! 😍

[@XennialTraveller]

Thanks for watching. I'm sure you'll find plenty of amazing sea creatures in your upcoming dives 😀

[@costiniucmircea]

Beautiful video !and editing.

[@XennialTraveller]

Thank you 🙏

[@LevelPathfinder]

I've never been scuba diving before, looks like so much fun, so many different kinds of fish you saw. Amazing!

[@XennialTraveller]

Yeah, it's really fun. Like floating around - you can go in all directions haha. And yeah, was very happy to see all the abundant fish there :D Thanks for watching

[@TymoteuszBajor]

So nice video!👍🤩🇵🇱

[@bek_ruby]

We just did it with Dolphin Queen and made.a video ! Super fun ❤️

[@SweetTMakesThree]

Dive, eat, sleep, repeat sounds perfect. About how many passengers were on your trip? I just finished up my advanced open water certification after a year of not being in the water. I need to move closer to the coast to keep my skills up! Yay for yummy Thai food and naps! Diving really wears you out. There’s no better night’s sleep!

[@XennialTraveller]

If I recall correctly, there were about 20 of us or maybe slightly less. Enough to be fun and social, but not so many that we had enough space to spread out. Congratulations on your AOW - hope you get in some great diving soon. :)

[@marcwhiteway3695]

This brought back great memories of diving in Thailand. I was certified in Koh Tao and had perfect visibility the whole time and the warmest waters I've ever dived in. Incredible place!

[@XennialTraveller]

Oh nice. I, on the other hand, was certified in the UK in February. 4 degrees Celcius (coldest I've ever dived) and 4-5m visibility, which shockingly was not the worst visibility - Hong Kong takes that spot. Great to help you bring back memories. Have you checked out Sipadan? I'd say it's kind of similar but much more impressive for just about everything.

[@TheTravelsOfZ]

(sigh) if only i knew how to swim! I also want to do a liveabroad, i think it'd be great experience.underwater footages are mind blowing.

[@XennialTraveller]

Well, you'd definitely need to learn to swim. What's stopping you?

[@AudroneStorm]

Beautiful underwater views! I tried diving once and I'm not doing it again unless I have eye surgery. I couldn't fully enjoy the experience because I couldn't see most of the things that my instructor tried to show me :(

[@XennialTraveller]

Oh? I used to dive before I did my LASIK. Just wore my contact lenses in and it was fine. But definitely not good (and not safe) if you can't see what you are doing underwater. Are you thinking of having vision correction surgery? Best thing I ever did.

[@henrikmezger6356]

Really cool Video man. It was an awesome time

[@XennialTraveller]

Thanks Henrik! And thanks for featuring in the video 😉 Did you get some cool shots off your GoPro?

[@henrikmezger6356]

@@XennialTraveller Yes, I made some beatiful videos and pictures

[@XennialTraveller]

@@henrikmezger6356 I'd like to see! Did I get you on Insta? 📸 If not, message me there: matthewseow

[@BigOcean]

cool

[@XennialTraveller]

Big Ocean Luckily the sea water was warm 🌞😉

[@TheJourneyest2016]

The amount of fish in the water holy cow! Looks like a really good spread of food too does that come included in the tour? I would love to scuba dive I really want to get certified. Did you see any sharks? The one-shot going through all the fish where they looked like they were in a giant colony was incredible.

[@XennialTraveller]

Yup!! Everything was inclusive - only just have to pay a little more if you don't have your own equipment (which is the case for most people, and everywhere). Had a couple of black tips, but they were too far to catch on camera (I had a wide angle on). Swimming through a school of fish is incredible. I had an even more epic one diving in Sipadan (Malaysia) where we had a school of barracuda just swim around us for nearly 30 minutes!! Do get certified... opens up a whole new world to explore :D

[@RobsQuest]

I've been snorkeling at similan islands and it was such a nice thing to do but I would never do it again. Most of the coral reefs were dead and all the tourists step on the corals. Diving looks different and much more lively but I'd rather protect the underwater world of Thailand and skip on these activities - but thats just my opinion :) very beautiful underwater footage - bet that was a great experience. Thai food is the best, haha!

