Similan Island Travel

Similan Island

Similan Islands Wonders

Underwater, meanwhile, all sorts of marine creatures have helped establish the reefs and the sandy beaches. When you climb up to Sailing Boat Rock, consider the brilliant white sand below.
This beach is in large part a product of diligent scraping and nibbling away by organisms such as the parrotfish - an average individual of which species may excrete more than 16 kilos of sand in the course of a year's lunching on hard corals. And there's plenty here to eat.

The conditions for coral growth are ideal, with a minimum prevailing sea temperature of about 28oC and exceptionally clear waters. More than 200 species of hard coral alone have so far been identified in this area, while these islands have the greatest profusion of reef fish in Thai waters.
In fact, in terms of both marine life and bottom topography, there's more variety than you'll find in most other dive destinations around the world. The Similan Islands has almost everything - coral walls (if we count Koh Bon, to the north, as one of the Similans), big rocks, huge sea fans and barrel sponges, caves, swim-throughs, and plenty of shallows for snorkelling as well. For, although the fringing waters around the islands average from 30-45m dropping down to 70-80m between islands, you'll find coral gardens in as little as six to seven metres.

Getting to the Similans

 

There is no regular boat service for visitors to the island, and during the low season months of May-October boats may stop running altogether depending on the weather conditions. Thap Lamu Pier, in the Thai Muang district of Phang Nga province, is the nearest launching point to the Similans, with boat trips taking about 3 hours.
More adventurous travellers may try to hitch a ride with some of the local boats heading out there - just be sure to allow lots of time since there's no guarantee that there will be a ride back on any given day. Note that a park entry fee of 200 baht is charged.
Daytrips from Phuket and Khao Lak are also possible, with travel time of 45 minutes to 3 hours depending on the boat used. A popular way to go, especially for divers and game fishers, is by joining a liveaboard boat trip from Phuket, which usually run for 4 days. There are many Phuket-based liveaboard operations offering varying levels of luxury and facilities.

A Sailor's Fancy 

 

It's best known as a diving and snorkelling destination, but the Similans' scenic moorings are also becoming increasingly popular with the sailing fraternity. Every year more yachts come to cruise the Similans during the northeast monsoon (November-May, with December-February the peak of the high season), drawn by the lovely anchorages, the beaches and forests, the clear waters and teeming marine life.
Bareboat sailing charters and sailing-diving cruises may be booked from Phuket. If you are on a yacht that doesn't have scuba gear or a compressor, you can always hire what you need from the diveboats that come out from Phuket on a regular basis.
Click here for info on Phuket Boat Charters.
Aside from sailing and diving, more and more dayboats are coming out from Phuket and Phang Nga during the high season, bringing with them crowds of sightseers, picnickers, and snorkellers. And Koh Similan National Park has added to its many attractions its role as a stopover on the way to yet newer and more distant undersea frontiers and sailing destinations - areas such as the Andaman Islands, the Invisible Bank and, when they reopen to sport diving, the Burma Banks.