The Similan Islands are by far the most beautiful group of dive sites that we have in Thailand and one of the best areas for diving in the entire world.

Many people comment that the most fantastic thing about the Similan is that we have two radically different types of environments all rolled together into one destination. Nowhere else in the world will a diver find such diverse environments in such a small area.

The Similan Islands, located about one hundred kilometers northwest of Phuket, are composed of nine granite islands covered in tropical jungle, washed by a clear blue tropical ocean and blessed with some of the world's finest beaches.

Similan comes from Malay fisherman who named it "The Nine Islands" (Sembilan is "nine" in Malay) and now the islands are identified by a name in Thai and a number; for example, Koh Huyong (Island #1), located at the southern end of the chain. The islands have achieved national park status and thus are fully protected under Thai law.

The National Park Authority maintains their presence on two of the islands: Koh Similan (Island #8) the largest, and Koh Miang (Island #4). Recently, the islands have come to the special attention of the Thai Royal Family which further protects them from possible abuse. If you enjoy watching and photographing small fish, the Similan are hard to beat for the sheer numbers and varieties of tropical. Large fish, however, are a different story and the Similans are not well known for consistent big fish action-stories about which fill all the popular diving magazines.

For this kind of diving, you must travel further to the Burma Banks. Luckily, we often do get an occasional whale shark, while large cow tail rays are fairly common. And, of course the most famous aquatic resident of Thailand - the leopard shark - makes his appearance on a regular basis. We'll also see white tip and black tip sharks once in awhile, and a few times over the years we've seen schools of pseudo orcas or false killer whales.

The point is, like all diving areas, enjoy the Similans for what they are famous for; wild, unspoiled beaches, magnificent coral growth, prolific fish life, crystalline blue water and sensational underwater rock formations.

High season in the Similans is from October until May, but diving is possible all year-round. The water tends to be clearest in the summer and in the fall, but then again, the visibility is almost always good in the Similans, averaging approximately 18 - 25 meters and at times exceeding 40 meters.

The West Coast, just a short boat ride away, can offer faster paced, more exhilarating diving as currents swirl around the huge granite boulders-some larger than the largest of houses. These smooth, rounded boulders make dramatic formations, holes, and overhangs ("swim-throughs") underwater where divers can enjoy swimming with the current through the openings.

It's very nice just looking up through the clear water at these huge rocks is satisfaction enough for some divers, as there are very few places like this on earth. Growing on these boulders are some of the most colorful soft corals imaginable, in many places so thick that the rock is no longer visible.

In the larger passages or channels between the boulders, the fans grow to a size sometimes three meters across, and are often so tightly bunched together that it makes it impossible to swim through the passages. Most of the dive sites on the West Coast are best seen with a guide, since navigation can be tricky.

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