The Similan Islands in the heart of the Andaman Sea are indeed incomparable in their exotic beauty. If planning a visit, keep in mind that anytime between November to April is recommended, because the monsoons are over and the water is clear.

The beautiful Surin Islands gained their National Park Status on the 9th of July 1981 as the 29th National Park of Thailand. The Islands are situated around 100 km north of the Similans and only 7 km from the Burmese border.

Dive spots on the Similan Islands / Dive spots on the Surin Islands

Information for non divers

Anita's Reef / Barracuda Point

Similan Island No.5

Anita's Reef is on the west coast of this small island, just off Similan Island No.4. The reef is made up of table corals and stag horn corals. On the gentle slopes you can see lionfish and the reclusive and beautiful clown triggerfish and colorful Oriental sweetlips. There's a tall soft coral bommie smothered in purple soft tree corals and sea fans, a good place to rest and watch the underwater sea life go about its daily cycles.

Make your way slowly south across the sandy bottom and you're bound to see the fields of resident spotted garden eels. Often buried in the sand you can see blue-spotted Kuhl's stingrays. Look out into the blue and maybe you'll catch sight of an impressive two meter fantail stingray swooping past.

Boulders dominate the Similan's landscape to the south where you'll find giant trevally hunting for easy lunch or occasionally black tip reef sharks.
Anita's Reef has large sandy patches and easy currents.

Anita's Reef Basics: Fringing reef with sand patches

Depth: 5 - 30m
Visibility: 20 - 40m
Currents: Easy - moderate
Surface Conditions: Can be rough
Water Temperature: 27 - 29°C
Experience Level: Beginner - intermediate
Number of dive sites: 1
Distance: ~90 km northwest of Phuket, 65 km west of Khao Lak

Beacon Beach

Similan Islands No.8 - Koh Similan

This dive site has always had some nice reef, perfect for a check dive, but has recently became a local favourite due the sinking of Atlantis X, a local charter boat, in August 2002.
The Similan Islands have always lacked wrecks to dive, so when the captain of Atlantis X noticed the boat was taking on excessive amounts of water and decided to try to ram the boat onto the safety of the beach, divers found they had a new option to choose for the PADI Advanced Open Water Course - wreck diving in Thailand! The boat breached on the hard coral, and gradually sank backwards so that the bow lies in 16m of water, and the stern 30m.

Atlantis X was a 27m twin-engine mono hull cruiser, offering a wide range meals and beverages. Unfortunately, all the beers have now been removed from the wreckage. Although the wreck has had little time for coral growth, you'll still have the pleasure of seeing batfish, lionfish, hundreds of juvenile fishes, and a black-blotched stingray. Beacon Beach is located just to the north of Beacon Reef on the east coast of Island 8 (Koh Similan), the largest of the Similan (often incorrectly spelled as "Similan") Islands.

Beacon Beach Reef Basics: Wreck dive on fringing reef

Depth: 5 - 40m
Visibility: 20 - 40m
Currents: Easy
Surface Conditions: Calm
Water Temperature: 27 - 29°C
Experience Level: Beginner
Number of dive sites: 1
Distance: ~90 km northwest of Phuket, 65 km west of Khao Lak

Beacon Reef

Similan Islands No.8 - Koh Similan

Beacon Reef features a steep drop-off with a striking diversity of hard corals from 35m almost to the surface. This site has the greatest variety of healthy hard corals in the Similan Islands, exceeding 300 species. There are countless nudibranchs, scorpionfish and devil firefish, one of the most beautiful fish in the sea.
One of the more mysterious residents of this reef are the bigeye fish that slowly cruise the reef flats or hang out under the coral ledges. These fish have an amazing ability to change colour from a deep red to vivid silver. It almost appears as if they are changing their colour to fit their mood.
Beacon Reef is located just to the south of Beacon Beach. The dive site change dramatically reaching the south tip of the reef. Better know under Stingray City or Monkey Face Rock. Big Boulders emerge from the deep with sandy patches between were stingrays can be spotted.

