Similan Islands – All you need to know before your dream trip to paradise!

The archipelago of the Similan Islands consists of 11 islands and is located in the Andaman Sea. This is the Similan National Park, which is characterised by its white sand beaches and turquoise waters. Among other things, you will find here abundant underwater life, so many people travel here mainly for snorkelling or diving. You can see here different kinds of corals, fish and even swim with turtles. Sounds like paradise doesn’t it? So let’s talk about how you can enjoy it during your holiday in Thailand.

What you should know before a trip to the Similan Islands

If you decide to include a visit to these islands in your itinerary, we recommend booking your trip as soon as possible, as only 3,325 people a day can visit this national park, including 525 divers.

However, the national park is not open all year round. It is closed from 15 May to 15 October.

In the national park, the entrance fee is THB 500 per person(THB 250 per child). However, this fee is usually already included in the price of the trip.

There are showers and toilets on the islands.

It is not allowed to fly a drone in the national park without a permit. There are rangers on the island who are watching if everyone follows the rules. If you want to know how to get a permit to fly with a drone in Thailand and in national parks such as Similan Islands can be found in our e-book on this link.

How to get there?

Most people travel to the Similan Islands on day trips by boat. You can go here from two places – Phuket or Khao Lak. If you go from Phuket, you should prepare for about 2 hours by minibus to the port in Khao Lak and then 80 minutes by boat. If you leave from Khao Lak, you will drive for a 15-20 minute by minibus to the port, so you can save a lot of travel time.

Many companies organize trips to the islands and they have almost the same itinerary. It usually involves a visit to Donald Duck Bay and Koh Miang Island, and the trip also includes a few stops for snorkelling. In addition to English tours you will also find offers in other languages such as German, Italian or Russian. You can see the full range of trips on this link.

Our tip: If you want to avoid crowds of tourists, we recommend booking a so-called “Early Bird Trip”, with which you will leave the port as early as 7 am and arrive at some places earlier than other cruise ships. You can book your tour at this location.

What is included in the price of the trip?

The whole trip starts in the early morning (depending on where you live, you will be given information about the pick-up time) and ends around 16:30-17:30. If you decide to take an early morning trip, the following will be included:

• Transfer from the hotel to the port and back
• Buffet breakfast in the marina
• Drinking and snacks throughout the trip (includes water, soft drinks, coffee or tea, fruit and a snack)
• Buffet lunch on one of the islands
• Snorkel and fin rental
• Guide services
• Entrance fee to the national park
• Transfer by boat (one trip from the port from Khao Lak takes 80 minutes)

Where to stay

As we have already mentioned, the best starting point is Khao Lak or Phuket. We recommend visiting these islands from Khao Lak, as it is the closest and saves you about 4 hours by minivan from Phuket.

Khao Lak

Khao Lak is a very nice area that offers tourists beautiful beaches, waterfalls and many activities suitable for families with children. This is a quieter and less crowded area than Phuket, so if you want to avoid the crowds, definitely include it in your itinerary. We stayed at the Srichada Hotel and if you are looking for something simpler at a good price and in a great location, this hotel is the right choice. All accommodation offers in Khao Lak can be found on this page.