Virtually unknown to the outside world, the Mergui Archipelago is located in Myanmar's (Burma's) remote south: a group of 800 deserted islands that lie at the heart of our sailing area.
Think white beaches lined with palm trees and dense jungle. Think swimming in azure water amongst colourful reef fish, spotting corals, and collecting seashells. Now, picture eagles circling above, gibbons and monitor lizards eyeing you from the thickets, while a sundowner is being mixed for you on board the yacht.
And best of all: you have this entire experience to yourself. You can sail for days on end and meet not a soul but the odd fisherman in a dugout canoe.
Just across from the Thai border, the archipelago opened to foreigners as recently as the late 1990s. With only a few of the 800 islands sparsely populated and a couple dozen visitors to the entire area each month, the Mergui Archipelago remains one of the planets most unspoilt destinations.
Enjoy Moken food, buy fresh cuttlefish, and watch men building dugout canoes the way they have been made for tens of thousands of years.
Explore tropical forests, hiking through valleys and up hills, walk along kilometres of beach with the only foot prints those behind you, kayak through enchanted mangroves, swim, snorkel, dive, and go fishing: you've got it all.
The Mergui Archipelago is teeming with wildlife. Animals on the islands include gibbons, pythons, civet cats, huge monitor lizards and the rabbit-sized mouse deer. Hornbills are a common sight, while kites and white-bellied sea eagles circle above every island and kingfishers dart around eerily quiet mangrove forests. Frigate birds, pacific reef egrets, green imperial pigeons, and emerald doves are just some of the birds native to this diverse archipelago.
There are no future departures for this trip at this stage.
Drenec
Vessel Type: Expedition Yacht
Built: 2012
Length: 106 m
Passenger Capacity: 11
Drenec was built in the Netherlands as a working boat designed to spend long weeks on the open seas. In 1986, she underwent a major overhaul and was reborn as a high-class expedition vessel. Drenec spent the following years on expeditions to the Arctic, the Indian Ocean, Central American waters and the Mediterranean. In 2012, she was completely refitted and upgraded in Malta. Drenec joined the fleet in 2015 to explore the wonders of Myanmar's hidden islands.
Drenec has all the luxury comfort you can expect from a yacht of her size.
Drenec has five spacious guest cabins, four with double beds and one with a twin bed. All cabins have ensuite bathrooms equipped with heated towel holders and the large owner's suite additionally features a bathtub. With designated workspaces and sofas, the cabins feel like comfortable hotel rooms, designed with great love for detail.
All cabins are fully air-conditioned and have flatscreen TV sets. Guests have access to the large digital movie library through the yacht's on-board media system.