Beacon Reef Basics: Fringing reef

Depth: 5 - 35m
Visibility: 20 - 40m
Currents: Easy
Surface Conditions: Calm
Water Temperature: 26 - 29°C
Experience Level: Beginner
Number of dive sites: 1
Distance: ~90 km northwest of Phuket, 65 km west of Khao Lak

Boulder City

Similan Islands No.3 - Koh Payan

Boulder city is a submerged site about one kilometer off the east coast of island no. 3 and about 400 m south east of Sharkfin Reef. Due to its exposed location it is possible to see almost anything on this Similan dive including whale sharks and manta rays. It is always an exceptional dive.

As its name suggests, Boulder City is made up of a jumble of very large boulders lying on a flat sandy bottom. There is very little coral growth here except for green branching cup corals and orange sea fans, but the algae growth here is substantial, meaning a prolific amount of nudibranchs, including the twin magnificent sea slug and Spanish dancers.

Leopard sharks are frequently seen as well as white-tip and black-tip reef sharks. You can see Napoleon wrasse, chevron barracudas, black snappers, one-spot snappers, slender unicornfish as well as some of the smaller species such as jawfish (endemic species to the Similan Islands), purple and red fire gobies and neon fusiliers. Boulder City as well as Shark Fin Reef are common dive sites to sea Bumphead Parrotfish.

Boulder City Reef Basics: Large granite boulders

Depth: 10 - 40m
Visibility: 20 - 40m
Currents: Can be strong
Surface Conditions: Can be rough
Water Temperature: 27 - 29°C
Experience Level: Intermediate - advanced
Number of dive sites: 1
Distance: ~90 km northwest of Phuket, 65 km west of Khao Lak

Breakfast Bend

Similan Islands No.9 - Koh Bangru

Breakfast Bend derives its name from the beautiful early morning light here, and the coral is still in great shape despite damage to the southern areas of Island 9 due to the Asian tsunami in 2004. There are larger but less frequent corals on the steep reef slope where plate corals dominate.

The easy paced nature of this dive means it's an obvious dive site for a check-out dive at the beginning of your Similan's dive trip, and there are lots of sergeant majors darting around making it an ideal site for snorkellers. During February and April this spot as well as Christmas Point is highly frequented by Manta Rays.

The reef slope drops to 18 metres then steep banks descend further to 34 metres where you can see black-spot garden eels. In the shallows, leopard sharks are seen resting in the sand and often octopus may be found lurking in the vicinity.

At the southern most point of the dive the reef gives way to large boulder formations lying in deeper water. There are few corals here, but due to the stronger currents in this more exposed area, there is a good chance to see cobia and larger tuna species that frequent the Similan Islands in search of food. The rocks form several small swim-throughs and channels where you may be lucky to find resting white-tip reef sharks.

Breakfast Bend Reef Basics: Fringing reef

Depth: 5 - 34m
Visibility: 20 - 40m
Currents: Gentle
Surface Conditions: Calm
Water Temperature: 26 - 29°C
Experience Level: Easy – intermediate
Number of dive sites: 1
Distance: ~90 km northwest of Phuket, 65 km west of Khao Lak

Christmas Point

Similan Islands No.9 - Koh Bangru

One of the most colouful, scenic and often exciting dives in the Similan Islands, a dive at Christmas Point begins by heading down a mooring to a sand-rubble bottom at a depth of about twenty metres, then heading deeper to the southwest where one finds several giant arches and some of the best swim-throughs in the Similans. Some great underwater scenery.

The rock walls are highlighted by radiant soft corals and the sea fans can be very large here. Cruising all around the site you may find schools of trevally constantly darting in and out of the blankets of small fry that cover the boulders.

Look in the rubble areas for things like ribbon eels and fire gobies, and check the sand plains beyond the arches for white tip or leopard sharks.

