Similan Islands Diving Liveaboards & Day Trips

How long are Similan liveaboard trips?

Overnight Similan liveaboard trips

2 Day 1 night liveaboard cruises are very popular, with a morning departure from Khao Lak & return to Khao Lak the next afternoon. Staying in Phuket is not an option for these trips. Divers get up to 6 dives at different dive sites.

2 night Similan liveaboard trips

Diving cruises of 2 nights may depart in the morning or evening, but always from Khao Lak. They normally either go to just The Similans, The Similans & Koh Bon, or just to the northern dive sites of Koh Bon, Koh Tachai & Richelieu Rock.

3 night Similan liveaboard trips

Diving trips that are 3 nights on a liveaboard may depart in the morning or evening just like the 2 night trips, but always from Khao Lak. They normally either go to just The Similans, The Similans & Koh Bon, or just to the northern dive sites of Koh Bon, Koh Tachai & Richelieu Rock. Sailing from Phuket takes too long for shorter trips.

4 night Similan liveaboard trips

The most-common trip length is 4 Day 4 Night liveaboard. They always depart in the evening, sometimes from Phuket, but usually from Khao Lak. These trips are long enough for guests to enjoy all of the best diving sites.

5 nights and more - Similan liveaboard trips

These longer trips enable every good dive site to be visited and some to be dived more than once. They depart in the evening from Phuket or Khao Lak, and give you the best of everything.

Trip lengths vary from short Similan liveaboard cruises of one night up to one week on board. 4 days & 4 nights is the most-popular length of Similan live aboard trip.

How much does a Similan live aboard cost?

Budget Similan live aboard

The cheapest trips are still a lot of fun and offer sufficient comfort. Share an air-conditioned cabin with like-minded travellers and enjoy lots of great food & fun. $170US/day & night is a good example of your all-in cost. MV Andaman is one of our best-value boats, but incredibly popular and gets rave reviews from all our guests.

Mid-Range Similan live aboard

Between budget and luxury levels we have mid-range boats that have more privacy and space, including some en suite private bathrooms. These trips tend to have fewer divers than the budget boats when compared to the size of the vessel.

Luxury Similan liveaboard cruises

The most-luxurious cruises pamper guests with larger cabins that have private bathrooms. Plus the boats have air-conditioned lounge saloons and the food and service is better than the less expensive options.

The price of your Similan live aboard will depend on several things. These include the length of trip, the level of luxury on the boat, and which kind of cabin you choose to stay in. Thailand scuba diving is generally regarded as among the best value in the world, considering all factors. Similan Islands liveaboard trips can be divided into three price/luxury groups.

Who can dive on a Thailand liveaboard?

Absolute Beginners on a Thailand liveaboard

If you have never dived before, it’s a big commitment to learn while on a Thailand liveaboard. Although possible, we recommend learning to dive before going so far out to sea. From 2018, the local authorities prohibited learning to dive at the Similan Islands. Actually, you are not allowed to complete the confined water skills in the sea, but you can do some training dives. Some operators work around the rules, by doing most of the training on land in Khao Lak, and then the rest of the course on the liveaboard. However, we always recommend everyone to already be certified before joining.

Novice divers on a Thailand liveaboard

Liveaboard trips are ideal to improve your skills and maybe do the advanced course. There will be experienced divers on the boat, but they will dive in other groups, and probably offer you some help and advice. Less-experienced divers will learn a lot, improve their skills, and really enjoy doing so.

A Thailand liveaboard is ideal for experienced divers

Intermediate & advanced divers make up most of our Thailand liveaboard guests. They know what they’re doing and they know what they want. They can do the more challenging dives, but they still get a kick out of the easy dives, too

Professional divers also join Thailand liveaboards

Even diving professionals on vacation join our trips. They are excellent guests to have on board, and they often help out by pointing out some special species seen on dives.

Scuba diving in Thailand offers warm clear water, lots of marine life, inexpensive accommodation options, and something for every level of scuba diver. For getting a scuba diving certification Thailand is extremely popular, but most of this is cheap PADI Open Water course deals on Koh Tao. Any level of certified scuba diver can join any of our liveaboard Similan Islands trips.

When is the best to go Similan Islands diving?

Similan Islands diving peak season

December to March is the best time of year to come, due to ideal weather and sea conditions. Manta Rays are more-commonly seen at Koh Bon in March than in any other month.

Similan Islands diving high season

November & April are still excellent times to enjoy Similan Islands diving, but the weather or sea may be slightly unpredictable.

Similan Islands diving at the start & end of the season

It’s possible to dive at the Similans during the final two weeks of October and the first two weeks of May. But sometimes the weather is overcast or rainy. Also, high waves or a lack of guests causes some trips to be cancelled. In recent years we have seen a shift in the seasons, where the start has worse weather but it stays really nice well into May.

Closed for Similan Islands diving

From May 15th-October 15th the national marine parks are closed to all public activity. It is against local law to go out to the islands during this period.

The Thailand diving season is all year round. But the better dive sites are usually located in national marine parks, which close during the months of the Indian Ocean monsoon.

Liveaboard Similan Dive Sites

The Similan Islands

This area is a small archipelago of 8-9 uninhabited islands, a few of which have pristine sandy beaches. However, only two beaches are open to the public. Diving is possible by all levels of diver, and best enjoyed on a liveaboard Thailand cruise more than by day trip. Similan Islands diving is very good, but the northern sites are more exciting. The word 'Similan' means 'nine' in a local dialect, because there were nine islands. But one of the 'islands' has been reclassified because it has no trees. This is why some people say there are eight islands and others say nine.

Koh Bon & Koh Tachai

These are two small islands north of the Similans. Most liveaboard Similan trips visit Koh Bon and sometimes Koh Tachai. Day trips are possible. Koh Tachai’s beach is closed to the public and Koh Bon has no beach. Manta Rays are sometimes seen at Koh Bon. These islands aren’t ideal for novices, but Open Water divers with 20+ logged dives will be very happy here.

Richelieu Rock

This offers the best scuba diving Thailand has. Millions of fish and other animals are there all year, and Whale Sharks are seen from time to time. For Whale Shark diving Thailand is among the best countries in Asia. Scuba diving in Thailand doesn’t get any better than at Richelieu Rock. Usually visited on the final full day of a liveaboard Similian trip, Richelieu Rock diving is truly awesome.

For the very best scuba diving Thailand has to offer, it’s important to visit the top dive sites, and all of these are on the west coast, not far from the border with Myanmar. There are a few main areas, divided in different ways by different people. Officially, The Similan Islands National Marine Park contains the 8 or 9 Similan Islands, plus Koh Bon & Koh Tachai. And The Surin National Marine Park has the Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock. But most people in the business divide the area into ‘The Similans’ & ‘The Northern Sites’ (Koh Bon, Koh Tachai & Richelieu Rock)