Cracking Deals in Exotic Paradise

The tried and tested charter destinations in Europe; the Amalfi Coast, Ibiza, and the French Riviera to name but a few, are as popular and magnificent as ever. For those of you looking to get off the beaten path however, look no further than Thailand. Full-moon parties still attract young travellers in their hundreds but away from Kho Phangan, you’ll find untouched, white sandy beaches and blissful tranquillity.

Some of you will have read about political unrest, but rest assured, the nation has returned once more to being a peaceful, paradise in the Andaman Sea. Even during the coup, tourist hot spots remained popular and unaffected as flights and charters all went ahead as normal. Now the coup is over, there is no further unrest and travellers should have no hesitation in visiting this stunning country.

Although relatively new to the world of yachting, the charter market in Thailand has stunning boats on offer. With special offers in Phuket including free days on bareboat charters, and superb discounts on Azimuts and Ferrettis, there has never been a better time to charter.

With brilliant sunshine guaranteed year-round in Thailand, the Ferretti 680 is a terrific charter yacht. The aft deck is a wonderful place to dine al fresco while enjoying the cool sea breeze. For lazy afternoons working on your tan, there are large sunpads both on the forward deck and on the flybridge.

Below deck she is spacious and comfortable. Traditionally styled and with large windows, the saloon is the perfect place to spread out in the evenings and watch a film before retiring to the large, well-appointed cabins. This Ferretti can also accommodate up to 24 guests for day charters, so feel free to spoil your friends and family alike.

If you are interested in chartering in Thailand, please don’t hesitate to contact the Boatbookings team.

Posted on August 11, 2014 by admin — No Comments ↓

Sailing Regattas in Phuket this July!

It’s time for another update from Boatbookings.com South East Asia expert Kevin who is looking forward to the July sailing regattas in Phuket, read on to find out more!

Proving that Phuket really is an all year round sailing destination, there are two racing events going on in Phuket this July.

Firstly, there is the Multihull Solutions Multihull Regatta from the 10th to 13th July, held at the Ao Chalong Yacht Club in Phuket. Over 20 catamarans and trimarans are already confirmed entrants. Kevin has been a regular visitor to some of the Phuket sailing regattas over the recent years and says that they are always “serious sailing by day, but great social fun in the bar afterwards!”.

The fantastic Multihull Regatta is followed by the Phuket Raceweek from the 16th to 21st July, with over 40 yachts entered in different categories this year’s racing is set to be spectacular! This regatta is based out of the Cape Panwa Hotel on the southeast coast of Phuket.

One of Kevin’s favourite small crewed catamaran charter yachts will be competing in Phuket Race Week, he’ll be watching how she gets on with interest….good luck little Cabriolet!

To charter a yacht in Phuket, or anywhere else in South East Asia get in touch with Kevin and start planning your dream sailing vacation.

Posted on July 9, 2014 by admin — No Comments ↓

Charter NORTHERN SUN in the Land of the Rising Sun

The world of yacht charter is growing ever bigger. Whilst the classic destinations such as the French Riviera and the Amalfi Coast are as popular as ever, there is also a massive amount of choice for adventurous charter guests looking for something further from the tried and tested old favourites. There is now huge demand for sea worthy, exploration yachts operating in the far reaching corners of the world such as NORTHERN SUN.

This beautiful 51m yacht is available for charter from the first time having spent the past 6 years exploring Myanmar, Borneo, Singapore and Malaysia amongst others. The captain and crew are thus extremely well travelled and will ensure that you won’t miss any of Asia‘s hidden treasures as part of a truly unforgettable charter.

NORTHERN SUN is much more than just an exploration vessel however. Completely refitted in 2007, her main saloon is traditionally elegant. This vast living space is comfortable and finished with great attention to detail with dark hard wood floors complimented by light furnishings. All is light by large windows which offer panoramic views in turn.

On the lower deck you will find a magnificent dining room as well as 6 spacious and inviting cabins. Tastefully decorated and well-lit to create a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere.

Above deck, al fresco dining is available on the aft deck whilst the flybridge, featuring a jacuzzi is the perfect place to spend a relaxing afternoon soaking up the sun.

If you are interested in chartering in Asia or any of our destinations worldwide, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Boatbookings team.

