SimplyAbuDhabi XXXIII

2 1 5 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I A popular spot is the ‘James bond islands’ found in the Phangnga area, the famed filming location for the 1974 bond thriller The Man with the Golden Gun. Shallow waters can make this favoured area tricky for larger yachts, but TALiSMAn MAiTon is the ideal size at 54.2m. Shoreside excursions take in Patong, a large and more densely populated town, but on the other side there are quiet bays with good facilities. “once past Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lipe, the islands are a lot more sparse and it gets a lot quieter,” says Smith. “i really enjoy cruising this area as there are so many options; the only limitation is there isn’t a huge infrastructure behind it.” Phuket itself, however, boasts two superyacht marinas. yacht Haven, where TALiSMAn MAiTon was based for the 2018/19 winter season, is the largest, while a second marina—Arpo—is another superyacht marina also able to handle yachts up to 100m depending on availability. There are some limitations in the area when it comes to chartering yachts, however. Most charters finish in Langkawi as there is an international airport there, but more importantly the charter licensing dictates that all commercial yachts need to leave Thai waters at the end of a charter to avoid paying various taxes. So too, the national Park cruising grounds provide certain necessary restrictions. in Koh rok nok guests can only jet ski after 3pm once the scuba divers are generally finished, and scuba diving itself is permitted, but only with a recognised guide to help prevent illegal spear fishing or damaging occurring to coral reefs. “Anchorages are still fine, and guests are not hassled at all,” says Smith. “in fact, the guides are really helpful in terms of the best places to visit and when. We pay nominal fees for national park access—500 baht per day, which is the equivalent of 12 GbP. it’s reasonable and helps to support the local community.” With an on-board gym and plenty of hair- raising water sports equipment, TALiSMAn MAiTon offers the full superyacht experience. And when twinned with the fresh produce, calm waters and idyllic weather found in Thailand, there is simply no better place to be. TALISMANMAITON charters through Burgess for EUR 273,000/EUR 231,000 per week in the summer and USD294,000/USD273,000 per week in the winter.