Similan National Park Opening Nov 1st!

The sun is shining, the sea is flat....it can only mean one thing - the "high season" is upon us once again! The start of the high season also signals the re-opening of the Similan National Park on November 1st. The Similan Islands are often rated as one of the top ten dive destinations in the world. The islands are located approximately 100km northwest of Phuket, and were declared a National Park in 1982. The Similans are comprised of 9 granite islands which run roughly North to South, with a few small outcroppings, with white beaches and tropical jungle above the water and spectacular dive sites in warm, clear waters below the surface. These islands are by far the most spectacular group of dive sites that Thailand has to offer.

The underwater landscapes in the Similans vary from (in general) gently sloping hard and soft coral reefs on the eastern sites, to amazingly huge granite boulder sites on the west that create many deep gorges and swim-thru's.

There is an amazing array of marine life to be found here, with the 'bigger' stuff including leopard sharks, manta rays, shovel-nose rays, whip rays, big schools of barracuda and trevally, turtles and whale sharks!

For you macro-lovers out there - you won't be bored either. Things you can check off your list here include ornate ghost pipefish, seahorses, harlequin shrimp, sea moths, frog fish, cowries, pineapple fish, ribbon eels, and nudibranc's, phew!!

This unique mixture of diving makes a Similan dive trip a beautiful and scintillating journey of discovery that invariably seems to end too soon.

There are a few options for visits to the Similans, the first and most popular is on a liveaboard cruise. These typically go out for 4 days and depart from Phuket or Tap Lamu (just north of Phuket). These trips will also take in the unmissable sites at Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, and Richelieu Rock which lie just north of the Similan Islands. The second option of a shorter or overnight trip take in only the Similan Islands. These trips will also include the option of trying a night dive - if you haven't done this before, the Similans is a great place to give it a go with plenty of different critters coming out in the dark. It is also possible to go for a 2-dive day trip departing every day throughout the season.

There are many boats which you can choose from and there is something for everyone's budget. Contact us for more information: info@calypsophuket.com