Comprising nine granite islands covered in tropical jungle, washed by a clear blue tropical ocean and blessed with fine beaches, the Similan Islands provide the most beautiful and diverse dive destination in Thailand. Liveaboards to these islands are some of the most popular diving cruises in the world. They lie in a 25 km long north-south chain, 65 km offshore from Phang Nga Province in the Andaman Sea, about 100 km from Phuket. The Similans achieved National Marine Park status in 1982.
The eastern fringes of the islands feature pretty hard coral gardens in the shallows and sloping reef banks down to thirty metres. At some dive sites such as East of Eden, large bommies (coral heads) rise from the sea bed and are blanketed with soft corals, fan corals, and swarms of smaller tropical fish. East coast Similan Islands diving is relatively easy-going, allowing you plenty of time to explore the sites at your own leisurely pace.
The western side of the Similans along with the north and south points can offer more exciting diving as currents swirl around huge sunken granite boulders, which form a series of arches, tunnels and swim-throughs at sites such as Christmas Point and Elephant Head Rock. Growing on, and between, these enormous rocks you find a tapestry of colourful soft corals. In the channels between the boulders, sea fans can grow to some 3 metres across, and in such numbers that you cannot possibly swim through. The contrast between the east and west coasts and the variety of underwater topography is one of the reasons the Similan Islands are so popular - every dive offers you something different.
For underwater photographers and lovers of marine life, then diving in the Similan Islands is difficult to surpass for the variety and abundance of tropical fish. Leopard sharks make appearances on a regular basis and you'll also see whitetip sharks. It's not a 'big fish' paradise, but it's consistently great for sheer diversity of marine life. You may find anything from tiny ghost pipefish to turtles and giant bumphead parrotfish.
Although the tsunami of 2004 did affect a few of the reefs here, most are in excellent condition and many divers in the last season have commented to us that they could not see any reef damage.
• Koh Similan tourist information
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