[@XennialTraveller]

That is definitely a fair opinion. I'd say if diving was done responsibly (as I think most seem to from the reviews I read), then it actually helps to protect the environment because 1) it provides employment for people who would otherwise turn to bomb/overfishing 2) divers are interested in seeing healthy corals and fish and that would motivate the authorities to safeguard if they know they can make money from tourism - which I think is the case here, which is why I was quite surprised with the abundant fish. That said, I have seen videos of the Similan daytrips and snorkelling, and those corals definitely look dead and the amount of people trudging around the beaches is way too many. Thanks for watching :)

[@WillKupfer]

I really want to do a liveaboard! I have actually looked into the Dolphin Queen before myself so it was cool to see that you did it too. Similan islands are the best in Thailand for diving I hear. Some incredible underwater footage too. New sub here!

[@XennialTraveller]

Thanks man! The Dolphin Queen is really cool. And Similans are great though I would definitely do what I did and try to do the less busy part of the season. :D

[@DreamyTravelStory]

Wow such an experience!! I never went scuba diving, I am a bit afraid but it looks amazing! So many colourful fishes! Haha the song Made in Japan🤣🤣

[@XennialTraveller]

You should try it - maybe you'll fall in love with diving and the floating feeling you can get. 😄 Ummm, what about the song Made in Japan? 🤔😕

[@KitatheExplorer]

This was such a great experience! How long have you been diving? And side note, I love Thai food too! You have me craving it now!

[@XennialTraveller]

Hey Kita, I first did my diving Open Water qualification back in 2013 (I think!), but on average i've probably only been diving 1-2 times per year. Mmm, Thai food is definitely one of my favourite cuisines EVER! Do you dive too?

[@KitatheExplorer]

Xennial Traveller so cool! I have never been diving. Just snorkeling. I would need extensive training.

[@elaineisxyz]

That is some amazing underwater footage - I can't believe there are so many fish to see, it's like a nature documentary. I've never been diving before (though I'm a decently strong swimmer). Would you recommend this as a first timer diving experience?

[@XennialTraveller]

Thank you!! I was actually pretty surprised at the fish and coral. I wasn't expecting much. Hmmm, I probably wouldn't recommend going on a liveaboard for your first time!! Best to do the Open Water course / qualification where you live (doesn't matter if there's not much to see), then maybe do somewhere land based where you don't have much current to swim against. Here in the Similans currents can be strong, and some of the dive sites they go to require you to go deeper so you'd need an Advanced / Deep diver qualification. But definitely one to check out!!

[@tipitraveladventures3913]

I always wanted to do a liveaboard!!! looks like a great experience! about your question I heard Komodo should be great!! 😊👍

[@XennialTraveller]

You know what, I would totally do it again! 😄 And I believe a couple of the divemasters on board used to work in Komodo as well, so definitely an interesting destination. Do you dive much? 🐟

[@tipitraveladventures3913]

@@XennialTraveller yes! But I would love to dive more. Allways the money 💰^^. I just was diving in the Philippines in Malapasqua and Coron. Coron is amazing for the wrecks!!

[@XennialTraveller]

@@tipitraveladventures3913 Yeah, as Meja says... all about the money. Coron is great for wrecks, yeah! Although my favourite dive in Coron was actually Barracuda Lake. Those thermoclines and landscape were sick!

[@heykarinahere]

Hi Matthew! This is an amazing video because I and my fella are looking at this to do next year, we want to go to Thailand for about 2 to 4 weeks maybe and see a different part of the country. The underwater life looks amazing! Did they let people snorkel too or it was just a pure diving boat as I don't dive, but my partner does? Or I would have to wait on board (which wouldn't be a problem as the food looked amazing so I could just eat all day every day 😂😂😂 The sunset looked incredible and I really, really enjoyed your video! I actually saw you already on the FB Group and thought I subscribed, but I fixed my mistake and if I could give the video more than one like, I would! :) Love it! Cheers, Karina!

