There are many national parks within easy reach of Phuket. Some are open all year and others close for six months to give nature a break from the tourists. The most well known is the Similan and Surin islands. These lie off the west coast of Thailand to north west of Phuket. To get there is about a 90-minute drive to the pier and then a further hour and a half by speedboat.
The Similan Islands are a chain of nine islands, some small and others a bit larger, but these days all uninhabited except for the ranger station. A few years ago there was the possibility to stay on one of the islands in tents but that is no longer possible.
The islands offer great snorkelling and scuba diving excursions, but be warned the strict policy for preserving the islands does limit the number of people allowed in each day, so it is a good idea to book the trip a couple of days in advance just to be sure you can go on the day you want to.
The islands offer some of the best diving and snorkelling you will find anywhere. Crystal clear waters teeming with wildlife, white sandy beaches and palm trees coming right down to the water’s edge. Seeing Nemo (clownfish), turtles, pufferfish, parrotfish and angelfish are ‘the normal’ here, and not ‘the rare’.
As to scuba diving, 30-metre visibility is the norm and not the special. Even down at 30m the water is still clear and bright. The islands themselves have sand so soft you just sink right into it and the amount of wildlife you see both in and out the water is breathtaking, with dolphins a good possibility on the boat ride to and from the islands.
Then heading north of the Similans is the island of Koh Bon. Many of the dive boats will do two dives here as this is really the first location where you have a fair chance to see the reef and even the giant oceanic manta ray. These magnificent creatures can be up to six metres across and glide through the water effortlessly. Many people make the mistake when encountering a manta ray as they try to swim or dive with it ‒ thus using up a lot of energy, and if diving your air supply, by chasing it. Mantas tend to swim in larger circles when feeding and hang around Koh Bon. For a clear view the best thing is just to wait and it will circle around again normally with the less experienced divers puffing and blowing behind it.
To the north of Koh Bon is the island of Koh Tachai and the Surin Islands national park. Koh Tachai itself offers great snorkelling and scuba diving. Again, white sandy bays and shallow reefs, all teeming with life. Turtles drifting by. Here, it’s possible to find the manta rays and also the largest fish in the world’s oceans today: the whale shark. This is a totally harmless shark that is a surface filter feeder, eating krill, crab and fish larvae, small schooling fish, and jellyfish. These are a real treat to see and are pretty common in these waters from October to April, with December to February the best months to see both the whale shark and manta ray.
There is another dive site called Richelieu Rock just north of Koh Tachai that was listed as one of the top dive sites in the world by National Geographic, so that just shows the quality of the diving and snorkelling in this area and is well worth a visit.
As to scuba diving, the best way to experience these stunning islands is on a liveaboard trip. These range from an overnight trip that will take in the Similan islands only or as far north as Koh Bon on certain days. Then there are trips of three days up to seven days that will take in all the Similan Islands and Surin Islands have to offer. I always find the four-day or five-day trip is the best as it covers all the best dive sites without becoming too exhausting.
These trips give you a very relaxing cruise in a stunning location with some of the best diving and snorkelling you will find anywhere. For more details and weather forecasts (in early or late season) just pop in at any of the many scuba diving shops located around the island as they can have some great last-minute deals for walk-in customers.
Being that these national parks reopened on Tuesday (Oct 15) and will remain open through to May 15 next year, I thought I just had to add them to the stunning natural sights you can see from Phuket.
Simon Lomas is an expat who has been living in Phuket for more than 12 years, and takes enjoying nature and the island’s surroundings to heart.