Where in Asia?

[Escapee]

Hi,

We are going to charter during the summer in Asia and where wandering where would be the best location, Sunsail have fleets in Thailand: Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Chang. Malaysia: Langkawi. Vietnam: Nha Trang. Any advice on any of these locations would be appreciated?

Thanks

[cat man do]

Maybe think of these guys instead

boat charter on sailing yacht and catamaran, yacht building Phuket/home

The Pescots are way faster than anything sunsail would have on offer

boat charter on sailing yacht and catamaran, yacht building Phuket/bareboat

I'll be loosely basing myself in Langkawi (Malaysia) when I get over there but hear the sailing in Thailand is pretty good.

I think you'll find the people in Malaysia are the best out of all your choices, English is hardly a barrier and there is less tugging on the sleeves to buy stuff.

Dave

[David_Old_Jersey]

Only been out on the water on a couple of Dive Charters in Thailand (Phuket and Samuii) but the areas look great to sail - out of the 2 I would go for Phuket......but (generalising wildly!) I find the people in Malaysia a lot less "hardwork" to deal with - (I only semi joke that the reason Thailand does not have a word for the Spanish "Manana" is......they haven't got around to it ), albeit I have spent way less time in Malaysia than in Thailand. IMO the Country simply works better overall.......albeit Thailand is not India.

Out of the choice I would go Langkwai - albeit I have never been there - so value that opinion as you will .

[Stranded Mariner]

Try YachtPro or Elite Yachting, both in Yachthaven Marina, Phuket. I know them both personally.

[Ex-Calif]

My first choice would be Phuket, fllowed by Langkawi.

Both will take your breath away.

Vietnam is still emerging from what I hear and I am also told (maybe not reliably) that you have to hae a local skipper on board at all times.

[mikereed100]

Hard to beat the Andaman Sea and Phangnga Bay. If you charter out of Phuket or Langkawi you can have it all, they are only an overnight sail apart. Both Thailand and Malaysia are fascinating and easy to negotiate with solid infrastructures for tourism. You will have a blast no matter where you choose.

Mike

[sneuman]

Been everywhere but Langkawi.

Nha Trang is gorgeous, but the Vietnamese authorities make everything just a bit more difficult.

Langkawi is also fabulous, I understand.

Phuket is a bit overdeveloped, but you have the legendary Thai nightlife there, if that's what you want. Samui less so on both accounts. Samui is a nice compromise though, a little development gives you access to the necessities, but you still get the "tropical paradise" feel. Having said that, I'd take the sailing in the Andaman Sea (Phuket) over the Gulf of Thailand.

If you really want a largely undeveloped, beautiful but accessible spot, check out Koh Chang on the southeast side of the Gulf (Gulf Charters does some runs outta there). You can PM me for contacts there if you are interested.

[Lance]

In 2009 I hope to visit/cruise Vietnam ,coming from Thailand ,Koh Samui .
Does any one have up to date info on southern coast and formalities necessary ?
regards Lance

[GordMay]

Excerpted from NoonSite’s Vietnam pages:

“After years of isolation, the late 1980s saw an opening up of the country to independent travel. By the 1990s foreign tourists were enjoying a remarkable amount of freedom to visit the interior of the country.
However, the general consensus seems to be that Vietnam still falls into the "too hard" basket as a cruising destination. The Vietnam race - HK - Nah Trang was only ever held once despite being conceived as an annual event, as the logistics were just too hard and the cost of immigration services was prohibitive. Several competitors were impounded on their boats because they did not have the right type of visa. Since then there have been further reports of yachts being impounded because of visa/clearance problems, and therefore any sailor would be very well advised to research all bureaucratic requirements before entering Vietnamese waters...”

Clearance, Immigration, Customs, Health, Documents, Fees, Restrictions, and much more:
Goto: Noonsite: Vietnam