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SY Meta IV
Mergui Archipelago

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SY Meta IV is one of Ampersand's Top 10 Luxury Sailboats.

Sleeping up to 8 guests and with a crew of 4 people, Meta IV sails Burma’s (Myanmar's) stunning and undiscovered Mergui Archipelago, offering a unique new experience for luxury explorers.

Meta IV is a classic wooden two-master made entirely of Thai teak, designed by the famous naval architect Thomas E. Colvin. First constructed in 1998 as a private yacht for a Swiss businessman who made his fortune in hotels, in 2010 the Austrian skipper Herbert Mayrhauser found her at a pier in Phuket and immediately fell in love. After two years of intensive restoration work and refitting, Meta IV started her new life as a luxury charter vessel in the fall of 2012. Meta IV measures 85 feet in length or 25 metres; she has four air conditioned guest cabins, each with ensuite bathrooms and electric toilets. Two of the cabins boast queen-size beds and the other two have twin beds. It has a triple stateroom, a saloon dining area and multiple dining spaces and sunbathing areas. The crew includes a captain, a guide, a chef and a deckhand.

The sheer size, the facilities on board and the remote destination she sails makes Meta IV one of the most exciting luxury sailing options out there. Virtually unknown to the outside world, the Mergui Archipelago is located in Myanmar's remote south: a group of 800 deserted islands with white beaches, swaying palm trees and dense jungle. Azure waters are swimming with colourful reef fish and spotting corals, and above water you can see eagles circling, gibbons and monitor lizards eyeing you from the thickets, while a sundowner is being mixed for you on board the yacht. Best of all, 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 planet’s most unspoilt destinations.

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There are no foreign lands. It is the traveller only who is foreign.
Robert Louis Stevenson

Client Testimonials

I had a very lovely time and was looked after splendidly. My first visit to India could not have been better, save for being longer! But I shall return at some point and I shall look to you to make the arrangements.
- Matthew Nicklin, North India
We really enjoyed the trip and were happy that we squeezed so much into a few short days. The Burmese people were lovely and the sites were fantastic. We really enjoyed the balloon ride and would highly suggest it to others in the future. The trip went super smoothly and a good time plus learning happened for all. Yangon was nice as the Strand was quite amazing and we of course loved the giant gold temple. Many thanks for all of your help and look forward to future travel with you.
- Wallace Family, Burma
I would recommend Ampersand without any hesitation!!! The best travel agent that I’ve ever had. Everything – from the individual care and attention in planning the trip, through to the efficiency of the agents on the ground in India – was handled brilliantly. An absolutely first-class service all round!
- Matthew Annable, Rajasthan, India

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