Posted on June 23, 2014 by admin — No Comments ↓

Thailand remains one of our top charter destinations. Find out why from our regional expert Kevin

Boatbookings.com expert in South East Asia, Kevin has given us an update on the situation in Thailand, read on to find out why Thailand is still a safe and breathtaking charter destination.

Kevin has lived in South East Asia for 12 years now, and has visited Thailand countless times over the years. Thailand is the country that he never tires of visiting. In particular the great scenery and food, happy, smiling people, nice beaches, good water sports are what makes it a special place. It really does have everything as a holiday destination, both sailing and non-sailing according to Kevin.

In light of recent events Kevin has spoken to many personal friends and Boatbookings suppliers and yacht owners over the last couple of weeks, to try to get a sense of what might happen going forward. Many of those people have lived in Thailand for many years, and have lived there through previous periods of instability.

Kevin points out that a coup or martial law in Thailand, is not the same as it would be in many other countries. It is more like a change of government, and most prople just get on with their daily lives. He notes that you can see a few soldiers on the streets of Bangkok, but in the tourist destinations you would not know anything out of the ordinary was going on.

From a tourist’s perspective, here are a few comments Kevin has received:

Tourism is rarely affected by these types of events. The exception to that was the airport closure in 2010, and no-one believes that will be allowed to happen again.

Government advisory announcements are always excessive. They have to be. Most government advisory notices over the last 6 months have said “don’t go to the protest sites”, rather than, “don’t go to Thailand”.

Airports, taxis, hotels, shopping malls, and tourism related services are all operating as normal.

The overnight curfew that was announced 2 weeks ago has been lifted in all sailing destinations, including Phuket, Koh Chang and Pattaya.

Yacht charter guests arriving as normal and sailing as normal.

In short, come and enjoy Thailand and enquire today!

For further reading:

You can see regular updates from the Tourism Authority of Thailand on their website:

https://www.tatnews.org

An open letter written by highly respected US born entrepreneur in Thailand:

https://phuketwan.com/tourism/open-letter-coup-nobody-wanted-thailand-needed-20444/

Posted on June 11, 2014 by admin — No Comments ↓

PIMEX 2014 – Boatbookings review of this year’s Phuket International Boat Show!

Kevin, our Charter Director based in Southeast Asia attended the Phuket International Boat Show and has given us his review of this year’s turnout. Established in 2003, PIMEX has grown into a well-establish marine and lifestyle show in Southeast Asia’s tropical hub of yachting, Phuket. This year the show was held at Phuket’s five-star Royal Phuket Marina with a specially constructed exhibition space overlooking the in-water display. This sublime setting provided fine dining and amazing views of the many luxury yachts.

This year Kevin was particularly impressed with one of Boatbookings’s favorite charter yachts, the Lagoon 620, on display at the Phuket International Boat Show. Based in Langkawi, Malaysia, this yacht is available for charters between Langkawi and Phuket all year round. This is a 2011 yacht but is only used by the owner a couple of weeks each year, so this charter catamaran is in almost pristine condition!

The Phuket Boat Show gets Wider and Wider

Don’t you mean bigger and bigger we hear you ask?? No….Wider and Wider!

Probably the most innovative yacht at the show and showcasing in Thailand for the first time, the Wider 42 was part of the in-water display. If you feel that you don’t already have enough space on board, this fast and sleek power boat expands on either side whilst at anchor to provide extra storage or sunbathing space! Kevin reliably informs us at Boatbookings that 18 sqm makes a astonishing difference to the deck space.

Flying the German Flag!

Almost lost amongst all the big Sunseekers, Princesses and Azimuts, our Asia Charter Director found one of the great dependables of charter fleets all around the world – the Bavaria 33.

This is a 2013 yacht and is only in it’s first Phuket charter season, having arrived in Thailand in late 2013. There is also a full range of larger Bavaria bareboat charter yachts to choose from in Phuket.

More cats in Phuket!

The cruising waters around Phuket are made for catamarans….and Multihull Solutions from Australia agree.

Multihull Solutions are Australia’s leading multihull specialists and officially launched their expansion into Southeast Asia at the Phuket International Boat Show this year. They are the exclusive distributor for Fountaine Pajot and Catana catamarans in Southeast Asia.

Their in water display included this lovely Salina 48 Evolution!

For more information about any yachting events, feel free to contact our brokers by email or submit an enquiry form here!

Posted on January 15, 2014 by admin — No Comments ↓