Impossibly soft white-sand beaches and emerald-colored waters set the breathtaking backdrop for this island paradise. Renowned as one of the world’s top scuba diving destinations, the underwater world here is stunningly beautiful, populated with magnificent corals, colorful fish, and dramatic rock formations. The nine Similan islands also offer remarkable snorkeling and make for great day trips. Make sure you plan your trip to the Similans with a tour operator based on the mainland – scuba diving equipment is not available on the islands.Adm B200 (for adults) • www.dnp.go.th/index_eng.asp
Home to Donald Duck Bay, named for the rock formation that resembles the cartoon character, Ko Similan has powder-soft, white-sand beaches where you can pitch your tent. The island also has scenic walking trails, so carry sturdy shoes and a camera.
Home to the National Park Headquarters, the second biggest island in the Similans offers campsites and basic bungalows, including some with air-conditioned rooms. You can rent a large tent here for around B450 a night.
One of the best ways to experience the dive sites around the Similan Islands is to join a multi-day trip on a live-aboard boat offering several dives each day.
This colorful reef spreads across two of the Similan Islands, and is punctuated by large, dramatic boulders. Offering a relatively easy dive, Anita’s Reef is often one of the first stops for live-aboard trips.
Well known for its exotic marine life, Richelieu Rock became an especially famous diving site ever since whale sharks and manta rays were spotted here .
The longest reef in the Similan Islands, Beacon Reef also marks the place where a live-aboard boat, the Atlantis X, sank in 2002. Today, the sunken vessel, resting on a sloping coral wall, is one of the reef’s most popular underwater attractions and provides home to a wide variety of marine life.
The largest pinnacle in the Similan Islands juts above the water in a peculiar shape that lends this dive site its name. With its underwater caverns, tunnels, and swim-throughs, this site is home to numerous fish, including small, black-tip reef sharks.
Located in a protected bay and featuring one of Thailand’s only vertical dive walls, this site, off Ko Bon, provides marvelous opportunities to see leopard sharks and manta rays.
Deep shelves populated by white-tip reef sharks, as well as ribbon eels, make this site popular with divers and underwater photographers.
A brilliantly colorful reef, East of Eden is one of the most popular dive sites in the Similan Islands. The enchanting reef offers a wide diversity of marine life – teeming with fish, coral, sea fans, and more.
Scuba diving is very safe when done correctly, but it can be dangerous – even deadly – for untrained divers. Reputable dive companies require all participants to be PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certified. A number of companies on Phuket are licensed to provide courses and certification. The beginners’ PADI course is called “Open Water Diver” and can be completed in a few days. Visit www.padi.com for a list of PADI dive centers in Thailand.
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