Christmas Point Reef Basics: Arches and swim-throughs

Depth: 5 - >40m
Visibility: 20 - 40m
Currents: Moderate - strong
Surface Conditions: Can be rough
Water Temperature: 26 - 29°C
Experience Level: Intermediate - advanced
Number of dive sites: 1
Distance: ~90 km northwest of Phuket, 65 km west of Khao Lak

The Best Hard Coral Reefs
of Thailand

The Reefs around the Surin Islands are the richest in hard corals along the whole coast of Thailand. The amount of soft corals is not as great as at the Similan's, neither is the fish population. One of the highlights is the large amount of turtles that live on these islands. Schools of humphead parrotfish can also be seen, as well as Napoleon wrasse.
Few liveaboards dive the Surin Islands because of their remote location. The regular 4 day trips does not leave enough time to explore this fantastic archipelago close the Burmese border. This is one of the main advantages of the sites dived here, there will not be any other groups around.

One of the main attractions of the Surin Islands is the shallow reefs that are practically made for snorkelers. The best places for snorkeling are Koh Torinla in the south and Koh Chi in the north. At these Islands the reefs are in excellent condition and occasionally smaller black tip reef sharks patrol around those shallow reefs. The Surin Islands are perfect for non divers or for snorkeling between the dives.

Along the east coast of Koh Torinla a hard coral plateau breaks the water's surface at low tide. Large fields of staghorn corals and massive porites corals dominate the shallows. Cardinalfish, humpnose bigeye bream, twin-spot and five-lined snappers profilate. Just off the coast lies a 120 metre long rocky ridge that acts as a magnet for fish life. Pinnate batfish, blue-lined and pickhandle barracuda are common on the deeper east side that drops to 31 metres, and Spanish mackerel and grey reef sharks often pay fleeting visits. White tip reef sharks frequently rest on the surrounding sands or can be spotted cruising the ridge top at 7 to 25 metres.

To get back to the reef slope you'll need to pass over an expanse of sand, where eagle rays and shovelnose rays occasionally travel. This area hosts mantis shrimps and the endemic Andaman, or blue-spotted, jawfish. You may be lucky to sight this most colourful family member hovering above its rubble burrow. Else you may be even luckier to see it peering out of its burrow, replete with a full brood of eggs delicately balanced in its protective mouth.

At the South East Point of Surin Tai two parallel jumbles of boulders run out perpendicular from the shallow reef flat into deeper water, where strong currents can whip up and attract reef sharks. Shelter in the refuges provided by these rocks and spend some time examining the soft corals and fans for harlequin ghostpipefish and robust ghost pipefish. Black and blue ribbon eels and cowrie shells also inhabit the rubble floor and crevices here. Back on the reef slope you can capture your breath whilst ticking off Andaman rabbitfish, Indian sailfin tang and Andaman sweetlips (wite body with black dalmatain-like spots and yellow tail). The Surin area has some particularly attentive titan triggerfish, acting like over-protective parents guarding their unborn young - don't you just love 'em?

Richelieu Rock

Richelieu Rock rates as one of the best places in the world to dive with whale sharks and is easily the best site in Thailand diving for this amazing activity. Encounters with the whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean, are rare almost everywhere in the world.
It's not the only Thailand dive destination where whale sharks are seen but Richelieu Rock certainly attracts more than its fair share. With nothing else for miles around, the whale sharks are attracted to the rock to feed on the rich planktonic blooms that occur here. They tend to hang around for days, with an entourage of followers in tow, most notably cobias.

Swimming with such a large animal, known to grow to fourteen meters in length, is a never to be forgotten experience for any diver. Sightings occur about 10% of the time. Some dive seasons see more visitors than others and generally February to April is the best time for a visit if your aim is to enjoy the exhilaration of swimming with these massive creatures.
Richelieu Rock boasts great bio diversity too and is worth several dives, with or without whale sharks. It consists of one main, horse shoe shaped splintered rock pinnacle, with several other smaller rocks around its edges. The limestone rocks are covered with anemones, sea fans, barrel sponges and soft corals of all kinds. From tomato anemone fish, yellow boxfish, white-eyed moray eels and mantis shrimps to nurse sharks, manta rays, one metre Malabar groupers and chevron barracuda, there's always plenty of life to grab your attention on this dive.

