Whilst we were in Thailand, another priority of ours was to make a trip to Koh Similan. The Similan Islands are supposed to be some of the most beautiful ones in the entire world, and some people argue that they exceed even the Maldives in pure beauty. And now that I’ve been I can certainly say that it was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. The water colour. The white sand. It was perfection.
The Similan Islands are in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Phang Nga province, about 1 hour from the coast by speed boat. There are 11 islands in the archipelago. A lot of them are natural park protected and the large park is called Mu Ko Similan. The islands ares famous for their large boulders, coral beaches and super clear water that makes for great snorkelling. Because the islands are protected, if you take even one shell, bottle of sand or (god-forbid!) some coral you face a several thousand pound fine or a jail sentence. It might seem harsh but it makes absolute sense. The area has a really delicate eco-system and it’s not protected by its remoteness. So during a large part of the year the area is actually closed to tourists and visitors. The islands are open to the public between the 15th of October – 15th of May usually.
It was on this trip that Sam and I got to snorkel multiple times from the boat. It was the first time I’ve ever gone in in the middle of the sea and it was incredible. I got to see some stunning coral, massive amounts of fish and so many gorgeous underwater formations. Many years ago, Sam went snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef, and he said that he enjoyed this even more. I saw a spiny crab, which was pretty awesome.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for me snorkelling wise – contact wearer problems – but I think by the end of our second snorkelling session, I had cracked it a bit.
We used SeaStar to go to the Similan Islands after having such a good experience with them off the other coast in the Phuket Bay. It’s a different branch of SeaStar, and in full disclosure, it wasn’t nearly as organised or relaxed as the Phuket branch. I 100% recommend them for any trips out of the Royal Phuket Marina, but would recommend finding a different provider to take you to the Similan Islands. That being said, once we were off the boat and on the islands, it was the most glorious day ever!
Doesn’t it just look like paradise? Take me back!
