Thailand
Similan Islands
Giant granite boulders stacked like dropped marbles above water clear enough to induce vertigo.
The granite boulders look like they were dropped from a great height — stacked, tilted, balanced impossibly above water so clear it stops registering as liquid. Below the surface, the visibility extends thirty metres in every direction. Similan Islands is one of the world's top ten dive sites, and the Thai government closes it for five months every year to keep it that way.
The Similan Islands are a group of eleven granite islands in the Andaman Sea, seventy kilometres off the Phang Nga coast. The archipelago is a national marine park, open only from November to April, with strict visitor caps enforced daily. The eastern side of the islands offers calm, crystal-clear snorkelling over hard coral gardens. The western side drops into deep blue channels where manta rays, whale sharks, and leopard sharks patrol. The iconic boulder formations — particularly Sail Rock on Koh Similan — have made these islands a visual shorthand for Thai diving. Accommodation is limited to national park tents on the beach, though liveaboard boats offer multi-day dive itineraries.
Friends
Liveaboard dive trips through the archipelago turn the Similans into a multi-day group adventure. The shared intensity of diving with manta rays and sleeping on the boat bonds groups fast.
Couple
Snorkelling the shallow coral gardens by day and camping on the beach under the Milky Way at night makes the Similans one of Thailand's most otherworldly overnight experiences.
Solo
Solo divers are common on liveaboard trips — the shared passion for diving creates instant camaraderie. The islands' remoteness and annual closure make every visit feel earned.
- The granite boulder formations both above and below water make this one of the world's top ten dive sites.
- Visibility regularly exceeds thirty metres — manta rays, whale sharks, and leopard sharks patrol the deeper channels.
- The islands close entirely from May to October, keeping the coral pristine and the ecosystem intact.
- National park tents on the beach are the only accommodation — you sleep within metres of the tide line.
Fresh squid scored and grilled rapidly over high heat, served with lime and chili.
Simple fried morning glory with garlic and fermented soybean.
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