Similan National Marine Park
Koh Similan are a most beautiful and diverse group of islands, and Thailand liveaboards are some of the most popular diving cruises in the world. They comprise nine granite islands covered in tropical jungle, washed by a clear blue tropical ocean and blessed with fine beaches. They lie in a 25 km long north-south chain, 65 km offshore from Phang Nga Province in the Andaman Sea. The Similan Islands achieved national park status in 1982 and are fully protected.
The eastern side features hard coral gardens which slope dramatically from the surface down to 30m. At several of the diving sites large coral bommies rise from the bottom and are covered with soft corals, sea fans, and an enormous amount of unusual fish. Here the diving is easy and navigation simple, allowing one to explore at leisure.
The western side and north and south points can offer faster paced, more exhilarating diving as currents swirl around the huge granite boulders. These smooth, rounded boulders make dramatic formations, overhangs and swim-throughs. The drama of just looking up through the clear water at these majestic rocks is satisfaction enough for some divers, as there are few places on earth like this. Growing on these boulders are some of the most colourful soft corals imaginable. In the larger passages or channels between the boulders, the fans can grow to three metres, and are often so tightly bunched that it makes it impossible to swim through.
If you enjoy watching and photographing small fish, then Similan diving is hard to beat for the sheer numbers and varieties of tropical fish. Leopard sharks make appearances on a regular basis and we also see white tip and black tip reef sharks.
Diving Season
The best diving conditions exist from November to April.
The Similan Liveaboard season runs from early October to mid May, but there are a limited number of cruises to the islands all year round.
Similan Islands Reef Basics
Depth: 0 - 70m
Visibility: 20 - 40m
Currents: Moderate
Surface Conditions: Calm
Water Temperature: 26 - 29°C
Experience Level: Intermediate - advanced
PADI Course Suitability: Great for Underwater Photography
Distance: ~90 km northwest of Phuket (5 hours), 65 km west of Khao Lak (3 hours)
Access: Burma liveaboards, Phuket - Thailand
Dive The World Recommendations: Christmas Point, Elephant Head Rock and Batfish Bend.
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