Stunning turquoise blue waters and sandy beaches! The snorkeling was pretty good, with large patches of coral and marine life. However I think the trip is more focussed on the beaches and blue oceans. I saw many fish, Moray Eel, Triggerfish, Parrotfish, Butterflyfish, and more.
Pros
Cons
Snorkel Video
Snorkel Review
Highlights
Coral present
1-4 Meters Average Depth
Very good visibility
East to medium difficulty
No Cafe’s at Islands
Tours approx $80-$100 USD
Sea Urchins Present
Unlikely
When:
Who:
Tour Cost:
Star Rating:
Cost:
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
Top Tip:
If you can book an early trip to the Similan Islands you can get there ahead of the crowds, which will have an impact specifically on the beaches.
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.
Safety Tip:
Be aware of strong currents and don’t go too close to the rocky shoreline.
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.
Sailboat Rock Viewpoint
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.
Summary
Overall snorkeling the Similan Islands was a great day out, the snorkeling was pretty good, but this trip is more focussed on the stunning beaches and islands. I preferred the Surin Islands because it was more focussed on snorkeling.
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.
Popular Marine Life
Parrotfish
Moorish Idol
Titan Triggerfish
Butterflyfish
Power-Blue Surgeonfish
Sergeant Major Damselfish
Unicornfish
Golden Gregory
Rare Marine Life
Giant Moray Eel
Green Turtle
Porcupine Pufferfish
Indian Ocean Oriental Sweetlips
Crown of Thorns Star Fish
Christmas Tree Worm
Coral Reef
Boulder Coral
Table Coral
Acroporidae Stoney Coral
Lettuce Coral
Blue Ridge Coral
Cauliflower Coral
Boulder Star Coral
Mushroom Coral
Encrusted Coral
Feather Coral
Blue Ridge Coral
Cauliflower Coral
What I Saw
(Seen on April, 2023)
| Giant Moray Eel | Titan Triggerfish |
| Indian Ocean Bird Wrasse | Orangespine Unicornfish |
| Spotted Coral Grouper | Golden Gregory Damselfish |
| Redlip Parrotfish | Powder-Blue Surgeonfish |
| Longface Emporah Fish | Singular Bannerfish |
| Randall’s Rabbitfish | Crescent Wrasse |
| Three-Spotted Damselfish | Reticulated Dascyllus |
| Ternate Chromis | Blue-Green Chromis |
| Semicircle Angelfish | Indian Ocean Oriental Sweetlips Fish |
| Lined Butterflyfish | Keeltail Needlefish |
| Striped Surgeonfish | Chinese Demoiselle |
| Pale-lipped Surgeonfish | Variegated Lizardfish |
| Green-throat Parrotfish | Moorish Idol |
| Checkerboard Wrasse | Hardyhead Silverside Fish |
| Eygptian Triggerfish | Salp |
| Three-Spot Damselfish | Porcupine Pufferfish |
| Crown Of Thorns Starfish | Sergeant Major Damselfish |
| Featherstar Clingfish | Orangestriped Triggerfish |
| Unicornfish | Collared Butterflyfish |
| Table Coral | Boulder Star Coral |
| Mushroom Coral | Feather Coral |
| Blue Ridged Coral | Stoney Acroporidae Coral |
| Boulder Coral | Lettuce Coral |
| Porcupine Pufferfish | Titan Triggerfish |
| Redlip Parrotfish | Powder-Blue Surgeonfish |
| Semicircle Angelfish | Indian Ocean Oriental Sweetlips Fish |
| Lined Butterflyfish | Orangestriped Triggerfish |
| Pale-lipped Surgeonfish | Black Surgeonfish |
| Green-throat Parrotfish | Moorish Idol |
| Checkered Snapper | Needlefish |
| Striped Surgeonfish | Collared Butterflyfish |
| Randall’s Rabbitfish | Goldtail Demoiselle |
| Eygptian Triggerfish | Golden Gregory |
| Chinese Demoiselle | Variegated Lizardfish |
| Christmas Tree Worm | Sergeant Major Damselfish |
| Featherstar Clingfish | Ternate Chromis |
| Keeltail Needlefish | Boulder Star Coral |
| Table Coral | Blue Coral |
| Encrusted Coral | Stoney Acroporidae Coral |
| Boulder Coral | Lettuce Coral |
Frequently Asked Questions
The only way to get to the Similan Islands is by boat, with there being a range of tours running from the Western ports of Phuket and Khoa Lak.
Snorkel trips from Phuket to the Similan Islands range from $80.00-$100.00. However be aware that you will need to pay a national park fee, check whether the tour includes this fee in their price, as you don’t want to get caught out, as I think it’s another $15.00.
I booked a snorkel tour through an online snorkel website to visit and snorkel the Similan Islands, which also included beach time at Princess Beach, and Donald Duck Bay. The trip cost approximately $90.00, which is ฿3,300 Thai Baht.
Luke
FOUNDER
Luke is a passionate snorkeler who started Snorkelverse to live his dream of combining his passions for snorkeling, marine life, protecting marine ecosystems, and helping others.
Phuket Snorkel Reviews
