Snorkeling Similan Islands, Thailand

Snorkel Review

The Mu Ko Similan National Park is located off the South West coast of Thailand, in the Andaman Sea. The Similan Islands are made up of eleven islands, the largest island is Koh Similan. The islands are very popular for its natural beauty, paradise sandy beaches, deep blue waters, and wildlife. Snorkeling and diving trips are popular, especially with tourists staying in Phuket.

I went on a half-day excursion from Khao Lak to the Similan Islands, which included two snorkels at the popular Honeymoon Bay and Christmas Point, and beach time at Honeymoon Beach at Koh Miang and Donald Duck Bay where you can see the famous Sailboat Rock.

Honeymoon Bay

Following a 1.5-hour boat ride from Khoa Lak we arrived at the first spot Honeymoon Bay, which was where I’d experience my first snorkel at the Similan Islands. The waters were notably stunning, a deep blue colour, contrasted with the grey boulder rocks, and green shrubbery. There were a few boats that stopped here with tourists, but the area was so large that I didn’t bump into anyone while snorkeling.

Snorkel Spot

I started to snorkel along the shoreline, about 20 meters out. The sea bed was quite deep, at approximately 4 meters down, with a sandy bottom with large patches of coral. Many larger fish were swimming in the waters, notably the Titan Triggerfish. But the large patches of the coral reef were teaming with life, many colourful Damselfish swimming within the coral, Surgeonfish, and Butterflyfish.

The corals were mainly Blue coral shown below, and some boulder coral growing off of the rock face. The visibility was excellent, and although the coral reef was rather far down, I was able to see it clearly. I wouldn’t say the coral reef was the best I’ve seen, it didn’t compare to the Surin Islands, but it was ok.

Coral Reef

I explored the coral reefs and did spot some cool species, including many Titan Triggerfish which would swim in the waters, an Oriental Sweetlips, and a Giant Moray Eel. I spotted a Giant Moray’s large head perched out of a hole. It then started to make a move, and that is when you realise the sheer size of the Moray. It glided over the reef and this is where I could see its spotted pattern which runs along its grey body.

This was a large Giant Moray and super cool to see. Giant Morays are often seen across the Southern islands of Thailand, ranked Least Concerned by ICUN. But they can be hard to spot when their body is covered and their head is only visible.

What I found very cool about this snorkel spot was the number of small fish that inhabited a coral structure, such as these Reticulated damselfish which would hover over the coral and then hide in the coral if you get too close. I also spotted a Juvenile Peacock Grouper and an Oriental Sweetlips Fish which was cool, but I would say that these were hard to spot.

Princess Beach

We stopped at Princess Beach is a sandy, paradise beach located at the North of the island of Ko Miang, at the Similan Islands. The beach is a popular stop for tourists visiting the Similan Islands.

Christmas Point

The second snorkel spot was Christmas Point, which was at the very top island of the eleven Similan Island’s. The small cove had a coral reef that stretched to the beach. The waters were again quite deep at about 4-5 meters down and the visibility was ok. The guide said that the Beach was cordoned off as new coral was growing. The guide said that there is potential to see a turtle at this snorkel spot, but from my experience it is unlikely. There was a very strong current at either end of the cove, so be aware.

Snorkel Spot

There was only our boat at this snorkel spot, it isn’t the biggest so can become crowded if there are more than one or two boats.

Coral Reef

There was a large Lettuce coral reef that ran along the left-hand side of the cove which was cool, because of the sheer size of the reef. The coral was in very good condition, and many fish would swim along the coral reef, I spotted a Semicircle Angelfish, many Parrotfish, and Triggerfish, which all seemed to be curious. I guess because there aren’t as many tourists to these waters.

Some of the other cool sightings included a Unicornfish, Porcupine Pufferfish, and a school of Collared Butterflyfish which were basking above a patch of coral. I did also see a several small schools of fish. The waters away from the shoreline had some coral, but it wasn’t great, coral was growing on a large rock in the center of the cove. The best part about this snorkel was the larger fish swimming in the waters.

Donald Duck Bay has a towering Sailboat Rock which is often the main advertising photo for the Similan Islands. There is a walkway to get to the large Sailboat Rock, but it isn’t the safest walkway. The views at the top are stunning, looking over the Beach and surrounding waters.

Tour Guide Options

Snorkel trips from Phuket to the Similan Islands range from $80.00-$100.00. However, I think not all of the trips include snorkeling at all three islands. The Similan’s was a great trip, however in my opinion, the Surin Islands was a better snorkel in

Best Snorkel Spot

In my opinion, the best snorkel spot was Christmas Point as the area was more compact and there was more coral to see. There were also some larger fish in the Bay, including titan Triggerfish, Unicornfish, Angelfish, and Parrotfish. However I didn’t snorkel all of the spots at the Similan Islands, so some of the other spots might of been better.

However, it did seem that Similan’s did seem to be affected by damaged coral reefs, which I think was from the 2004 tsunami. The Thai Government is taking precautions to protect the islands, including limiting tourist numbers and cordoning off sections for coral restoration.

Best Time Of Year

If you are visiting the Thailand, the dry season will give you the best weather for snorkeling which is October-May.