Tarutao National Marine Park in the southern Thailand province of Satun consists of more than 70 islands which make up the Butang group. Located close to the Thailand Malaysia border, just 30 nautical miles north of Langkawi, this protected area is still off the main tourist trail and many dive sites here are still to be discovered. Koh Lipe is the only island that is permanently inhabited and a few dive centres can be found there. Most people stay on Pattaya beach. Koh Lipe is home to the Chao Ley (Sea Gypsies in Thai), nomadic fishermen with their own culture, language and religion. Their village is at Sunrise beach and there are a few resort bungalows there too. The best way to get to Koh Lipe is by ferry from Trang, Koh Lanta, Koh Muk or Langkawi. The best time of year to visit is November to April, ferries may not run outside of these dates.

Beaches are unspoilt with pure white sand and the islands are home to myriads of bird life. Dive sites are equally pristine with usually clear water and magnificent soft corals. Currents can be strong here with lots of opportunity for drift diving. Dolphins are regularly seen here from the boat and the very lucky may get a rare dugong encounter.

8 Mile Rock is an advanced dive site, 70 minutes boat ride from Koh Lipe. It's a soft coral covered pinnacle that starts at 14m below the surface and drops to 50m deep. Diving is often not possible here due to the extreme currents that can be present but when you can dive it is likely that you'll see large pelagics including whale sharks and manta rays. Continued >>