SHANGANI

SHANGANI — Thailand The largest yacht in our Thai fleet, Shangani is built for numbers: up to 60 guests on a day charter, 14 for overnight cruising. That kind of capacity changes what a charter can be — a full company gathering, a wedding party, three families travelling together, all without anyone having to squeeze past anyone else. Below, six cabins each accommodate two guests in a double bed, for 14 aboard overnight. A straightforward, generous layout: no hierarchy of who gets the good room, no negotiating over who shares. Her real advantage is space itself. Deck area you can spread out across, room to separate the sunbathers from the shade-seekers, and enough breathing room that a large group never feels like a crowd. The crew works to a five-star standard and knows how to keep a big charter moving smoothly — the logistics of feeding, briefing and looking after 60 people at anchor is a discipline of its own. On day charters, she runs the classic Phuket circuit: both Kai Islands, Maiton, Naka Island and Phang Nga Bay. Phi Phi is a four-hour passage from Phuket, so those islands are reserved for overnight charters — worth knowing when you plan, and worth doing properly rather than in a rush. The water toys are there for the long anchor stops, and there are enough of them to keep a large group entertained through an afternoon.