Similan Island, Thailand

Part of the Phang Nga Province and a national park established in 1982, the Similan Islands is a group of islands at the Andaman Sea. The authorities named this archipelago a national park after the forestry department explored the area for a year. The Similans are 70 km far from Phang Nga. Consisting of 9 islands, Similan means “nine” in the Yawi language. This is one the most famous diving destinations in Thailand. The National Geographic Society ranked it in the tope ten diving destinations of the world.

The most visited islands of the 9 making up the archipelago are Ko Similan and Ko Huyong.

Ko Similan is the largest island of them all. People come here for the coral reefs and above water species of birds and lizards: the Nicobar pigeon and the mangrove lizard. The rock formations and coral reefs have different kind of forms, from mushrooms to deer, leaves and brains.

Divers like to come to the Similand Islands. It is a great place for this kind of exploration. Elephant Head Rock is one of the most famous diving sites in the world. However, there are others as well: North Point, Deep Six, Boulder City, Ko Bon and Ko Tachai.

If you want to see the marine life at its best, go to the Richelieu Rock. You will most likely see whale sharks. The famous Fantasy Reef is now closed due to the fact that it has undergone too much diving.

The easiest access to Similan Islands is from Khao Lak in Phan Nga province.