Similan Islands

About this place

One of the world's finest diving destinations: an archipelago of granite islands far out in the Andaman Sea, protected as a marine national park, with white sand as fine as flour, water so clear and turquoise you can see fish from the boat, and huge rounded granite boulders tumbling into the sea. Its best-known stop is Island 8, home to the famous Sail Rock, where visitors climb a short trail among the boulders to a viewpoint over a breathtaking bay, the icon of the Similans. Trips include snorkelling over coral with turtles and colourful fish, and relaxing on the beaches of Islands 4 and 8. The park usually opens from mid-October to mid-May only and closes the rest of the year. The entry fee for foreigners is about five hundred baht per adult and three hundred per child, with a daily cap on visitors and no overnight stays on the islands. May to October is the Andaman rainy season, when the sea is rough and some beaches and islands close. Speedboats leave from Thap Lamu pier south of Khao Lak in about an hour and a quarter, and the trip takes a full day. Book early in season, and bring reef-safe sun cream. Anyone prone to seasickness should take medication before departure.