The Similan Islands is Thailand's best dive destination and is often referred to as being among the world's top ten dive destinations. The Similan Islands National Marine Park is made up of nine granite boulder islands that lie in a north to south line about 100 km north west of Phuket. The marine park is open from mid October to early May each year and during those months liveaboard and daytrip boats bring snorkellers and divers to experience the crystal clear water and exquisite marine life.

The Similans is officially closed from May to end mid October when big waves can make the crossing from Phuket or Khao Lak hazardous. A few boats still operate at this time of year. The ideal time of year to visit is February to April when the sea is glass flat and most pelagics are sighted. This is also the most humid time of year so the most pleasant place to be is on a boat where sea breezes take easy the heat.

One of the interesting aspects of diving the Similan islands is the difference between diving the east sides of the islands and diving the west sides. The variety makes a liveaboard trip to this area very popular because each dive is different. The eastern sides feature gently sloping coral reefs with gardens of hard and soft corals starting shallow and sloping down to the white sandy bottom at 30-40m. Coral bommies that are completely covered with soft corals, sponges and sea fans rise from the sea bed, some big enough to consume a whole dive time or a full camera memory stick. Continued >>