[@XennialTraveller]

Oh, you should definitely do it! This boat (and I think most boats) are diving only, but that's a perfect reason to do your Open Water diving course and start diving 😜 And yeah, it was actually very enjoyable just being on board. The third day (coming up in Part 2) where we went onshore to the island/beaches was actually super nice even without the diving. Thanks for watching and the lovely comments! ❤🙌

[@aidanfinucane]

Excellent video, thank you. I am also considering a liveaboard next year. I am a very novice diver...were the dives very difficult? Were there newbie divers on your trip? Thanks again

[@XennialTraveller]

From memory this was a trip meant for divers with some experience as some sites had strong currents. Best to check with the diveboat operator based on your level of experience (e.g., number of dives). Have fun wherever you go!

[@LexUniverse]

interesting... it never occured to me that rain outside doesn't actually pose no problem for scuba diving :D the underwater life looks amazing through the lenses of your camera... is it normally so light down there or did you use some artificial lighting?

[@XennialTraveller]

Haha, I was half joking about the rain, but yeah once you're underwater it doesn't matter, but sometimes it can cause the water to be less clear if it's stormy. The water was very clear most of the time so a lot of it is natural light, but I also had video lights with me (that I was learning how to use for the first time!). Have you ever tried scuba diving ?

[@alanflomem]

Hi! i want to do the same one! Do you have any advise ? Its going to be my first liveabroad also. Thanks!

[@XennialTraveller]

Enjoy! The staff on board will take care of so just discuss with them your experience and anything you want

[@Svenywhere]

Nice depth of field when you record yourself. Which camera are you using?

[@XennialTraveller]

It's my new Sony A7III -with the 16-35mm F4 lens super happy with this kit. That was my first time vlogging with it so still some tweaks to be made. Thanks for watching along.

[@Svenywhere]

@@XennialTraveller Are you happy with the lens? Maybe I should consider it for my lower range Sony A5000.

[@XennialTraveller]

@@Svenywhere So far, very happy. It's nice and sharp, has image stabilization, and my perfect run and gun focal length. But With the A5000's APS-C sensor so you'll need to take into account the crop factor (I like recording myself in the 20-24mm range) for vlogging. What lenses do you use on your kit now?

[@Svenywhere]

@@XennialTraveller I mainly vlog with my Pixel 2, but I like the depth of field you get with using a proper camera. So I just bought a mini tripod for more stabilization and try to record myself with the A5000. I only have a kit lens so far but thinking to maybe change that in the future if I start to record more on my Sony camera instead of my Pixel 2.

[@XennialTraveller]

@@Svenywhere Oh wow. I did not realise your vlog footage was on your mobile?! I'm getting much better at holding the camera steady and the A7III with that lens has great image stablization on wide angle. Give it a go and let me know how it goes!

[@oliversparks1459]

Wow Next ASK me About Myanmar

[@XennialTraveller]

I loved Myanmar! One of my favourite places that I've ever travelled in. What are your thoughts?

[@ButtPacker]

Damnnm I've always dreamt of going on a live aboard, it sure looks amazing! The marine life there is stupendous. What do you use to shoot underwater? Looks really good!

[@XennialTraveller]

Stupendous is a good word! I use the Panasonic LX10 compact camera in a waterproof housing. The super clear water definitely helps. Do you dive?

[@ButtPacker]

@@XennialTraveller Oh wow, no way, wasn't expecting that answer! I'll look into it - when I dive with my gopro the footage is generally pretty awful! Did you have to correct the footage much in post? Yup, we love diving too! Saving up for a liveaboard hopefully soon :3

[@XennialTraveller]

@@ButtPacker Oh, it's much better than a GoPro. It's got a 1" sensor and very wide white balance range and a lot of manual controls. I'm using mostly manual settings when I film underwater. I've never really liked GoPro footage tbh. They're good for action cam stuff (what they are designed for) but not really a more natural look of photos and videos. Not much post correction - just a bit of contrast boost. I tried more but then the colours all look strange lol

[@travelmischief5095]

Very good video loved the under footage

[@XennialTraveller]

🙌🐠Thank you for watching 😁