The problem for underwater photographers diving Richelieu Rock is which lens should you dive with. On the one hand there's the resident frog fish and seahorses that make such willing macro photo subjects. Mating cuttlefish and octopus are also common sights. Then, on the other hand, there's the chance of something really big swimming by and leaving you wishing that you'd selected your wide angle lens!

Richelieu Rock can be a deep dive but there is also plenty to see at shallow depths all the way to the surface. When the currents are strong there are always places to find shelter.

Richelieu Rock Reef Basics:

Depth: 5 - 35m
Visibility: 10 - 40m
Currents: Can be strong
Surface Conditions: Can be rough
Water Temperature: 27 - 29°C
Experience Level: Intermediate - advanced
Number of dive sites: 1
Distance: ~200 km north of Phuket, 80 km northwest of Khao Lak

Koh Bon

Koh Bon is one of the best places in Thailand to see manta rays, especially from April to May, though the last couple of years have seen Mantas almost year round.

Koh Bon Island lies an hour or so north of the Similan Islands. It has a 33 metre wall on its south side, facing a small cove, with a stepped ridge pointing west and down to over 40m. It is at the edge of this ridge that divers are drawn as they peer into the blue looking for that first sight of a black and white fin that signals an approaching manta ray.

Leopard sharks are common at the ridge on the sandy flats below the wall, and white tip or grey reef sharks can be seen roaming the depths off the edge of the reef. Soft corals the colours of turquoise, yellow and green dominate. Listen carefully and you'll hear the warning clicks of hundreds of nervous damselfish, and the coral crunching of hungry titan triggerfish, but don't neglect the wall itself which has plenty of critters to keep you interested including various types of moray eels.

The small cove of Koh Bon provides good grounds for a night dive. The reef is made up of pore corals, with shrimpgobies peering out of the holes, and coral ledges. There are splendid decorator crabs, the intelligent red octopus, and red and white banded boxer shrimps.

Koh Bon Pinnacle

To the west of Koh Bon Island lies Koh Bon Pinnacle. This diving site lies in deep water (18m - 40m) and is exposed, so consequently it is only possible to dive here in favorable conditions with experienced or advanced divers. The west wall is steep, covered in small, yellow soft corals, and has a large cavern with a fish trap at its entrance. There is a smaller pinnacle lying to the north. Making your way back up the mountainous terrain, keep your eyes out for passing eagle rays, black tip sharks, manta or guitar rays.

Koh Bon Reef Basics:

Depth: 5 - >40m
Visibility: 15 - 40m
Currents: Can be strong ( amount the strongest of all Similan dive sites )
Surface Conditions: Can be rough
Water Temperature: 26 - 29°C
Experience Level: Intermediate - advanced
Number of dive sites: 3
Distance: ~145 km north of Phuket, 50 km northwest of Khao Lak

Plenty to be explored ...

For our non diving guests,  there is a lot to do.

About 150 m² sundeck invites you to sunbathe and read. A freshly made fruit juice or cocktail helps you through the day. A dive into the water cools you and everywhere, you can go snorkeling.

Every day, we go on short discovery tours to the amazing beaches on the islands. Many of these beaches are still untouched and invite you to sunbathe, snorkel or just to relax. 2 very special places away from the crowds are the beaches  of Ko Huyong on the Similan island no. 1 and the beach of Koh Tachai. These beaches offer a dream atmosphere of a long forgotten world and with a little bit of luck you can see hundreds of small turtles in the park rangers nursery.  

Our guides will take you to view points where you can take breathtaking photos.
When the sun sets in the west and the glowing fire ball sinks into the distant horizon, you can enjoy  the romantic atmosphere! A sight, you will never forget.... !